Hi all --

I'm new to the board, but I've enjoyed lurking through the site for a while. I have a quick question ...

My boyfriend and I aren't ready to take the big jump over the broom yet and file for the fiance visa -- we want to take a little more time to get to know each other. Although I love Jamaica and love visiting, our relationship feels so one sided. I know his family and his way of life, but he has only a little clue about mine. I would love for him to visit the states when he has an upcoming break from work and get a chance to experience my life a little. I day dream about the things we would do here in the states -- from as simple as going to my favorite park to hang out for an afternoon to taking a few road trips to visit other cities.

So, we filed for a nonimmigrant visa, but have yet to be able to schedule an interview date. I check the site everyday (3 to 4 times a day sometimes), but all the appts. are booked up until the end of July and you can't make any appointments from August on. I'm so frustrated about this process -- when I called the Embassy they couldn't give me a direct answer about the process (e.g., when do they typically open dates?, can I get on a waitlist for an interview date so I wouldn't have to check/stalk the website everyday?, why it takes so long to get a visa in black/brown countries, but white countries it is as simple as pie? [I may have been wrong for that question, but I was frustrated], etc.)... arghhhh!

So my question is are we wasting our time trying to go the nonimmigrant visa route as an attempt for us to spend some time together as a normal couple?! Has anyone else on the forum had any luck in getting a nonimmigrant (tourist) visa approved? Any help/assistance/insight is greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Unruly

Not being able to visit here is something most of us accept when our SO is in a 3rd world country. ( yes most of them are brown/black) If you have been able to visit several times you are luckier than some. There are a significant number of people here that are engaged or married to a person that they probably won't see until the visa is approved even if the process takes over a year. There isn't much fair about this process , the time differences between centers, the ease of which the people in Canada and the UK get to see each other while waiting. It is what it is . Being in a relationship makes it harder to get a visitors visa because now they will believe that you are trying to get him here to marry without using a K visa.
Sorry

The Jamaican will have to prove such strong tie to Jamaica (he own a business, Family obligations etc) before they might give him a visitor visa. I wish you and your friemd good luck.

I'm so sorry to hear of your ongoing ordeal. Unfortunately, your calls to the Embassy will probably be a detriment to your boyfriend's petition, as well as your desire to petition for him at a later date. Tourist visas are very hard to get in Jamaica, and will normally be denied if they know he has plans to visit you (his girlfriend) because of the high risk of flight from Jamaican citizens.

If he does get the tourist visa, please do everything you can to make sure he goes back to Jamaica before the visa expires. Then, you will minimize any potential hardship when you are finally ready to move toward the next step.

God's blessings on your journey and new relationship.

jawi876

I have to agree with all of the above. It is nearly impossible for a Jamaican to get a tourist visa. STRONG ties sound so simple to us; but to the embassy it usually means immediate family like children, a business, owning a home, and lots of money in the bank. You are better off just visiting him and trying to show him pictures and tell him tales of your life.

I wish you luck in wherever this takes you.

Just like JG and other said; STRONG TIES (they want to make sure HE will come back and not run off)

I have a lot of friends that have tourist visa, but it was like pulling out ALL your teeth to get one. What they had going for them was EXTREMELY and I mean EXTREMELY STRONG TIES TO JAMAICA. For example, house, kids, A DAMN GOOD JOB, bank accounts, FEW family in the states, other property, did I mention bank accounts (with loot) and a DAMN good job. It's possible, but it's not an easy task.

Hope it works out for the both of you.

Thanks to everyone for your feedback. This has been very helpful in dealing with one of the most frustrating situations I've ever had to deal with. I look at all of your stories as inspiration. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right? Thanks again.

That killing-stronger part is no lie. I'd just as soon not have anyone experience all of it though, if we can help it. So much easier when things just run smoothly.

Hang in there. You will find your solutions.

right and he shouldn't say he has a girlfriend up here, that is the kiss of death for a nonimmigrant visa from j.a.

not sure if u are still checking, but I too was really worried about RG not getting his tourist visa.. Now, he didn't have a problem getting the appt.. He went to Kingston Aug and they gave him an appt in Nov. Nov came and he didn't have necessary documents and had to reshedule. They gave him an interview date for Feb. The turnaround time was 3 mnths from your request date.
He had applied for the visa once before and was denied.. Even he said the chances to get one were slim to none, but he would keep trying. He hadn't worked in JA for about 6 mnths because he had been on a work visa in the Bahamas and returned to JA just for the interview..
So w/ no job, no residence, and nothing of ownership but two lil boys there in JA, I was sure he would be denied again..
BUT, he was approved for a 10yr visa girl!!!!

I don't know how or why, but the grace of God. Maybe the fact that when he is working out of the country he always returns home?? He said he had been through it before and he knew this time to be confident and try not to appear so nervous. Whatever the reason, he got it and is right here in the US as we speak.

one yardie told me "nothing ventured, nothing gained" if u don't try, u'll never know.. Sooo.. I hope at least you guys can get a clear answer on when he can get an interview and go from there.. GOD BLESS!!!!!!!!

This is the same situation of a few friends I know in JA. They got a 10 year card without having too many ties to JA....so it is possible just a bit difficult at times. ususally after all the hoopla to get the visitor visa you could've done a K1 in less time.

