Nawao...see heavy, heavy insults upon injury. Chai! In fact, I weak. To the understanding and compassionate ones among you and all those who have given constructive advice, thanks and god bless.

Thank you all for your responses, advice, and well wishes!

I'm gonna take some time to answer a few of your comments:

"Since the lecturer didn't mark here essay, is it a final decision or can something be salvaged from it?" Yes, it’s a final decision. The lecturer no wan budge and the school is firmly on her side.

"What is the name of her school?" To protect our privacy, I’d prefer not to divulge that.

"A word "sister" appeared 16 times in this ur touching story...does she "sister" not have working permit?" Other than using my sister’s name (which would not be wise) or using the words “she” or "the girl" what else can I say other than “my sister”? As I stated, my sister is on a student visa. She cannot be on a working permit at the same time.

"Do you have your sister's permission to open her yansh to the world?? I want to believe this is fiction and not real because if it is real it is not smart to present personal problems to the world." Yes, I asked my sister if it would be okay with her for me to post this and she replied in the affirmative. What’s wrong with presenting personal problems to people who can advise you? Especially if the people involved don’t know you from Adam? If you saw me in a crowded room would you know I was the one that made this posting? Do you know my name, family, place of origin, anything?

"Can you guys back at home support her with some funds too - no matter how little?" My uncle and aunty are the breadwinners in the family bros. Our father’s late and our mother no get sisi.

"U can imagine how entitled she feels that she doesnt know that she should be grateful. If she didnt want to be their nanny, she should have paid her own tuition." @blank: Sweetheart, you don’t know the first thing about what my uncle and aunt put my sister through. I’m tempted to tell my sister’s experiences here but the thing could fill up an exercise book. You simply DO NOT KNOW her story so please don’t be judgemental. My sister does not feel entitled in any sort of way.

Thank you all!

I know how some of you Nairalanders are. Please, only reasonable responses okay? Try and stay on-topic. If you want to laugh at my sister's misfortune or question why she's remaining in the UK or insult the two of us join, kindly backtrack out of this thread. You don't know us, you don't know our story, you don't know our circumstances, you don't know nothing! Thank you.

My nairalanders,

Please, I need some advice from you yet again. My sister is in a very difficult predicament in London and I don't know how to help her out of this wahala...any constructive and actionable advice will be greatly appreciated.

A little bit of background:

My elder sister has been studying for a Bachelor's in the public health field at a university in London for the past 3 years. These 3 years have been exceedingly difficult for her. Our uncle and aunty pledged to support her financially through the program but every semester when the time would come to pay school fees, come and see fight and struggle. The girl had to beg and plead with them and do all manner of things to get them to pay up. Worse, because they were paying her fees, they took it as an excuse to convert her into a 24-hr nanny, maltreat her, etc. This semester she had a very stubborn American professor who made her life and those of some of her classmates very difficult (she had favorites). One day she threw my sister out of class on test day because she walked in a few minutes late (through no fault of her own) and eventually removed my sister from her module's roster. She maltreated so many students that a group of them lodged a formal complaint against her. Under pressure, the woman evenutually re-enrolled my sister in the course.

Fast forward a few months. My sister had pretty much completed all the coursework for her degree and was on track to finish with a second class upper. All that was remaining was for her to submit one essay to this American professor. My sister slaved away at this essay for a solid two weeks - she wasn't picking me or my mother's calls because she was so focused, she wanted to finish well. She then submitted the essay only to find out a week later that the essay was not graded and she did not receive a mark for the module.She spoke to the professor and the reason she gave was that the essay was supposed to be submitted electronically AND in hard-copy - my sister had only submitted it electronically. My sister had missed the portion of the syllabus that read that it had to be submitted in hard-copy as well, an innocent and honest mistake.

The woman has refused to mark the course point-blank and the university is now insisting that my sister resit that entire module next term (beginning February). The problem? 1) my sister's student visa is expiring in November, 2)my uncle and aunty have withdrawn all financial support from her and will certainly not be ready to pay for an additional term, 3)if she takes one module, she'll be considered a part-time student and thus ineligible for a visa, 4)she's barely managing to feed right now talk less of paying visa application and tuition fees. The school has offered to give her a basic degree, as in 3rd class, but my sister refused because it's an insult - if you know what she has been through these past few years?! It's a miracle that she stayed in school talk less of getting a 2:1. She spoke to a lady at the international student office and the lady said that she cannot help her because the directions for essay submission were very clear. What's more, she said that if my sister appeals the decision, she will have no choice but to bring evidence against her.

