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player ready...When Bayo Jinadu moved to the U.S. in 2009, he had to leave his four children behind in Nigeria because of the high costs of immigration. But after receiving support from a fundraising campaign championed by his friend, he is closer than ever to bringing his children to Chicago. Here are all the steps he’s had to take from his own immigration to (hopefully) his children’s.
Step 1: Apply for an immigration visa. According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website, applicants first need a sponsor. For Jinadu, it was his family who already lived in Chicago. With sponsorship secured, he filed a petition for a visa, a process that included interviews and background investigations. He ultimately was approved and immigrated in 2009.
Step 2: Acquire a green card, which carries permanent resident status. Jinadu attained his after finding permanent employment in the U.S.
Step 3: Petition for relatives’ immigrant visas. In March 2015, Jinadu began the process ($420 per child, or $1,680 for all four) for his children to join him.
Step 4: File for visas. Jinadu had hoped to begin this process in January, but the price of each visa ($325 per child, or $1,300 for all four) was more than he could afford. But through a GoFundMe campaign started by his friend, he was eventually able to cover the costs and began filing the paperwork earlier this month.
Step 5: File affidavits of support. This cost Jinadu $120 per child, totaling $480, and the affadavits are required by the government to show that he will be financially responsible for his children once they arrive in Chicago.
Step 6: Buy plane tickets. Jinadu will begin purchasing airline tickets for his children once their visa applications are approved. Flights from Nigeria to the U.S. cost up to $2,000 each.
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