kinkymax:
thank you for this..so are u saying those of us without funding even if visas got approved, better we stay back in naija. Since u r over there , i blv you have a firsthand experience, is there no source of funds over there be it private loan or work study program etc. I know once u r nt a citizen or permanent resident you are nt eligible for federal loan FAFSA.. So is there no way out aside getting scholarship or funding from ur school??

No way except u can get a citizen to co-sign for u which is like finding a needle in a haystack...The other option is to at least have a year’s tuition ,so that once you’re used to the system , u can find a way around it, which is also not easy coz u can’t serve 2 masters at same time..I know some people will start telling y’all tales about people that survived it..oh well, u don’t want to be working under table to $7/hr and at the end, you’re out of status and can’t get reinstated unless u get married or come back to naija and reapply...

Polly240:
Hello everyone,
Are there other ways one can show proof of funds asides bank statement?

I’m afraid but no other way except u secured a loan or a federal assisted scholarship in which case you must provide proofs

Jukwasi:
Thanks so much for this. I am so grateful for your contribution. I know I don't have all the money at once to pay. But I pray they do accept some installments at first. Thanks once again.

your definition of installment here is called payment plan..it ends every semester and u MUST PAY UP before the next semester, or else you’re not allowed to register for classes for the next semester , the irony of it is that, new semesters registration starts about a month before the end of the current one and in most cases , classes has limited capacity, so while you’re struggling with your payment plans, classes might be filled, in some cases, if the Prof refuses to open more slots for classes, u might be forced to take ESL classes just to stay on status for that semester, which also comes with a premium..

homodele:
Good morning from Nigeria everyone. Please I would like to know do private schools in the US offer fully funded scholarship to students applying for a Masters degree program?

your best bet will be to apply to public schools as they have lots of endowment funds, However, I’m not sure with this covid year though...Private schools here for most part are very expensive and offers little or no fundings

Nicerazor:
Hi all,
I uploaded my financial doc and passport data page for issuance of i20 on 26th February and yet to receive response from the school.
University of New Haven Msc National Security.
How long does this take pls.
Waiting for your responses.
Good morning bosses.

why not simply put a call through to the school’s admission office, if u are scared of the credit to call, there are apps that allows u to call US for free..This is the fastest way to reach schools here except when stated otherwise, to communicate via emails.

kinkymax:

This issue of funding is actually disturbing. I also got admission( masters) without funding and I always think of 2 things,, 1)won't it affect my chances of getting Visa approved 2) how am I going to survive over there wt d high tuition and living expenses. Or there are other ways of survival over there that are not clear yet..

your gut feelings/intuition is valid, don’t come here to study without a solid funding plan..by all means, ensure u have fundings or money readily available for your studies, or else, u will almost be depressed and tempted to settle for less while trying to be legal.... Not a good experience if u ask me...No gaslighting

spaggyy:


Mrbammy pls i will need some tip from you, I am about to start my wife’s application but we are worried cos we recently got married and the Visa Officer might be concerned about her leaving her husband behind( it could also be a strong Home tie )

Lastly do you know if USA accepts Spouse Open Work Permit ?

u have two options, either apply for F2 for her or she waits until you’re settled and apply for tourist visa..However, of both options, she’s not allowed to work but can take a minimum of 6credit units while on F2 visa...I know some couples in my class from the Middle East that took that route..

EffectEn:
Its not everyone that gets funding for a master's program, if your sponsor can cover the tuition then be grateful. Some schools can offer you student employment- not assistantship. From my findings you can pay for your full living expenses on this jobs.

And be positive, do your best to be outstanding in your first semester, and you might just get a good funding offer. Don't be pressured. Keep pushing

u really mean that he can pay his tuition expenses with per hour job?���..which state in the US are u?

