how likely to approve a visitor's visa?

[skidroe 0]

I'm going to the Philippines this January and meeting a girl. I recently came into some money from the sale of a collectors car and returned the invite for her to come visit me. I'll be paying for both the trip and her stay here. She's currently unemployed after resigning for a four year stretch in a call center. How likely is the visa to get approved and is there anything we can do to help insure that it gets approved? I still plan on and have the tickets to go there in January.

Edited August 27, 2014 by skidroe

[RhettVoe 281]

^{Virtually zero. Without a job and with an American BF, she falls dead center into the demographic from that country whose return rate is measured in single digit percentages.}

[SweetOpossum 55]

For a tourist visa to be approved (At least in Mexico, but I am almost sure it is the same in other countries) she needs to show she has a job, family or something to come back to. If she doesn't it will be hard for her to prove that she is just going on vacation and that she has no intention to stay in the US.

I'm going to the Philippines this January and meeting a girl. I recently came into some money from the sale of a collectors car and returned the invite for her to come visit me. I'll be paying for both the trip and her stay here. She's currently unemployed after resigning for a four year stretch in a call center. How likely is the visa to get approved and is there anything we can do to help insure that it gets approved? I still plan on and have the tickets to go there in January.

Edited August 27, 2014 by SweetOpossum

[RhettVoe 281]

Nor can you (or anyone else) offer or provide any positive influence over the outcome of her interview....put yourself in the CO's chair...what reasons is she going to give for her return? No, pointing to elderly parents won't work....too many of them have been left behind....same for siblings, etc...no meaningful employment (apparently none, even worse)...and her 'word' that she will return has no value whatsoever and same goes for yours....while you may believe you can make some sort of promise, in reality there is no mechanism with which to force you to live up to said promise nor penalize you heavily for failing to keep some promise....and, you do not and cannot control her actions while in the US...you cannot make her go to the airport when it's time to leave, you cannot physically force her to board a plane, etc....but, for $160, you can find out who's right.

[derrickmichille 55]

I have to agree with everyone else, a single woman with no job, it will be very difficult to get a tourist visa for her.

Best if you visit her, take lots of pictures, save your tickets have fun come back to the states and begin your journey.

That's what most of us have done and my fiancee and I are weeks from being together and we are sooooo happy!!!

Good luck to you and yours!!!

Edited August 27, 2014 by derrickmichille

[Ed and Gina 45]

Yeah...agree with all of what was said here...ZERO chance! Not having a job is bad enough...should would need to provide compelling evidence that she will return. Even if she was still employed at the call center...that's pretty much a throw away job.

Your best bet - K1 or IR1 Visa - meaning, you plan to marry her or you do marry her. If not...

[d&C 7]

Agree with Rhett 100%. Chances of her getting a tourist visa approved is almost zero. I lived in the Philippines for over 23 years and know of only a few that had tourist visa applications approved. I don't know the percentage that get approved but it is a low single digit (1% to 5%). I even know American's that live in the Philippines with their Filipino wives, applied for tourist visa's for their wives to visit the U.S. and have been disapproved. I know it's difficult to imagine but it is the truth and does happen.

Could this woman possibly be "the one" for you? If so, then......In my honest opinion, your time and money would be better spent, taking an extended vacation/holiday to the Philippines, visiting her in her home province and traveling with her around the Philippines(if your time permits), all-the-while really getting to know her and her family. There are many beautiful places to visit in the Philippines. The time you spend there will be invaluable in strengthening your relationship with her, long term, and giving you a better understanding of the people, customs and culture of the Philippines. She will also appreciate you for taking the time and making the effort of getting to know her, her family and the Philippines by spending time there. So if you can get away for an extended period from your job here in America, I would recommend you do just that.

If after that visit you are both in agreement that you are meant for each other, it will be decision time. Either applying for a K-1 (fiancee) visa..... or getting married in the Philippines and going the spousal visa route are probably the only 2 options you have.

Stay connected to this sight as the advice, guidance and testimony you receive here is outstanding and usually spot-on. Good luck to both of you.

[skidroe 0]

Well, we applied before posting the question here. Or mistake. Her interview is Sept 12. Is on God's hands now. I'll post the decision when we get it.

[d&C 7]

If it gets approved great. If it doesn't, don't feel bad. It happens to the majority of people in the Philippines that apply for a U.S. tourist visa. Either way, you are going to have to eventually make a decision about the best option for you to take if you guys fall in love and become a "couple". Again good luck and do keep us posted.

[Jawaree 717]

No need to be mean by folks, but I hardly think it will be

approved there is nothing favorable in this application..

except maybe divine intervention...Keep the plan to go visit

[Boiler 43,401]

I see 3 facts mentioned. Not a lot to go on.

Do let us know how it goes.

[christeen 966]

I would however look at other plans...

[raven52 233]

Spent 2 years in the Philippines, (Cebu) and there are two things that are 99.9% impossible.,.,.,as I have seen many forgien men there visiting, potential wives, as, if you get a "good Filipino wife" there is none better in the world!!! Mine is fantastic! She came here 4-24-13, married 6-22-13.

Getting a tourist visa, you must have at least 250 to 400 thousand pesos, in the bank, and own property.,.,.and then the questions are endless as to "why" you want to come to the USA. The other thing is a "divorce".,.,.,.,.,which is impossible, as it does not exist there, and what is called an "annnulment".,.,.,,is possible.,.,.,but 3-5 years, thousands of dollars, and things like adultry, dessertion etc., mean nothing.,.,.,,the spouse must be proven to be virtually "out of his mind" when they married for an annulment is approved.,.,.,.,.,

BEEN THERE.,.,.,saw all of this, KNOW what I am talking about on this one!

Tourist visa, from a "comon person"..,.,.,.,.,.impossible! Sorry, for being the delivery of bad news, but "been there, done that!!!"

[aldo cella 0]

I tried this route (twice) while my K1 petition was "in process" and was denied on both attempts.

My thought being that the CO would know that I would not jeopardize the pending K1 approval for a short visa visit.

They politely informed me that, from their point of view, it could be an attempt by me to circumvent the K1 process.

End Of Story

Cowboy up Dude!

[RhettVoe 281]

However, the COs know that there really isn't any way the K1 would be jeopardized by having somebody overstay...nowadays, all one has to do is marry an Amcit and the 'sin' of overstaying is forgiven, so there is no real downside, and thus, no reason to dole out a B2, hear about the 'mind change' that happens so frequently, the eventual AOS, etc...if our do-nothing useful Congress ever legislated some real immigration laws, maybe some folks would get a chance to get a tourist visa under these conditions, but right now there is no realistic penalty to be paid for changing one's mind ten minutes after baggage claim...so the COs are the only line of defense against this sort of thing.