calni27

Hello, I am engaged to a Nigerian and am also looking for a solution as to where we can live. Were you able to figure out a solution? 

Hi Everyone,
My fiancee and I have known each other for 4 years (online), engaged for one (we talk/video 2x a day), and wish to meet this year.  We have not yet meet in person because I have been dealing with a serious illness and was not well enough to travel until recently. Earlier this year, we planned to meet in Barbados which seemed like the perfect place because both US citizens and Nigerians can visit -- visa free for up to 6 months. Our plan was to meet and live in Barbados, get married and then I'd file for a marriage visa.

Unfortunately, due to our ignorance, my fiancee was not permitted to take his flight as we were unaware that he needed a transit visa from the UK to pass through their airport on the way to Barbados. Ugg. Then we learned that UK currently has extremely long visa wait times (due to covid) so instead he decided to apply for a Schengen transit visa from France and booked a new flight which had layovers in France and the French Caribbean but he was denied the visa. Obviously, now the problem is we aren't sure how to get him there given the stringent requirements to acquire a transit visa through Europe. 

At this point, I am open to meeting for the first time outside of the Caribbean, if that means it's easier for him to travel. While  I understand that I could go to Nigeria, given my health condition, it's not ideal for me to be in a massive city, that's chaotic, stressful, polluted and loud so I'd like to meet elsewhere. I am under the impression that meeting in a Schengen country is probably better than an African country because then he could establish travel history in Europe which hypothetically should improve is chances of getting a transit visa to pass through Europe on his way to the Caribbean (yes, we still want to live there) in the future. 

Please what suggestions do you have for possible meeting locations and/or tips for acquiring UK or Schengen transit visas?

Also I'd really appreciate some advise from Nigerians who understand the extreme challenges Nigerians face when attempting to travel abroad. For those of you who traveled to meet your fiancee, where did you go and how do you achieve it?

Thank you