Traveling Abroad Tips For The Average Nigerian

With the recent trend of people moving abroad to the “Five Eyes Countries” such as; Australia, Canada, New Zealand, USA, & UK. and the Schengen countries, many Nigerians have been wondering how these people see the money and how they can do the same, with a low-cost budget.

There is no easy way out, you must be spending millions mostly with the current behaviour of the Naira at the time of this writing. Travelling out; commonly known as “Japa” is not easy but you would find it easy after reading this.

This blog post won’t perform a miracle but it would educate you on the best path to follow when making your immigration decisions. You don’t have to spend as much as the next guy or run yourself completely dry if you take the information here seriously.

It is worth noting that the best path is a Study Visa. This is a visa issued to candidates offered admission to study in a particular country. It is the easiest visa to get that guarantees you potential citizenship in the long run outside your home country.

Yes! You can be a European in due time if you follow due processes and instructions. But it’s a long journey. Let’s get it started.

Before we move further, This post is directed to people who would answer a “Yes” to any of the following questions.

1. Are you interested in going abroad to see the craze about it?
2. Are you tired of your country? Looking to plant your roots somewhere else?
3. Are you interested in furthering your education in a more serene environment with better job opportunities?
4. Are you trying to make sure your future kids or kids grow up in a developed society?
5. Are you curious to see a society with working institutions?
6. Are you interested in making your family have global roots by positioning yourself and other family members abroad in different places around the world?
7. Are you looking for peace of mind and some quietness?

If you answered a “Yes!” to any of the above questions, then read on.

The Truth About The Immigration Trend

You must have seen a lot of people moving to the UK and Canada recently, and then you proceed to ask google for the cost of relocation and schooling in these places and wonder if those guys checked it before travelling.

The funny thing is they did, they knew they’ll be needing as much as 8-15 million Naira to move and they found a way to do it.

Many of them are not millionaires, they are not richer than you are, the difference between you and them is They Know Something You Don’t Know and They are doing something you are not doing.

There are ways to go about “travelling abroad”.

The majority of the current emigrants have been planning and saving up for the right moment for 2-6 years.

The majority have been able to convince their families to support them through loans, selling of properties and other activities to provide funds.

The majority are emigrating through the study visa option which is the easiest route for many.

There are lots more but your concern should be none of that, your concern should be

“HOW WOULD I TRAVEL ABROAD WITH AN ACHIEVABLE BUDGET?”

Before I start giving you the answer to that question, I would clarify the following.

• There is absolutely no reason whatsoever to collect massive loans because you want to travel abroad except it’s health related.
• You should have something doing in Nigeria that earns you money if you don’t have sponsors.
• You should not give fake documents at any time of your visa application process.
• You must avoid countries with extremely high standard of living that you can’t cope with. Be realistic and plan ahead.
• Generally, avoid the Five Eyes Countries if you are coming from a poor background or low-income background with little to no hope of receiving home support in the abroad.
• Get a strong undergraduate degree in Nigeria first.
• Learn some digital skill such as; Copywriting, Coding, UI/UX, Video Editing, etc.
• Learn one or more handwork such as; Hair styling, Baking, Tiling, Car Repairs, etc.
• Learn Humility if you don’t have it.

Now let’s get back to something I said earlier; “Generally, avoid the Five Eyes Countries”

Why did I say this?

Many people are quick to say “I want to be living in America” or “I want to school in the UK” without checking the tuition fee and cost of living.

I’m not against those countries and their schools but when you come from a low-income or average Nigerian home with the intent of seeking a life abroad.

You need to be realistic and do your research properly. Do not jump on a trend that is above your means.

Let’s imagine this.

You finally get a Master’s degree admission to a University in one of these countries, your tuition fee is around $20k-$40k and the cost of your Visa application, housing, feeding, and lots more are not even there.

So you get the family to assist and also go borrow some money, sell properties if you have any, and you move abroad. Without a solid plan for how you’ll pay the exact tuition fee the next session and you use all the money you have to pay for housing, debts and lots more because it’s not enough. Except you get a very good-paying corporate job, you’re in for a long thing.

Fast forward to you graduating, you luckily get a Work permit. It’s going to take you years to get your life back on track, meanwhile, the family that put everything on the line to send you abroad is living below their income.

There have been more depressing stories than this. Hence, the need to take the few instructions I drop very seriously.

Now let’s get started on the tips

Get a Pen and paper and write down the following countries. You can remove the ones you don’t fancy later when we are done.

1. Poland
2. Estonia
3. Belgium
4. Portugal
5. Italy
6. Russia
7. Luxembourg
8. Lithuania
9. Czech Republic
10. South Korea
11. Germany

All countries mentioned above have a similarity of language barrier. They are not English Speaking countries, that means the signboards, most spoken language amongst the locals and more, would be anything but English Language.

Many of which are Schegchen countries which means if you manage to get your hand on a Schegchen Visa, you can travel to other EU countries and stay for 90 Days.

