Hello everyone. I need an advice on how to get study visa to canada this time. I have been refused in 2007 on the basis that I have not convinced the visa officer that I will come back to 9ja after the authorized time issued to me and that I have not satisfied that I am a bonafide student, Though I was sponsored then and I applied with my o/level and national diploma in Business studies.
My situation has changed and I think I shld be able to stand a chance.
I already have admission from a college in Canada that offers professional accounting prog:ACCA. I have been accepted for 1yr ACCA prog. and I am planning to sponsor myself. I have a registered company which I reg. in 2008 and I have substantial amount of money in my bank acct dat covers all my expenses in Canada. More so,I have a house that has been transfered to me by my father,after d evidence of my own acquired property. My only concern is that has anyone ever been issued visa to study ACCA in Canada from Nigeria? Do I stand a chance of getting a visa? I have UK and Netherlands refusal on my passport.
I need a professional advice because I am apply for d study visa by mid of March,2011.
I'll appreciate advice from u guys.
thx

@ liliema, walk into ur bank explain to 'em what u intend to do,they will put u through on hw 2 get credit card. all u have 2 do is to get the equivalent of the charges of d shcl in dollars n pay it into ur credit card acct. they pay online,but u need to be careful where u will make d online transacation. it's better u use ur personal computer rather than cybercafes. I wish u d best.

1 year ACCA program? There are 14 exams for ACCA. Give more details so we know where to start. Did your admission letter say 1 year?

@ANFANIO. Yes, My admission letter reads 1year. The name of the college is stouffville college. Maybe the college excempted some papers base on my previous educational qualification. I already have OND in Business studies. I am not sure

I think you are offered admission for an Associte degree or to study for 1 or 2 parts of the ACCA exam. I'm trying to get more info.

@lilema, yes u can use Gtbank visacard, I used it for 4 different applications and it worked just make sure its visacard and not mastercard cos I once tried the mastercard and it didnt but am not sure if they ve corrected the mastercard problem. You will fund your visacard with USD and you can use to pay your application fee in CAD. I paid for 80CAD and 84USD was deducted from my visacard. I guess you will need to have a domiciliary account with them to get the visacard. Hope this info helps?

I just called Stouffville College and I learnt they teach and follow the ACCA syllabus, no degrees offered. I will suggest you call or send email to the school to clarify concerns you may have.
If the visa officer asks what program you are going for, and you answer ACCA, you and I know it takes more than 1 year to do that.

@ Lilema, I cannot believe that you will come on here and say that I tried to scam you. I specifically gave you the information that I receive from the admissions office at Carleton University. I think you insinuation is quite damaging to my character and reputation especially where all I've been doing here is to help people. I have decided to post here the originally e-mail that I received from Carleton University which I forwarded to you. It seems to me that you you interpreted Bank of Nova Scotia to mean a bank in Nova Scotia, Bank of Nova Scotia is a bank that is everywhere in Canada, it is just the name of the bank that Carleton University uses. Moreover, the address of the Bank is in Ottawa where Carleton University is based. I feel really insulted by your insinuation. Also, I gave you all the other options in my e-mail on how you can make the payment including using a credit card, and money order but coming on Nairaland to give the impression that I was trying to scam you is absolutely very disappointing. Here is the original e-mail that I sent to you per my communication with Carleton University:

>>> Sarah_Maccormack <Sarah_Maccormack@carleton.ca> 3/2/2011 11:17 am >>>
Good morning Ayo,
Thank you for your e-mail.

The $100 CAD Application Fee for International Students can be paid by using one of the following methods:

Mail:
Payments may be made by cheque, certified cheque, money order or bank draft and should be mailed to the following address:
Carleton University
Admissions Services
315 Robertson Hall
1125 Colonel By Drive
Ottawa, ON
K1S 5B6
Credit Card:
Please fax the following information to Admission Services (613) 520-3517:
- Student name and student number
- Credit card number
- Credit card expiry date
- Name of cardholder as it appears on the card
- Amount (in Canadian dollars) that the cardholder is authorizing (e.g. $100 for the international application fee)
- Cardholder signature
- 3 digit security code found on the reverse of the card


