Chinese Student Visas for Nigerians

[Lawal]

Hey all I'm new here though I have frequented here in the past few years, more so in the last couple of months. I have learnt a little Mandarin and it has been a long time dream to study properly in China.

In the last couple of months I have had very hurtful experiences with two different schools, yet to establish if there is fraud involved in both, the second only in the last few hours after sending all documents, I have been informed that due to my nationality, we cant proceed with the admission. That school is ISC, International Students Center, Beijing.

Its not the person but the NATIONALITY, and they thank me for understanding, really I dont understand, because if a everyone is judged according to the actions of a few, the world will be in dark ages.

The interesting thing about all this is the Irony of it all, the ISC has teamed up with UIR which is the University of International Relations, and the first thing I get is discrimination. Where then is the International Relations in this?

They asked me to go to my Chinese embassy to get a 'note' then send it to them, then they will send documents needed for visa..... Well the embassy never heard of this 'note', and one claims neither have they heard of ISC. I believe it exists since I got emails and I sent money. The issue is the prejudice shown to me, though to be fair to them they claim they will refund my money, but they cant accept blacks. I guess its darwins theory of natural selection at play.

Now I'm on a trail to find other schools at the soonest time possible. I wanted to start december 09 for 8wks & 1 semester, now due to the mishaps with the two schools, i've been delayed somewhat 3 months. which will turn into 6months if i dont get another start date before february. Anyone in the same boat?

[roddy]

Black isn't a nationality - what passport do you have, and what did they actually say?

Universities might be discouraged from recruiting students from certain countries if the authorities think problems - visa overstay for example - are more likely. Eg here and also here.

[Lawal]

Roddy people like you are too smart... and they make this forum interesting... Yuz like to shred words and sentences to pieces, i can see it frustrates some but to me... its refreshing.

I am Nigerian, I even had a backing from the former Ambassador, I omitted putting in the country just to see what people had to say without knowing my exact nationality, which the the case with the person I corresponded, very nice and friendly till my passport said Nigerian.

I do recognise the problems peoples do cause, but as there are many Chinese or Nigerians travelling to and fro... for many different reasons, why then is my study there an issue? I dont mind being assigned a minder all the way through but that will be extreme innit..

I will paste the emails we exchanged, but at first nice enough to say get a 'note' and after telling them the embassy was confused they simply said, we dont have visa documents for your country. No further explanations. But offered to refund me back money.

Overstay could be after short visitations too, so unless any one can disect and prove beyond reasonable doubt that a student has higher risk of overstay especially from Nigeria, its plainly discriminatory.

[roddy]

I doubt it's just students, I'd imagine tourist and work visas are also harder to obtain for certain passports.

If the school has just given you a direct no and a promise of a refund as soon as they found out your nationality I think they've been reasonable enough - it's unlikely a decision they've made themselves, why would they turn away customers. Whether the visa policy overall is fair is a different matter of course, but the schools can only work within that.

There might be some way round it - if the school thinks some kind of letter from the embassy might work, maybe the embassy can be persuaded to do something if you can, eg, show that you've been living in the UK for X years, have character references, no criminal record, etc. But Chinese embassies are not known for their customer service.

Yuz like to shred words and sentences to pieces,

I try to put them back together again afterwards . . .

[Lawal]

Dear Lawal Dalhatu,

Thank you for your prompt reply. Of course you can join our class, for your situation, we'd like to recommend you take a 8 weeks' intensive course(From 2nd December, 2009 to 26th January, 2010), and then study for one semester intensive course(1st March to 9th July, 2010). Since now ISC has newly joined together with UI-CIE, the charge would be:

8 weeks' intensive course accommodate in a single room at ISC residence: RMB19140;

1 semester's intensive course accommodate in a single room at ISC residence: RMB31275;

So the total is RMB50415( The charge includes tuition,accommodation(covers 50 degrees' electricity etc.), insurance,visa, internet access, pick-up and drop-off service etc.) And you also need to wire transfer an extra application fee(USD50 or RMB420), and after make the transfer, please kindly send bank receipt copy to us, but you can pay the other fees once you come. For bank details and other information, you can log on the following website: http://www.uir-cie.com/how_to_enroll.htm. Hope to hear from you soon!

