Erudite77:


Thanks a lot.

That means my recommenders are submitting scanned copies.

I'll have to wet ground. Lol. Sending Professors on errand to scan and upload isn't easy.

Ayangbade99:
Please is anyone also having issues with the CGI page? I have paid for my visa fees but can't create an account. Please I need some help.

bukhety:

Most cases, they will ask you to type the letter, give you letter head to print and scan it and forward it to them. They will then do the needful.

yemish19:
Hello. I do not think you need to defer. My start date was August 2nd, though classes have started which i have been attending virtually. I just recently got my EA approved with a date for August 20. I have spoken to the school and they are fine with it. I think discuss with your school and let them know. Most can allow you to start virtually especially since last year, almost classes were virtual. My thoughts though.

chuksmanred:

Avoid turkey, britain and other european countries. I no go deaf when the VO was telling me that. Ya turkish airlines are cheaper but they are on US red list.

wynie:
I don’t know you but I’ll just like to say a massive congratulations to you, based on what you wrote it’s obvious you left no stone unturned when u did you research. Well done

On a different note, did you hear back from chevening? and (trust me I’m not going to ask about your school cos it’s obvious you aren’t sharing that info and I respect that). I do have other informations I’d like to get from you please, that’s if you don’t mind of course

Queendammie:


Please when did you apply for the emergency appointment and when did the embassy approve your request. I applied for emergency appointment 4 weeks ago and i'm yet to get an approval.

Duisburg:

Baba, Turkish airline na 450k+

bunmisoar:
Hello everyone, please how true is it that schools in the U.S are no longer issuing I-20. Is there anyone that is still expecting I-20 for this 2021 fall session? My school is Morgan State University and I have sent all the required documents for my I-20 for over a week now but still no response. I have also sent two reminder emails, still no response. Please I'll like to know if there's any other person experiencing this, especially those that got admitted into Morgan State University. Thanks.

Themaths:


I don't think your information is wholly correct either. Now, it depends on alot of factors...

1. Your destination.
2. How many stops.
3. When you booked, booking like 40+ days ahead helps.
4. The period you book. August is especially crazy.

With this, flight to some destinations, 2 stops in August will be very expensive. Like my destination, Little Rock, it's at least 750k.

Cheers!!!

hlabest:


Your interview looks good Bro. I guess you would have to take note of the observation and reaply.

I also got admitted into same school for same MBA program. I couldn't schedule an interview earlier due to network issues. I was able to book an appointment at Lagos consulate but the date I got is 21st July 2022. I want to apply for EA, praying to get an appointment date this August.

fdecisive:


Thanks bro. But not exactly accurate.
Turkey is not on USA covid19 red list. Only Schengen countries (mostly western Europe) currently have some restrictions.
Check this out : https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/from-other-countries.html
Also, there are exceptions to these restrictions which includes students resuming this fall >>https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/visas-news/presidential-proclamation-on-the-suspension-of-entry-as-nonimmigrants-of-certain-additional-persons-who-pose-a-risk-of-transmitting-coronavirus-disease-2019.html

BTW, transiting an airport WITHOUT going through their immigration and customs nor leaving their airport, is not the same as legally visiting that country, which you need a visa for. I don't think a student coming to the US who switches planes in Turkey or ANY OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRY will have any issues. Turkish airlines flies into the USA every single day. Same with British Airways, AirFrance, etc.
Check out the USA CDC website and Turkish airlines website. Any student traveller who has a negative covid test result within the last 3 days before travel, is good to go.

Thank you!

Olawura:
Hello everyone, please I am new to this thread be nice to me.
I will like to know if going with my kid and my husband is not going to be a red flag considering I will be going for an undergraduate program and my husband is my sponsor?
He'll have to take time off work to go with me till I settle down before he comes back and he can come in and out just to check on us.

Or if I can afford to just go alone. I really don't know if I can go without my 3year old.
What are my chances please?


I've read how people with kids have been granted Visa but I noticed they are all going for higher degress, masters and PhD. As I am applying for my undergraduate degree that's where the confusion comes in.

Please help. Thank you

Derronecks:
Please is anybody experiencing such issues or ever experienced this before? This is not making me schedule a date. And my approved date only valid until August 28. Any help please?

grace2all:
Please can anyone help with a decent affordable hotel close to the Abuja embassy

librangyps:

Ofcourse.

No 1. Any deficit or additional costs ....husband is better as your sponsor.

Have a school in mind for them you have researched incase.

Why is your husband not joining you ?

Do you have some funding?

Career progression is also good.

fdecisive:
Date: 1st June 2021
Status: Approved
Funding: Full Ride

Since last week, I have been watching boxing legend Mohammed Ali and his fights with Frazier and Foreman. So today when I was inside the consulate, I began to get a bit nervous. So I began to warm up (subtly though) just like Ali does, from left to right... . Watch him on YouTube, you'd love it.