Bank Transfer (for International Students only):
We now have an international bank account to which payments may be wired to:
Bank of Nova Scotia
Main Branch
118 Sparks Street
Ottawa, Ontario, CANADA
Bank Transit Number: 40006-002
Bank Account: 3309-14
Swift Code: NOSCCATT OTT

Payments should be made in Canadian Funds (CAD).
*Be sure to include your student number, name, and the detail of what the payment is for (eg. international application fee) on the wire information. Wire transfers can take up to 10 days to be received and processed to your student account.
If you have any additional questions please do not hesitate to contact me.
Regards,
Sarah MacCormack
________________________________
International Administrative Assistant
Carleton University, Admissions Services
1125 Colonel By Drive, 315 Robertson Hall
Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6
Tel: +1 (613) 520-2400 Fax: +1 (613) 520-351



If you, or anyone wants to verify this information, you can call or e-mail Carleton University Directly. I guess this is why people get frustrated when they try to help others only to be grossly misunderstood.

Lilema:

Am rounding up with my online application to carleton and lookin 4 ways to pay d application fees, i have many options, get a bank draft in canadian dollars and pay to ouac or pay by VISA or MASTERCARD online. I was thinkin if i shud get a VISA Credit card in dollars from GTBank or Skye Bank, will it work. Just confused with d whole canadian dollars stuff tho dey didnt specify if the credit card shud be in can$. Help pls cos some guy frm here tried helpin me by scammin me, he sd i cud use bank transfer to an accnt in nova scotia. I contacted d skool, they sd dey dnt provide account info to applicant. School is carleton and its postgrad. Thanks in adv

Walk into any Skye Bank branch. Request for a prepaid visa card. Load the card with the amount of dollars you need to pay for, activate the card on any ATM by changing the PIN, go online and make your payment. They will tell you the minimum you can use to get one but I think it's $50 (you will only have access to $30 after getting the card). I love the Skye prepaid Visa card. It is quite flexible and I've used it for various application payments. Q.E.D.

By the way, you may want to avoid the GTB Mastercard. Annoying stuff.

@Anfanio,thx for ur insight. I think one cld complete d ACCA within a year if he/she is studying full time and he/she has had previous knowledge. i.e previous academic standing to prove he/she has already procured relevant qualification. I guess since I will be studying full time and putting my OND in Business into consideration,some papers has been excempted.
Meanwhile,I would like to knw any other person in this forum that have similar experience like me. Some who also intend to pursue ACCA.

There are 9 fundamentals papers and 5 professional papers, ACCA exam is twice in a year explain how you will finish in 1 year. I'm not worried about you in Canada, I'm worried about you going through the embassy. ---------------Look at this clue from the school web site:

ACCA Qualification

Entry requirements

There are a number of entry routes which take into account previous school leaver and graduate
qualifications and allow you to study for the ACCA qualification, provided you are 18 or over.

If you do not have the standard qualifications, you may apply for Mature Student Entry provided
you are over 21. You will be given two years to pass Papers F2 and F3, and will then have 10 years
to complete the remaining papers.

Be prepared for the embassy, think of of all possible questions and have answers ready.

@ANFANIO, thx so much for your concern. I really appreciate u for handling and making enquiries 4 me as if it's your personal issue. Thanx a lot. I find your info vital. I got to knw that the July intake is for full time and the durations is from 6 to 30 mths. I got d fact from another college that's also ACCA tutorn provider london schl of biz. n finance(Toronto)
Please check the key fact in this link: http://www.lsbf.org.uk/programmes/professional/acca/full-time.html
I want us to examine it together. I really appreciate u. I am also looking forward to interact with any other person that is intending to pursue ACCA in Canada.
The issue is not even abt how to defend myself when I am called for interview,but hw I will be given chance to get to the stage of interview. I am looking @ all ways to get to d level of interview.
Thx

hello Ayoalade,
I am new on this thread. I must commend your effort in reaching out and making things easy for us. May the good Lord richly reward you. I had applied to study for the CMA about three years ago, but my visa application was turned down, because I applied for a 6 month visa. now I want to reapply for the program in british columbia, alberta or ontario. I know what do do to get the admission. my challenge is the visa. an immigration consultant said, it will be difficult for me to get a visa under this program, but I do not believe him. any help you can render will be deeply appreciated. If you do not mind, pls give me your email address. mine is ifypaul98@gmail.com.

