dolpaz:

Another One..am so sorry..just helping our fellow brothers who were rejected..

Dear Nairalanders, let me begin by expressing my sincere and unreserved apologies for my inability to have offered a prompt and timely follow -up to my previous updates and all the attendant responses. I have been quite busy trying to wound up on a number of activities, including and especially, preparations for my departure. I regret any inconvenience this may have caused. I have realised that once you are issued your visa, the days become faster than normal and before you know it, your departure date stares you right in the face. I appreciate everyone who has made valuable contributions, volunteered time and resources to this forum.

I wish to quickly address the concerns that have been raised about my first interview; why i said it was bad, what made it bad and what was responsible for the initial outcome which necessitated an appeal. My first interview was bad basically because i buckled under the threat of the Old Lady. I allowed her unfriendly mien and harsh disposition get at me. I was befuddled at her aggressive nature, i allowed it affect my composure and performance. This adversely affected my performance. I lost composure and couldn't answer basic questions regarding Germany and my course of study. Also, I think i was over confident. I am reputed at doing well at oral interviews and general presentations and i apparently allowed that becloud my sense of modesty but unlike others, this was a different ball game as i clearly missed essential details which could have enhanced my assessment by the Visa Officer. Hope someone here can borrow a leaf from that. READ! READ!! READ!!!

JULY 21, 2014.....ANOTHER MAIL INVITING ME TO THE CONSULATE

At about 11.00am, i checked my mail and noticed i had been invited to the Consulate. Nothing was specific, except for the instruction to come with my passport for the purpose accreditation and access into the premises of the Consulate. Even though i was optimistic about the outcome of my second interview, i was a little agitated because i was not quite sure. It would been a bit of respite if the mail had included the usual request for the three months insurance policy but i wasn't expecting that because my sponsorship letter came with an insurance cover from Germany. Still worried, I quickly put a call through to the Consulate requesting to speak with the undersigned but was told she was in a meeting. At this point, i couldn't go on with my work, i became quite uneasy. About twenty or thirty minutes later, i dialed the number again, the receptionist again picked and asked why i wanted to speak with the Visa Officer. I told her i had inquiries to make regarding a mail she sent. She requested i hold on and immediately put me through to the Visa Officer. Not minding she was acting very business-minded, I promptly introduced myself and requested to know why i was requested to come to the Consulate. She asked for my details, crosschecked and told me my visa application was successful and therefore i was requested to come for collection.

JULY 22..... I arrived the Consulate shortly before 7.00am. This was my fourth time! After handling formalities, I was ushered to the reception where, to my greatest chagrin, i was confronted by the same old woman who conducted my first interview. On her request, I submitted the mail and my passport, sighting my name and face, perhaps my reference number, she obtrusively let out a smile. I guess she remembered our first encounter. oh! the chubby beautiful woman at the reception was happy for me. I was asked my proposed travel date which she quickly wrote down and requested i come back at mid day for COLLECTION.

Shortly before mid day, i arrived at the Consulate and took my seat amongst several others who had also come for collection. It took a while before the man in charge of issuance showed up. You could see apprehension and curiosity on people's faces. Eventually, i was called and just as i stretched my hand to collect my visa, the man looked up to me intently and said ''we have looked at your appeal and your visa application has been accepted but i'm afraid we cannot issue you a visa now because your intended date of travel does not correspond with the date on your foreign insurance''. hmmmm, nna mehn, my blood begin vibrate...e no go better for Satan. Ok, let me explain that. The date on my insurance and that of my intended departure were five days apart!

He advised that i called the Foreign insurance company and request that they reissue a new insurance to reflect or correspond with the date i will arrive in Germany. The date on the insurance cannot exceed your arrival date! In other words, your insurance should take effect on the same day or before you arrive. Well, i quickly called my sponsor (God bless that dude. That guy is a friend indeed), inspite just returning from work and feeling worn out from the stress of a hard day's job, he had to quickly drive to the insurance office to effect the necessary change. Before he could finish the process and scan for me to print and take back to the Consulate, official hours had elapsed. hmmmmm, chai...words are inadequate to describe how i felt. The annoying part was that i had to pay as much as 1kto print the insurance, one page of document around the Consulate just so i could meet up with time. I left for the office, weighed down yet very optimistic. I knew it could only be delayed, it could never be denied because God was involved.

JULY 23......SIXTH APPEARANCE AT THE CONSULATE, WOW!
Again, i beat the 7.00am time line. Got cleared, at the reception, I submitted my passport and a printed copy of the mail. I was asked to come back for collection at mid day. At mid day, i was there and TO THE GLORY OF JESUS, I GOT MY VISA. Note that this was my seventh appearance since i had to appear twice on two consecutive days. I am grateful to God, only He could have done this, He made it possible!

Note that I have painstakingly shared this details to encourage all others who may be going through some challenges or expectantly waiting for the outcome of their interviews or admission. My prayer is that God will meet all of you at the point of your heart's desires in Jesus name.