Yours

Faithfully

Alan

and after many more exchanges..... it carries on with

Dear Lawal Dalhatu,

We're writing to confirm that we've received the documents you sent. But I'm afraid that you need to provide one more document for us to proceed you visa, since we have a strict visa applying policy in China, especially for Nigeria, you still need to go to the Embassy of China in Nigeria to get an official Note there. Sorry for all these trouble, but it's the regulation from Chinese government. And though the learning, you could probably master 2500 words, but it depends, maybe more, or maybe less. Hope to hear from you soon!

Best

Regards

Alan

Dear Lawal Dalhatu,

It's really not about discrimination, it's just that our school doesn't have the ability to provide the documents to Nigerian, actually I personally have some friends from Nigeria and Africa(such as Chad, Cameroon etc.) It's really great that you're interested in learning Chinese, actually we appreciate that you chose Chinese, but we're really sorry that we couldn't enroll you as our student. We do apologize for all the inconveniences and thank you for your understanding.

Best

Wishes

Alan

Yeah we can have you as a friend but you cant study in our schools, I dont believe Chinese are racist per se, infact I dont care about people having reservations about other races. I am not using the 'Cos I am Black!' excuse but they refused to explicitly say why as a Nigeria I have problems.

I lived in England for 12 years, most of my friends are Chinese, the best ones are, well and others too and so I wont say its racism in any way. But now I am a victim of my race and Nationality. If I was White, yes I dont know any White Nigerians but...

Its very hurtful, I wont lose sleep over it and I will try some more till i get a school or really get the gist of it really being about natural selection

[fanglu]

Maybe you could try a university rather than a private school, they might have more leeway in providing the visa authorisation. If that doesn't work, maybe an education agent in the UK (try to find one that isn't too much of a rip off) would be able to make it happen.

[jbradfor]

you still need to go to the Embassy of China in Nigeria to get an official Note there.

Did you get information on what this "official note" is? More detail, examples, etc. That might help the Embassy of China in Nigeria.

[adrianlondon]

Some forums (just googling) do have conversations about "friend of a friend" who's Nigerian and refused a visa to enter China, but the Chinese embassy in Nigeria has no advisory message/news saying that visas won't be given.

Not sure why you can't ask the embassy why they won't give you the F/X visa. They'll say what's missing and then when the school in Beijing says they won't send whatever it is (jw202?) due to some note, ask them to fax/email you what the note is so you can ask your embassy.

Failing that, apply to BNU or BLCU or some other large organisation and study there. At least they're more likely to have had other Nigerian students applying and would probably be more specific rather than just saying "we need a 'note'".

[Simon_CH]

Hi Lawal

I'm sorry for what you have to go through, sounds like you're an eager student who has a dream, and it's shattered or at least attempted by official policies. I know it's hard, but you have to look at reality. Nigeria and Nigerians unfortunately have a very bad name in the world, due to crime, drugs and scams. There are much more reservations in Europe too for Nigerians when issuing studying Visas, at least in Switzerland, due to regular abuses of the system. I think the best you can do is get a lot of official recommendations and also give them contact details of your recs so they have persons of contact. Looks like you just have to go the extra mile for something others can obtain much easier.

Certainly not your fault where you were born, but reality is a lot of countries have bad experiences with your countrymen.

Best of luck,

Simon

[Lawal]

Hi guys

@AdrianLondon first, Thank you for your entry, I am doing everything I can and hope to be in China this december. CHINESE EMBASSY IS NOT REFUSING ME VISA, I think if you read it all, you'l see clearly where the school ISC said,, "sorry we cannot enrol you in our school". I asked him if the 'note' was just to test my resilience and a lie, Alan my correspondent ignored to answer that.

The Chinese Embassy are not refusing me visa, just every school I have contacted said "ohh its beyond us to do anything about the visa documents." I know a friend that studied there, only finished his MBA, people are travelling every week and I am sure only a percentage if at all break any laws. The problem is from there not here..

