Having my Russian boyfriend visit

[AmyWrites 593]

I didn't know if to post this thread in the tourist visa or regional forums (newbie!) so I apologize in advance if posting it here was wrong.

I'm a USC and I'd like my Russian boyfriend to visit me here as I want my family to meet him and for him to see my country, etc. By the time he'd apply I'd have lived in Moscow for some months so he'd come with me back home, ideally, to visit. We don't want to get married any time soon (and if so, it'd be there, and not here, since I don't want to go through the K1 visa process) so that's not the intention. He has a good job, his own flat (well, rented, granted, but still), family over there in Moscow.

I've heard it's difficult (or nearly impossible) for young single people to get tourist visas to the US so I'm just wondering whether it's there's a good chance at least or if it's not even worth trying. I'm worried that if he says "I'm visiting my girlfriend's family" in the interview, he'd be denied immediately.

Any help/advice would be much appreciated.

[Harsh_77 716]

Tourist visa is the right visa for him, always state the true reason to CO or at POE - even once if you are caught lieing that goes on your file and can always hurt u in future.

Its going to be difficult for him to get tourist visa being single and well rented is not considered a property as he is not owner and has no interest in the property.

Well but letter from work, bank statement any other investment etc can be shown.

Give a try, u never know.

[ONA 133]

Apart from letter from work he can bring a paper, which states how much money he gets. If he owns a car and a garage, it's good to bring proof that he owns all of it. Chances are always 50/50.

Edited February 20, 2011 by ONA

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

I didn't know if to post this thread in the tourist visa or regional forums (newbie!) so I apologize in advance if posting it here was wrong.

I'm a USC and I'd like my Russian boyfriend to visit me here as I want my family to meet him and for him to see my country, etc. By the time he'd apply I'd have lived in Moscow for some months so he'd come with me back home, ideally, to visit. We don't want to get married any time soon (and if so, it'd be there, and not here, since I don't want to go through the K1 visa process) so that's not the intention. He has a good job, his own flat (well, rented, granted, but still), family over there in Moscow.

I've heard it's difficult (or nearly impossible) for young single people to get tourist visas to the US so I'm just wondering whether it's there's a good chance at least or if it's not even worth trying. I'm worried that if he says "I'm visiting my girlfriend's family" in the interview, he'd be denied immediately.

Any help/advice would be much appreciated.

If he IS visiting his girlfriends family and he says ANYTHING else, it could well be a big problem in the future. Being denied for a tourist visa has NO affect on future K-1s or CR-1s. Giving false information to obtain a visa DOES. DO NOT LIE for any reason.

He will be required to show COMPELLING reason that he will return to Russia. His chances of receiving a visa otherwise are very much less than 50/50. My wife was denied a visa to come to the US on a sponsored business trip. She had a job paying 5 times the national average income of Ukraine, owned a flat, paid for, and had two children. She was denied without even so much as a question about her reasons to return. She claims she was treated "like a reptile". They asked her why she had to go to New York. She said "To translate and interpret for my company at a business exhibition" She was told "They have interpreters in New York, denied."

Gather as much information as you can that he will return, apply for the tourist visa and tell the truth. He may well be denied. If so, your family can meet hm via Skype.

[AmyWrites 593]

Oh he's not gonna lie, we know it's a dumb idea, especially since we do want to apply for a marriage visa later.

He does own a car and a good amount of savings in his bank account. I didn't think of that.

Does having a return ticket also constitute of proof that he'd be coming back?

And is there any type of petition based non-immigrant visa he can apply for?

Edited February 21, 2011 by AmyWrites

[Boiler 43,392]

If he was being petitioned then he would not be applying, the petitioner would.

There are many types, H and L are probably the most common.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Oh he's not gonna lie, we know it's a dumb idea, especially since we do want to apply for a marriage visa later.

He does own a car and a good amount of savings in his bank account. I didn't think of that.

Does having a return ticket also constitute of proof that he'd be coming back?

And is there any type of petition based non-immigrant visa he can apply for?

Having a return ticket is a "MUST". It is not "proof" of anything other than he has planned for a means to return.

Money in the bank means nothing. Unless it is a LOT of money, Ogliarch type wealth. Money in the bank can be extracted by ATM anywhere in the world, we do it to transfer money back and forth all the time. Job? Sure, if he has a job making more money than he could working in the US. Most Russians could make more washing dishes here than being a doctor there. Good luck with that.

A visitor visa is not a petition based visa. The K-1 fiance visa IS a non-immigrant visa, so is the K-3 spousal visa.

Here is the thing. The consulate will assume when he walks in the door that he plans to immigrate ILLEGALLY to the United States. This is the standard assumption. It is a fact, it is written in the manuals, it is required that the officers working there assume he WILL immigrate illegally.