Me, I think the American professor has a personal vendetta against my sister for reporting her. She picked my sister as the scapegoat becaause she was the only one in the group (that complained) who is not a British national. They are playing with my sister's life and future and it's simply not fair!

Can anyone please advise us here? Justwise? Anyone?
Who can we talk to or appeal to? Is there any room for legal recourse? These people have chopped 3 years of my sister's tuition money - they can't do this to her now!

Any more ideas folks?

Great feedback Delta! Thanks...I'll definitely consider the whole head-hunter angle and Canada too.

Please guys, I need your advice!

I just completed my grad. program in May (from a school in Florida). I have an F1 visa so obviously I am a green kpali holder and Naija citizen.I'm job hunting aggressively, looking for positions all across the US because I don't feel like returning to Naija right now.I'm using all avenues available to me - online job boards, alumni networks and the few connections that I have over here but nothing dey happen as of yet. On job applications, I am facing a huge dilemna with regards to the "sponsorship" question. It is usually phrased as "will you now or in the future require H1 visa sponsorship?" but other variants are: "are you legally authorized to work in the US without restriction/for an indeterminate amount of time?" I honestly do not know how to get around this on job applications or during the initial stages of interview. I want to be honest but in this case, honesty is tantamount to shooting myself in the foot...how I go take reach finish line when I get wound for leg?

Here are my arguments for and against honest disclosure:

AGAINST: Lie and say that I do not need sponsorship. Why?
- If I tell a company that I do require H1 visa sponsorship, chances are that the company's online application system will detect that answer and trash my resume/application before any human being even gets to see it.
- Even if a human being gets to review my resume, if they see that I require sponsorship, they will not even give me a chance in spite of my work experience and qualifications.

FOR: Tell the companies upfront that I require sponsorship. Why?
- When the time comes for me to receive a job offer, I might be asked to show proof of work authorization. When the employer sees that I am on OPT, they will put two and two together. They might wonder why I was deceptive in the first place when asked if I would require sponsorship.
- Because of the H1B cap-gap and visa application timing, I would have to inform whatever company that I am hired at about the need to put in my visa application very soon after taking up the job.
- I've heard that many companies have the ability to screen applicants' SEVIS records. If I am deceptive they might catch it early on by doing a background check, trash my application and flag me as a deceptive applicant.
- If I am hired despite my need for sponsorship, it will save me headache when the time comes for me to ask if the company is willing to put in an H1 petition so that I can continue to work at the company (because they would have known about that from the get go).

I had a situation recently where I turned in an application to GEICO (I met every single requirement for the position and was a great fit) and within one hour, my application was rejected. I received an email stating that it was rejected because "I require sponsorship". In other words, it didn't even get to a hiring manager's inbox. Since then, I've been lying on every application that I do not require any form of sponsorship but I'm not sure if that is the right way to go about things. If you are going through this US job-hunt ordeal or have gone through it and somehow managed to get a job, please weigh in with advice and share your experiences!IF YOU HAVE NO CONSTRUCTIVE INPUT TO OFFER, PLEASE KEEP IT MOVING. I DO NOT NEED ANYBODY QUIZZING ME ABOUT MY DEGREE, QUESTIONING MY QUALIFICATIONS OR MY EDUCATIONAL/LIFE CHOICES OR OTHERWISE DERAILING THIS THREAD. PLEASE STAY ON TOPIC AND ADDRESS THE QUESTION AT HAND.

JUSTWISE, and other moderators. I take God beg you - PLEASE, PLEASE and PLEASE do not trash this thread, move it elsewhere, shut it down or what have you. Other Nigerian job applicants in the US can attest on my behalf that this is a very, very important/crucial question. This thread will be of great help to all the other frustrated and bewildered applicants out there. Justwise, the last time I created this thread, you moved it to some random thread and my post got lost in the noise and mayhem. No one, not even one person, addressed my question! If rubbish threads like "I don't like my body","what is your favorite nail polish" or "what is your favorite food" can survive without being disturbed and even make it to the front page, my thread deserves a chance.