KEY INFORMATION ON ALL COUNTRIES MENTIONED

• Norway, Luxembourg, Czech Republic & Germany are tuition-free for international students. But here is what you should know about them. Click HERE
• Tuition fee for other European countries is €1000-€6500.
• For cheap tuition fees, you should focus on Poland and Estonia.
• The cheapest countries here are Poland with monthly living expenses at €300-€400 and Estonia with €700-€800.
• Majority of the universities in the countries mentioned allow you to apply to more than one course in one university.
• South Korea is a tough one, I won’t lie to you. But the government currently have a variety of scholarships for international students. And you can apply for a residence permit after getting your masters if you have a job contract with a S. Korean employer.
• IELTS or any other English proficiency test is rarely necessary for international students coming from Nigeria. You just have to talk to the relevant admission officer(s) about the fact that you’ve been taught in English and also that your country is an English speaking country.

One thing you should know: If you can learn Estonian and Czechia well enough to pass their language test. You can go study for Free in the country and get certain benefits depending on the course or school of study.

APPLICATION FEE FOR THE COUNTRIES MENTIONED IS USUALLY BETWEEN €30-€300

THE LITTLE THINGS MATTER

I promised to tell you how you would go about the whole thing. Now let’s get started.

• If you are still in your undergraduate level, please take your studies serious. Make sure you master how to conduct a research.
• Do your final year project yourself, do not give it out. You need the experience and practical.
• Jot down all the countries mentioned and ignore those big countries you’re courting.
• You shouldn’t feel bad, you can move from country to country easily after doing all of the things I would be mentioning.
• Go to google at a free time, read the basics of every country in the list to note your favourite. My favourite is Poland and Estonia because they’re easily achievable without budgeting outrageous amounts.
• After getting your countries of interest, go check out the universities and colleges they have to see the listed post graduate (2nd Circle) programs and tuition fee for international students. You can check HERE for assistance.
• When you see your field of interest, find the contact details of any lecturer in charge or the admission personel for foreign students – save their email or phone number. Also note their gender if male/female/none.
• Get a list of at least 5 different courses/universities
• Go to your email app, send a mail of personal enquiry to the mails you collected earlier. PS: DO NOT SEND A BATCH MAIL, SEND THEM INDIVIDUALLY.
• Ask about the things you want to know so you can start planning to apply in a year or more. If you want me to send an email sample that you can use, be patient, you’ll find the link for that in the end of this post.
• Upon getting a feedback, ask if you can pay your tuition fee in installments monthly/per semester. Most of the schools take full tuition at first, then allow you to pay twice or monthly for the other sessions or semester.
• Write down the details you’ve collected.
• Weigh your options and clear out the ones you are not totally eligible for.
• You’ve completed the foundation stage.

BONUS TIPS

• Go to YouTube, Twitter and Instagram to find people who recently moved to your country of interest.
• Mostly YouTube; Awhobeewom is an example of a good channel to subscribe to.
• Check for relevant price information such as plane ticket that is subject to change. Currently sitting at ₦300k+, depending on your destination.
• Make sure you check for the availability of jobs and minimum earnings of foreign students in your country of interest to see if you can assist yourself when you get there.
• If your interest includes Luxembourg, and you’re a Science student. You should be able to get a good paying job.
• Make a list of prices such as; School application fee, document verification fee, visa application fee, transportation to and fro the embassy, medicals, COVID-19 test, school miscellaneous expenses, budget for at least 3-5 months in your destination, clothing expenses, etc.
• Your total should be about ₦4m-₦6m depending on the Naira value and your budgeting.
• Now talk to your potential sponsors such as friends and family to see how much they could help with and when they can help with the agreed amount.

When you do these things, You Have A Set Goal/Target.

How? Set a date for your application in your calendar. Set a stipulated date that you would be applying.

The next steps are the hardest and most important.

Here goes:

• Get something cooking such as; job, digital skill, etc. that can make you a good amount of money before your target date, regardless of the presence of sponsors in your plan.
• Do not spend your money on things that are unnecessary, focus solely on your survival and target goal.
• If you are yet to rent an apartment, DO NOT!
• Stay whereever you are that is comfortable for you to stay.
• The money you would spend on renting a house and furnishing it might be 25% of what you need to hit your target.
• Once again. Avoid spending unnecessarily, do not be carried away by peer pressure.
• Every now and then, go on YouTube – search for “International Student Life In [insert your country of interest]” “working in [insert country of interest]
• Follow social media accounts and subscribe to newsletters that offer scholarships or assistance to aspiring international students.
• Whatever you do. BE INTENTIONAL!

As usual, you can count on this blog for useful and quality information; confirmed and trusted.

I would be providing assistance in the following areas:

1. e-Mail samples for those who want to send out mails to their target institutions.
2. Career Advice for those who have a hard time choosing what to study.
3. High standard courses/training on how to make money pending when you have enough to move abroad.
4. Study Abroad Guidance to those who need it.

ACCESS HERE

NOTE: It is worth noting that none of the help is FREE. You would have to pay a bonus amount according to whichever option you choose.

Once again, You can make things easier by going through HERE

If you want more blog posts on Immigration Made Easy, indicate in the comment section.