House, anyone with useful information on this matter should pls do me a favor and drop a line.
the Lord bless you all and may all our dreams come true.

Hello Ifypaul, you can e-mail me at canadaforum@hotmail.ca and I should be able to provide some useful information and hopefully put you in touch with some former CMA students who might have gone through the same situation as you.

@ACCA 247

Sweetheart, this ACCA thingy is a dicey one oh.

You know you have been denied Canadian, UK and Netherlands visa. Uk visa is usually easy to get if you are eligible. So your Canadian visa application must be very convincing and geniune so you wont look like someone who is just trying to fly out of the country.

I think someone has written something about being denied visa because of ACCA that he was told that he can do it in Nigeria. I read something like that in this thread once cant remember, maybe I am just hallucinating.

So just do your home work by researching your proposed programme of study, alternative courses or programme and off course read through the thread again.

If I was in your shoes though, I will look for a Bsc in Business Administration with Accounting as a concerntration or a Bsc in Accounting in an affordable college that would enable me school and work after six months. You would be exempted in some courses since you have a diploma in Business. You might even complete your degree in 2 years or 1.5years if your are willing to school during summer and choose a school that has co-op option.

Then during holidays, you can read for ACCA or CMA or CGA on your own and write the exams. Infact if all this is put in your letter of intent, you will strike them as someone who has his goals outlined and has matured from the man that applied in 2008. You now own your business and your convicting skills with  customers is usually (find appropriate word) because you are not fully educated bla bla bla that should be your basis of going and your letter of intent should be crafted around that. So inorder for you to remain relevant in the Nigerian Economy that is very competitive, you need to upgrade your skills and self actualization blla bla.

But what ever options you pick, make sure you convince them to their bones and your letter of intent should be realistic and intelligent.

Best of Luck!!!

@ACCA 247, just as the last person advised, I would strongly suggest you carefully sit down and come up with a credible and justifiable reason for wanting to study this program in Canada. Otherwise, you may be seem like someone who is desperately seeking a way out of the country. And it gets even more suspicious when it is a short term studies.

Having said that, one thing to remember that each application to the visa office is unique and everyone will be treated as individual so what worked for someone in the application does not necessarily work for another person (in fact, it could become a stumbling block). So, take your time, review the application, and come up with a solid plan that you are going to present to the visa office.

Ayoalade,
pls is it posible to apply for a study permit/ canada visa from usa? i mean,i have a valid usa tourist visa, and i dont want to go thru the canada wahala from Nigeria, so i attended a canadian education fair in lagos last month,i gave dem an adress in America to send my admission letter to, my admision letter has been sent alrdy, So am lookng at the options of applying either for study permit or tourist from washington, SO PLS WHTS UR ADVISE?

cuddlemi

If you're reading this, could you please enlighten me on your chosen University?

I anticipate your response. Thanks

@ Mikkyangel - are you currently in the US or just on your way? You can certainly apply for Student Visa from the US. You will still have to fulfil the same requirement that is required for International Students and have to provide a proof of your status in the US (i.e. your temporary status):

If you are in the United States on temporary status, please provide:
Your US Non-Immigrant Visa, (whether it is in your current passport or an expired passport)
The original I-94 card issued by US authorities at the time of your entry into the US
The document issued to you by US authorities to confer that status (e.g.: SEVIS I-20 or DS-2019 or I-797 form).

Reiview the Canadian Embassy information provided in this link - http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/washington/imm/permit_study-etudes_permis.aspx?lang=eng

And if you're contemplating Visitor's visa review this link http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/washington/imm/visa_temp.aspx?lang=eng

Essentially, it very possible to do this provided you meet all the requirement and you're also able to prove your status in the US.