Thank you all!

Gimbus, Elpieda, Gongo_aso. Thanks a lot for your input and encouragement.
Davidylan, thanks for reminding me of a fact that I am already painfully aware of. I'm looking for advice given my circumstances not a judgement call.
Gimbus, I want to get in touch but your email addie is hidden.

mba,

My fellow F1 visa holders,

Looking for a job in this US where we dey, iss not beans o! Am currently a graduate student with a May 2012 graduate date. I'm seriously looking for a job right now because I don't feel like returning to Naija with its Boko Haram, corruption and other home-grown disasters. I'm looking for a job everywhere - online job boards, alumni networks and milking my few connections but nothing dey happen as of yet. I am facing a huge dilemna with regards to the dreaded "sponsorship" question." Will you now or in the future require H1 visa sponsorship"? Here are my arguments for and against full and honest disclosure:

Lie and say that I do not need sponsorship. Why?:
- If I tell a company that I do require H1 visa sponsorship, chances are that the company's online application system will detect that and trash my resume/application before any human being even gets to see it.
- Even if a human being gets to review my resume, if they see that I require sponsorship, they will not even give me a chance, in spite of my work experience and qualifications.

Be honest. Why?
- When the time comes for me to receive a job offer, I might be asked to show proof of work authorization. When the employer sees that I am on OPT, they will put two and two together. They might wonder why I was deceptive in the first place when asked if I would require sponsorship
- If I am hired despite my need for sponsorship, it will save me headache when the time comes for me to ask if the company is willing to put in an H1 petition so that I can continue to work at the company.


All those who are going through this process or have gone through it and somehow managed to get a job, please weigh in with advice and share your experiences!
Thenx

My fellow F1 visa holders,

Looking for a job in this US where we dey, iss not beans o! Am currently a graduate student with a May 2012 graduate date. I'm seriously looking for a job right now because I don't feel like returning to Naija with its Boko Haram, corruption and other home-grown disasters. I'm looking for a job everywhere - online job boards, alumni networks and milking my few connections but nothing dey happen as of yet. I am facing a huge dilemna with regards to the dreaded "sponsorship" question." Will you now or in the future require H1 visa sponsorship"? Here are my arguments for and against full and honest disclosure:

Lie and say that I do not need sponsorship. Why?:
- If I tell a company that I do require H1 visa sponsorship, chances are that the company's online application system will detect that and trash my resume/application before any human being even gets to see it.
- Even if a human being gets to review my resume, if they see that I require sponsorship, they will not even give me a chance, in spite of my work experience and qualifications.

Be honest. Why?
- When the time comes for me to receive a job offer, I might be asked to show proof of work authorization. When the employer sees that I am on OPT, they will put two and two together. They might wonder why I was deceptive in the first place when asked if I would require sponsorship
- If I am hired despite my need for sponsorship, it will save me headache when the time comes for me to ask if the company is willing to put in an H1 petition so that I can continue to work at the company.


All those who are going through this process or have gone through it and somehow managed to get a job, please weigh in with advice and share your experiences!
Thenx

Hey guys, so, I sent in my new application last week. I know for a fact that the Consulate has received the application package (online courier tracking says it's been delivered) so I'm wondering why they are yet to send me an email to confirm that they've received it and have started processing it? Whatagwan? They did so immediately the received my first application, is this a reason for concern?

Thanks for your advice Omo_Tier! I'm 100% confident that I can resolve the initial concerns that were raised with the first application. Just to confirm, you think I'm better off re-applying than appealing? Does the appeals process really take long? Me, I was under the impression that it only takes long if the ECO upholds the initial decision and forwards your appeal to the UK for a court hearing?!

Fellow Forumites,

Please, I need your help abeg. I applied for a Family Visit visa to the UK last month and was denied. I am in the process of preparing my appeal. On the Home Office website, it explains the appeals process: I send my appeals package (IATF form and supporting documents) to the visa section that refused my visa, they forward the appeals package to some agency in the UK, the agency sends them a "Notice of Receipt" to indicate that they've received my appeals package and then an entry clearance manager reviews my case to decide whether I warrant a visa or whether he/she wants to uphold the initial refusal decision. My question is this: do I need to include my passport with all my appeals documentation? The Border Agency returned my passport with my notice of visa refusal. I've looked everywhere for an answer to this question but I keep coming up empty. What if I don't include my passport in the appeals package and they decide to grant me the visa? Where will they then paste the visa? Please help me out with this one guys.

