Study Permit Challenges for Nigerian Applicants
- Thread starter Omofar
- Start date
ojohn22
Star Member
- Apr 4, 2012
- 13
- Category........
- Visa Office......
- Ottawa
- NOC Code......
- 4012
- Job Offer........
- Pre-Assessed..
- App. Filed.......
- 01-12-2014
- Doc's Request.
- Police cert-20-05-2015
- Nomination.....
- 18-02-2015
- File Transfer...
- 04-03-2015
- Med's Request
- 20-05-2015
- Med's Done....
- 26-05-2015(uploaded on 24-06)
- Interview........
- 3rd Line Update-30-06-2015
- Passport Req..
- 10-12-2015;PP Arrived CIC-15-12-2015; return tracker activated: 31/12/2015
- VISA ISSUED...
- RCVD PP-05/01/16 (8:30 pm NL time) Visa Issu 17/12/2015
- LANDED..........
- Jan. 15. 2016 (local CIC office); PR Card recvd- about 16/02/2016
While your desire for a career change is valid, such move has not been favorable in demonstrating bona fide to the VO, so ensure u balance your passion with the plausibility of study permit approval, especially without strong ties to Nigeria like spouse or kids etc. Just my opinion. On the positive, your age and travel history will greatly strengthen your application.
You already have a good travel history so the VO will rule that off , renewing your us visa won’t stop them from rejecting you if they have reasons too . You need work experience at least so that they won’t think otherwise conceding your purpose of study . Your brother can sponsor you but there might be a little issue here ; has he always being your sponsor and is his capability concerning your dependency on him; his assets to prove his capabilities beyond what he has in his account . You on the other hand need to show your assets , as this will be a tie back to your home country and most importantly employment opportunities based on your long term goals when you come back . Tie everything together in your SOP and pray for the best .
PS. You can work on these things with someone that can enlighten you more , no need giving money to agents .
Your advise is contradicting. What does it matter if my brother has previously sponsored many studies? Of course I will submit his assets and work info documents.
Also I stated I’m 22 years and have just finished a bachelors degree from Newcastle, how can I possibly have an asset (land etc) already? in terms of work experience I mentioned that I’m currently doing my nysc (obviously working in my place of assignment) is that not work experience? I also stated that I would like to open my own company or work in my dads company not source for work when I return . Did you read my message properly though?
My dear ; vos are looking for loopholes to not grant Nigerians visa , and I believe one 3 heads is better than 2 , also I read your statement very well , I’m only advising I did not kill anybody. I believe I have stayed in this group and personally I have had experiences and seen people go through stuffs just for study permit. If you want my advise you have to take all necessary measures to ensure that you get what you want . Vos raise questions up to the credibility of a sponsor in rejection letters even when it’s clear that it’s a direct relative e.g a father or brother these people are being trained to think differently. Also on the work experience I meant to show experience in the field you want to study since it’s not related to your 1st degree , it convinces the VO on why you want to study sociology and where the interest is coming from , merely saying it in your SOP may not suffice .
Anyway no need going further .
Goodluck
And the only reason I was even replying was because your case is similar . I studied law in Uk and I’m going for Human Resources in Canada .
Well does vocational training also qualify as job description? Cos you mentioned it. The training is in fashion design and I want to go for an advanced diploma in fashion design. My bachelor's degree was in French language. Also, what do you consider as strong family ties? Cos my parents and siblings are in Nigeria. Plus my dad is my sponsor and he has landed assets and properties in Nigeria. Please elaborate on the aforementioned statements. Also I'm 24, will be 25 in December. The college intake session is in September 2020. Thank you.
Greetings Everyone,
I hope well.
A big congratulations to the fellow that just got his/her visa, I wish you the very best. Please make the most of Canada.
On the other hand, I have been getting emails from several people asking me to assess their chances of getting a study permit approval based on their finances. Unfortunately, I cannot do that because that is not the only criterion that the VO is using to assess an application. Furthermore, this is not my primary job, so I do not really have the time to respond to all the emails or DMs I get. So I have decided to address the issue again, even though I have done it before. I will do so for the benefit of those who are just visiting for the first time or are new. One more thing before I go into this issue. When I started this thread, I had over 90% confidence in the study permit application process, it was fair, and just. All one needed to do was meet the requirements and you got your study permit approval, today that is different. My confidence in the process has fallen to about 30-40%. So I will offer suggestions, it is still up to anyone reading to decide to move forward with it or otherwise. What I am doing here is voluntary, so your attitude towards it should be the same, you can take it or leave, but there is no need for unnecessary fighting or arguments! Okay, let's dig in...
I see some people here coming to ask about how to get admission, well sorry to burst your bubble, that is not the purpose of this thread. The purpose of this thread remains the same, and that is to help those wanting to apply for a Canadian study permit navigate their way through the process such that they can increase their chances of getting their permits approved.
So before putting in your application for a study permit, you need to consider the following factors
1. Your personal profile
2. The Logic of your application
3. The preconceived perception of the Canadian VO towards Nigerian applicants.
I hope well.
