₦airaland Forum

alexistaiwo:
Our greatest strength lies in our diversity.
Too bad we have only had corrupt and selfish leaders since independence.

Abeg historians, has any country ever survived without any figurehead leaders but in the community, more like the spartan and Roman civilisation of old where power lies in the voice of the people

False. About time we stop parroting what amounts to propaganda. If you notice, the most powerful nations on earth are ALL HOMOGENOUS - China, Japan, France, Denmark, Norway.

Look at the nations in complete disarray... over 90% are heterogenous.

LagosismyHome:
This is a school i know a couple of alumni...... Lincoln and howard are good HBCU in terms that they have good full ride scholarship so if you can get full ride why not

Also depending on your course, both are good in terms of recuritment because companys go there to fill their diversity quota . Hence u see a good no of their students interning or graduating with good jobs. Both schools i know a couple of Nigerians who finished there for undergrad and did very well post graduation.

I've never met anyone from Howard or Lincoln at my company... its sad that these schools are simply good to fill "diversity quotas". But the really big companies are getting smarter... they know they can easily fill their "quota" from the MITs, Yale, Harvard, UT and other top schools. No offense but my preference is to not attend an HBCU if you can help it. There are better programs out there if you can work for it. Top schools do take diversity into consideration when they offer admissions. A black kid from MIT won't have to worry about finding a solid >$150,000/year job ever.

Observer25:
You are 100% wrong. If US interview is all about the truth, no one will even need this forum.
You can say all the truth you want and can still be denied.

Just pick these two scenarions. Had 2 cousins who went for interview.

Scenario 1: Do you have any relatives in the US?
Cousin 1: (told the truth) I have 2 uncles and an auntie there.
VO: you don't have strong ties to suggest you will come back. Denied

Cousin 2: Same question. (Lied) No family members. He plans to come back after graduation (false).
VO: Approved.

Is not all about the truth. I believe they sometimes unintentionally penalize those who tell the truth. What is a student's offense to have a relative residing in the US? But you get screwed up for that at times. Is all about strategy.

Action and reaction. It is called an interview for a purpose. You need to prepare adequately not just reading transcripts. Same thing we do for job interviews.

Allow people to do what works for them.

Take a step back, reconsider the scenarios above... at the end of the day, you'd still come back to truth as the key factor. what you're suggesting is much worse... should cousin 1 have lied, it would be relatively easy to find out. As at present, he/she still has plenty of opportunity to build ties and reapply. Many success examples here. If he/she had lied, that would be a permanent damage to the reputation and potentially lead to a lengthy ban. All in all, the truth still trumps a lie any day.

Imagine if we all were honest, we would not need to fast and pray for a visa. That is the bottom line.

LagosismyHome:
Depending on your interpretation of the purpose of mock interview .......

The mock i have done has never been about lies .... some people dont know how to articulate well and just need to be coached how to highlight their experience . How to answer questions correctly...

It laughable that u think mock has anything to do with lies or false answers ..... that because u tailored you mind that things about Nigerians are about lies...shame then . We are not as terrible as you think

Most of the Top Business schools have career teams which teach their students how to sell themselves well. How to write their Resume well and a lot more. What has lies or false answers got to do with anything

I don't think I have conditioned my mind... the facts bear themselves out. Take a Nigerian passport to any consulate in the world and see the reaction. The term "nigerian scam" has become almost normal lingo the world over... last I checked, I did not singularly plant those ideas. If most people told the truth at visa interviews, we would be a visa waiver country today.

Again I challenge anyone to produce evidence that mock interviews work. They are no better than flipping a coin. You should not require a mock session to answer questions on why you selected your school and what your future career plans are in a less than 3 minute interview.

Last but not least, the example about MBA students is not valid. They face wide ranging exhaustive interviews for highly placed job positions. I'm sure if their interviews only consisted of asking them for their date of birth, reason for choosing their school or provide just two examples of courses taken... they would not need packaging.