GboyegaD:


Have you been able to book your renewal? I need to know what website to book my appointment.

you can book with this website, I think u need to call to know the operational hours of the Embassies bcoz of COVID..I will advise u go to the one in DC, they are more organized.Though I did my renewal at NY but it was a hell of experience.. https://portal.immigration.gov.ng/passport/epassport

Smile4mee01:
Anyone has an idea how to transfer from an MSC. Program in Australia to a Uni in USA.

simply go to your prospective schools website and check their transfer guidelines/requirements..

ekaita:
Good evening, please i just secured admission for my PHD program with south Alabama.my question is if i can file for F2 visa for my two kids without my husband as he plans on staying in Nigeria because of his job. Will my visa and that of the kids be granted with this arrangement?

how old are the kids?,also while studying who will be taking care of the kids? In the event that they are very young,can u afford an average of about $4k/month daycare?. Speaking from the view point of the Vo, I also studied and graduated from Alabama.

yemiosinbajo:

Good. I had been waiting for an intelligent person who would point this out. The ban does not affect those already in the US. As a matter of fact, even for those outside the US, there is a loophole they can explore. If you want to immigrate to the US, come in on a non-immigrant visa, then, file for AOS. The US immigration system has a lot of loopholes that people are not aware of.

As much as u have a valid point,I beg to disagree with the notion that u can come here with a non-immigrant visa and adjust status which is contrary to the ban..I had a friend visit here on B1/B2 last year and at the POE,his passport was stamped in with “No AOS” inscribed on the stamp..All these brouhaha about the American Experiences,I hope to share both my pre-graduation and post graduation experience sometimes in the near future,so that the intelligent ones can decipher and make an informed decision..whichever ways u look at it,this man is making things tougher..Peace.

Deegayes:
We are in the same shoes o

No need putting undue pressure on yourselves, simply defer your admission to Fall, that way you have time to seek fundings from the school or other school, y’all also have ample time(120 days) to apply for your visa..

Seuntolaa:


Sorry i am back again. So what can be done? How can the person go about it?

before u apply to any school, Inform them about your 3yrs Bsc, they will most likely have u spend a year taking undergraduate courses to finish your bachelors after which u can proceed with graduate school..I had a couple of my Indian classmates that were in ur shoes back then...

Chimmy609:
Please I need answers on this.. This is my second interview.
I finally scheduled an appointment in February, but my school starting date comes up in may. Is their any law or rule stating that the school starting date must be closer to the interview date. Because my own has 3months gap after my interview. What should I do?

Yes,there is 120 days Rules to apply for your visa before resumption date.

How are u doing buddy.it’s been a while

Daodudavid:
Now that I’ve gotten that out the way, where are my goons in this forum, Mrslagosismyhome, Engr Remi, bright, walgreen etc ?
Also if you have your visa already and you are heading towards NYC you’re welcome to DM me please for any assistance with temporary accommodation and job hunt for you guys that’s the lease I could do as giving back to this forum

Melcapital:
Good evening everyone. Please I need your advice in booking my flight to the US.
My school is in Alabama and I discovered that the flights to that city and for the period I want to depart are expensive.I have a brother in Maryland so I am planning on booking a flight to Maryland which is much cheaper instead, then spend sometime with him(like 2 weeks), then take a greyhound bus to Alabama when school resumes.
My question is: Will I have a problem at the port of entry for taking a flight to Maryland instead of Alabama?
If I am asked such a question, how do I reply?
Please I need your inputs. God bless

greyhound from Maryland to Alabama??thats a long trip.your best bet is to book to Atlanta and take greyhound to Alabama,it’s a 3hrs trip but with greyhound it’s about 5hrs,depending on the commute route..I graduated from troy univ in Alabama and lived in Atlanta..also lived at PG county MD..so I’m very familiar with those terrains

domex007:



I got troy admission without toefl in 2015.

inbetween: this ICE guys no dey joke oooo. them carry trump for head

i graduated from troy 2017, as an Exco of African students,current News about ICE in collaboration with ISOs isn’t a joke..

domex007:




university of central Oklahoma
Troy University

why are u listing troy univ as part of it?well, let him come here with no SAT and TOEFL if he has the cash and more years to waste with ESL,else ICE is awaiting him..