Ayoalade,
thnks man, u too much, wht u just said is true,i read it on the studies in canada website but needed some clarifications. Am currently in Lagos. i have worked in and visited usa in the last 2 yrs. I specifically came to n9ja because i wanted to runs immigrations to Canada frm my home country, So for now i intend to attack Canada from all angles, WORK PERMIT, STUDIES, VISIT and Posibly asylum thru Toronto or Vancouver, I MUST ENTER CANADA!, somewhr along the line i change my mind abt Federal Skilled stuff cos i nor like stress atall.

Well abt Belvic, i dont know if they are certified Canadian immigrations lawyer, but my friend who resides in Denmark courtesy of Danish Green card scheme , just got his work permit for Canada thru Belvic. He flew into Nigeria a couple of weeks ago to come do his medicals. He intends to migrate to Canada cos his tired of Denmark. Am also into Contract with Belvic and am told to wait btw dis month and end of nxt month to know my faith cos i applied last October.
The work permit stuff i heard favours aplicants with work experience, higher education qualification say.masters degree and to some extent travel experience. Of all the guys whom i know went into contract with belvic,only one has been sucessfull for now, proberbly cos hes got higher qualification frm sweden

pls cuddle when did lamton college sent u ur admission mine is geting long

[b]Hello everyone. I need an advice on how to get study visa to canada this time. I have been refused in 2007 on the basis that I have not convinced the visa officer that I will come back to 9ja after the authorized time issued to me and that I have not satisfied that I am a bonafide student, Though I was sponsored then and I applied with my o/level and national diploma in Business studies.
My situation has changed and I think I shld be able to stand a chance.
I already have admission from a college in Canada that offers professional accounting prog:ACCA. I have been accepted for 1yr ACCA prog. and I am planning to sponsor myself. I have a registered company which I reg. in 2008 and I have substantial amount of money in my bank acct dat covers all my expenses in Canada. More so,I have a house that has been transfered to me by my father,after d evidence of my own acquired property. My only concern is that has anyone ever been issued visa to study ACCA in Canada from Nigeria? Do I stand a chance of getting a visa? I have UK and Netherlands refusal on my passport.
I need a professional advice because I am apply for d study visa by mid of March,2011.
I'll appreciate advice from u guys.
thx[/b]

@Cuddlemii and ayolade
Thank you so much for your gesuture. I have already received admission letter from the college in Canada to pursue ACCA. I need more professional advice from you as what to do to convince the visa officer that I truly want to go for ACCA. I think I may convince them that the tuition providers in Canada are good compared to Nigerian counterparts and competition is high in Canada i.e learning with diff. ppl from diff.part of the world. Competition makes learning interesting.
More so,I am also a Diretor in my father's company and I want to develop the business in the area of financial matter/report and risk management. I think I can convince them that my business is also lacking in the area of keeping proper account and financial record. Above all,since I have become a successful enterpreneur,I also want to become a professional,which gives me an edge of earning from my business and being hired as a professional. what do you think? I want you to see yourself in my shoes,what will you do? I appreciate any more advice and post for you and other nairalanders.

@Cuddlemii and ayolade
Thank you so much for your gesuture. I have already received admission letter from the college in Canada to pursue ACCA. I need more professional advice from you as what to do to convince the visa officer that I truly want to go for ACCA. I think I may convince them that the tuition providers in Canada are good compared to Nigerian counterparts and competition is high in Canada i.e learning with diff. ppl from diff.part of the world. Competition makes learning interesting.
More so,I am also a Diretor in my father's company and I want to develop the business in the area of financial matter/report and risk management. I think I can convince them that my business is also lacking in the area of keeping proper account and financial record. Above all,since I have become a successful enterpreneur,I also want to become a professional,which gives me an edge of earning from my business and being hired as a professional. what do you think? I want you to see yourself in my shoes,what will you do? I appreciate any more advice and post for you and other nairalanders.
[quote][/quote]

I just went through the website of Stouffville College but didnt get much information. I noticed a lot of Nigerian peeps pictures on their web page which is a good thing, lol

I think everything balls down to you. Just make sure your application is well packaged and dont potray desperation.

I leave you in the hands of the gurus in this thread, gurus please advice asap.

