*Photo: Ismail Bello Ozugha*
In days of yore, few Nigerians were enticed by the superficiality of visas to either work or study abroad.
Living abroad then, was not really a matter of necessity. Rather, it was more of an ego brushing.
However, that is not the case anymore. Today, traveling abroad is the utmost desire of not a few Nigerians, no thanks to the country’s economic downturn.
Today, both young and old folks desire and are desperate to leave the country for a better living.
It’s common these days, to see visa applicants engaging in prayers and fasting for visa procurement. They consult spiritualists of different gabs. Again, applicants involved in many strange spiritual rites and exercises, just to secure the elusive ‘almighty’ visa.
In their desperation, many are raped, robbed, defrauded, killed, among other untoward experiences.
Can anyone blame them? Can anybody fault their aspirations and desperation? Can anybody or any authority checkmate them for seeking better lives abroad?
Surely, nobody can blame anyone. But someone, somewhere and somehow, can send note of caution. And that’s the Consular staff, charged with the responsibility of interviewing visa applicants or checking applicants’ documents.
The big question is: Why some Nigerians are denied visas to foreign countries?
Every country, all over the world, has her challenges and prospects. No country wants her challenges compounded in anyway by other nationals, rather, desire that her prospects are enhanced by her nationals and others.
In essence, no country craves for a liability. Therefore, inclination for assets, instead of liabilities gives birth to limitation in visa issuance. Better still, dearth in visa availability.
So, if you are desperate to leave the country for whatever reasons, you are a visa denial bedfellow. Really, there should not be any reason for desperation in an attempt to travel abroad. You just have to be yourself and follow laid down rules and regulations in visa pursuits.
Before you can be considered for a visa to enter any country, where it’s required, you must have a definition of purpose. That’s being definitive in purpose. The questions you must ask yourself include: Why do l want to visit this particular country? Why do l want to leave my country?
If you can successfully answer the questions and such responses align with the foreign country’s immigration requirements, you will definitely be granted a visa.
Unfortunately, many applicants just want to escape from their country’s travails for greener pastures abroad, nothing more. Whereas, granting of visas is intentional, not transactional.
Again, foreign countries want to be sure that visa applicants have strong ties with their countries. Strong ties are evident in families, properties, sources of livelihood, among others. In addition, strong family ties translate into leaving your country for a foreign country, with the sole aim of returning home to your family, after your trip and not the other way round.
As a visa applicant, you have to sincerely and honestly prove this in the course of your application and during interview session.
Moreover, as an applicant, you must be able to prove that you have means of sustaining yourself while in a foreign country, without constituting a nuisance out there. Sustenance in all ramifications – including accommodation, feeding, transportation, among others.
This is where proof of funds comes in. It’s not just enough to hurriedly deposit money into your account for the purpose of visa application. The Consulate will like to be sure your account is genuine, streams of funds are real and not cooked up. This can be easily found out by the embassy. Therefore, be truthful.
In the same vein, no country wants applicants with criminal backgrounds or records or infamous antecedents. So, before you commence that visa application move, make sure you are not a suspected criminal. If you are on a wanted list of law enforcement agencies, the likelihood of being granted a visa is very narrow, if not zero!
The fact of the matter is that, many applicants don’t get some fundamentals of visa applications right. It’s not only about being desirous and desperate, but more of being informed, objective and smart in all stages of the application.
Anything short of these, the experience and outcome of visa expression will continue to be like that of regular and desperate John James – a serial but failed visa applicant!
Bello can be reached via E-mail: belloozugha@yahoo.com;
WhatsApp: 0803 318 1467
