This may not be the right place to post this...there may not be a 'right place' on this entire board...but I thought I'd throw this one out there anyway to see if anyone could give me some advice.

During my time here in the UK I became friends with a couple from Chile; they were here in the UK doing advanced degrees but have finished and returned to Chile a couple of years ago. They're both employed in great jobs and neither of them has any desire to leave Chile again.

I would like for them to visit us in the United States once we get settled there, but one of them had to apply for a tourist visa to visit the United States for a conference last year and she told me it took several months to process it. She told me she had known of couples in Chile who applied for visas to visit the United States and only one of them got approved, i.e. they wouldn't let the whole family visit the US as a unit because they were afraid they would immigrate.

To me it's asinine to deny them the opportunity to visit as a family unit; like I said they have no desire to live in the USA. All they want to do is visit.

Has anyone ever heard of this situation with Chileans? Does anyone know how easy/difficult it is for Chileans to get B-2 visas to the USA? I looked at the Santiago embassy website and it doesn't indicate a long wait time or any restrictions of this nature. Confused....

Why do they need Visa's then?

The UK does not hand out visitor visa's willy nilly to nationals of third world countries.

But if they are how you describe them they should have no problem getting a Visitor Visa.

It's only a $100 to apply, they should be prepared to demonstrate their strong ties to Chile.

They don't want to live anywhere else BUT Chile, but they do like going on vacation.



They were in the UK on student visas. The UK loves students of any nationality who are prepared to pay their extortionate overseas tuition fees.



*Sigh* Chile is a third world country?

Just a thought: the application process for a US tourist visa for a Chliean National studying in the UK is probably a little different and more complicated than that of a Chilean National living and working with strong ties in Chile. Have your friends inquired at the embassy in Santiago?

They finished their degrees in the UK a while back; they've been settled in Santiago for a couple of years now so I can't see that being an issue.

One of them did manage to get a tourist visa to the USA but she said it was difficult and took months to process, and she said some of their friends had had trouble getting visas for the whole family to the USA; according to them, most of the time they let only the wife or the husband go with only one of the children, in essence splitting up the family to take away the temptation to immigrate.

Sorry, I must have been rather unclear. I was saying that although your friend experienced a problem getting a visa when she was studying in the UK, it may be somewhat easier for her now as they *do* live in Chile and have strong ties to the country, rather than living and studying in a third country. If that makes sense....?!

No. I'm afraid I'm not making myself clear.

They were in the UK on student visas when I knew them.

They left the UK a couple of years ago to return to Chile.

AFTER returning to Chile and securing permanent employment, my friend had difficulty obtaining a US tourist visa. She had left the UK before that with no intention ever to return.

Your Chilean friends are right. It's difficult to get the visa to come to the US from anywhere in Latin America even just for a visit. Good Luck to them! It's difficult but not impossible.

That is quite common for third world countries.

Not always that successful.

There is a lot of misinformation broadcast about chances, I know that Mexico tops the list for issued visa's more than the next 2 countries put together. Nearly a million for the last published year. But reading here you would think it was impossible to get one.

It all depends on their particular circumstances.

I wonder why we're so paranoid about letting Latinos visit our country but won't do anything about the illegals (from anywhere) who are already in the United States. It's stupid. I guess I can tell them to forget ever visiting me in the USA.

Oh, and I would like to refer you to this image:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:HDImap2006.png

Found in Wikipedia's article on the third world. Note Chile's position. Third world country my foot.

It costs $100 per person to find out; clearly people do get tourist visas to the US.
If they have strong ties to their home country, careers, family etc it is not a done deal negative.. they simply need to do their best to show that they will return home.

Travel to other countries *is* helpful, if they kept the terms of that visa. Also, if one of them had a successful business trip to the US in the past, that will work in her favor.

I can't understand why these people wouldn't get visas, especially when one got a visa and returned already. Brazilians with that education level get tourist visas all the time; I see no reason why Chileans wouldn't. Chile is not a richer country than Brazil, but the standard of living there is higher and I believe there are quite a few more illegal Brazilian immigrants in the US than Chileans!

On another note, MAN HomesickAmerican, reading comprehension sure is low in this thread! I suggest everyone read the OP before posting anything here. Geez.

PS having done their degrees in the UK and having returned home also indicates they don't want to live in a different country than Chile. If your friends don't get tourist visas I'll scream.

Sorry I just had to reply to that quote regarding the extortionate overseas tuition fees!!!!! Expensive it may be but when you consider that they get free medical care, operations etc, I don't think it is bad value!!

Exactly, nobody is forcing them to pay.

But when it comes down to it with so many destinations to go on holiday, one more of less is no big deal.

I should get my Chilean friend to tell you about her birth experience in an NHS hospital. If she'd known of any private birthing facilities in the city believe me, she'd have paid the extra.

Tourist visas are hard to get from South America. My husband and mother in law overstayed theirs due to circumstances out of their control. Many others overstay intentionally and never return.

My mother in law's sister was able to come for her daughter's wedding - assuming she showed enough ties. My sister in law came with one of her sons - leaving her 2 year old and husband, had no issues.

If they are how you describe them, they should be able to get it (I'd think) but it's all up to the officer at the consulate.

My husband's family is from Peru, btw.