@Cuddlemii
I am not sure of if the pictures are of Nigeria,though most of them are Africans,but I cannot figure out if there is Nigerian amongst 'em , lol
Thanks so much for your advice and support by throwing my case into the hand of pros like you. I welcome any advice from any nairalander and would be happy if someone could give me insight on how the letter of intent should be.
Thx
@Ayoalade,I am still expecting more advices from u. thx

@ ACCA 247 - Honestly, there is no magic formula for convincing immigration officers that you are indeed embarking on a legitimate educational journey to Canada. If anything, you goal should be eliminate doubts and suspicion about your intent. You cannot, and I repeat, you cannot create a situation where the credibility of your application will be question:

1) succinct but strong rationale should be developed on why you have intended to embark on this studies. You are a business man, build a strong case for yourself however, without sounding incredolous.
2) Make sure you have a strong case to support that fact that you intent to study and leave Canada. Anything that remotely points to the possibility of your staying in Canada after your studies or abandonning your studies to become an illegal immigrant in Canada will surely raise a red flag that can lead to another futile effort. So, you have to guide against that.
3) You also need to fulfil the other requirements such as adequate funding and strong ties to Nigeria which will indicate that you honestly do intend to return to the country after your studies.
4) You must not, under no circumstances, even if you are 100% sure it will help your case use fake documentation. Don't let anyone fool you about that even if they had done it in the past and got away with it. You got to remember these guys have dealt with a lot of Nigerians and at this point in the game they've learned quite a lot to make it easy for them to weed out the bad eggs, so be very very careful and diligent.

All said and done, the main thing is for you to be confident when you approach them. As advised by Cuddlemi, don't show any sign of desperation but at the same time show that you're truly interested in studying in Canada. Above all, remember what worked for someone else will not necessarily work for you. Be yourself and be original.

I hope all goes well, looking forward to seeing you in Canada soon

@Ayoalade,
I really appreciate your advice and highlights. I have some proof and facts to back my application,which I want to list below. Yet,I want me and you to examine it.
1)I have reg. Business that is doing fine. I have account for the business,though not much(about #200,000 bal) but about #4million on my personal savings acct and #150k on my savings acct. I am a member of the local Chamber of Commere in Ogun state. I am also a director in my father's company. I need to develop my business especially in the area of money/financial management,risk management and financial report/record. I also want to the develop my father's biz in the same way. I also want to become a professional in Accounting,which gives an edge in this competitive market. My aim is to join force to tackle challenges facing the global biz.and the main challenges is financial and money mismanagement. Education made me reach where I am today and I must continue on my education to get farther. Even when I was not in the four corners of classroom,I always learn in my area of studies. Business and Accounting is my world.
2) I do not have any course to remain in Canada after my studies,since I have my own Business at home and I must come back to develop the Business. I am the first son of my family and my father has always re-echoed it that I will succeed him if he retires or dies. He had already transferred one of his houses to me,where I live in a Flat and rented out the remaining. I have invested in stock and the investment worth abt #1.5 million. I also have my own property,which is under construction. I also have a commited relationship with my fiancee and I cannot depart from her for long. I am also working to start a charity organisation,as way of paying back to my community, aside being an Employer in my company.
3) I have considered the funding. My tuition and other expenses is not more than #2.4million. I will earn double income if I get the ACCA certification because I will earn from my Business and I will also earn from being hired as a Professional Accountant(Free lancer). I have numerous source of income: from investment in stock,from rental of property,from transportation business etc
4) I do not have any fake document and I will never do that in anyway. All my documents are genuine.
All I am hoping is that with my case,I stand a chance of even being called for interview. I have courage and confidence to defend myself even if I am called for interview. Though,I am not dying to travel to Canada,but honestly,I really wish to study in such a country with good educational system,
I am optimistic and also looking forward to coming to Canada.

ACCA 247,

lol at I also have a commited relationship with my fiancee and I cannot depart from her for long. lolz

Im sorry I like laughing a lot and I am a clown.

Is this your letter of intent? You seem to have too many reasons for going and coming back to Nigeria as well. Let your letter of intent have a pattern. You need to list out the important point and build on it.

1) Your Company: You run your fathers business or your business. Explain your job description and specialization briefly and what ACCA would help innovate ur company.

