Latvian Rules

[izifaddag 0]

I would like to ask a couple of questions.

1. My sweetie is a Latvian national living in England. How dificult is it for her to get a tourist visa to the USA? Same good chance as a British person or the proverbial 'snowball's chance in hell' as a Ukrainian?

2. If and when we strat a K1 can the interview etc be done at Grosvenor Square, London or does she have to return to Riga, Latvia?

All answers gratefully received.

Edited February 17, 2006 by izifaddag

[pax 0]

I'm assuming your sweetie is in the UK on some kind of visa, in which case, yes, she can interview in London.

I can't speak to how "easy" or "hard" the London consulate might be on a non-British national living there.

[zyggy 9]

I'm assuming your sweetie is in the UK on some kind of visa, in which case, yes, she can interview in London.

I can't speak to how "easy" or "hard" the London consulate might be on a non-British national living there.

And if she was in Latvia, her interview would be in Warsaw as that is the IV unit that has jurisdiction over Latvia.

[meauxna 15]

I would like to ask a couple of questions.

1. My sweetie is a Latvian national living in England. How dificult is it for her to get a tourist visa to the USA? Same good chance as a British person or the proverbial 'snowball's chance in hell' as a Ukrainian?

2. If and when we strat a K1 can the interview etc be done at Grosvenor Square, London or does she have to return to Riga, Latvia?

All answers gratefully received.

We did a third-country case, back when. Typically, the foreign beneficiary is required to have 6 months *forward* poermission to stay in the hosting country.

IE: if she has a student or other long-term visa for the UK, London will take her case. If she is just visiting, no.

There is a thread on this topic here: http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=355311

Have you looked into DCF in Latvia? Reads to me here like it would be worth asking: http://www.usembassy.lv/site/C/immigration/i130

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, read the DCF Guide first

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...custom&page=dcf

[zyggy 9]

I would like to ask a couple of questions.

1. My sweetie is a Latvian national living in England. How dificult is it for her to get a tourist visa to the USA? Same good chance as a British person or the proverbial 'snowball's chance in hell' as a Ukrainian?

2. If and when we strat a K1 can the interview etc be done at Grosvenor Square, London or does she have to return to Riga, Latvia?

All answers gratefully received.

We did a third-country case, back when. Typically, the foreign beneficiary is required to have 6 months *forward* poermission to stay in the hosting country.

IE: if she has a student or other long-term visa for the UK, London will take her case. If she is just visiting, no.

There is a thread on this topic here: http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=355311

Have you looked into DCF in Latvia? Reads to me here like it would be worth asking: http://www.usembassy.lv/site/C/immigration/i130

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, read the DCF Guide first

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...custom&page=dcf

Latvia is attached to Warsaw... I'm not sure that Warsaw accepts a DCF from a non-resident USC.

[meauxna 15]

Latvia is attached to Warsaw... I'm not sure that Warsaw accepts a DCF from a non-resident USC.

Latvia's pages make it clear that they'll accept I-130s but that the visa application goes to Warsaw.

The crux of the nut is the 'resident' definition (as always ).

[izifaddag 0]

Firstly thanks to everyone for your input.

I read through the USA embassy website and it did not specify that all K1 stuff must be done through the country of origin.

Tanya actually lives in England.

While I was there recently I assisted her apply for her Home Office registration as requested by her place of employment.

As a Latvian national, a member of the EEC, she can travel, live and work in any country within the union provides she follows whatever rules that apply in each individual country.

England requires Home Office registration - no problem, we took care of it. It is working its way through the system as I write.

In May her daughter is going to join her from Latvia, almost certainly.

So the residency question is clear. She has been in England since October and came there to interview for work arranged before leaving Latvia.

From the flavor of everything I am reading I feel that she could use the London American Embassy for the interview.

Extremely convenient.

The only thing I am not sure about is the possibility of her coming to American on a tourist visa to spend some time with me in Florida prior to returning and doing everything properly through the US Embassy. There is no desire here to try to circumnavigate the system. This is purely to see if she would like my home etc. No end run planned, I want it done correctly.

It is just that we all know that a young woman from one of the former Soviet Union countries has EXTREME difficulty obtaining a tourist visa to the USA. They will happily take your money for the application and just as cheerfully turn you down with an almost automatic reaction. I am curious to know if anybody else has any experience with a Latvian visiting the USA.

Once again thanks for all the help.

Steve

[izifaddag 0]

Since my last post I have had an email from the Latvian US embassy. The Baltic countries do indeed have to use the US embassy in Warsaw for the K1's. However it is perfectly acceptabe for her to use the London embassy.

That just saved a heck of a lot of airfares !!

[izifaddag 0]

We are now working on the residency question. It is actually a question of proving a desire to return to the country you are residing in that determines the granting of a tourist visa.

She now has over 6 months living and working in England, a Home Office registration card, her national insurance card and a bank account. By the time we apply for a tourist visa it will almost be a a year.

Hopefully she will be granted one without any hindrance and she can come visit me for a change. It is a hell of a chance that a woman takes coming to America on a 90 day K1 visa having absolutely no idea what she is letting herself in for at the other end. This makes more sense. If this works out we can then start a K1.