Mom-in-law to try for 3rd time to get visa

[viccardenas 0]

Ok, it's been a while since I've been on the forum. My wife got her citizenship a few months ago!

Now, my wife wants her mother to come visit on a tourist visa. We've contemplated if this is the best route and decided it probably is.

A little background...

Mom-in-law has applied for a tourist visa before, twice, and been denied twice, to visit her brother (a citizen).

Now we are going to give it a shot. A permanent resident option probably won't work for her.

She was denied the first time because she was married briefly when she was 17 to her first husband. She didn't think there was any record of this and said she wasn't married before.

The second time she was denied (this was about 1.5 years ago) she wanted to come over for a quinceañera. She made sure to bring all the appropriate documents and then some. They denied her because they said she didn't have enough money to cover the vacation expenses. This was odd because she's middle class in Peru and has several thousand dollars in savings. She has a stable job with the government that she's had for more than 30 years and will continue to have. She has her husband that was staying back. Also, property and a pension.

Now she will try again. The only difference in situation is that she has a few thousand, maybe 10 thousand, more in the bank from the sale of another property. Maybe we will try for both my mother and father-in-law. Anyway... my question is, should we send an affidavit of support with an invitation letter? Is this possible? What else could we do to increase the chances of them approving the visa?

[Boiler 43,873]

She applies on her own merits, not a lot to do with you.

[canadian_wife 1,802]

http://www.visajourney.com/content/visitor-visa-guide

Having such a large amount of family in the US is likely detremental to her situation. She'll need lots and lots of ties to her home country...property, money, job, school, etc

Here is the tourist visa guide

http://www.visajourney.com/content/visitor-visa-guide

But yes, nothing you can do, she must qualify on her own

Good luck

[viccardenas 0]

Here is the tourist visa guide

http://www.visajourney.com/content/visitor-visa-guide

Did you really just link me to the guide that's stickied at the top of this section? ROFL!!!

People always assume the worst!

So, I can't send an affidavit w/ an invitation letter? I know I don't 'send for them' like I did for my wife. But, I figure it might help if there is someone in the states saying they'll be responsible for that person.

[katiemanny 64]

Did you really just link me to the guide that's stickied at the top of this section? ROFL!!!

People always assume the worst!

So, I can't send an affidavit w/ an invitation letter? I know I don't 'send for them' like I did for my wife. But, I figure it might help if there is someone in the states saying they'll be responsible for that person.

You can send a letter of invitation, but that wont do much, she has to qualify on her own by showing proof of strong ties to her home country. Properties owned, money in the bank, family members she will leave behind, job, school, etc...

Edited May 18, 2011 by katiemanny

[DaveE111 10]

I guess it depends on the consulate. When we were trying to get my step daughter here to be the maid of honor in our wedding, the CO never even looked at the package she brought. We had letters from our minister, and my guarantee of all expenses paid during the trip. She also had her approved vacation from her employer, the title to her condo, bank statements, and her passport with stamps showing she had visited other countries.

Thirty seconds with the CO and she was told, "can't do anything for you girl".

[Harsh_77 716]

Did you really just link me to the guide that's stickied at the top of this section? ROFL!!!

People always assume the worst!

So, I can't send an affidavit w/ an invitation letter? I know I don't 'send for them' like I did for my wife. But, I figure it might help if there is someone in the states saying they'll be responsible for that person.

You can send document to support you would be responsible for their expenses while they are visiting you, but as most ppl have pointed it out that it is not guranteed that by having such letter would get you B1/2.

They have to convience the CO that they are not immigration risk and they would have comfortable life in home country and they would return back when their visa expire.

If you have already gone thru the sticky (link) there is not much you can do to swing COs decision in either way.

[Harsh_77 716]

I guess it depends on the consulate. When we were trying to get my step daughter here to be the maid of honor in our wedding, the CO never even looked at the package she brought. We had letters from our minister, and my guarantee of all expenses paid during the trip. She also had her approved vacation from her employer, the title to her condo, bank statements, and her passport with stamps showing she had visited other countries.

Thirty seconds with the CO and she was told, "can't do anything for you girl".

yea she had all those things there, but it depended how old she was, I am assuming she was single and old enough since she owned the condo that she can always find someone here during her stay and get married.

She is a high risk person from immigration prespective,

[Dakine10 5,452]

Now she will try again. The only difference in situation is that she has a few thousand, maybe 10 thousand, more in the bank from the sale of another property. Maybe we will try for both my mother and father-in-law. Anyway... my question is, should we send an affidavit of support with an invitation letter? Is this possible? What else could we do to increase the chances of them approving the visa?

They may not help, but they won't hurt. We always send these for my wifes inlaws in Ukraine.

There is no guarantee that the CO will even look at them, but if the decision to grant the visa is close, they may.

