Olawrites:
There's high cost of living everywhere, like recently in the US, the cost of gas moved from $2 to $5 per liter.

Just know this fact before thinking of travelling.

Don't be caught unaware.

We've had enough stranded Nigerians in the diaspora already. Don't add to it.

Have enough money SAVED before you think of travelling.

Move this to front page please

Here in Utah Salt Lake I pay $400 monthly living on a very low key ��

ibechris:



I still prefer to live and work in Nigeria.
Don't worry,until u go there and come back OK?

After paying all the bills,u will realised how sweet is it to live in Nigeria.

You can't even afford to pay your so called bills with 30,000 naira my brother. You have to add selling of recharge cards and grandnut to your business.

His type shouldn't smell political office in Nigeria because instead of focusing on the problems at hand, he'll be busy castigating people saying things like youths are lazy, youths are the problem.

Opeyemic01:


I am just surprised at his comment

Winters23:


Lols

I am a boss to people in nigeria and abroad

Your worldview really needs some facelift

Everything is not about japa

A one-eyed man in the midst of a million blind is also blind. You don't gerrit? forgerabout it

Shigo1390:


Here in Utah Salt Lake I pay $400 monthly living on a very low key ��

The question is how much do you earn per month....don't lie o

TheEnforcer:
Spending pounds in Yankee...haha...You are funny. You are definitely not in Yankee if you don't even know the country where pounds Is being spent

I’m referring to Uk bro.and Not USA. LOL

HitRun:


Simple question: What do they do to earn that kind of money as illegal migrants?

Some do gas stations, health care delivery( CMT), group home, etc. 12, 13, 14usd per hour

Olawrites:
There's high cost of living everywhere, like recently in the US, the cost of gas moved from $2 to $5 per liter.

Just know this fact before thinking of travelling.

Don't be caught unaware.

We've had enough stranded Nigerians in the diaspora already. Don't add to it.

Have enough money SAVED before you think of travelling.

Move this to front page please

stop discouraging people here if u think its not easy over there please relocate to Nigeria and see the difference

You don’t get this article , what they saying is you have to plan well before you travel , this is what made so many ppl go into drugs and all sort of criminal ways to survive

US and Canada anytime. I don't care about the price of gas there.

Winters23:


You mean one eyed people like Dangote, adenuga, Davido, wizkid, myself and other Unkown big shots?

Are you one of those you mentioned? Are you one of those killing the Nigerian economy with unneceesary and incessant inflation?

uuzba:

I studied a bit in UK and worked small.
Like joke, I no just see that money.
As a student, you can only do part time work, ie 4hrs a day - £500 monthly. And E finish.
After graduation, I was doing 8 hrs a day. about £900 monthly. E still finish.
Rent, transport, gas heating (because of terrible cold), food, visa fees, school fees...
You can't just only work.
You must do another runs to get paper. And that one will chop the remaining of your money.
1, 2, 3, 4 years? Na im I kukuma return like that.

You will just be working as a slave.
Earn money, carry all and pay debts
Earn again, pay debts again!!
over and over and over till you are old.

£900 pounds monthly after school?.....stop it. Just stop it and keep your dignity. You don't have to lie.they have a standard minimum wage.

Davidganna10:
Why this post? Is it to make you feel good about the precarious situation we find ourselves in Nigeria? You can Never compare USA to Nigeria no matter the index you use.

In USA you can never go, there are food banks.
Except you want to live the lavida loca you will always find accommodation within your pocket even in Cali and New York. No be person the work for VI the live for ikorodu or okokmaiko.

Please nobody should compare our suffering here (we are truely suferring) with that of USA, there are no basis for comparison.

Modified:
Lowest minimum wage in USA is $7/hr

Minimum wage In Nigeria is 170/hr if you calculate using 22 work days a month, times 8hrs a day.

Note: fuel is sold 200/liter here,
While $4.25/gallon in USA
One Gallon = 3.75 liters.
Our suffer no get rival.