You have to "prove" he will not. Or at least show a "compelling reason" he will not. He has NO need to return to get his money, so that won;t work. His friends could sell his car, deposit the money in his Russian bank and he could take it with an ATM. The car is meaningless as "evidence" of returning. So is a cell phone or stereo system. Neither is real estate, it can also be sold and the money transferred.

Even children are not considered compelling reasons. Millions of illegal aliens work in the US and send money to their wives amnd families ouside the country.

Give it your best shot and hope for the best.

[ONA 133]

Does having a return ticket also constitute of proof that he'd be coming back?

Moscow consulate recommends people not to buy plane tickets before the interview. they don't really see that as a proof and you never know what will happen - first, they can deny your visa, then, sometimes their printer for visas is broken. My friend had to change her flight date twice before they finally had her visa printed last year - which is always extra money.

You can find this links helpful:

http://moscow.usembassy.gov/reqvdocs.html#sd

http://moscow.usembassy.gov/nivfaq.html

Your boyfriend can find the same information in Russian on their website.

[Boiler 43,392]

You only need a return ticket for the VWP.

[eekee 182]

You only need a return ticket for the VWP.

Ahh, love it when people come in with absolutely no understanding of RUB.

Sure, for WALES... but Wales? Not relevant to RUB. WHERE THERE IS NO VISA WAIVER PROGRAM.

[slim 1,514]

I think you should just go ahead and file for a K-1.

There's no penalty for "changing your mind" once dad meets him! "Yeah so we decided to take a little more time before we got married."

[Michael.Nichols 0]

My fiance tried to visit me on a tourist visa in August, and they denied her. She didn't have a job, but was a full time student, but that wasn't enough proof that she would return. So I just got a visa and visited her instead. But now I have a question, she wrote on her tourist visa application that I was her friend, and now we are applying for a K-1 Visa. Do you think it will be an issue that she put friend and not boyfriend? They didn't mention that in her interview, but they did say something like "You haven't known him long enough to visit him"

[AmyWrites 593]

I've thought of going through the K-1 visa route, but the problem is I'll be living in Moscow for the next three or four years, so we thought it'd be easier to get married over there and then get the CR1 visa.

I've love my parents to visit us instead, but my mother has a fear of flying so badly she can't even see an airplane on TV.

I think we'll give the tourist visa a shot. We're thinking of applying for it by next december/january, so hopefully we'll have enough "proof" by then.

[ONA 133]

My fiance tried to visit me on a tourist visa in August, and they denied her. She didn't have a job, but was a full time student, but that wasn't enough proof that she would return. So I just got a visa and visited her instead. But now I have a question, she wrote on her tourist visa application that I was her friend, and now we are applying for a K-1 Visa. Do you think it will be an issue that she put friend and not boyfriend? They didn't mention that in her interview, but they did say something like "You haven't known him long enough to visit him"

I don't think that it will be a problem, really. I know some people, who have been trying to get a visa to see a "friend", but got denied, and then didn't have any problem in getting a K-1 visa. A friend can easily become a boyfriend, especially since you've visited her. Good luck to you guys!

I've thought of going through the K-1 visa route, but the problem is I'll be living in Moscow for the next three or four years, so we thought it'd be easier to get married over there and then get the CR1 visa.

I've love my parents to visit us instead, but my mother has a fear of flying so badly she can't even see an airplane on TV.

I think we'll give the tourist visa a shot. We're thinking of applying for it by next december/january, so hopefully we'll have enough "proof" by then.

I think it's worth trying. Plus denial in B-1/2 visa does not affect the possibility of getting a CR-1 visa in future. And you never know what to expect from the embassy, really. I know some female students, who didn't have a job, weren't married, but their visas got approved for some reason. On the contrary, they can deny somebody's visa application, when they have all kinds of "proof". You never know, that's why I always say that the chances are 50/50.

[slim 1,514]

I've thought of going through the K-1 visa route, but the problem is I'll be living in Moscow for the next three or four years, so we thought it'd be easier to get married over there and then get the CR1 visa.

I've love my parents to visit us instead, but my mother has a fear of flying so badly she can't even see an airplane on TV.

I think we'll give the tourist visa a shot. We're thinking of applying for it by next december/january, so hopefully we'll have enough "proof" by then.

He should have a pretty decent chance of getting the visa if you're traveling with him. As long as he says something like, "I'm going with my American girlfriend, who lives in Moscow, to meet her parents. We're staying there for two weeks, then coming back here where we both work."

If they happen to ask about marriage or visa fraud or anything like that, it's important that he knows the CR-1 route "down the road - and in Moscow!"