I’d rather suggest u ask him his definition of “not smart”...often times we Nigerians believe we are smarter than others just because they play dumb just to understand how we reason...

GboyegaD:


I find this absurd. They are not smart and you chose to go study in their country? They are not smart and yet their society is more organized than ours that is smart? They are not smart and they lead innovations in the world? I guess it would be nice to weigh words before they are used.

Exactly my reaction when I saw that but then some responses are not worth the stress...Do u know how many years it took me with sleepless nights to finish my thesis?not to mention a Thesis that’s good enough to convince the entire Thesis committee members, then u head to another set of rigorous writing phase..MSc Thesis option is not child’s play here.

biikeys:

chuksproxy:
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!! & HAPPY NEW YEAR IN ADVANCE!

PLEASE GUYS DOES ANYONE KNOW ANY STATE IN THE USA THAT GIVES DRIVERS LICENSE FOR F1 VISA STUDENTS, THAT CAN LAST FOR 5 YEARS?? ANY INFO WOULD BE HELPFUL, OR ANY REFERRAL TO SOMEONE TO ASK WOULD ALSO HELP! HAVE A FUN HOLIDAY �

DL is usually based on the validity of your I-20(study duration) however,states like Washington states(confirmed),Colorado(unconfirmed) issues 5-6years DL as long as the applicant meets the residency requirements.

chuksproxy:
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!! & HAPPY NEW YEAR IN ADVANCE!

PLEASE GUYS DOES ANYONE KNOW ANY STATE IN THE USA THAT GIVES DRIVERS LICENSE FOR F1 VISA STUDENTS, THAT CAN LAST FOR 5 YEARS?? ANY INFO WOULD BE HELPFUL, OR ANY REFERRAL TO SOMEONE TO ASK WOULD ALSO HELP! HAVE A FUN HOLIDAY �

DL is usually based on the validity of your I-20(study duration) however,states like Washington states(confirmed),Colorado(unconfirmed) issues 5-6years DL as long as the applicant meets the residency requirements.

pmax:
My experience with the black American lady

My interview went this way,

Good morning ma'am
VO:good morning

Vo: wer are you going
Me: to the US for an undergraduate degree in Electrical engineering as a transfer student at the uni. Bridgeport.

VO: why Bridgeport
Me: because it has good recognition at the usnews.com
Bridgeport students do little of class work but spends more time at the lab with their hands on lab. Research practical and workshop trainings, wch is what I need at this level of my career to enable me contribute my quota in the current nation building and development.
UB is got well trained and experienced and lecturers and professors.

Vo: why US
Me:because it's educational system has good international recognition, and it's degrees is well accepted in any part of the world due to its cutting edge technologies.

Vo: it is said here that you have an OND and HND in Electrical Electronic Engineering.
Me: yes ma'am

VO: any test exams
Me: No

VO: courses ull be offering
Me: I listed

Vo: how many credit hours
Me: from start till graduation is 120,but ad a transfer student I'll be offering 40 credit hours

Vo: who's paying
Me: I mentioned I had 2 sponsors her face come change small.

Vo: wch is your major I mentioned
Me:my inlaw

Vo: what does he do
Me: I started explaining but at this stage she started cutting me short

Vo: and she said we don't have all day

Vo: at this point she was staring at me and asked which of this courses will help your career goal.
Me: micro processor programing

Vo: tell me about it
Me: started explaining nd she said never mind.

We staired at each other for seconds and she said I'm not well convinced and okay to grant you this visa.
I asked her my status and she said it's a temporary denial, I should reapply.


