This is a visitor's comment on a story published on this portal about some new procedures students are now required to follow to secure their visas at the American Embassy.

One must think carefully before applying for a visa to go and work abroad. These entry clearance officers thinks most Africans are so desperate to travel abroad for a better living, so they find their way to refuse applicants and use the money to pay child and unemployment benefit for their people.

Remember your visa fee is non-refundable. Walk to the British high commission and the US embassy and count the number of people applying for a visa to travel abroad.

If all these applicants put their money in their savings account for their unborn child, it will yield a better interest for their child to enjoy as unemployment benefit.

Applying for a VISA

Fill out the application form and support it with all relevant documents (bank statements, sponsor letter, proof of address where you will stay, certificates, letter from your employer if your travel is for a visit, enrolment letter from your place of study if applying as a student) make sure all documents are original and NOT forgery, and pay the appropriate visa fee.

Submit your application for an entry clearance officer to take a decision. A decision has to be taken on your application. You have applied for an entry clearance to travel to the UK/USA as a visitor/student. You provided evidence of your finance in a form of a bank statement. After a careful analysis, I do NOT think you can stay in the UK/USA without working or recourse to public funds.

I therefore refuse your application. Consider this; can you pay $20,000 or £10,000 for your studies? This excludes living expenses. So you are looking around £15,000 or more to study for one year in the UK and $30,000 in the USA without taking a full time job.

In the UK, you are allowed to work 20 hours per week during term times and full time during vacations. Your weekly wages will be around £90. Rent per month is £300. I will not mention any utility bills here. Let’s say you will need £50 for your weekly groceries.

I hope you can understand my calculations now? Will your sponsor pay the full tuition fees as stated in his/her letter? Will you leave the UK/USA on completion of your studies? Will you comply with immigration rules? Did the bank statement you provided have sufficient money to prove your sponsor can really support you any time during your stay?

If you have answered yes to all the questions, Oh hold on, I dont think you will submit a bank statement that will show you can't pay your fees. Why did the visa issuing officer refuse your application on the grounds that, you can’t stay without working or recourse to public funds? I will continue from here.... If you have answered no to some or all of the questions but you were granted the visa, you will definitely break immigration law. But who cares? It is the situation that will force you to do that. You must work to survive.

The risk here is very high, because your immigration status doesn't allow you to do that.

Assessment of risk

First of all, you could be deported for working more hours. The inability to pay your fees may drop you out of school.

Also think of the fact you wouldn’t be able to renew your visa when it runs out because your place of study will not give you letter for that, and you even don’t have any progress report (any examination taken or certificates)

You can’t go back home to visit your family and return; going back for good, but when? You need some money don’t you? Think of the house you want to build but are you safe going up and down with an expired visa?

It will take you years to save £1000 or $2000, believe me, and what can that money do in Ghana? Nsem beberee!! Do you have an old mate or a friend abroad who has stayed for at least 5years? I can tell you that, you are better of than him/her except he/she wouldn’t tell you the truth.

There are over 400,000 Ghanaians in the UK, not to mention the USA, but is there any positive impact? What are they and where are they?

The world’s richest countries, I will concentrate on USA and UK. A rhythm of education and poverty has been what the leaders of these countries dance to each time they talk about Africa.

But it is not from their heart, they know what they get from us. Let’s not argue about this because it is a fact. If you are a British citizen or from the European community, your tuition fee for a year’s programme is £3000 but if you are from Africa or elsewhere be prepared to cough up £10000+. This is the Education and poverty they talk about.

The entry clearance officer refused your application because you are poor, you can’t afford your education and also, they don’t want you to work in their country to have better education. This is the poverty they are helping us from.

Your application would have been considered, if you had proof to the visa officer that, you can pump $20,000 into the American economy or £10,000 into UK economy. This is the poverty they are helping us from.

Calculate the money the US Embassy and the British High Commission make from visa applicants yearly and compare it to the money they give to our government as loans or grants or support whatever you can call it. It’s our own money in circulation. In the UK, they charge £295 for a year’s resident permit by post. £500 for a year in person. Immigrants apply for these visas and not Britons. The pride in where you study is over.

You can get better education anywhere in the world. Sweden and Finland are all rich countries with free education. Did you know that? Find out if you don’t even want to travel, you can do a long distance learning as well, all for free! Why are the USA and the UK treating us like this? There is nothing in travelling abroad.

Seeing is believing so I will not discourage anyone who wishes to travel, but when you get there, we will have more people to advice our young brothers and sisters. Stay at home and be proud to be a Ghanaian! God bless our homeland Ghana!