2) Nigerian economy: lacks skilled workers and as such respects foreign degrees. That would make your business more strategic as you will be merging a developed countries experience and facilities of business which would help out compete your rivals.

3) Your reason for picking Canada, what makes it stand out from other countries, the location of the college etc

4) The standard of the college, curriculum, top notch faculties and you are going to meet people from different countries like a mini united nations bla bla.

5) Self Actualization, your passion for accounting has always existed since your childhood thats is reflected in you able to handle your fathers business without prior knowledge in accounting.

You should just explain your commitment in Nigeria and how you have to carry on your father's legacy. then u can write all ur first born stuff but please only relevant and precise details.

Dont make it too bulky. Just pick good points.

You better marry your fiancee before you go. Even if its a court wedding so that no babe in Canada would make u depart O. lolz

@ alikote,

Lambton college sent me my admission package since January through DHL. Contact Kurtis Gray via email

Kurtis.Gray@lambton.on.ca

@Kunle 93

I was admitted to an institute of technology in Alberta to do an IT program (my first desire)

I just applied to University of Alberta and University of Lethbridge for their Bachelors degree in Management Information Systems as a second degree and I am still awaiting their decision

@ ACCA 247 - I believe cuddlemii has brought some clarity to the matter. While your letter of intent has everything that you need to convince the visa office about the authenticity of your application, it does lack focus. So, without re-inventing the wheel, I would advise you tweak your letter of intent by using the highlighted points provided by cuddlemii. Once you have it revised, you can repost it and I'm sure we can be able to offer reasonable suggestions. I hope cuddlemii is still on board

@ cuddlemii - I would have sworn you were in Canada. Thanks for your contributions. I hope everything goes well with your visa application. I would be shocked if the visa office ruled otherwise. Such intelligence is needed as a fresh addition to the Canadian Academic scene. Looking forward to seeing soon.

@Cuddlemii
thx so much. I am also a funny type,so I welcome your laughter. lol
Actually,what I wrote was not my letter of intent. I only highlighted some points and threw

it to the house so that it could be appraised,edited and correct and add to it.
I really appreciate the scope you gave me in the breaking down of my points to make it 

short and sensible,at the same time to make it convincing.
1) Being a Director in my father's company,I make decisons concerning the future of my

father business,while I run my own company My job description includes Plumbing and

Fitting,buying&selling of building materials and Transportation. Apart from gaining

special knowledge in Finance and Accounting,ACCA qualification will also help my

Business in the area of organisational management and strategy.
2) I appreciate the fact that Nigerian economy lacks skilled workers and for me to get a

global certification with experience from developed country, I can stand the competition

in the Market.
3) Canada's education system is excellent and ranks among the best in the world,Canada

is Safe and Peaceful,Canada is a multicultural country where I can learn from people's

different custom and tradition. The location of the college is also located in

Toronto,where there are lot of facilities for students.
4) The college is remains one of the best private colleges committed with high quality

education. Lecture are delivered in small groups with highly qualified tutors that also

offer personal assistance during the term of study. The college boasts of students from

over 60 countries. The college admits on assessment of previous knowledge and

experience.
5) Though I have stated in my previous application that I dream to become and

Enterpreneur and employer,yet I can still convince the visa officer that I realize that

Business goes with Accounting and Finance. I developed interest in Accounting since my

early stage in Management studies and I underwent some accounting subjects while in

the Polytechic.(It reflects on my statements of result) and my little knowledge in

Accounting has helped me to contribute to my Father's Company in the area 

management decision making and financial strategies. It makes me to handle my

Business financial matters and I want to progess further.

It is my personal responsibility to expand my Business and make it Big  Company in future. It is also my responsibility to see that my family business continues, being the first Son and decision maker,    (LOL) and being a member of Directors of his company.
Also,I need to give back to my community has it contributed to my success story. I have  personal attachment to my Family,Business and Country.

@Ayoalade and all other gurus of the nairalander,please do not be bored with my issue. I always welcome expertise advice,comments and views. I won't stop bothering you guys literally until I get study Visa to Canada   lol
I appreciate u all. waiting impatiently for response,

@ ACCA 247 - I will review what you just posted, and give you my take on it. Stay tuned