In 1993, earlier than the current location the place the U.S. Consulate is housed was renamed Walter Carrington Crescent, it was my common path to Goethe Institut, the German Language College, which was then at No.10 Ahmed Onibudo Road, Victoria Island.
Again then, the place known as Walter Carrington Crescent in the present day, was a quiet path and like me, you may cross a number of instances with out as a lot as a look on the U.S. Embassy, for that’s what it was then.
At the moment, entry to that quiet stretch is denied to the general public, the garden beside the ocean that was our entry route into the crescent is occupied by a corridor fastidiously put collectively, to accommodate the multitude of candidates searching for visa approval to the U.S.
On October third, 2023, I went for visa interview on F1 standing. Earlier in February, I secured admission to an American college for a 2-year programme in Worldwide Relations and Diplomacy.
My goal initially was Leiden College, the place I had taken a number of programs via the Coursera on-line studying platform, however the American college got here with plenty of heat and persuasive attraction, and their course define is spectacular, I made a decision to go for it.
I knew it could be inconceivable for me to desert my household and engineering follow and commitments to prospects out of the blue for such an extended stretch, so I requested the college if I may take my fall semester programs on-line they usually agreed.
Courses began in late August, and it took a few week for me to regulate to the tempo of what was to come back. The tempo was frenetic, but it surely was a terrific studying expertise.
By the point I went for the visa interview with my household I used to be already hooked on the programme. I made meticulous preparation for the interview, gathered each scrap of paper they might request for.
It was a waste of time, the interview lasted lower than 5 minutes; the Consular officer was informal and dismissive; she posed questions that have been scarcely linked to my motive for making use of, like: “How a lot do you suppose you’d earn whenever you graduate?”
I replied that my motive for making use of is strictly in pursuit of self-fulfillment. The decision was out in a flash, you may inform that they had it prepared earlier than the interview started, visa utility denied; “candidate didn’t present sufficient house ties.”
My understanding then was, maybe as a result of I utilized with my household, the embassy officers thought they deliberate to go along with me to the U.S. However what’s incorrect with that if all they need is go to and help me through the programme? I reported my expertise to the college. They inspired me to reapply alone, and my household agreed.
My second visa interview was livelier and fascinating however the verdict nonetheless was “candidate didn’t present sufficient house ties.”
I’m coming to the U.S. to check for 18 months, abandoning two promising youngsters, a 14-year-old woman who handed college entrance examination at 13 and a 17-year-old second 12 months pupil within the college, and their dotting mom, and also you say I didn’t present sufficient house ties?
I despatched a mail to the U.S. embassy not too long ago requesting to know what they meant by “candidate didn’t present sufficient house ties” and the way it utilized in my state of affairs, they got here again with a “diplomatic” assertion: “Visa approval or denial is at sole discretion of the U.S. Embassy/Consulate. Every individual’s state of affairs is completely different, and the choice is made based mostly on a number of elements, together with applicant’s ties to their nation, monetary assets, and journey historical past.”
They went additional: “In case you are denied visa below Part 214(b), you may reapply for a visa anytime. Nonetheless, you have to to point out further convincing proof of your ties to your private home nation.”
The query is: What do I have to do to point out “further house ties?” I’ve a younger household in Nigeria, companies, homes, unprotected parcels of land, I labored with out pay for a significant NGO (Sufficient is Sufficient) in Nigeria to register extra voters in Oyo State, earlier than that intervention, I employed and paid folks to conduct the web voter’s registration train, I’ve fastened roads, avenue lights in my neighborhood in Ibadan for which I used to be given chieftaincy title by the Baale of Aba Pannu in January 2022.
As a pioneer pupil on the College of Politics Coverage and Governance (SPPG), I led my group members to provide skits encouraging Nigerians to shun political apathy within the build-up to the 2023 common elections and embrace political participation.
We organised a media launch in April final 12 months and obtained an award for our effort from the SPPG.