Thenk you!

Wow! Thanks for all the responses,

Hey Mcleo007. Thanks for your response. I'm looking for a tailor for my personal use. Is the phone number you provided your number or the tailor's?

Thanks Olas2u. I don't think the more expensive the better o! I'm thinking the higher the quality of tailoring, the better, lol. I am just looking for someone who will do a very good job at a reasonable price. Not trying to break the bank here,

My dear Nairalanders,

Please, I am looking for a good tailor here in Lagos. Can you point me in the right direction?
I don't know Lagos very well as I have only lived here for about 3 months so I am completely hopeless in the fashion department. I don't know which markets to visit to purchase ankara, gele, aso oke, etc. and I don't even know where to begin looking for a good tailor. I have been disappointed by tailors too many times in the past. I do not want to fork over my hard-earned money to anyone that is anything less than a master of the craft. I'm looking for someone who can deliver very high-quality work at a reasonable price. If you know or can recommend any such tailors to me, I would greatly appreciate it .Please, do not recommend apprentices, people whose families and loved ones are afraid to inform them that they actually CANNOT sew, or people who just sew for a hobby, even if they are your family members! I am looking for an expert.

Please list names, phone numbers and locations below,

Thank you!

Ms. Yam, I'm curious, where are you from? You speak/write like a naija person but you also implied that you're a foreigner. Am confused

@ijaw_girl: Talk true! I bin wan ja reach that side o, na so e tough reach? How is it more difficult than USA? Explain biko nu,

Thanks guys! I just spoke with IT at my uni. and there seems to be some IP address issue. They've promised to work on it so I'll just keep my fingers crossed,

Hello fellow NLers,

Perhaps one of you can help me with this. I am currently pursuing my MBA in the states but I am interested in securing a summer internship in Canada this summer. I thought it would be wise to take advantage of my month-long Xmas holiday from school to do some research on job opportunities in Canada and to also figure out the legal process for taking a temporary job in Canada as a Naija citizen. There are a lot of Canada immigration websites/forums scattered around the web but I am yet to find a really good one (i.e. - one that is not too shady and actually seems to be a a reliable source of information). In light of this, I decided to try the Citizenship & Immigration Canada website directly (www.cic.gc.ca) since it is a government website and is as such the source of any information I might need.

Unfortunately,I have been unable to open the site for the past two weeks. I've tried to open it every day without fail but to no avail. I tried to view it using my PC, my friend's own and even a a couple computers at a public library. Each time it says: "cannot find server", "DNS error occurred. Server cannot be found. The link may be broken", "internet explorer cannot open this page" or something along those lines. All other websites are working perfectly on the computers so I'm at a loss as to what is going on! I've tried opening different links to the website but each one fails. I also tried opening "canadainternational.gc.ca" but it's also not working so I guess it's a system-wide problem. I'm really surprised that the error has remained unfixed for so long and I'm worried because time is going and I really need this information. What to do? Any suggestions? Is there some number I can call to report the problem?

Ileke-idi, this is not the first time that you've made disparaging remarks about Naija guys' looks. Of course every population has its wor-wor people and its fine ones but let's get real, proportional to our population fine guys in Naija are too many! Do you know that Ghanaian, Liberian and Sierra-Lonean women lust after our guys? In fact, west african women in general. Come and hear them going on and on about how fine Naija guys are. You act as if Naija men are just hideous but that's far from the truth,

Kenyanstar,
He who lives in a glass house should not throw stones. So you say that Nigeria is a failed state eh? So, what can be said about Kenya? Nigeria ranks number 14th in 2010's Failed State Index but guess what? Guess who comes in just above us at number 13? You guessed right -- KENYA!!! So, if Nigeria is a failed state, then your country Kenya is not just a failed state but a doomed one! Why not focus on your own problems and take care of business so that Kenya can someday be removed from that index instead of coming here to malign Nigerians and insult our country? Jackass!