In Nigeria, we "package" everything - shorthand for saying we simply look for every avenue to beat the system.

femi321:
Lmaoo..Big lie. Well lets just say I did some digging and I found out some info. Some of us should be calling you uncle while some should be calling you daddy. [b]The name of your school starts with R, the 7th letter in your company's name is O and your position starts with T. [/b]Tell me I am wrong. One thing I am good at is Research. Most times I am never wrong.

over and out!

LagosismyHome:
Hunmmn so many people have gained tremendously by the precious time taken by texrem and others to coach for interview.... not everyone wants to share their personal stuff here but are more open to discuss generic non personal questions

Why would u want to discourage this that has helped others....

I beg to differ for the following reasons:

1. F1 student visa interviews did not start last week. They've been in existence long before some of us were born... ergo a mock interview is no guarantee of visa success.

2. There is no reliable statistics to indicate that success level significantly increases with a mock interview.

3. A mock interview is not needed if you're truthful and a bonafide student. The questions asked simply pertain to your selected school, major and career plans. You only need a mock for prepared (usually false) answers.

4. VOs are highly trained to spot canned answers.

Bottom line, there is zero benefit to mock interviews.

gaviria:
Twoods sir, if you don't mind me asking what school did you go? I know you left school a long time now. But I'd just like to know because it'll open up another level of enlightenment for me. Thanks sir.

That's private information. but I'll tell you it was the top program in my field.

By the way, I am probably the same age as some of you here... I just went through school faster.

donanod:
I appreciate your candid response. But just for some more clarity, the school I'm referring to is ranked #20 on usnews.com's HBCU ranking.

What's the national ranking though? I'm not trying to scare you but simply telling you what i've experienced. I am currently coordinating hiring for this year in my department and i will not mince words, the school you attended and the quality of the program, was one of the main criteria we used to decide whether to advance a candidate or not. Think for a second, you apply for a job, you're from Lincoln and the next guy went to Penn State... you bet the Penn State guy is getting a more favorable view than you anyday.

I will not tell you that Lincoln is a bad school, but think very carefully. You want a job in a top company here... choose wisely.

EZEIGBO1OFIMO:
if you're looking to Get into a Good school that will get you a good job after grad school and possibly put you on the path to permanent residency,then for the love of God make una no dey look for GRE waiver.... Think about life after Grad school if you end up going to some no name school with meagre funding .
cc Twoods

Indeed! Too often people are looking at short term gains. Ability to obtain work visas and work-dependent green cards will only get tougher in future. That school that did not require a GRE or had more lenient entry requirements may not be the best investment of your time and money when you need to get a job.

tyman:
Good day house, pls I need an urgent advise. I applied for B1/B2 visa last year through a agent who filled the online forms on our behalf with his email, though we were denied.

Now, I want to reapply myself,
(1) can I start afresh with a different email?
(2) Won't there be no recourse to my formal application in terms of some information.

Please I need an honest response and guidance cos these had been bordering me.

Thanks and God bless.

Do you know what the agent filled in that form on your behalf? That form never goes away and is forever tied to you so if the agent lied there on your behalf, good luck getting a US visa.

austinelex:
hellooo pple in d house i am 25years old a trader and i am single i intend applying for non immigrant us visa thou i earn about 180k In a month and i don' have any travel history my question now is 1:how do i convince d vo dat i wud be bak as soon as possible 2:does rented apartment and a shop with one sale rep prove as strong tie my good pple in d house i nid ur urgent response so dat i can learn pls

25 years, single, a trader making less than $600/month gross, no concrete ties... your chances are slim.

bliz123:
2years now of following this thread and read all pages. (Kind of addicted now to reading stories. Always fun) December 2015 I was denied visa with wify and daughter. We were on tourism and wife for delivery. We had no prior travel experience.( thank God my boy was delivered in good health with mother doing great)I was a business man doing fine but January 2016 I got a government job in Abuja which is my occupation now. Fast forward I have a work related conference by September. I don't know if I need to change my work and pay to my new occupation or stick to the same occupation I got denied with since I still have by businesses running. ( I learnt changing stories leads to red flag ) We also now have travel experience last December for holidays. I will be going alone this time for the conference. please what do you advise based on logistics (do I look good to go)
Cc justwise, constance234, ladyG----

Not true. Being honest is your best bet. If you have changed jobs, explain. What leads to red flags are lies.

segunojo866:
This is my last post until July 04. All applicants will be approved this coming July in Jesus name. No time again to post here but I promise to post my testimony soon. Bye for now

This from the guy who was just looking to "get laid"... funny how desperation and lack turns us into emergency "christians".