Thank you so much. I needed a little bit of hope at this time. I spoke with my boyfriend and we agreed that since we started this process we'll see it through to the end and keep praying that it will work for us. So I agree with your statement "nothing ventured, nothing gained".... thank you for sharing your story!!!!!!

I did have one question -- you said your SO went to Kingston to apply for the appointment. I was under the impression that you could only get it through the Embassy's Web site. Do you or anyone know if it is still possible to schedule an appointment in person?

Again thank you and may God continue to bless you and your SO.

Peace.

I will confirm today w/ RG, but my understanding was that he was going to Kingston each time.. He lives in Mobay and would take a bus to Kingston, but he also had to go there to get police report for his work in the Bahamas, so maybe I am assuming.. Its weird though cuz either way, I know after his communication w/ them, he got an interview date immediately even though it was 3 mnths down the line. Keep the faith, try to keep looking toward the end of the road. Pretty soon he will be visiting u and ur family and this time will seem soooo long ago.. Right now his frustration is work,
he is not authorized to work, but he does want to find someone to allow him to do a lil something for money. Its very hard though, he is bored and being broke all the time is a killer. Sometimes I want to suggest not staying the entire 6 mnths. Go home, save some money and then come back. Its crazy, he tried so hard to get here and then I am bout to send back home LOL
Be Blessed...

That website interview scheduling does not work. You can schedule one. It will give you a date and time and all. Then, when you show up at the embassy, they will say they know nothing about it and you should've gotten the date directly from them.

Save yourself some headaches and don't bother.

Thank y'all both! This has been very helpful... it simply amazes me how inefficient/frustrating/overwhelming this whole system can be. I never really looked at how lucky I was to go practically anywhere I wanted whenever I wanted. Never crossed my mind...but now, wow, I can't believe the frustrations people have been dealing with for years. I guess you can say I was totally clueless.

Thanks again for your help.

Unruly

[

That website interview scheduling does not work. You can schedule one. It will give you a date and time and all. Then, when you show up at the embassy, they will say they know nothing about it and you should've gotten the date directly from them.

Save yourself some headaches and don't bother.
[/quote]

Oh... and if we would have waited this long and got an appt. via the Web and got to the embassy and they said we didn't have an appt. y'all would have read about me in the Gleaner somewhere...."AMERICAN WOMAN MASH UP U.S. EMBASSY"

Ha Ha.....

Been there, done that. That's how I know. We made an interview using that interview scheduler on their web site. We thought we were so lucky to have found a fairly soon date. Andre went to the embassy to drop off the DS-230 and happened to mention he had an appointment. The woman was like, are you mad? We dont' use that system to schedule. Of course, I'm like WTF is it still on there then? Anyhow, she rescheduled us for just about a week and a half after our original date. If we hadn't talked to her, we would've shown up on the original date and been pretty ticked.

know u right!!!
and u were right about the processing girl.. RG told me he did it online too. He said u go to some check cashing place (he named the place in Mobay, but I forgot) and pay the application fee first, u get a receipt which has a confirmation number to go online and schedule your appt. It is supposed to give u a date then and there. I guess he was just tremendously blessed to have it go as smoothly as it went, maybe his situation is not the norm unfortunately. But if u know u r not ready for marriage now, then keep searching 4 the right answers for the visitor visa. Something has got to give.. I pray sooner than later

Be blessed.

last year August my niece used the on-line scheduling and got her dte after paying the fees and she did have her interview as was scheduled online. I think this is only for visitors visa.

Hey Unruly,

I am also new to the site and also experiencing the same scenario. I am going to visit my boyfriend over in jamaica in july and really wanted to work on us applying for him a nonimmigrant visa, so that he can experience my world as well, but he is not wealthy, he has a job, and he has a child, is that enough to grant him a visa, based off of the things i have read on here i am becoming discouraged as well. I really love him and want to look forward to us having a future together, but the beauracracy of it all, is overwhelming. Unruly, keep me posted on your dilemma, as i am clueless to this whole process. I wish you the best of luck, and i hope it works out for you

Thanks everyone. We'll see what happens -- AW did pay the fee through the place in Mobay (can't remember the name) so we have the receipt. The only issue now is just getting a date. I've literally stalked the site everyday for the past 3 weeks waiting for them to open up some dates. I can't believe there isn't a better system. We'll continue to pray and explore our options.

Honeychild --

I'll definitely keep you posted. It looks like we are in the same boat-- I too am worried about my SO's ties to the country being enough to grant him a visa. We are going to emphasize his job, his family (daughter), the house he just built, etc. (hopefully it will be enough).

If you want to go through the nonimmigrant visa route I would recommend that you fill out the forms now -- D156 and 157. You can get both forms online from the embassy website. Once you fill out the forms you get a barcode number that you will need to schedule the appointment. You could do this before you go back to Jamaica in July as it seems as it takes forever to actually get an appointment, so my recommendation is to begin the process early. It'll cost @ $131.00 to process the application, but you don't need the money now to set-up the appointment -- you just need to have the receipt that you paid the fee at the time of the inerview. My boyfriend paid the fee at Paymaster - locations throughout MoBay -- I think he paid it at the Post Office downtown.

Also, I would follow the recommendations that others have made and make sure your SO doesn't mention that he is going to visit his girlfriend in America.

Good luck and keep me posted on your process. I'll keep you posted of anything I find out, also.

Unruly