12/07/2025
PATHWAY TO FILLING A SUCCESSFUL TRAVEL VISA APPLICATION.
On the surface, the process of obtaining a Canadian, UK, France or any other developed country study admission might seems quite simple. However, obtaining study permit or student visa can sometimes prove to be a challenge. While many students think receiving a letter of acceptance is the hardest part of the pre-study abroad process, it can be even more difficult to land a student visa.
It is not an over statement to say that getting a visa approval is often faced with the harshest scrutiny. For example, according to statistics 54% of visa applicants get denied in 2024, up from 40% in 2023. Student permit rejections surged to 52%, a dramatic increase from 38% the previous year.
Unfortunately, it isn’t uncommon for applicants to have their applications for visa rejected. With Canada and UK being such desirable study destinations, many students aspire to pursue an education in those countries. However, the popularity with other opportunities attached to studying in those countries makes it significantly harder to get visas into those countries because of the high volume of applicants, leading to students visa rejections.
To ensure your visa application gets approved at first instance, it’s helpful you understand the key common reasons behind visa rejections.
1. Insufficient Fund:
This is one of the common reasons most applicants are denied. All applicants are expected to have a certain minimum fund on account sufficient enough to cover at least one year tuition fee (in case of study permit), living expenses, transportation and other miscellaneous expenses preferably in an account the applicant can have direct access or control.
Meanwhile, the fund required also depend on family size either as a single applicant, family of 2, 3 or 4, so it is advisable for applicants to research very well to find out the minimum fund required based on his/her family size and ensure the fund is available (if possible a little above the minimum) on account at the time of filling in his/her application .
Therefore, applicants are expected to submit at least six months bank statements showing the proof of funds for the six months preceding the study permit application date. Also, applicants provide all of the required account information as well as bank information so that the embassy can be able to verify genuine availability of the fund. However, if your family (spouse, parent, sibling) is contributing to the cost of your education, they will need to provide an affidavit stating how much they are supporting you with, relationship with you and the money is not refundable.
Furthermore, for those that are to be sponsored by their parents, spouses or siblings. You"ll need to present a duly signed letter of sponsorship from your sponsor, documents to buttress their relationship with the applicant (such as birth certificate, marriage certificate, etc cos third party sponsorship is not advisable), verifiable source(s) of income of the sponsor such as employment status, company or business registration, at least six months bank statement showing well above the minimum proof of fund required (to show the sponsor is not spending all his/her life savings on you) and if the sponsor is presenting a limited liability company bank statement, a board resolution letter will be required to confirm other board members support/agreement to the sponsorship but not necessary for registered business name. In a nutshell, availability of sufficient funds in an account the visa officer will be convinced the applicant will have easy access to the fund is mandatory.
2. The source of Funds:
The embassy verifies to see how you accumulated the funds presented. non-consistent deposits into your bank accounts, then few weeks or months preceeding your application a huge or some huge lump deposits were made, that can attract the attention of the visa officer. If the applicant
has declared they have access to a certain amount of money to support the visa application, they must prove this with documentation. The amount of money is not the only requirement for proof of funds but also evidence of the source(s) like pay slips in case of savings from salary, sales records, letters of awards of contracts, and if the source is proceed from sale or long lease of landed property, you'll need to present a valuation report that states the worth of the property, sales or lease agreement, deed of assignment between the buyer and seller with details of the property concerned. That's where you need the service and expertise of property consultants like us, you can reach out for more enquiries if you might need our service in that area.
3. Not submitting adequate home tie supporting papers:
Except for immigration visa applicant, every non-immigrant visa applicants are are required to show strong connections with with thier home countries by proof. These documents are to prove that the applicant have reasons that will facilitate return to his/her home country after the stipulated period of visa granted. Generally, submitting as much evidence as possible beyond the minimum required is wise. Often, offering only the documents based on the online Document Checklist is insufficient to build a solid Visa Application.
For a married applicant not travelling with the wife and children at the time of applying, the wife and children could serve as one of the home ties but for single applicant or married applying as a family, more documents will be required to proof home ties because the visa officer want to be convinced the applicant has/have reason (s) to return after study or visit. Although its not mandatory the applicant should return as their are laws that allows change of status to permanent residence and even citizen once all the stipulated conditions are met.
But as at the point of putting in application, the visa officer want to see those documents such as applicant employment status, marital status, business owned in the home country and how its thriving (based on audited report, cooperate bank account statement), position held in the community (like CDA, Professional Body/Association, Clubs like Rotary Club, Lions Club etc. Meanwhile, the most preferred is/are the landed assets/properties owned by the applicant for the reason that landed properties do not depreciate in value but appreciates over time and all over the world people have strong emotional attachment to landed property owned, that could be a key pull factor to encourage the applicant to return especially income generating properties or that fits into future plan of the applicant. All over the world, people liquidate landed assets to raise fund if the need arises, so it could serve as source of fund on account for travel purpose backed with other necessary documents. Security for payment of 2nd year fees, etc. It is a multipurpose document that can be tailored to the intent of use by an applicant to boost his/her chance of visa approval.
In that case, a smart applicant will submit a valuation report prepared by a firm of certified estate surveyors and values stating the current market value (monetary worth) of the property or properties owned by the applicant and rental value if its a rental property generating additional income for the owner. By submitting a valuation report, it tells more about the financial status of the applicant in his/her home country going by the landed assets owned, the future plan for the assets that can facilitate his return, back up source of fund on account and many more.
Submitting just landed property title documents alone is not enough as that will not state the current worth of the property. Visa officer cannot know the worth of a land by looking at the survey plan, purchase receipt or deed of assignment on a land/property bought seven or ten years ago as such documents will still contain the purchase price as at the time of purchase and NOT the current
worth.
Assuming a land bought N5m ten years ago and now worth say N50m, the deed of assignment and purchase receipt will still contain N5m as the property sum and the visa will base his/her judgement on that, meanwhile the land is currently worth N50m in the open market.
You can reach out if you require this service and be sure of getting well detailed, certified and verifiable report.
4. Connection with Program of Study (Student Visa Refusal):
If the visa officer who reviewed your application does not see a connection
between your study program and your educational or employment background, they may refuse your study permit application. Therefore, in your Statement of Purpose ensure you explain in detail the connections between your intended course of study and your previous study or studies or current employment and how it will be of immense benefits to you, your business or service provided. If you have study gap, ensure you explain the reason and skills you were able to acquire during the study gap.
Finally, I am not a travel agent and do not process visas, however should you wish to get your landed property valued for visa application purpose or any further enquiries, do not hesitate to contact me via +2349049045703 or +2348032296562.