While on the queue, I saw several cases being adjudicated. There was a guy who couldn't string two or three sentences without a serious grammatical mistake, he didn't sound like someone who passed English at all. On top of the fact that he was telling obvious lies. But he was speaking forcefully, and in the end, his visa was approved, to everyone's surprise. There was a guy who was practically fidgeting, didn't know where he had worked just a couple of years ago, couldn't say what the degree will do for him. But his visa was approved. In my mind... See grace. There were others who seemingly said everything right, and were calm and confident too, but were still denied. Fear God.
It got to my turn.

VO(Caucasian): Good afternoon
Me: Good afternoon sir.

VO: So tell me, what are you going to do?
Me: I'm going to the university of xxxx to gain knowledge and conduct a research with Dr xxxx and Prof xxxx, on how government policy on internally displaced persons, refugee, and migrants are formed; this study will lead to a masters degree in International Studies, and prepare me to take up a role as Director of Corporate Social Responsibility at xxxx, where I currently work. (I stopped, and VO was still typing and looking through my i-20).

VO: (He kept mute for about 20 seconds. He was checking my I-20 all the while I was speaking and kept typing even after I stopped.) Suddenly, he heaved a sigh, opened his mouth, and said... Alright, I will be giving you this document, and approving your visa. We got a lot of folks in queue and I can see you got a full ride, so let's not waste much time.
So here's your i-20, you can pick up your passport from Monday next week at DHL office, VI... Have a wonderful trip to America.

Me: Already smiling. Thank you so much. Have a nice day!
The whole process took just over a minute.

First of all, I want to appreciate the Almighty God for this. I return all the glory to God. I will share part of my story below to motivate and inspire someone out there. You can make it, if you will try!

As of August last year, I had no clue and no plan to study abroad. I had different plans for my career, which included doing a Masters at UNILAG . That same August, a friend of mine John (not his real name) who won a commonwealth scholarship to the UK visited me. He had travelled to Lagos in order to process his tuberculosis tests at Ikeja. He shared his story with me and challenged me to apply for Chevening, Commonwealth, and any other scholarships I could find, adding that I had exceptional experiences that will make me stand out. I was inspired because this was a guy who grew up with me in Warri, walked the same streets with me, attended the same fellowship (FECA), he was even my junior throughout our days at UNIBEN, and here was he going to UK on a fully-funded Scholarship. I believed I could do it too. I decided to give my applications my best shot. As God would have it, we were working remotely at my workplace, so I could devote a lot of attention to research online. I made up my mind to apply for UK Chevening and Swedish Institute Scholarship (NOT USA - I did not think I could afford their numerous standardized tests, and other fees, etc). The USA was out of it for me.

From late August to November last year, day after day, night after night, I did meticulous research. I got vital help from John and others too. I tried to string a coherent story from a pretty diverse career story spanning journalism, news broadcasting, community development, refugee support, humanitarian aid, corporate communications, etc. I wanted to develop a solid personal statement from my experiences that will always be convincing.
After sleepless nights, and managing my applications with my full-time job, I got admitted to 6 UK schools (Universities of East Anglia, Leicester, Bournemouth, Lancaster, Westminster, & Cardiff). I applied for the Chevening Scholarship. I got favoured by God, and was shortlisted for an interview. Last April I did my interview at the British Consulate, Lagos. It was successful, as the panellists shared their feedback with me that I I was outstanding. I'm confident I will be shortlisted for the award when names will be released this month.

But this is how my US story began. In early February, another younger one of mine from my NCCF (NYSC), with whom I had chatted around Christmas last year, reached out to me. He told me that he was now in the US studying, and told me I could actually apply to schools for PhD and get funding too. I never knew - ignorance ain't good. I immediately modified my personal statement, adjusted my references, and started conducting another massive research on US schools that had my course, and was going to waive the application fee, GRE, TOEFL, etc. I wasn't into these standardized English tests, as my English was excellent as far as I was concerned. But to get the schools that were waiving these was a real work... Night upon night I searched patiently. I was lucky to stumble upon my current school, and applied. I requested that the application fee should be waived, and they did. In fact, at some point it looked as if they were appealing to me to send in my application, after reading my personal statement. Two weeks after applying, I got admitted with full graduate assistantship, health insurance, return flight ticket, tuition and fees waiver. I couldn't believe it! I danced and danced that night, praising God, and I'm sure others in my flat must have heard my loud screams, and tonguings too .

I share all these to inspire someone. I am not from a privileged background. Life has been hard several times. I fought my way through undergraduate studies Uniben. It was hard, but God helped me.
Pick yourself up! Don't give up on your dreams to be the best you can be. Always demand the best from yourself. Set the bar high, and aim for it. Wipe the sweat off your face, and persevere. People will misunderstand you, underrate you, discourage you, and even frustrate you, but by the help God, be determined to press on. You will prevail.
One day, I know I will do my PhD at a prestigious school as Harvard. I believe it's possible and I'm going to put in the "hard and difficult work" it will take, by the grace of God.