The sponsors issue was from my school, my in-law was first but he's statement added to the 11k USA scholarship was not enough. The needed an SOA with little fund to make up for the i20. I sent that of my in-law and the fund in it was too heavy they new trashed that of my uncle and showed only my in laws details on my i20. And my DS160 details was already containing my uncles details.

Now I will be going to the embassy come May cuz my school has sent me an new i20 form for fall 2018, I want to know
(1) does Uni. Bridgeport raise red flag
(2) should I write standardized test exam, if yes which will be better IELTS or tofel,
(3) I am 30 have been traditionally married but not legally married,because of dis I didn't include it on my previous DS160.

Pls to all the gurus I need your advice on what to do. Thanks

why not just take your time to evaluate your OND and HND with WES and simply apply for a Master degree program and also take a standardized test America is not running,if u don’t plan well before coming,at a point u would wish u never came..

I have $ in exchange of Naira..holla at me if ur interested

Hey, I understand your point,likewise a few others here i suppose, but there are just some risks that are not worth it, for me as a person, i prefer the blunt truth than for anyone to "romance" truth to me. You should know that some of us that has been here for a while are actually irked when we see our fellow country men going through hardships that could have been avoided if only they heed to advice. No one is against anyone coming down here as majority of people in Nigeria always think, but it is out of love that people do give first hand infos and advises of what is obtained here when one doesn't have funding or tuition fees for at least a year. I wouldn't go into personal details of how i was able to scale through until my final semester here without funding.It's really a tough experience to wish on anyone,That's the major reason none of you should view a blunt advise as been wicked or whichever name y'all terms it. In my short stay here i have been privilege to meet a couple of students from Nigeria that are going through hardship as a result of the "blind zeal" of getting a visa and coming down to US without proper planning.

I can go ahead and list some few scenarios that played out here, just last week an Indian student was trailed by the authorities to an outside campus job she was doing, they stormed her work place on plane clothes an after a couple of interrogation, she also implicated 2 other Indian students that are working there with her as well,they were all moved to their school ISO and instructed to terminate their service record and take whichever important belonging they have and there goes the free ticket to Bombay. I can go on and on to site some other experiences here with International students just to buttress my point. In order words. It is not worth the stress if you don't have fundings or tuition. My heart still bleeds for a classmate of mine, whom had no tuition and works all his days just to afford tuition and this last semester, he got the shock of his life, 3Cs, which is an automatic withdrawal from graduate school,he just kept weeping and they wouldn't even allow him transfer his credit to another school to start afresh. So y'all should know that this is America where there isn't short cuts to things, you can't serve 2 masters at a time.

My pathing shot will be for anyone coming here to plan very well before coming , else you will be frustrated and homeless moving from pillar to post with no help in sight, if your dream is to marry a per hour paid "akata" just for the sake of papers and you had no other choice, then just know you chose to settle for less, you are worth more than that and be ready for more frustration when you guys starts living together, a night with her will be like a night in hell.. I usually do not like to comment here for reasons best known to me but if y'all see anyone here still taking time out to give an honest advise, please appreciate he/she without resorting to name calling.Remember that no matter how smart you think you can beat this system, with the slightest of hard luck if you are caught, that will be the end of you and your generation ever making it here except the Law changes. A word they say is enough for the wise....Note that I'm in no way taking sides or discouraging anyone to come here,one of the few things I've learnt with people here over the years is that for every honest advise one dishes out, there is always one cousin or childhood friend giving them a counter fictitious advise to discard, but when you get here you will get to understand the true meaning of all man for himself, God for all..Good luck to y'all in your pursuit of your dreams.. Peace out.

teepee4Him:
LET'S KINDLY CONSIDER ALOT OF FACTORS BEFORE 'NAME-CALLING' OR CONCLUDING ON A PERSON.