Greatguy139:
Go and chk at dhl office mine was saying same tin online till I got there and it was avail.even at dhl office it was saying still with the consulate

Yep, i was thinking the same thing as well, based on very similar cases i had read here. It might be her passport has been ready all along.

Abuleoshi:
Terror Woods Aka Twoods I thought you were smart. Obviously you are not. All your comments that point to the fact everybody who is going to give birth in America is a liar and someone who funnily bought her ticket to America before getting her passport back from the embassy are two different things! I guess you just heard the word hypocrite and you don't know the meaning!

Your post made no sense, and I will not engage it again after this. her post was straightforward enough - it's not unusual to expect that your approved visa will be issued in the 2-3 working day period.

What does anything she said have to do with a pregnancy? Too often people post, not because they have anything intelligent to offer, but simply to be seen.

PaloInternation:
Can I do a dropbox and include a family member who has not been issued a US visa before...?

Nope. Everyone must attend an interview.

donanod:
@TWoods, please is Lincoln University, PA a reputable HBCU to attend for undergraduate studies?

Feel free. Don't cry if you find it tough getting the type of jobs that pay good.

Abuleoshi:
My exact thoughts... Why does Twoods think everybody is lying? His usual rude responses are getting tiring. @Twoods can you please ignore people you think are lying than wasting comment space with your usual sarcastic responses.

But you didn't take your own advice when it came to hebrewoman2014? One word - hypocrite.

VickyRotex:
Surprisingly, this is the song I was singing all day.

And I had plans to share the link.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jwZ21Ap9CA

Let me also share the full link then.
Chai, I remember those days!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qF6HLEqU6lE

They don't do worship like this anymore... thank you for taking me back 20 years! "Our help" was my first solo ever as a member of my campus choir at that time.

jiji2017:
Ah, i actually have read the back and forth argument on whether the letter is needed or not. For me i just want to be on the safe side. Its not going to cost anything. So if i send the email and its not needed then fine... but imagine how bad it would be if i end up meeting someone at POE that asks me why i did not declare that i was going to the US to have a baby... though in my case i used drop box and at the time of applying did not even know i was pregnant.

But my case might seem suspicious, cos out of fear for Trump administration, the minute he won the election i renewed my visa via dropbox even though i still had 2 months of visa left.

So its basically to fulfill all righteousness.

is this the email addy to send it to? Consularabuja@state.gov

The VO has confirmed that the letter is not needed.

Yes the CBP will probably ask you why you did not indicate you would be coming to the US to have a baby. But what they mean is why did you not declare this AT YOUR INTERVIEW... not in form of a letter of intent which they don't read.

The "i did not know i was pregnant" when you were applying has been overused and exposed as the sham it is.

Yes you used dropbox, but you could have reapplied for a visa interview as soon as you knew you would be changing your intent. When you did dropbox, you knew you would be using it for childbirth, but claimed you were renewing based on your earlier intent - a vacation (which was false).

jiji2017:
Please what is the email address you sent your letter of intent to?

Very interested in this.

abujaniv:
Hello. We don’t normally post in this thread, but it seemed worthwhile to drop in and correct some misconceptions. We say this a lot, but it bears repeating: Birth tourism is legal in the US provided the applicant is open about their intention and pays the medical expenses in full. This means that the applicant should declare any such intention they have at the Embassy/Consulate and again at the port of entry.

