Eleke crescent: Mission Accomplished!

[Optimystic 0]

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

[masterpiece 2]

Zeborah, this is what i know about B2 visas and other forms of non-immigrant visas: Brace yourself for denial. The U.S Embassy have gone through a whole gamut of reactions to applicants: From giving the qualified applicants for B1/B2 visas the benefit of the doubt (which some have admittedly scorched) to outright denials of those same qualified applicants. Let me break it down like this:

In the past to qualify for US visa, your passport, depicting various prior travels around the world, maybe all you needed because it certainly indicated a love for your country plus an indirect indication that you had the resources for making all those trips. Lots of people who had lived in the U.S, in the past, were thus able to get tourist visas even though they may not have the so-called "evidence of ties". It was enough that they were not interested in staying in the U.S...To wit these people had returned back home after some stay in U.S- whether as students on F1-visas or even those who had green cards but were not really keen on becoming U.S citizens (there are some Nigerian parents whose kids are yet to forgive them for this "error in judgement").

Next was the staying strictly to guidelines: Proof of those ties- Bottomline became availability of funds in Nigeria and we are not talking ablut those that belong in the medium income bracket- outlandishly wealthy was more like it. Well that strict conformity soon became flawed because some Nigerians found a way to become extremely wealthy by proxy........over time, funds seeped into their accounts (to be returned later to the contributor)....

Then came the outright and i mean outright ban...........where it became more like Russian Roulette....to get the all-elusive U.S embassy. You secure admission into a pretigious school with all intent to attend that school...funds have been paid...form F-120 secured....sorry rejection!. You own a business in U.S, you have been travelling back and forth, sometimes staying for a week (on a 6month visa)...oops, got bounced!

You are very well-connected (Got Military?) and would never leave the cow-milking spot you are in but needed to spend some dollars.........tsk! tsk!!...Not today....You have a "virgin passport" (no single stamp on it) and you approach with trepidation at the consulate and what???????????....you got the visa???????

The trend today is that you will be denied and there are no defined criteria as to why that occurred. The sheet of paper....(that talks about the U.S society being an open one and how all applicants are regarded as potential immigrants until they prove otherwise)...must be the singular document photocopied at huge quantities at the consulate because they sure hand those sheets out faster than Clint would pull out a .45 colt and no the receipients "will not be feeling lucky".

Let the truth be told. We had it good in Nigeria. Ah we had it so good. As a Nigerian, i can only lay the blame on our shoulders...all the shoulders of Nigerians who squandered and continue to squander our resources. I recall, like yesterday, how my siblings and i got 4-year multiple visas that we barely used (one month trip) and our qualification at that time?...........Educated middle-class family armed only with a letter of invitation from a relative considered to be a good U.S citizen- a sine qua none , at that time, as irrevocable evidence that precludes us from being "public charges".

We may blame the consular officers all we like but the stark naked facts are not far-fetched: The embassy has simply responded to the statistics they are so good at compiling. The statistics show them a sort of picturesque trend and for the most part that trend leans towards most Nigerians wanting to immigrate. It is sad that the trend has robbed quite a few legitimate tourists of their trips and others whose goals were simply to spend sometime in U.S and return promptly back home.

9/11 has, sadly, added another dimension. It conforms even more powers on the consular officers to deny visa applications and i bet there are more powers that we ordinary mortals do not know about as to why and how the consular officers can say NO despite any pressure from the congressmen or senators.

So the short answer, , to your question is its dice rolling at the embassy. The probability of getting the visa is fast approaching the same as winning the mega-millions but that has not stopped the "mad rush" because every now and again, someone stares Clint in the face and says "Yes i feel lucky...................", and the news filters out.....

[masterpiece 2]

Perhaps someone can tell me how to correct the editing feature....sometimes it tends to freeze up on me stating error ...anyway wanted to correct one or two words in my last post...guess i am just going to chalk them up to typos ........including where i stated conforms (instead of confers).....ahh what the heck, let sleeping dogs lie............

[NaijaPrincess Need NaijaPrince 0]

Congrats!!!! I am so happy for you!!

As title implies, fiancee has scaled the first hurdle. Interview done! Visa to be issued Nov 21st.

What follows will undoubtedly be my longest post on this website. For those who care, please read. I have decided to attach the details beacuse of the length rather than clutter and also because i am scared URSY may emerge from nowhere and beat me up. Hey after her tirade over someone calling others here "Family", anything is possible.

If possible i will also attach this to Nigerian Embassy section.

Nov152006.doc

[ursy 0]

Congrats!!! That was an waesome bit of info. I am sure it will help a lot of people. Good luck on the next leg of your journey! I prayed that she would arrive safely.. when is the wedding by the way? Keep us posted!!

I have to concur with Taye here we are family.. feel free to shoot me an email anytime!!!

Family right

[felshen 0]

Congrats!!! That was an waesome bit of info. I am sure it will help a lot of people. Good luck on the next leg of your journey! I prayed that she would arrive safely.. when is the wedding by the way? Keep us posted!!

I have to concur with Taye here we are family.. feel free to shoot me an email anytime!!!

Family right

Wow that took a while , why dont you just focus on getting your loved one home, I already have mine here. when they arrive I really hope you are blessed enough to have some sort of support, hence family, that will understand all that you are about to face. You are gonna need some! Intercultural marriage is not easy.. and most are not going to even begin to understand what you are going through. I wish you the best!

Again Masterpiece shoot me an email anytime! Congrats on the inmpending marriage! Keep us posted on the details