Looking at the trend at which some of us conclude and name-call others in the last couple of days, I am of the opinion that we try to consider alot of factors and try to put ourselves in other people's shoes (though that might be difficult) before we advise, conclude or call someone 'lazy' or 'hypocritical'. Some times, the best of plans often go awry, the most diligent of men often makes mistakes, the most patient of men encounters situations that can cause him to get annoyed. We should also try to understand that we are of different financial status, intellectual ability, diverse temperament etc. Sometimes you might need to be more explicit to someone than another person not because he is a total novice but his/her situation can differ.. Yes no one is enforced to help or advise people but I'm of the opinion that keeping quiet or explaining the consequences of an action would be better than name-calling; which in itself does little or nothing in convincing or helping someone to think better. In a dire situation, even a saint can seldom think awkward just to consider his/her options in ensuring he/she gets out of the situation.

Let me paint few scenarios, someone might actually be browsing with a phone and not a system (just like me) and not know that there is a search button up because the fonts are too small. likewise, exchange rates can sky rocket etc. Planned trips can sometimes be incorrect. (For instance, a friends place I intended to stay which was 25mins to school is now as long as 40mins during peak periods). Things happen.

My salient point: It can be difficult for someone who has spent 20-25 of his early years growing up in a place to adjust to a new system. Any form of aid or advice to help such ones THAT ARE READY, WILLING AND DISCIPLINED enough to be helped Will be helpful...

Having said that I'm enjoying the thread though. Its been my solace in the last days.

sureb0y:
Just passing by. I'm slowly getting over the culture shock, life has been beautiful. yesterday marked a week since I got to my school. I'll do a brief review of my stay so far. Can't believe I've only been in America for a week, it's like I left Nigeria decades ago. This is not me badmouthing or bashing my country but Nigeria sucks big time. From the leaders to the common citizens, darn... you people are rotten from top to bottom. Forget corruption now, I'm talking about the general behaviour of a person. People are so nice where I live, I can't even start to explain. It's like a general, unwritten rule here that YOU MUST BE KIND TO OTHERS. I'm loving it and trust me, it's new to me. May God forgive me, whenever someone does something nice to me here, I secretly think they're just pretending but I'm slowly getting to know it's just their nature. 2 ladies offered to chauffeur me around yesterday (for free and it lasted about 4 hours), one gave me $100 cos my stupid bank card stopped working, the other paid for my walmart shopping: $150. They even took me to lunch and paid over $25 for the food after they had helped me set up my apartment! They were so nice!

School starts today, I expect it to be the only downside of my stay here hehe. I don't like school so I don't expect it to be fun. Right across my window, on the other side of the road is a branch of The Redeemed Christian Church of God. I'll go there next week and see what they have to offer. I learnt those church people can epp person with some ogbonge package (read between the lines, don't dull). To all the efikos in the building, I'll have something for you tomorrow when my lectures start.

My accent has been a barrier so far. I speak well but I'm torn between trying to speak like them (hoping it would help them understand me better) and speaking with my Lagos boy accent (this is really convenient for me but harder for them to understand what I'm talking about). I'm confident this is going to fix itself with time, I'm not bothered one bit. Understanding them is no biggie for me. I grab all they say 100% and I've not told anyone to "come again" for over 5 days. I'm even helping you people out here, telling them nice things about Nigeria and Nigerians. Saying we listen more than we speak, don't talk while eating, raise kids to be respectful, help the elderly, etc.

On girls... *sigh* This is my favourite part. If there's any guy here who doesn't know how to talk to/woo/toast girls. LOL... don't worry, you're going to be blown away here. In Lagos, I couldn't start a conversation with a girl to save my life. Twitter, FB, BBM, Whatsapp. I knew the right things to write in a chat to get a girl to like me beyond words but when it comes to talking to a stranger face to face and trying to get her to at least part away with her atm card pin phone number, omo... it's been a disaster so far. It only worked for me like 5 times out of 50 attempts. I used to think my game was weak, now I know it's the nonsense girls in Lagos. Stupid girls who think being rude shows class. I'll talk more about girls later.