If it happens that the applicant gets pregnant well after the initial visa interview, they will have the opportunity to make their intention, medical preparations and financial resources known at the POE. However, it will remain up to Customs and Border Patrol whether to allow that applicant into the country. Some are not, and they are put on the next flight home. This must be extremely uncomfortable for a heavily pregnant person, to spend 15-20 hours on a flight to America, several more hours being questioned, then another 15-20 hours on a plane home. This is what we want to avoid.

Onto some other misconceptions:
The concept of the “change of intent” letter is not valid. These e-mails are not read nor correlated with the applicant’s file. Some people who send such letters may get a form letter in response, but it is informational in nature and in no way confers permission to amend the declared purpose of travel. What matters is what you declare at the Embassy/Consulate and at the POE. After the fact e-mails do not carry any weight.

Some applicants say, “I applied for only the B2 visa to declare my medical intent.” The B1/B2 visa categories are conjoined, so applying for only one does not make any difference. Other applicants say, “I appeared at the window with a big belly,” as if this alone is enough to declare their medical intent. Again, the responsibility is on the applicant to be honest about what they plan to do in the US.

Other considerations:
Medical care is expensive in the US, and costs can escalate dramatically if there are complications.
Credibility is paramount in the US visa process. If visa officers detect any deception or obfuscation, no amount of excuses, documents or receipts will make up for the loss of credibility.

I shall await the apologies.

Sparkle1515:
Vo:hello
Me:hi
Vo:wat you goin to the US for?
Me:childbirth and vacation
Vo:where in the US
Me: Maryland
Vo:types**
Vo: pick up your visa in three day.
POE
Cbp: hey,u look so tired,you are obviously tired
Me:smiles
Cbp:your passport
Cbp: welcome to America and pls do take care of yourself ,you need it o(this was 2014)

2016,renewal was succesful
*fast forward to Houston POE
Cbp:hello,can i have your passport
Me: hands over
Cbp:step aside,someone will be with you shortly
Escorted to secondary inspection
I was there for 5 good hours*no exaggerations here*no questioning until i was finally called..asked for my Hosp correspondence..finally said,mAke sure you have all your receipts for next time purposes
This was Houston POE

Morals:when people say some POes aint easy and someone convincingly says they aint like Nigeria bla bla except u a fraud or lied in ur app thats when you gonna be interrogated so bad,saying its only people who fraud thats thinks some poes are better than the others.Aint nothing shady about me yet i was held with no remorse whatsoever
Again,stop assuming for the vos or cbps..you aint inside of them..

Ever heard of guilt by association? There may be nothing shady about you but the cbp officers have seen enough frauds carrying your passport and coming for the exact same reason as you to be suspicious. You're simply paying for the sins of your sisters, some of whom have decided to sacrifice integrity on the altar of selfish expediency. they don't treat regular Germans this way... I wonder why.

Beautyaddy:
You are 100% correct. The U.S. embassy really needs to do this. It is obviously getting out of control.

Sometimes I tend to question Abujaniv and LagosNIV if indeed they're real U.S. visa officers as they claim. They can't be reading this thread and not be of great concern to make drastic changes with their so called visiting visas which has now shown that at least from this thread the main purpose of getting it is just to give birth in the US and not for visiting purpose.

As far as I know, the VOs are constrained by current law. Unlike Nigeria, they cannot simply refuse you because they don't like you. As long as you qualify for a visa and birthing in the US is still lawful, they'll issue you a visa. It's sad that we have taken advantage of this and basically ruined the opportunity for others. Hopefully there will be immigration reform soon that will put an end to this.

I presume there is still a lot of fraud going on, many are just "wiser" to keep it on personal email.

goobyparks:
Please does Houston have an easy POE. I want to go to Houston but i'm thinking of going through JFK coz of easy POE. However, will they still drill me wen I get to d airport in Houston since I came in via local flight.
Pls help a preggy sister

By "easy Poe" I assume you mean a poe where officers are corrupt, don't pay attention to their jobs or turn a blind eye to folks like you who attemp to cheat visa officers. Well most US law enforcement officers are fiercely patriotic... so no easy POE. You have only yourself to blame.