[averynicedoctor]

I have always enjoyed Rueben Abati's write ups.But on this occassion he missed the point when he attacked the U.K High Commission for refusing his friend's daughter a visa despite all proof that he is a rich man who can take of his daughter anywhere in the World.

I am a Nigerian(an immigrant) working and living in London.I am widely travelled and I can categorically state that the British are the fairest of all countries in the West when it comes to issuing visas.

Whenever you are refused a Visa,the consular officer must state categorically why he is refusing you a visa and he also states if you have a right to appeal.Now the problem is,Nigerians think Britons are like them.We give every reason other than the simple reasons the consular officer has given as the cause for the refusal of the visa.Instead of trying to correct the situation and re-applying we brag and insult the consular officer.We are so eager to rush off to lawyers(some of whom have never been inside an embassy) to help file appeals.
An appeal panel will only adjudicate over the reason given by the consular officer,nothing else.So in appealing you must convince the appeal panel that the consular officer was wrong, by producing new evidence or evidence the consular officer either over looked or were not presented to him.
Instead of Abati's friend appealing all he needed to do was re-apply and write a humble letter stating that he owns the company and stating exactly how much he earns from the company(with proof) and how he intends to take care of his daughter.Simply because you own a multi million naira company does not mean you have the right to use the company's money.That is one mistake many Nigerians applying for Visas make.Never use a company's bank account when you do not have proof that you are entitled to the company's coffers even if the company is yours.The company might be held in trust by you for someone else for all we know.

I am not British,I am a Nigerian who has applied for almost all the types of U.K visas available to me and who has never been denied(I started with visit in transit,then visitors visa,then I went to study in London on a student's visa,then I got the Permit Free Training Visa,then I got a work permit and when that was expiring and I had no job to apply for a visa,I converted to become my wife's dependent and today I am on the HSMP).So I speak from experience.

British consular officers are like robots,once they tick all the boxes,then you get a visa.You just have to know the right things to produce and what you can't produce you are allowed to write a letter attaching to your form stating the reason why you could not produce a document.Never lie or produce fake documents.

It is not enough for Mr.Abati's friend to have blamed the High Commission for refusing to give his daughter a visa.Afterall it is their country and if we want to enjoy the good things they have we might as well fix ours.He should have done his home work well,instead of taking the system for granted simply because as a rich Nigerian ,he possibly thinks the world owes him everything!