How old is US and how old is Nigeria ��?
US is more than 300 years . There own suffering is at their own level while our own is on our own level the bottom line be say there is suffering everywhere

wiseoneking:
You guys here lies unnecessary about Living in abroad esp in the US. Having lived here for years I can tell you that what you hear are mostly lies and overblown . I only advise anybody that makes between above 1.5million monthly in Nigeria to stay back and enjoy, but if you earn less than that, you will not regret been in the US as one starting over life or newbie without even papers. what I want to explain here is not the plight of established Nigerians with doc or that are already green card or citizens but the plight of B1B2 visa holders, info undocumented Nigerians, not having legal right to work but are struggling and are working hard.
There are rents between 500 to $800 every month. You can pay your other bills like electricity, water, gas all around less than 150. There are plenty ways to negotiate your bills and pay your gas even in winter now when everything is high. So you can be paying btw 700 to $1000 dollars for both rent and all your bills. Depending on the job you are doing as a new settlers with tourist visa and without any SSN to work, you can still make btw 2.5 to $6k (2.5to 4million monthly an you can comfortably save up to 50% monthly)every month even in average American state. This is the worst scenario for new Nigerian immigrants without papers. But the truth is that many of them may not pay up to $1000 monthly because they could be three in a three bedroom apartment and pay average of just 400 monthly, saving a huge. Many of us passed through this before we get where we are. I mean 80% of Nigerian will tell you this as far as they didn't come with green card, which means starting in a hard way till you get your papers. Once you get your papers and documents, you are free to asses many areas for your careers and start earning big . Nigerian here are not poor but above average. Rent of $2500 or whatever is a choice and rent does not strictly about the quality of a house in all cases but about the location. Eg you could have a great Duplex in epe that costs you 1 million monthly but thesame in VGC could be 10 million. Yes, places like los Angeles, San Francisco could be costly in tent but they do have a higher pay than other cities in Alabama, Mississippi etc where where salary is low and houses are cheap. That just it here too. I hate people discouraging others from Japa from Nigeria. Finally, life is hard in every parts of the world but some places are far far better than others

God bless you with this frank write, I was even over hyping myself as someone that earns around 500k that is it worthless relocating abroad even legally through school that I might regret it, but here you are, as a first hand experience person you mentioned 1.5m, so I think I need to have a rethink. I will point my search light to US and if I can relocate through school, I hope it will be a better idea?
Thank you.

psucc:
Fear fear man no dey go Bakassi.

This thread, though a caution, is just a discouragement. But it can deter anyone who is determined to japa.

The word japa is too generalised. Specify the country and the route then one can make more meaning to it. Most Nigerians go to USA on a tourist visa and decide to remain there. People in this category tend to own their home and have an okay job/business before embarking on such a journey and thus may complain about the west being tough. But if someone struggling in Nigeria finds himself struggling in USA he/she may not even see it as a struggle.

In summary the poster’s submission should not be generalised as each individual’s circumstances, goals and paths are different.

If I’m to move from nigeria I’d like to go as a permanent resident holder (for Canada ), green card holder (USA ) or indefinite leave to remain holder (U.K.). Reason being that I’m already 30 and not ready to dedicate any additional years in trying secure residency status in another country when I should be using that same time to pursue other goals. If I was 20 it would have been different.

HitRun:


Haba bros. Why are you exaggerating? What kind of job will you be doing as an undocumented migrant and earn that much? 2k saving per month for an undocumented migrant? In fact stop using the word “undocumented”; it is actually “illegal” migrant. If you overstay your visa, a lot of doors will be slam shut in your face. How can you make that much money in a month?

Maybe he is referring to those that use other people's paper to work. I have a younger friend in NY that earns over 5k monthly, tips included

It is not easy even in Western countries, but someone that have never been to the airport before will be arguing with you about the good life in countries like Ukraine and Poland for African migrants.

Bizman2022:


In Nigeria, a hard working man if not for God intervention will be swimming in poverty.

For instance, a graduate with good grade ( good course like engineering, accounting etc) comes out from NYSC and spend like 5 to 7 years looking for the job, at the end he might get a job of 50k per month, how long will it take him to leave like human being in this type of situation.

Let me tell you something, as a graduate with legal document in the western world, you don’t problem getting a job.

Bro, Nigeria and most African countries are totally not a place to be.