Above all, have a God-given vision to improve human life, your community, and your society. God will always back those who are called according to his purpose. You will never lose energy as your vision will energize you to keep going.

I wish everyone reading this success in their endeavours. God bless you.

Schrodinger1:


Have you gone for your interview?

Chyjoey:


But there are currently no appointment dates for B1/B2 category. If the husband is waiting to come through B1B2 visa, the wife may have completed her studies already before he will get the visa (maybe that is why they have been giving families recently). So is it not possible for them to leverage on that reason and just apply together. I have also read somewhere that if your spouse will be joining you, it's better to apply together.

I think she can package this and try to confidently present her case to the VO. There is no hard and fast rule about these things. I believe they can give it a try...my thoughts


To be honest?

You have a great profile. Married with Kids, excellent family ties (assuming you can demonstrate that clearly to the VO)

Okay, going with your 3 year old is reasonable and doesn't need much explanation, as young kids are dependent on their parents.

But then you're trying to raise a red flag where you really shouldn't. Your husband is your sponsor, but he's willing to abandon his business from which he supposedly sponsors you to go with you to the US 'to help you settle down and to come in and out just to check up on you'.
That is not the qualification for an F2 visa, and would lead to denial of your application.

It effectively turns your strong family ties here in Nigeria (your husband whom you're unwilling to abandon to abscond to the states) into a potential weakness (migrant family - Husband (sponsor) abandoning his business for an extended period of time for relatively frivolous reasons (ignoring the fact that that's not even the use of an F2 Visa).
If he can leave his business to follow you, then he has no ties to Nigeria, and him effectively leaving with you deletes your ties as well.

Go with your child. Explain to the V.O that you have to return because you will need to be with your husband in future, (of course also explain how the course will help your present or future career). Take advantage of that family tie.

If your husband wants to come 'check up' on you, let him apply for a B1/B2 in future. That way his business is a strength(financial ties), and 'visiting his wife and child who he hasn't seen in a while and miss so much' is a compelling reason which any VO will sympathize with.

If in future, you get a PhD and assistantship that can cover the funding for your whole family, then you can apply for an F2 visa for him.

jojoey:


I'm not quite sure about the conditions for an F2 Visa but you can always tell the V.O that your husband will come to visit from time to time because of his business, not like he's coming to stay there permanently.

Chyjoey:


I agree with you. The problem is that 'coming to visit from time to time' is not F2, that's B1/B2 and that's what I've been trying to communicate.

Infact, applying for an F2 means the F2 bearer is a dependent. In this case, her husband is her sponsor and is also the prospective F2. how can your sponsor be your dependent? That's a denial straight away on an otherwise immaculate application.

The advice is don't apply F2 for the husband. What she needs him for is covered and plausible under B1/B2

bunmisoar:
Hello everyone, please how true is it that schools in the U.S are no longer issuing I-20. Is there anyone that is still expecting I-20 for this 2021 fall session? My school is Morgan State University and I have sent all the required documents for my I-20 for over a week now but still no response. I have also sent two reminder emails, still no response. Please I'll like to know if there's any other person experiencing this, especially those that got admitted into Morgan State University. Thanks.

water4:
@Walspring

Please, I need to pay my SEVIS fee as soon as possible.
mateentechy@gmail.com

Stella91:
Thank you so much. I had my Masters in the US in 2019 and then I had just 2 kids but I have the 3rd one now and was just thinking if it will be different.
My husband will join me for the interview but will be getting a b1/b2 since he will be visiting because of work.

Tega1986:



Hello, does it mean you paid tuition fees and other financial check-ins before starting the virtual classes or you will pay upon arriving the US? Please advise as this is like my current case now. Thanks @ Yemish19

Beautyagu1:
Congratulations

Quote author=Queenneomakanu post=104416773]Thank you all for your kind wishes!

TRANSCRIPT:

VISA APPROVED AT ABUJA EMABASSY FOR A FAMILY OF SIX (F1 RENEWAL, F2 APPLICATION)

I am a 3rd year PhD student so I came for renewal and F2 application for my husband and four kids.
VO: Ah....hello there (to the kids)
My Kids: Hellooooooo
VO: So who is the primary applicant?
Me: I am...my husband and kids will be joining me.
VO: OH wow! Good..Good (he was typing for a long time)...please hold on, we have six applications here! (He is smiling).
Me: No wahala Boss...�
VO: I see you are teaching two classes?
Me: Yes
VO: For how long now?
Me: Two years
VO: (nodding) Good...good...
Me: Yes....
VO: How are you funding your trip?
Me: I have an assistantship that covers my family. And also my daughter's godfather is supporting us financially too.
VO: OK...your application looks good.
Me: Thank you
VO: (only question to my husband) Sir, what do you do?
Husband: I am into xyz
VO: Good, good...okay I WILL BE APPROVING ALL YOUR VISAS...good luck.

He started with covid regulations, make sure you check the country before you book your tickets so you don't get stuck. I nodded and jumped up like three times and then packed our documents.

That was it! That was it!