How I Moved to the USA with my Spouse: A Chat with Francis Ebuara

Hey there, Happy New week!

Last week, we had a chat with? Francis U. Ebuara where he shared how he moved to the USA with his spouse.

Francis has always wanted to study abroad so doing his master’s in Lagos was a strategic move because it was close to where he could write the necessary exams he needed to make the move. Also, most of the people he knew who were into migration were residing there. Another reason he chose the University of Lagos was that he thought it was fast but upon arrival, he was disappointed to find that it was not the case. The first covid-19 case in Nigeria was detected at the University of Lagos and it was in his supervisor’s lab. As a result, he worked there during the entire pandemic.

He wanted to study medicine and surgery because he thought it was a leeway to freedom. But when he got microbiology, which did not present enough opportunities in Nigeria as it did abroad, he decided to try international scholarships to have a plethora of opportunities for his field of study. Getting a scholarship was another way to free his parents from the responsibility of paying his bills.

He was in a relationship when he was making plans to move. Initially, he did not inform his girlfriend (now wife) until he was sure he had gotten accepted. Then he informed her and proposed to her because he believed it would make more sense to move with her than dealing with distance and/or starting afresh alone in a different country. They decided to give the visa application a shot together. When he got his offer letter in February 2022, he proposed to his then-girlfriend and they had the marriage ceremonies in April 2022.

When it was time for visa application, he applied for his student visa (F-1) while she applied for a dependent visa (F-2). Fortunately, they both got their visas. With an F-2 visa, his spouse is not allowed to work but if she wants to study, she can apply for an F-1 visa and with that, she would be allowed to work while studying in America.

To continue reading this intriguing abroad story, you can check out this article.