Mother in law denied B2 in Beijing

[LDG 2]

My Chinese mother in law just got denied her B2 visa. Took about a minute. She had a bunch of evidence she would return to China and other documents.

She was asked for my wife's ID and green card copies, our letter of invitation, and was given the white slip. VO marked a reason saying something to the effect of unable to prove relationship to relative in the US. Just some B/S denial reason. Similar to the 'Unable to prove bonafide relationship' reason for K1s. She wasn't given a chance to show anything else, just the invite letter and copies of wife's IDs.

Mother asked why, she was told to take the invite letter home and read it, it has the answer. I'm still baffled. I didn't see anything wrong with the letter. But apparently there are people at a desk outside the interview area that will answer questions. Mother went and asked, they told her that more than likely the invite letter denied her because we mentioned we were planning on a baby.

Ok, so they figure my MIL will overstay her visa to take care of my wife if she becomes pregnant... sigh.

It's a ridiculous process. A waste of money and energy. You have to pick and choose your words so carefully, because one mistake and you're an intending immigrant or a fraud. Sucks to have our mom go through all the trouble coming to another city and stressing out so much just for a 1 minute interview and being denied so quickly.

We'll be visiting China next new year. This summer my wife and I and my parents will travel to Cuba (i'm Cuban American), maybe we'll have our Chinese mom meet us there for a couple of weeks instead.

Does anyone know if she has a chance at a B2 next time she tries, if we take out the line about planning for a baby on the invitation letter? She had evidence of good amount of money in the bank, pension income, husband employment letter, photos with other relatives, I-134 from me w/ taxes and employment letter, etc, etc...

http://beijing.usembassy-china.org.cn/nivwelcometourist.html

This page just makes me laugh... and cry.

[Dakine10 5,452]

My Chinese mother in law just got denied her B2 visa. Took about a minute. She had a bunch of evidence she would return to China and other documents.

She was asked for my wife's ID and green card copies, our letter of invitation, and was given the white slip. VO marked a reason saying something to the effect of unable to prove relationship to relative in the US. Just some B/S denial reason. Similar to the 'Unable to prove bonafide relationship' reason for K1s. She wasn't given a chance to show anything else, just the invite letter and copies of wife's IDs.

Mother asked why, she was told to take the invite letter home and read it, it has the answer. I'm still baffled. I didn't see anything wrong with the letter. But apparently there are people at a desk outside the interview area that will answer questions. Mother went and asked, they told her that more than likely the invite letter denied her because we mentioned we were planning on a baby.

Ok, so they figure my MIL will overstay her visa to take care of my wife if she becomes pregnant... sigh.

It's a ridiculous process. A waste of money and energy. You have to pick and choose your words so carefully, because one mistake and you're an intending immigrant or a fraud. Sucks to have our mom go through all the trouble coming to another city and stressing out so much just for a 1 minute interview and being denied so quickly.

We'll be visiting China next new year. This summer my wife and I and my parents will travel to Cuba (i'm Cuban American), maybe we'll have our Chinese mom meet us there for a couple of weeks instead.

Does anyone know if she has a chance at a B2 next time she tries, if we take out the line about planning for a baby on the invitation letter? She had evidence of good amount of money in the bank, pension income, husband employment letter, photos with other relatives, I-134 from me w/ taxes and employment letter, etc, etc...

http://beijing.usembassy-china.org.cn/nivwelcometourist.html

This page just makes me laugh... and cry.

My MIL got denied the first time she tried for a B2 from Kiev. It was in 2001 right after our daughter was born and in our inexperience, we wrote in the letter that she wanted to visit us and help care for her grandaughter. They explained the reason for the denial and told her next time we should write the purpose is to visit only. The second time she was denied and they didn't give a reason. She was approved on the third try. The second time they didn't look at any additional evidence and the third time was basically in and out.

For the second and third time, we took out the part about helping and said the visit was just for pleasure. We also gave an brief itinerary of what we intended to do which was mostly visiting us in Denver and a couple of side trips. She used the same letter the 2nd and 3rd times so I always thought the second time was just one of those things where they made up their mind before the interview.

[Eric & Jin 10]

Does anyone know if she has a chance at a B2 next time she tries, if we take out the line about planning for a baby on the invitation letter? She had evidence of good amount of money in the bank, pension income, husband employment letter, photos with other relatives, I-134 from me w/ taxes and employment letter, etc, etc...

I don't know if the fact that you mentioned planning for a baby really had anything to do with the denial or not because my Chinese in-laws received B-2s after my wife and I mentioned in our invitation letter that we were having a baby and very much would like to have the grandparents here for the birth. My in-laws were also asked during their interview why they wanted to visit the US and they said because they wanted to be here for the birth of their grandchild and to help my wife out for several months afterwards.

Hopefully she will have better luck the second time around. Good luck!

[Harsh_77 718]

Eric - mentioning of having a child is not the sole reason for denial. I am guessing the CO could have noticed somewhere that you MIL would overstay her granted visa and would not return back to China.

