Your post is so insightful. I recently was denied a visa to go for my PHD in Canada, due to the reason that I may not return home after my studies, and my current immigration status in the US. I recently just finished my masters program in the US and was on a temporary work permit which was to expire soon.
I am saddened by this refusal, I was so eager to start my program, and I even had a scholarship worth 22k CAD from the school.
I am planning to go back to my home country Nigeria and maybe reapply from there, and I hope to be accepted. I am just scared though that they may find something again.
Please what do you think of this? And what can I do to make my application much more convincing.
Hello Tiqua,
I am really sorry for receiving news on having your visa denied. By the way, thanks for your comment on my post.
In a conversation recently with a close friend of mine who is in South African, I had to point out to him that, it's even shocking to hear visa applicants with secured scholarship for either Master's degree or PhD denied visa. It's actually unheard of!.
My friend is actually Ghanaian and on scholarship for his master's degree and plans to have his PhD in Canada right after graduation. He's a bright student and am so certain he will secure scholarship for his PhD as you did. Unfortunately, visa denials has left so many appliants frustrated but sincerely speaking, this shouldn't have been the case.
This is what I believe, aside proving that you are financially capacitated to take care of yourself with scholarship or whatsoever means, they look for one thing, which is: "How will we know for sure you will leave our country after we allow you to school here?" Take it like this if you would:, I allowed you into my house cos you knocked at my door in the middle of the night. You had no where to sleep, I allowed you in to rest in my room with the intention of seeing you off in the morning, only to wake up the next morning to see you sipping tea with bread and fried egg and watching tv and ohh! you had your legs crossed on my center table as well, ofcourse while taking your unwelcomed breakfast.
So why am I bringing this even up? Every immigration office has this fear of inviting people into their country; what if the guest overstays his welcome, limits, comforts. Such is this for every house owner, it's my house, and I tell you what to do and and not what you want to do. This why even people we think will easily get the visa still get denied. We come to understand it perfectly when we put ourselves in the shoes of a guest, whether or not if you have intentions to overstay after school in Canada and work or become a permanent resident, or leave for your home country right away, we have to be patient for the owner to give us the go ahead. When we give them the assurance that, we have no intentions of overstaying in any means, they feel okay with that far more than showing good academic history or bank statement, or something in this manner.
Frankly speaking, a high proportion of visa rejects fall into this category, not convincing them enough that "you will leave early in the morning as I told you."
Certainly Yes! I would tell you to reapply again but this time do your homework well. I have a brother in University of Waterloo in Canada. He got scholarship for master's degree but got visa refused for his first application but sailed through for his second attempt. He had to make sure his paper work was intact, his reasons, perfect. Don't give up.
If I am to judge your situation with the little info I have received from you, you probably didn't hammer on the fact that you will leave the country after your PhD (elaborate much on this in your "Letter of Explanation" showing ties to your home country if there is), you probably had mentioned in your visa to USA already that you will leave for your home country after master's degree so they're really kinda puzzled the sudden change of mind (these sort of information are easily known to these immigration offices: if so, you have highlight on why you intend to continue with PhD before you get back home.). Again, after master's, they think you should go home, moving from USA to Canada makes them think you have no intentions of going back to your home country. In my weak opinion though I could be wrong, I think applying from Nigeria for the second time should ease chances for you to get the visa, could answer some of their questions, probably. It could also be that your PhD programme has no link to the master's program you took, am not certainly sure if this is so, just saying.
There could be other of reasons why they think you won't leave for your home country. You know this better than I do, so kindly work on this. I've only shared my thoughts and beliefs on what should get you through. Always welcome innovative ideas from others but be open-minded, knowing exactly what will help and weaken your application. Remember, two heads are always better than one.
I wish you the best in your second application.
Sorry for the long text.
Cheers!
Liquid.