@Simon, thank for your post, I indeed have a dream and seeing to that dream come true. My passion for the languge grew once upon a time when one of my teachers made me memorise 2 poems and recite them, only after I finished I realised it was a competition It was written in Chinese behind me and only to find out after a Chinese friend that walked in when I was finishing read it and told me so. Still in doubt until the results were announced.. And yes as if in a movie, the Black guy came 3rd!!! the rest were all Chinese kids half my age and an English friend who is very fluent in Chinese no really it was a tie in 3rd - so they gave me a prize for effort.. How come I dont know it was a competition really? Wel we've done it a few times, just nursery rhymes like "xiao bai tu", this time though they said a handful of Chinese guests were coming (just visiting from China) but I promise, no one told me I was competing. Helped with the pressure though hehe

Same year I recited them on the Chinese Indepence day party 1st october in Liverpool's China town, which is the same day for Nigeria as well Now almost 3years later, I still know how to recite them both. Dan Yuen Ren Chang Jiu (old poem though sang by Deng Li Jun & Wai Fong) and Mei De Ge (couldnt find it anywhere, the teacher gave me it) If anyone has more poems for me with audio to practice, will appreciate greatly

about your posting, intresting insight and interesting read too. Though you speak of crimes by Nigerians only, the first thing the staff at the embassy said after seein the word 'note' from an email print out is,,, "you know there are fraudsters everywhere, even in China, I have never heard of ISC and they sound dodgy." So he acknowledge there are bad people everywhere, I personally thought they were at first but I dont believe so, I am yet to receive refund.

Thing is no one is bothered to make any effort, they are working on assumption that the government will be reluctant (or do they know something I dont hehe), and now I found a school that said they dont have a problem with my nationality and will send me supporting documents. YAY I hope it goes well anyways:roll:

About going anywhere else in the world, it is hard but not as hard as it sounds getting visas really, like you said, its just the red tapes everywhere. Someone advised me to understand that China is only opening their doors to the world and it will take time, crime aside if that was the the reason at all, Americans that will get swift visas are more judgemental of Chinese cultures and government policies than anyone. Its funny how the least country to judge is the one being judged.

I want everyone to understand, no one has refused me visa, schools are just reluctant to give supporting documents to aquire visa. My embassy was more than supportive, and say as long as I can get an acceptance/invitation to study letter, they will give me the visa.

EXCUSE MY RANTING GUYS

Yes I am having to go an extra mile, telling schools I am really a cute looking black guy and have sweet poetry voice jokes aside, I did tel a few more than I did in my initial applications and have to tel them I have the backing of a former Ambassador. I gues learning will be sweeter once I gut there. Thanks everyone for input and feedback

[Daan]

First of all, let me say I hope you can solve this mess soon. You obviously do not deserve all this. The only reason for it is your passport, and I strongly believe passports say nothing about the people behind them at all.

That said, as has also been suggested above, how about trying some of the bigger schools? I'm pretty sure they would have plenty of experience taking care of documents for other nationalities than just the more common ones.

[Brian US]

I don't know if you addressed the prior comment about attending a public university instead of a private school. I am currently at BLCU and many students are Nigerian, including my neighbor (yet his enrollment has never come up). You could always go to a public school for a semester and possibly have an easier time with schools while in Beijing.

Yet, the best advice is to follow whatever Roddy says.

[Lawal]

Hi

To those that posted earlier, i believed i replied but somehow its went missing, maybe due to slow internet connection at the time? ?Only realised after my last posting .. but I replied to all posts..

I have applied to the universities, Infact just sent my application to BCLU, just that at first the timings were not as suitable as the private ones. But only found out I could do a 5wks and a semester with BCLU.

Brian I dont know what advise of Roddy's u are referring to, but if its about character refference and all, it hasnt even come to that, the 'note' requested turned out to be a bluff which in the next email without any other reason they said " because they cant offer documents to Nigerians student, they cant enroll me in the school". Some claimed it was a Government policy they cant do much about. I have a referrence from a Former Ambassador, I guess that does it for all doubts. Maybe like Roddy says, its some policies to do with Middle Eastern and African countries..... not that it makes sense as to why..

I am waiting to hear from a BCLU and Global Exchange, hopefully this time next year, it will be an experience i'll be laughing about

[bukola]

Hi Lawal,

I'm Bukola from NIGERIA. I would like to know if you eventually got into BLCU to study Chinese language. I applied for the same program and haven't gotten any replies from them. I called their international students office and they said they didn't get any of my emails.

Thanks for your anticipated reply.

I just need to be sure they actually accept Nigerians in the school.