You can be mad for preparing so much and not getting visa, but thats COs job and they have to do this dirty job as ppl in past have misused the visa granted to them.

CO solely cannot go by your mine or anybodys words, they are trained to look into various factors and they add all that up before they make the decision.

Normally CO would already have made up their mind before they come to window for interview, their decision is not based on just the interview.

[Dakine10 5,452]

CO solely cannot go by your mine or anybodys words, they are trained to look into various factors and they add all that up before they make the decision.

Maybe they are. And at times, it also seems their training involves flipping a quarter into the air and guessing whether it will be heads or tails. When you can take the same evidence to two different CO's in consecutive months, and get a denial and then an approval, one can see how the human factor introduces a great deal of inconsistency into the process. That is the frustrating part.

To be consistent, if you are denied, and you ask why you are denied, the CO should be able to tell you why. He is the one making the decision. You paid for the process. It seems, just from reading here that this often doesn't happen.

[Boiler 45,668]

You are told the reason for a Visa denial, the relevant section of the INA would be quoted.

How can you possibly comment on the circumstances of two visa applications when the information you see here is inevitably so limited.

Apply to visit and stating you will be breaching the terms of your entry by undertaking child care, not a good idea.

[Dakine10 5,452]

You are told the reason for a Visa denial, the relevant section of the INA would be quoted.

How can you possibly comment on the circumstances of two visa applications when the information you see here is inevitably so limited.

Apply to visit and stating you will be breaching the terms of your entry by undertaking child care, not a good idea.

I'm speaking of an exact situation that occured with my MIL coming from the Ukraine. It's posted in this thread. She was NOT given a reason for the second denial, and she used the EXACT same paperwork a month later and was approved. If you want to pretend it doesn't happen go ahead. People post it all the time here.

I had 15 Tn's between 1992 and 2008. Did my wife's citizenship paperwork, my GC, 3 B2's for my MIL, 2 for my FIL. I daresay, when I comment on how inconsistent USCIS can be, my information is not limited.

Edited April 23, 2011 by Dakine10

[Harsh_77 718]

Maybe they are. And at times, it also seems their training involves flipping a quarter into the air and guessing whether it will be heads or tails. When you can take the same evidence to two different CO's in consecutive months, and get a denial and then an approval, one can see how the human factor introduces a great deal of inconsistency into the process. That is the frustrating part.

To be consistent, if you are denied, and you ask why you are denied, the CO should be able to tell you why. He is the one making the decision. You paid for the process. It seems, just from reading here that this often doesn't happen.

Each CO makes decision based on their judgement, there are some guidelines for them beyond that they have to use their experience and personal instincts.

So same documents but 3 different CO doing interviews will give you different result.

Edited April 24, 2011 by Harsh_77

[Dakine10 5,452]

Each CO makes decision based on their judgement, there are some guidelines for them beyond that they have to use their experience and personal instincts.

So same documents but 3 different CO doing interviews will give you different result.

Yes. So as I said, they are inconsistant.

[LDG 2]

My MIL got denied the first time she tried for a B2 from Kiev. It was in 2001 right after our daughter was born and in our inexperience, we wrote in the letter that she wanted to visit us and help care for her grandaughter. They explained the reason for the denial and told her next time we should write the purpose is to visit only. The second time she was denied and they didn't give a reason. She was approved on the third try. The second time they didn't look at any additional evidence and the third time was basically in and out.

For the second and third time, we took out the part about helping and said the visit was just for pleasure. We also gave an brief itinerary of what we intended to do which was mostly visiting us in Denver and a couple of side trips. She used the same letter the 2nd and 3rd times so I always thought the second time was just one of those things where they made up their mind before the interview.

Thanks for the feedback. We'll just try again later and remove the line about a baby, visit only etc. Like you said, it's so frustrating to spend so much money and effort and be turned away with nothing but a white paper with a very vague reason for denial about unable to disprove immigrant intent. She had all the evidence and documentation necessary, but none of it looked at or even considered. She's got plenty of family over there, and all are well off. Working husband, she's retired drawing pension. Etc, etc.

I don't know if the fact that you mentioned planning for a baby really had anything to do with the denial or not because my Chinese in-laws received B-2s after my wife and I mentioned in our invitation letter that we were having a baby and very much would like to have the grandparents here for the birth. My in-laws were also asked during their interview why they wanted to visit the US and they said because they wanted to be here for the birth of their grandchild and to help my wife out for several months afterwards.

Hopefully she will have better luck the second time around. Good luck!

Guess you got lucky. It's luck of the draw with these guys. Just like K1s. We got lucky on K1. Lot's of poeple are legit and well prepared and get denied K1. It's ridiculous that the denial would be based on a simple statement that we are planning for a baby. Doesn't say we're having the baby soon, doesn't say we'd like her to care for wife and baby. But the only input the people sitting at the questions desk gave mom about that, in their opinion that was the reason for denial.

Anyhow, we'll try again, hopefully better luck next time. Thanks for all your inputs.