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2010/06/21/2010_failed_states_index_interactive_map_and_rankings

Oh my goodness, Kenyaman. No one cares about Kenya here, neither do we care to compare Kenya with Nigeria! Get a f***ing life already, Jeezus! Why not move your discussion to Mashada?! Trust me, they'll be all ears ---- > http://www.mashada.com/

Becomrich, WTF are you on about? All I did was state that you are slaughtering the Hausa language (which is a fact). Why are you responding with this convoluted essay that has nothing whatsoever to do with what I said? LMAO! Wetin consine me if your friend's mother owns the whole heavens and the earth? Chai, you need your medication STAT.

@Honeric01: Mexico actually borders 4 US states - California, New Mexico, Texas and Arizona. He could enter through any one of them but he stated that he wants to go to Miami, FL so then the shortest route on land would be to enter through Texas and then travel east and southward to get to Florida. Entering through California would just be adding more work for him because if you compare Cali and Florida, they're on completely opposite sides of the US. And as for Alaska, dat wan na long tin o! Lol. It's completely seperate from the continental US and quite far away; it's attached to the northwestern coast of Canada.


Disclaimer : To any US Border Security Agent that may be reading this (yes, I know that these days you guys keep an eye on web communication), I'm not advising the poster to do anything illegal o. As a matter of fact, I'm trying to demonstrate to him that illegal immigration to the US would be foolhardy at best. Thank you.

The captain of a certain oceanliner by the name of Titanic was rumored to have said, "The Titanic is unsinkable. Not even God can sink this ship!" What happened on April 14th, 1912? Badamosi, you are that captain and no matter what you say or do your presidential campaign is doomed from the start. Come 2011, you will sink faster than a ten ton anchor! God will not allow an evil entity such as yourself to be foisted upon Nigerians for a second time. Mark my words.

@poster
I don't condone assuming someone else's identity/passport to try and make it into the US because as surely as the sun rises each morning you will be caught . But if you decide to go ahead with it despite people's warnings against such a move, what exactly will your plan be to "cross-over" from Mexico to Miami? Will it be by air, ground or by sea because Miami is quite a distance from Mexico.

If you hire a smuggler to take you there by boat via the gulf of Mexico you run a very real risk of perishing at sea. Many Haitians die every year attempting this very thing and there's no guarantee that you won't be captured by the US Coast Guard at some point during the treacherous journey and deported back to Nigeria the next day.

If you go by plane, you most likely will be identifed as a fraud at check-in, refused entry and possibly be jailed. With the increased stringency of US immigration regulations towards people entering the US from Mexico, you better believe that the airline staff will be scrutinizing each of your documents very carefully. If they have even the slightest suspicion about your identity, they'll probably ask you to produce additional forms of ID such as a driver's license, state ID etc. to compare with the passport and that's where they'll catch you. If you get somebody to cook up some fake IDs  for you while in Mexico (i.e. - with your own face but with your friend's information) you might make it (if they're exceptionally good quality fakes) but honestly, the more fake docs you have on you, the greater your chances of being ratted out.

Finally, if you decide to go by land, there are many possible scenarios that could unwind: 1) You might be eliminated from this earth by some hardcore, narco-trafficker who doesn't like/distrusts black people and doesn't want to see a single one in his playground, 2) You might survive the daily bloodshed that is the Northern Mexican drug war, find a coyote (or guide) who's willing to smuggle you into Texas, only to be abandoned in the middle of the desert by said coyote at the first sign of trouble (at which point you would be really and truly screwed),and 3) [most likely]You and your coyote will be captured by one of those overzealous, Texan border control agents and you'll then be returned to Nigeria as soon as humanly possible.

Have I scared you enought yet? If you're determined to go ahead with this then you'll have to pick your poison.

Congrats becomrich abi becompoor. You have just decimated the Hausa language! Turashi ko, turashi ni. Mcchheew!

Badamosi, that's one term too many!

I wasn't even aware that one could change one's interview date so unfortunately I can't help you there. I'm not usually one to recommend calling a Nigerian consulate/high commission but for what it's worth I think you should give it a try. Just ring them up and ask them what to do, or better yet go directly to the consulate and ask to speak with someone about it.