Wife visiting US while CR-1 is being processed

[CrossBorder 0]

Hi,

I will be marrying my wife in Malaysia shortly, and will file for a CR-1 Visa. We are both living in Malaysia, but would like to visit the US for a short trip. My wife has a valid US tourist visa, can she visit the US while the visa is in process?

By the way, I am going to document the marriage and visa process on a blog I named, Cross Border Marriage, at http://crossbordermarriage.blogspot.com/

Hopefully, it will help answer some questions, but also feel free to leave any suggestions there if you have gone through the process before.

Thanks!

Mark

[Mrs O. 29]

I have visited the US a number of times since the start of our CR1 journey. I have dual citizenship and I have a valid tourist visa on my non-VWP passport and I have always travelled with the tourist visa since I learnt I have more rights at POE with a visa than travelling under the VWP. I have been lucky enough that each time I tell the officer at the POE that I am just visiting my husband, they believe me and let me in.

I will advise that she has STRONG evidence to show that she intends to go back to her native country and that the trip is just a visit. Having said that it all depends on the officer at POE.

Good luck!

Edited January 10, 2011 by Mrs O.

[canadian_wife 1,791]

Entrance and duration of stay is not a guarentee. To make the crossing easier she should have strong ties to her home country. Denials of entry happen, and if she is denied entry, they will invalidate her tourist visa.

Don't want to scare you, but I want to motivate you to be prepared. A valid tourist visa does not ensure entry into the US

Good luck

[Matt n Shannon 3]

IF they invalidate her tourist visa, any time she attempts to travel to the US after that, they'll treat her as an intending immigrant, and she will have to prove beyond reasonable doubt with strong ties to her home country that she intends to return. many have traveled to the US successfully. many have also been denied (like my wife) While your Visa is processing the last thing you want to do is get multiple denials, and than a notation put in your wifes passport, where they suspect her of Fraudulence. At that point in the interview her visa will be denied because of that. Better to play it safe, and just wait like most of us have to do. Hope this helps.