Eke40seven:
Are you a Bavarian Illuminati? LOL
You can use your Freemasonry connections to get through to Lacuna (the Chinua Achebe incarnate on this thread). He was writing a wonderful story on how he successfully appealed his rejection and got himself back to lala land, however, I don't know what happened to that pet project of his. I think he wrote the embassy or something like that.
Use thy mystical mind control powers to get him to "do what thou wilt" or thou canst search him and send him a message and please I appeal that thou shunnest secrecy and ensure that the pyramid of reply thou shall get reach us hither.
what sayest I now? Lacuna thou gifted wordsmith, where art thou? reveal thyself we pray thee that thou mightest fulfil thy work on this thread.

Eke40seven......such an amazing fellow...

I see all the comments here and believe me, i want to always chip in one or two but time no just dey. I am caught up in the intricate web of work, preparations for my trip, church things, family and all. Right now, i don't even know how to quit my job, how do you tell a good boss you are quitting when you practically run the all the shows. I really need to sort that out first and then i will be a little more steady here.

Thanks people......Rejection as far as i am concerned simply means.. 'convince us a little more'...i will be back full force

I will conclude, or at least attempt to conclude my victory story, lol. I need to encourage someone out there, everyone needs to know it is not as hard as it seems.

edufabulous:
wow!!! Tanx for the info, seriously waiting for the season 3 of this successful movie...lol

JULY 7, 2014: my second interview

Narrowly escaping the wrath of the Ibo Man, I arrived the Consulate at about 9.45am. After due checks and handling formalities, i was ushered into the premises and was directed to the reception straight up. Noticing it was another woman who manned the reception, i felt a little agitated as I was already familiar with the black chubby woman. I handed her a copy of the mail which rescheduled me for the second interview and took my seat amongst a couple of others who were already waiting.

In less than ten minutes, my name was announced and i was ushered into the inner room. wow!!! Standing right at the door to escort me upstairs was this beautiful, amiable, lovely young lady. She was full of smiles, her countenance was so friendly and accommodating. she was a complete contrast from the old lady, this experience was a total departure from my first.

She welcomed me warmly and unbelievably, called me by my names. She then motioned by hand gesture and i trudged along while she moved behind me as we walked upstairs into her office. At this point, I knew Oluwa was involved. Did we have an interview? No! It was a conversation, a sort of interaction, a tete -a-tete between two friends. Oh God, she was just too nice. why can't all humans be like her!!! she said to me succinctly, that the reason i was invited was to clear whatever doubts they had about my intentions to undertake my Masters Degree studies in Germany and encouraged me to relax and just give my best. I nodded affirmatively and enthusiastically, too.

I remember vividly that the first set of questions she asked revolved around my sponsor. she wanted to ascertain the relationship between myself and my friend, why he was sponsoring me and basically wanted to establish if there was any real connection whatsoever between us. she asked when my friend left to Germany, why he left, where he worked, etc. Oh boy, I was fully ready so i just took time to discharge. She kept nodding, smiling and urging me on as i responded, there could never be any better motivation. God bless her heart. she is too kind to be human.

We talked about my school, courses i will be studying in the programme, the structure of the programme, my plans after the programme,etc. For me, the highlight of the interview was when she asked why i chose to study in Germany, hmmmm, by the time i finished eulogizing Germany, nna mehn, see as this woman dey laugh scatter, dey nod head. She was just so impressed. Infact, i remember that at a point, she told me to slow down so she could type those things without missing out important details. In less than twenty minutes, we were done.

At this point, she turned fully from her computer facing me and said reassuringly, `you did very well'. She told me she was going to recommend the issuance of my visa and advised i shouldn't bother myself that the interview was good and that my visa would be issued in two weeks time. I was so thrilled that i didn't want to leave her office, lol. We talked back and forth and it was a wrap. As i stood up to leave, i shook her hand warmly and thanked her effusively and stepped out. She walked me downstairs! wow!!!

JULY 21, 2014......ANOTHER MAIL INVITING ME TO THE CONSULATE. WHAT AM I EXPECTING? TO BE CONTINUED

edufabulous:
please sir, did you use sponsorship letter for your visa application and how was the second interview? tanx