A big congratulations to the fellow that just got his/her visa, I wish you the very best. Please make the most of Canada.
On the other hand, I have been getting emails from several people asking me to assess their chances of getting a study permit approval based on their finances. Unfortunately, I cannot do that because that is not the only criterion that the VO is using to assess an application. Furthermore, this is not my primary job, so I do not really have the time to respond to all the emails or DMs I get. So I have decided to address the issue again, even though I have done it before. I will do so for the benefit of those who are just visiting for the first time or are new. One more thing before I go into this issue. When I started this thread, I had over 90% confidence in the study permit application process, it was fair, and just. All one needed to do was meet the requirements and you got your study permit approval, today that is different. My confidence in the process has fallen to about 30-40%. So I will offer suggestions, it is still up to anyone reading to decide to move forward with it or otherwise. What I am doing here is voluntary, so your attitude towards it should be the same, you can take it or leave, but there is no need for unnecessary fighting or arguments! Okay, let's dig in...
I see some people here coming to ask about how to get admission, well sorry to burst your bubble, that is not the purpose of this thread. The purpose of this thread remains the same, and that is to help those wanting to apply for a Canadian study permit navigate their way through the process such that they can increase their chances of getting their permits approved.
So before putting in your application for a study permit, you need to consider the following factors
1. Your personal profile
2. The Logic of your application
3. The preconceived perception of the Canadian VO towards Nigerian applicants.
1. Your personal profile: The Canadian application process does not give room for a face-to-face interview, everything is based on documentation. Since the VO is unable to see you, he/she needs to be able to build a profile of the kind of person you are in their head. The profile is a picture of some sort, that give the VO an idea of the kind of person you are, based on that profile the VO will classify you into a low, medium, or high-risk applicant and based on that make a decision on your application. If you are considered high risk, then no matter if the logic of your application is sound, you are still likely to be refused. Please bear with me, I am getting there. The forms you feel will help the VO determine your profile. So things like your gender, age, level of education, work experience, personal net-worth, previous international travel history, your nationality (in this case Nigeria) will determine your profile. Right off the bat, the fact that you are a Nigerian already brings up some level of risk that would not be associated with if you were applying as a US, UK, Australian, Japanese, Samoan citizen etc. So let's take the following scenarios
Applicant A: 17 years old, has been traveling overseas for the last 14 years for holidays, goes to an expensive school, the applicant also speaks fluent French, the father is a high net worth individual, has many businesses interests and is now applying to study engineering at the Mcgill University.
Applicant B: 27 years old, graduated from the University of Nsukka in marine biology 4 years ago, has been working as a biology teacher are kekedike secondary school, never traveled out of Nigeria before, and is now applying to go for a Masters degree in Fisheries at Ryerson University...
Who is likely to be profiled as low risk and who will be profiled as high risk?
Applicant A: 17 years old, has been traveling overseas for the last 14 years for holidays, goes to an expensive school, the applicant also speaks fluent French, the father is a high net worth individual, has many businesses interests and is now applying to study engineering at the Mcgill University.
Applicant B: 27 years old, graduated from the University of Nsukka in marine biology 4 years ago, has been working as a biology teacher are kekedike secondary school, never traveled out of Nigeria before, and is now applying to go for a Masters degree in Fisheries at Ryerson University...
Who is likely to be profiled as low risk and who will be profiled as high risk?
2. The logic of Application: This simply refers to the ability of an applicant to Logically meet or even exceed the minimum requirements for a study permit approval as set by the Canadian embassy. There are three components required, these include clear purpose of visit, ability to fund the visit, and clear intention to return to one's own country upon completion of studies.
a) Clear Purpose of Visit: This is simply 'why are you applying to visit Canada?' An applicant must be able to demonstrate clear purpose of visit. In this case, it is to study. How do we know it is for study. You provide evidence. What evidence? A letter of acceptance (LOA) from a designated learning institution (DLI) in Canada. Okay the VO will see this and will say fine. But he/she is trained to probe further. They want to establish the logic behind the plan to study in Canada. So why not study in Nigeria, is the course not available in the almost 180 universities in Nigeria? Is the course at the appropriate level of study, if not why? Oga you have a Bachelors in Mathematics, why do you now want to pursue another bachelor's degree in social work? You have a degree in Biochemistry, why are you pursuing an advanced diploma in food science? The VO must understand the logic behind your actions, if there is no clear logic, then your purpose may be questionable, and that is not a good assessment for the applicant.
