I am about to get my CR1 visa and move with my husband to the US.

But I don't want to leave my mom all alone here in Russia. She now has a one-year tourist visa so I wonder whether theoretically she could come with us as a tourist and stay with us until her visa expires and then renew it and so on...

I wonder whether it is possible for her to keep on getting a tourist visa as long as she doesn't stay past the visa expiration date and doesn't work or study and just pretends to be a tourist until I can petition for her as a USC? I mean, they don't really have any restrictions on the length of your stay in the US on your tourist visa as long as it's WITHIN THE period of visa validity, right?

If anyone could please give us any advice on that!

And also I was curious, what happens to those people who go to the US on a tourist visa and then just stay with their parents? I know that it's a bad thing to do but I feel so sorry for my mom who would have to stay in RUssia all on her own until I get a USC status and can bring her over! I would like to have a baby but without her to help me I wouldn't so I will have to wait for at least three years to have a baby...

It can be done by filing form I-539 and pay $200, I believe they extend 1 time. Best thing to do is to be come a naturalized citizen ASAP, and then you could petition for an immigrant visa for mother.

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/men...00045f3d6a1RCRD

You have to have a reason to submit an extension request.

But a pretty good example of why it is so difficult for Russian parents to get Visitors visa's.

What would you do about medical issues?

I don't really know yet, we are just starting to look at this and I don't know whether we can get mom an insurance if she is staying on a tourist visa or not. Probably in case there is an emergency then we have to pay for it ourselves... But in any case its better than trying to get any medical help in RUssia!
I don't want her to stay in the US illegally, just the whole idea of getting into my husband's country by breaking the law in the first place is appaling.
I wish there was some legal way to get her over!
Probably we will have to file for extention of stay for as long as possible until I get the USC and file for mom? I don't want to break the law...

Find her a USC boyfriend?

Also bear in mind that it would be about 5 years before you would get US Citizenship and be able to sponsor her, say 6 years before she could move here.

A Visitor Visa does not guarantee admittance to the US.

I thought marriage to USC brings a possibility to file for citizenship after 3 years? And for those whose USC spouse is in military even earlier.

Understand that this suggestion is impossible.
Normal period of admission on a B visa is 6 months, a one-time extension of 6 months may be applied for, but there has to be a very good reason for it to be granted. The things you have discussed would not fall under 'very good reason'.

Don't plan on having mom live here for years at end on a tourist visa. If it would be OK for her, why couldn't you have done the same?

A Permanent Resident may apply for naturalization after 3 years as a PR, if married to a USC for the entire time. The naturalization process takes about one year.
Maybe Boiler assumed a K entry? (I see DCF in the timeline)
Ks would need to adjust status to become a PR, a potential additional year.

Once a citizen, the parent petitioning can start, and that immigrant process takes about one year.

Every tourist visa has a restriction on the length of stay. The officer at the point of entry determines the maximum length. Usually, that's six months. Doesn't matter if the visa itself is valid for a ten year period. That does NOT mean she can stay as a "tourist" for ten years.

Yep. The length of stay is determined by an I-94, not the visa. And yes, an I-94 is normally valid for 6 months. When my parents visited me, they were staying for 2 weeks, but they still got I-94's valid for 6 months!

I really don't think it will be possible for her to extend a tourist visa for years. The best thing you can do is to have her wait in Russia until you become a citizen, and then file I-130. Reapplying for a tourist visa is not a good idea at all... Although I understand that you don't want to leave your mom behind, especially if she has nobody else in Russia

Good luck to you and godspeed!

I was rounding up, 4 to 5 years. Depends how lucky you are in the process.

If I wanted to sponsor my parents I think the total time will be nearer 5 1/2 on a K entry.