[Hazah 0]

They may not help, but they won't hurt. We always send these for my wifes inlaws in Ukraine.

There is no guarantee that the CO will even look at them, but if the decision to grant the visa is close, they may.

My wife's relatives are also in Ukraine. We've tried to get her mother over 3 times and her father once and they've been rejected every time no matter how many documents they have. The officers usually don't even look at the documents. The embassy just ignores our questions on what will improve our chances. Just face it, the US hates foreigners these days. The good thing is that you can't be interviewed by the same officer more than once, so if you keep going back you might actually find one with a soul. No guarantees though, they just want your money.

[Harsh_77 716]

My wife's relatives are also in Ukraine. We've tried to get her mother over 3 times and her father once and they've been rejected every time no matter how many documents they have. The officers usually don't even look at the documents. The embassy just ignores our questions on what will improve our chances. Just face it, the US hates foreigners these days. The good thing is that you can't be interviewed by the same officer more than once, so if you keep going back you might actually find one with a soul. No guarantees though, they just want your money.

Your assumption that they don’t look at the document is wrong. They normally have enough information before hand when CO actually meets the interviewee.

90% of the decision is already made before they actually even start the interview. Cos just don’t randomly grant the visa, they have set criteria that they look at like, what are the ties in home country, who all relatives are in US, if the person applying is single / married with kids, job , etc.

Decision is made based on all these thing putting together.

[Dakine10 5,452]

My wife's relatives are also in Ukraine. We've tried to get her mother over 3 times and her father once and they've been rejected every time no matter how many documents they have. The officers usually don't even look at the documents. The embassy just ignores our questions on what will improve our chances. Just face it, the US hates foreigners these days. The good thing is that you can't be interviewed by the same officer more than once, so if you keep going back you might actually find one with a soul. No guarantees though, they just want your money.

My MIL got rejected the first 2 times. The second time they didn't look at any additional evidence she took wih her. The 3rd time they approved it right away. Nothing changed b/w the 2nd and 3rd tries - she even took the exact same copies of the supporting documents since they didn't look at them the 2nd time. She wasn't even given a reason for the 2nd denial.

My FIL got his B2 the following year without any problems. Always interesting to me, they own the same apartment, they are the same age, work for the same employer, have the same friends and social ties. So obviously we expected he would have a hard time too.

[Dakine10 5,452]

They may not help, but they won't hurt. We always send these for my wifes inlaws in Ukraine.

Oops, my wife's inlaws would be my parents

That should say my wife's parents.

[Ning 619]

Ok, it's been a while since I've been on the forum. My wife got her citizenship a few months ago!

Now, my wife wants her mother to come visit on a tourist visa. We've contemplated if this is the best route and decided it probably is.

A little background...

Mom-in-law has applied for a tourist visa before, twice, and been denied twice, to visit her brother (a citizen).

Now we are going to give it a shot. A permanent resident option probably won't work for her.

She was denied the first time because she was married briefly when she was 17 to her first husband. She didn't think there was any record of this and said she wasn't married before.

The second time she was denied (this was about 1.5 years ago) she wanted to come over for a quinceañera. She made sure to bring all the appropriate documents and then some. They denied her because they said she didn't have enough money to cover the vacation expenses. This was odd because she's middle class in Peru and has several thousand dollars in savings. She has a stable job with the government that she's had for more than 30 years and will continue to have. She has her husband that was staying back. Also, property and a pension.

Now she will try again. The only difference in situation is that she has a few thousand, maybe 10 thousand, more in the bank from the sale of another property. Maybe we will try for both my mother and father-in-law. Anyway... my question is, should we send an affidavit of support with an invitation letter? Is this possible? What else could we do to increase the chances of them approving the visa?

She will apply & the case will be decided on its own merits. The past denials will haunt her along the way.

She must meet the strongest ties rule. That is what will determin the outcome. All people with any type of visa are considered intending immigrants. She must prove she is not going to immigrate by proving beyond a doubt she will return.

You can give her an invitation letter & the support docs but they will not help. In fact the support docs may prove to be a huge mistake if they decide you intend to support her while she takes up residence in the USA.

[katiemanny 64]

My wife's relatives are also in Ukraine. We've tried to get her mother over 3 times and her father once and they've been rejected every time no matter how many documents they have. The officers usually don't even look at the documents. The embassy just ignores our questions on what will improve our chances. Just face it, the US hates foreigners these days. The good thing is that you can't be interviewed by the same officer more than once, so if you keep going back you might actually find one with a soul. No guarantees though, they just want your money.

B.S. All applicant applying for non-immigrant visas are assumed to be an intended immigrant, so if your mother-in-law failed to overcome these assumptions then visa wont be granted. The US is the only country that I know of, that allows illegal immigrants to protest on the streets without stuffing everyone into a bus and ship them back where they came from. Talking about tolerance for illegal immigration.