b) Ability to fund the purpose of visit: Recall that the VO has already classified the applicant based on his/her profile. The VO will now use this to confirm or dispute his/her suspicions about an applicant. Now this is where many people get it wrong, they think Canadian VOs are impressed by the volume of funds in an account. They are NOT! They are interested in who is the sponsor, why would the sponsor decide to invest so much money into the applicant's study ambitions, is the sponsor credible, will they follow through, what will they gain by sponsoring the applicant, has the sponsor demonstrated that the source of income is from legitimate business activities? Are they in paid employment or running a business, if running the business is it registered, do they pay taxes, what is their net-worth etc, so it is not about the money, but also about the sponsor. It is easily believable if a parent is sponsoring their child, why because they are responsible for the welfare of that child. It is easily believable if a bank is sponsoring an applicant, they will be getting the return on investment via principal and interest payment of the loan. It is less believable if an uncle or daddy's friend is sponsoring the applicant, does this uncle or daddy's friend not have his own children or personal responsibilities to cater to, what do they have to gain. It is more believable if there is a scholarship by a well-known organization being awarded to the applicant. etc So millions in the account means NOTHING without context and logic. However, imagine a 30 year old man relying on sponsorship from his father-in-law. He is unlikely to get a permit approved.
c) Applicant's intention to return to their home country: Congratulations if you have made it this far. I know the story is becoming too long but bear with me. The applicant's ability to demonstrate their INTENTION to return to their home country is key. In many cases, it is almost impossible to demonstrate this. How do you measure someone's INTENTION, it is an abstract thing. We see very rich people who sell all they have and migrate to Canada, USA, Australian because they want a better life for their children, they are tired of insecurity, poverty, power issues, bad roads, they just want a better quality of life. So personal assets cannot be a measure of someone's intention to return. We see people with well-paid jobs who also want to leave for the same reasons outline above. So a good job is not really a measure of one's intention. We have also seen people leave their loved ones in order to migrate for a better life elsewhere, so family ties is not also a good measure of INTENTION, in fact, some leave because of their family, in order to work hard and be sending money home to help support the family. So here one can only try your best and hope that after looking through the entire application, the VO makes a judgment call that you are low risk and approves the application. Nevertheless, you still need to make an effort to do so. This can be assessed by your profile, previous travel history, work experience, personal net-worth, assets declaration, family ties, job prospects upon return etc
a) Clear Purpose of Visit: This is simply 'why are you applying to visit Canada?' An applicant must be able to demonstrate clear purpose of visit. In this case, it is to study. How do we know it is for study. You provide evidence. What evidence? A letter of acceptance (LOA) from a designated learning institution (DLI) in Canada. Okay the VO will see this and will say fine. But he/she is trained to probe further. They want to establish the logic behind the plan to study in Canada. So why not study in Nigeria, is the course not available in the almost 180 universities in Nigeria? Is the course at the appropriate level of study, if not why? Oga you have a Bachelors in Mathematics, why do you now want to pursue another bachelor's degree in social work? You have a degree in Biochemistry, why are you pursuing an advanced diploma in food science? The VO must understand the logic behind your actions, if there is no clear logic, then your purpose may be questionable, and that is not a good assessment for the applicant.
b) Ability to fund the purpose of visit: Recall that the VO has already classified the applicant based on his/her profile. The VO will now use this to confirm or dispute his/her suspicions about an applicant. Now this is where many people get it wrong, they think Canadian VOs are impressed by the volume of funds in an account. They are NOT! They are interested in who is the sponsor, why would the sponsor decide to invest so much money into the applicant's study ambitions, is the sponsor credible, will they follow through, what will they gain by sponsoring the applicant, has the sponsor demonstrated that the source of income is from legitimate business activities? Are they in paid employment or running a business, if running the business is it registered, do they pay taxes, what is their net-worth etc, so it is not about the money, but also about the sponsor. It is easily believable if a parent is sponsoring their child, why because they are responsible for the welfare of that child. It is easily believable if a bank is sponsoring an applicant, they will be getting the return on investment via principal and interest payment of the loan. It is less believable if an uncle or daddy's friend is sponsoring the applicant, does this uncle or daddy's friend not have his own children or personal responsibilities to cater to, what do they have to gain. It is more believable if there is a scholarship by a well-known organization being awarded to the applicant. etc So millions in the account means NOTHING without context and logic. However, imagine a 30 year old man relying on sponsorship from his father-in-law. He is unlikely to get a permit approved.
c) Applicant's intention to return to their home country: Congratulations if you have made it this far. I know the story is becoming too long but bear with me. The applicant's ability to demonstrate their INTENTION to return to their home country is key. In many cases, it is almost impossible to demonstrate this. How do you measure someone's INTENTION, it is an abstract thing. We see very rich people who sell all they have and migrate to Canada, USA, Australian because they want a better life for their children, they are tired of insecurity, poverty, power issues, bad roads, they just want a better quality of life. So personal assets cannot be a measure of someone's intention to return. We see people with well-paid jobs who also want to leave for the same reasons outline above. So a good job is not really a measure of one's intention. We have also seen people leave their loved ones in order to migrate for a better life elsewhere, so family ties is not also a good measure of INTENTION, in fact, some leave because of their family, in order to work hard and be sending money home to help support the family. So here one can only try your best and hope that after looking through the entire application, the VO makes a judgment call that you are low risk and approves the application. Nevertheless, you still need to make an effort to do so. This can be assessed by your profile, previous travel history, work experience, personal net-worth, assets declaration, family ties, job prospects upon return etc