The interview classes on the U.S. Embassy/Consulate usually are not designed to separate one Nigerian from one other based mostly on real intentions. So, they craft the explanation for his or her refusal in ambiguous open-ended statements that enables them to show again as many Nigerians as doable.
I agree that the choice to grant or refuse visa lies solely with the embassy/consulate, however as a result of it’s a transaction, that entails time and cash and danger of travelling for these concerned, the least the U.S. Embassy can do is be extra clear with Nigerians concerning the guidelines of engagement.
The U.Ok authorities and others are clear about their necessities and after they upgraded these necessities not too long ago, it was revealed forward of time, so, candidates knew what to anticipate.
Nigerians have been emigrating overseas in massive numbers because the current ruling get together got here into energy in 2015. Because the financial state of affairs worsened attributable to poor governance, so the variety of younger Nigerians leaving the nation elevated.
My measured guess is that as a result of massive variety of purposes, the U.S. Embassy is making use of a strict quota system on visa approval for Nigerians.
On the 2 events I used to be on the Lagos Consulate, I witnessed greater than 500 candidates, the group was sufficient to fill a medium church corridor, in such state of affairs, it is not uncommon sense that the hurdle for approval can be larger.
Additionally, if the U.S. Embassy/Consulate chooses to take care of its present ambiguous stand, it could at the very least ship mails to Nigerians who don’t meet the “standards” to not hassle to point out up for interview.
It’ll save time, assets and should save the lives of those that should journey over lengthy distances to succeed in the venue of the interview. In my case, I may have gained an additional week to ship my college assignments.
I paid my college charges in full after a gathering with the college. They insisted that the programme was not on-line and recognized internship as a significant hurdle. I made a decision to supply internship place in one other continent.
Now there may be the brand new hurdle about selecting programs for Spring, many of the chosen programs for my specialisation are in-person. The college remains to be sustaining its non-interference stand and provided me knowledgeable MA programme with lesser models. I politely declined as a result of their late provide will rob me of the chance of fulfilling my dream.
I’ve scrapped collectively a number of related web-based programs that ought to carry me via Spring. But the uncertainty stays.
I don’t know if the non-interference stand of the college is a common coverage amongst U.S universities, if that’s the case, like I identified to the college in my correspondence, U.S. universities owe prospecting Nigerian college students the ethical obligation of stating the probably issue they might expertise with the united statesEmbassy/Consulate.
In my very own case, the matter of the issue was by no means talked about till after the primary visa denial. Now I hear and I’ve seen with my eyes that it’s virtually a sweeping determination. The Embassy has the prerogative to resolve who needs to be issued or denied visa; U.S. universities have the prerogative to resolve to not become involved, however the universities ought to at the very least warn Nigerian college students about what they’re more likely to encounter, in the event that they resolve to take the chance or they are saying they don’t have any drawback about visa approval, that absolves the colleges.
There’s want for a handshake between U.S. universities and the U.S./Consulate Embassy in Nigeria. Too many well-intentioned, prospecting Nigerian worldwide college students are being casually separated from their hard-earned cash via this failed college bid. The minimal a pupil would have paid to get to the visa interview stage is $1200.
Even when they will afford it, there are many folks round them who may use that cash. Additionally, there are lots of Nigerians, like this author who’re thirsty for information of their chosen discipline and nurse the dream of debating concepts with the main specialists, such individuals will need to check within the U.S.
In spite of everything, it isn’t for nothing there are 50 American universities among the many world’s prime 100 universities. The U.S. universities can conduct due diligence on every prospecting pupil utilizing outlined standards, make suggestions to the Embassy, or what’s the worth of the admission letter from U.S. universities if it’ll solely separate prospecting Nigerian college students from their cash and depart them with bitter recollections?
As for me, I’ll end robust on my current programme, research in among the finest universities in Europe, and return to the U.S. to check of their Institute of World Politics, after which Harvard.
My thirst for information and dream of contributing to writing on this discipline is stronger than the current hurdles. Not everybody has the stamina or assets to burn, which is the explanation for this text.
.Gold is a pupil and social change agent.
