Visiting the US on a tourist Visa

[rs1971 0]

Hi,

I just have an immigration related question about which some of the board members may have some insight. My girlfriend is from Colombia but is currently living in Santiago, Chile where she is a graduate student. She is off of classes from the middle of January until the middle of March and we're planning on her coming to visit me in the States on her tourist visa which is good until 2012. She has visited one other time and had no trouble with immigration but as everyone on here no doubt knows a tourist visa doesn't guarantee entry. The last time she visited,. she only stayed two weeks and what makes us a bit nervous this time is that the duration of stay (two months) might cause her problems. We're considering just buying tickets for a two week stay and then changing them once she's here. But this is a bit dangerous as it could turn out really expensive if the price of fares increase appreciably. So, I guess the question is, should she just purchase a ticket for the actual dates or is it worth taking the risk and buying tickets for a shorter stay and changing the dates once she's here? Thanks in advance for any thoughts.

-rs1971

[Gemmie 142]

Personally I would stack up on ties to Columbia and stick with the 2 months... but it's really up to you.

[rs1971 0]

Personally I would stack up on ties to Columbia and stick with the 2 months... but it's really up to you.

Hi Gemmie:

Thanks for the reply though I'm not sure exactly what you mean by 'stack up on ties to Colombia.'

-rs1971

[Gemmie 142]

She'll probably need evidence that she's returning home. Such as employer/school letter, tenancy contract, bank statements/utility bills, anything that shows she's coming back. I usually haven't needed any of that, but the last time I visited the US, he looked at 3 of my pieces of evidence before letting me through.

[rs1971 0]

She'll probably need evidence that she's returning home. Such as employer/school letter, tenancy contract, bank statements/utility bills, anything that shows she's coming back. I usually haven't needed any of that, but the last time I visited the US, he looked at 3 of my pieces of evidence before letting me through.

Ah, ok, I understand. I don't know that she has a lot of evidence that she'd return to Colombia. She's young (24) and doesn't own any property. However she is in Chile on a full fellowship and she's only half way through with her studies there, a fact which I think would be pretty good evidence that she doesn't intend to overstay her visa. She's already planning on bringing documentation demonstrating this fact. One question: when you've visited, have you stated plainly that you were here visiting your boyfriend?

-rs1971

[Gemmie 142]

I've said visiting boyfriend four times and visiting fiance three times, gotten in all times but the last time I had some problems.. thank God for that evidence.

[rocks 494]

i've had problems the last three times i have visited and been taken for interrogation (which never gets any less terrifying) but i've never been prevented from entering. i'm not working so that is why i always raise red flags with immigration. i'd assume that if she is studying that's good enough to prove that she will be leaving the states at the end of her visit. does she have paperwork showing where she pays rent? or does she have any bills, for example a cell phone registered in chile?

[rs1971 0]

i've had problems the last three times i have visited and been taken for interrogation (which never gets any less terrifying) but i've never been prevented from entering. i'm not working so that is why i always raise red flags with immigration. i'd assume that if she is studying that's good enough to prove that she will be leaving the states at the end of her visit. does she have paperwork showing where she pays rent? or does she have any bills, for example a cell phone registered in chile?

Thanks for the input, it's appreciated. She does have a cell phone so I'm sure that she has some paper work for that. And she rents a room in a private home, but I'm sure that her landlady would be willing to write her a letter. Those are both good suggestions, thanks.

-rs1971

[rs1971 0]

I've said visiting boyfriend four times and visiting fiance three times, gotten in all times but the last time I had some problems.. thank God for that evidence.

Thanks Gemmie, for that information. The first time she came she absolutely didn't mention anything about me, because we were afraid that that would set off some kind of flags. We went so far as to have her make reservations at a bunch of Hostels. We were also nervous I live in Phoenix which is a bit of a strange destination for a tourist traveling alone from Latin America. That said, she didn't have any trouble at all with immigration. Maybe it's okay to just say that she's visiting me. You were entering on a tourist visa, right?

-rs1971

[Gemmie 142]

No I enter under the VWP.