Are you telling me there is no jobless people in America? A graduate of mechanical engineer who wait for 7 years without a job and he can not find a mechanic village to go practice what he learn in university that one na graduate

flokii:
Our people don't know that there are more homeless blacks including Nigerians in New York than Lagos.. they see the beautiful parts of "developed" countries and then dream of going there to live a luxurious life only to end up disappointed.

Fix your home country and stop this 'japa' syndrome.
Go into processing of agricultural products and earn big from them instead of putting all your millions into visa processing to japa.

Seconded

manikspears:


Don't mind them, minimum wage is 31k per year na cleaner and messenger work be that o.....oya convert am to naira how many graduates dey make that kind money per year for naija? Even if you consider the purchasing power.

Another case of generalization. Direct conversion to naira doesnt work. Everybody should analyze their individual circumstances and determine where is best for them (whether nigeria or canada). It is wrong to say canada is better than nigeria for everybody OR nigeria is better than canada for everybody.

RoyalBlu:
*Living within your means helps a great deal in WHEREVER you find yourself.

If you don't mind, I'd like to ask would you still stick to the 'Zobo' lifestyle while you're on a Coca-Cola salary, provided you started out with the Zobo salary before the Coca-Cola salary came in?

Zobo Salary: 65k
Coca-Cola Salary: 81k

Bizman2022:


God bless you with this frank write, I was even over hyping myself as someone that earns around 500k that is it worthless relocating abroad even legally through school that I might regret it, but here you are, as a first hand experience person you mentioned 1.5m, so I think I need to have a rethink. I will point my search light to US and if I can relocate through school, I hope it will be a better idea?
Thank you.

In 2019 I moved to a new apartment in Lagos and a friend came visiting . He had just written IELTS in preparation for the express entry program in Canada. He encouraged me to apply but I wasn't interested because work was going on well and my disposable income was a large fraction of my take home. Towards the end of 2020 my opinion began to change when the naira to dollar exchange rate dropped to 500+ . I wasted no time and prepared for the express entry application(language test, result evaluation, work reference, police report ... ). I applied , received an invitation to apply and submitted an application in February 2021. Application only got approved last month and I'm planning on how to make the most benefit of securing permanent residence in a G7 country. Circumstances differ and people's interest change from time to time. What I turned down in 2019 is what I am working towards getting in 2022.
Some people who are preaching USA over Nigeria may change their mind tomorrow and it is normal. Those who are preaching Nigeria over USA may also change their minds at a later day and it is also normal. We all get tempted to see things from our individual perspective

Bizman2022:


God bless you with this frank write, I was even over hyping myself as someone that earns around 500k that is it worthless relocating abroad even legally through school that I might regret it, but here you are, as a first hand experience person you mentioned 1.5m, so I think I need to have a rethink. I will point my search light to US and if I can relocate through school, I hope it will be a better idea?
Thank you.

Permanent residency in USA is a long process even if you go through school . The fastest way is through family sponsorship (marriage, child ...).

HRprof:


Are you telling me there is no jobless people in America? A graduate of mechanical engineer who wait for 7 years without a job and he can not find a mechanic village to go practice what he learn in university that one na graduate

People's mindset differ. No job is too small to take. Sitting at home for 5 years and saying there is no job is an excuse that no longer sells.

HRprof:
Nigerians will travel to America or western world, leave their 3 bed apartment to live in combo apartment, the size of closet. the kind of house they will not stay in Nigeria. The reason is that the cost of this combo apartment per month is your one year 1 bed apartment rent in Nigeria inside life . Meanwhile, they will take pictures in front of skyscrapers building and post on social media

Oga that one na for fake life gang... see make I tell u in this country it is only the elites that enjoy in this country.. I dont mind leaving my property in naija and come to america and hustle and build more.. I don save and suffer to buy land, now to build on am na wahala... those land agberos are requesting for so many thing... right now if I get sure link to travel and hustle i will sell that land and japa to go hustle, cuz I know say in due time I'll buy more land and building..it might take time oo but will definitely pay off

Wetin happen to a room?

Opeyemic01:


You can make your point without insult, you know I still disagree with you, if they can't afford to buy air ticket, so to be living a miserable life is the last option right

do you even know how much is ticket.... There is no free money in USA ��...