hey sureboy,welcome to America,my only advise to u is just be careful with girls,I see u like them just like I do but some situation has taught me to be laid back..I will give u 2 instances,a room mate of mine last semester brought this girl home,we started talking and she fell for me,after sometimes we made out,I lost interest the next semester and moved on and told my room mate that I'm done.i didn't know my room mate had a thing for this same girl despite been in a serious relationship,on this fateful day,he used his gf's ride to go pick this girl up,gave her some liquor and took her to a calm street and made out with her in the car,after that night he didn't call or replied the girl's text,the girl felt used and went to the cops in the school to report that she was raped by my room mate,the cops came to the class to arrest my room mate with cuffs(what an embarrassment if u ask me) coz class was on-going,so he explained his side of the story to the cops and was granted bail and told to always report to the station while investigation was still on-going,during one of his visits to the station he showed the detective in-charge all the texts the girl was sending to him,just to prove a point to the cops that the girl was the one coming after him,but guess what?as at last semester,the school authority held a panel with the girl's mother in attendance shedding tears,the school later passed judgment that my room mate is guilty and expelled him from school,now the govt has taken over the case and he will face charges as we speak,he is hopeless coz he is the only one here..

The other Naija guy I met where I was working had the shock of his life when he got a call from his school official telling him that he was accused of rape and his Sevis has been terminated just like that..according o what he told me,he said the girl involved was a girl he met at a party took her home and they made out,he didn't hear from the girl until his school official called to notify him..

This is just to keep the long story short,like someone on the forum initially advised,no one is here to kill ur zeal for girls,they are everywhere,u just have to be careful..me Sef na lead city boy and God bless me with small good looks and I be small celeb for my school (been on billboard and mags) but even when girls come hanging I'm always very careful..I'm not saying this to discourage u but I just want u to becareful,ordinarily I barely post here but my conscience will prick me if I don't let u and others know what's up with them girls here..stay safe..welcome to America ..peace

imperiouxx:
@ akin,

I just remember now that you won't have phone when you landed. Probably, you have to use the airport phone booth. Get some $1 change with you before leaving Nigeria if you can or you find change at the airport kiosks.

u also forgot to advise him to be wary of the Jamaicans and Pakistanis whom will appear like "angels" that had foretold his predicament and solution to it...just like the touts at the embassy,he might fall prey as a first timer...they are always lurking around at JFK

OjaP:


Wow, this is so interesting. What school in California do they all transfer to. I am eager to know.

silicon valley univ

gunther6:
I have been reading about all this Indians deported at the POE especially LA and Chicago it got my blood up!!! I'm expecting gurus to come here and give us pointers please.

cc imperiouxx aadeyi warriboy21

yea a lot of Indian students were deported that I'm aware of when we resumed last spring because most of them gets here with good and reputable institutions but decides to transfer to schools in remote areas that aren't accredited especially a particular school in Cali,I have a couple of my classmates that did such after they couldn't afford their second semester tuition but their greatest undoing was traveling back to India for the Christmas holiday,they were refused entry at the POE..about 180 of them,the ones in my school that succeeded to return back to the states had to make an sos call to the school,as such they were issued a kind of cover letter by the school authority,even at that,the POE officials still asked to see their tuition availability for the new semester before they gained entrance..This was narrated by a classmate of mine when he was asked by an Indian prof during one of our class session..

dickoflife:
Bros I laff fall down laff stand up laff fall again, damn that was hilarious. Anyway this 6 or 9 credit issue is clearly explained that under special circumstances a student can be allowed to reduce his semester credit load to 6 after a letter is written and his or her situation considered especially in cases of students who have disabilities. Na wetin I read o... All this female detectives here sef abeg leave yellow toes alone oh.. Her story no match but leave her, law of karma is at work.

my school(Troy university) allows graduate student on GA to register for 6credits minimum provided u will be available during summer to take the remaining 3credit...so it differs from schools