As i approached the exit and in observing security protocols,i was requested to sign out. At that point,the two guys who were attending to me started asking for tips. With my rejection letter and the thought of what to do,i was so upset that i almost screemed at them.I told them bluntly my visa application was not approved and therefore i wasn't ready to part with a dime. At that point one of them sympathized with me and stepped away. The other guy,I had become acquinted with on the day of my interview when I noticed we were from the same state,took special interest in my plight and wanted to know why i was denied. I told him i couldn't say exactly why but it may not be unconnected with my performance at the interview. I signed out,collected my items and was about exiting when he said to me in our dialect" Appeal. Appeal that decision, i am sure they will give you the visa".I thanked him and left. As i stepped out into the real world,hmmmm,reality hit me. I thought about all my plans and ambition to study in Germany and the set back i just encountered with my visa application refusal,the implication of what had just happened. Suddenly,a guy walked up to me,he was also rejected. We got talking and he advised that i appeal as he would also do. After we parted ways, i called my friend in Germany who gave me the sponsorship letter,he was already waiting for the outcome.I told him it was bad,i had been denied. The first thing he said was "guy, appeal that decision joor. I am a citizen of this country and i have a reputable job,no criminal records,my tax payments are up to date, my income far exceeds what the minimum financial requirements for the sponsorship letter is, so why should they deny your application".He said they just want to know how serious i am. I thanked him and hung up.

9.50 am or thereabout. . . .
I thought about going to the office but changed my mind. I was in a terrible frame of mind and everyone would notice so i headed home. Called my boss requesting his permission to be absent, he obliged and it was a bit of respite.

Took my laptop,went into my mental archives,in the end i came out with a strong,profound and agreeable appeal. For the first time in a long time,i agreed with my own piece. Satisfied,i sent it to the consulate.In less than an hour,i got a reply from them stating that my application could not be honoured because it was not signed and all appeal letters are to be in PDF. I quickly made the necessary adjustments,scanned, converted from word to PDF and sent. Again, In less than an hour,i got a response. Two things excited me about the response; its promptness and the fact that the appeal was accepted.

The undersigned( i will talk about her in my subsequent updates) said my appeal had been considered and therefore she was willing to offer me another opportunity to clarify all doubts concerning my plan to study in Germany. She gave me two dates, july 14 or 21 at 10am and requested that i choose any of those dates. I responded by opting for the first date but requested to be interviewed by 7am. This was to allow me time to quickly dash to work after the interview. After about twenty minutes,she mailed back saying, it had to be 10am and then advised that i choose 21st if 14th wasn't convenient. I was never willing to wait another week,i wanted another opportunity to clear whatever mess i had created during the first interview so i quickly confirmed the first date at 10am.

July 14,2014: my second Interview. . . To be continued. . .

reecky: what really was the reason for your initial rejection after u went for the interview @lacuna. What reason did they give u. Could u please tell us?

well, like i said i will make out time to share my personal experience here,i know it will go a long way in encouraging others. I had my first interview on June 20,2014. The old woman conducted my interview and it just wasnt funny at all. All my life,as in,in my entire life,i have never met a woman so unfriendly. The interview lasted for about fifteen minutes and the moment i walked out of her office,i knew it was going to be negative obviously because, i performed very poorly at the interview. I just didn't prepare,my job took all my time as i had so much tobdo within that period plus, i was too confident owing to the fact that i cannot say i have flopped at any interview.

July 7,i got a mail requesting i come to the consulate. At the reception,the black chubby woman who eventually became friendly on my interview day after her initial gragra asked why i didnt come with an insurance policy,i told her i wasnt requested to besides,my sponsorship letter came with a German Insurance Policy. She said she was worried for me,that it wasnt going to be a good one.

In less than twenty minutes after,the old woman showed up,i was called and my original documents were handed over to me accompanied by a rejection letter which she insisted i sign. Somehow somehow, i didnt feel too bad for reasons i still cant explain. when i checked the rejection letter,the reason stated was 'doubts as to my serious intention to study in Germany'. . . .

To be continued

I am talking from a personal experience. I will share it here very soon, everyone needs to understand that these Visa officers neither hate nor like you. Matter of fact, they are strict about STANDARDS AND PROCEDURES. Meet those standards and follow the procedures duly and no one can deny you your visa. If i got my visa even after an initial rejection, then anyone can!

Teflon1:

"...It is as easy as anything" is not an 'ok way' to say it. there are ppl who hv been rejected despite having adequate docs and performing well at their interview...well, ur opinion!

Does common sense not tell you that the two MAJOR reasons visa applications are rejected are poor interview performance and inadequate or unsatisfactory documentations?

Teflon1:

& how many cases/samples hv u observed/studied over a period to make u jump to this ur "UNEQUIVOCAL" conclusion?
or do visa 'rejectees' give u a call everyday?

I can say, unequivocally, that travelling to Germany for studies is as easy as anything. All anyone needs is to get the right documents and put up a good performance at your interview.....YOU WILL GET YOUR VISA

The pertinent question to ask is whether the source of such stupendous wealth and display of affluence is legitimate

Truly, regardless of who holds sway at the helm of affairs, i sincerely hope peace and quiet returns to this continent. its been a long tortuous journey down this hazardous road.

hello peeps, really very bothered right now. This is about the tenth week i appeared for interview at the embassy of finland in respect of my residence permit application for a Master's degree studies, i am yet to get a decision. I have sent two mails, still no response. all others who appeared after me that i personally know have been communicated to, would could have gone wrong? any help?