B1/B2 for fiance's parent's so they can come to wedding (Ukraine)

[gb6435 1]

Hello VJers...

I'm looking for experience from people that are in a similar situation from Ukraine... or anywhere I guess. I know different parts of the world have different leniency when it comes to giving out B1/B2 visas...

Anyone have any idea how hard it is for my fiance's parents to get a B1/B2 visa if they just recently applied for their passports and have no previous travel experience?

They are in their early 60's if that makes a difference and can show ties saying that they will come back to Ukraine... they just want to come here for wedding and stay for a week or so after wedding and explore the US.

Any tips or advice that you guys have would be appreciated. Thank you.

Gregory

[Indy90 21]

Hello VJers...

I'm looking for experience from people that are in a similar situation from Ukraine... or anywhere I guess. I know different parts of the world have different leniency when it comes to giving out B1/B2 visas...

Anyone have any idea how hard it is for my fiance's parents to get a B1/B2 visa if they just recently applied for their passports and have no previous travel experience?

They are in their early 60's if that makes a difference and can show ties saying that they will come back to Ukraine... they just want to come here for wedding and stay for a week or so after wedding and explore the US.

Any tips or advice that you guys have would be appreciated. Thank you.

Gregory

As someone who has quite a few friends/family from Ukraine, I can tell you that it is not easy to get a tourist visa if you are from Ukraine. Things like owning a home and car, other family members, owning a business, etc. etc. all make a difference. I have no idea what time of ties that they have, but the average person in Ukraine would face an uphill battle.

Edit: It might help if you tell us what type of ties that they have. I do know people that have gotten tourist visas before from Ukraine and were not necessarily wealthy (middle class), but most of them were pretty highly educated and often had first come to the US as students and returned, showing that they would go back. Not necessarily from Ukraine, but I know people from other countries that had to apply several times and get denied before they were given tourist visas.

Edited June 18, 2011 by Indy90

[MDD 1]

Hello VJers...

I'm looking for experience from people that are in a similar situation from Ukraine... or anywhere I guess. I know different parts of the world have different leniency when it comes to giving out B1/B2 visas...

Anyone have any idea how hard it is for my fiance's parents to get a B1/B2 visa if they just recently applied for their passports and have no previous travel experience?

They are in their early 60's if that makes a difference and can show ties saying that they will come back to Ukraine... they just want to come here for wedding and stay for a week or so after wedding and explore the US.

Any tips or advice that you guys have would be appreciated. Thank you.

Gregory

Gregory,

I can tell you about my experience. Just like you, my husband and I wanted my parents to come and attend our wedding ceremony last year. But unlike, I had three other family members that we wanted to come. Last year all five of them were denied without looking at any documents that prove their ties to Ukraine.

This year my parents, only two of them, reapplied. They had some circumstances that changed since last year. First, the rest of the family wasn't applying. Second, my parents went to Czech Republic and Germany last year for their vacation after their US visa was denied. So their passport was not brand new and had a shcengen visa at the time of reapplying. And finally, my dad got a raise to his already quite above average salary. My husband, a US citizen, also asked for a letter of support from a senator. I know that there are many people who say it has nothing to do with the letter from a senator. It's my parents who have to prove their ties. But we just wanted to do anything possible in this case. The senator staff was extremely helpful and put a nice letter of support that listed all of my parents' ties. You might get different opinions, just like i did, that the letter is not helpful at all. But we just did this extra step and I didn't think it would hurt anything.

I don't know what played a bigger role in our case. But my parents received multiple entry 5 year visas and we are expecting them to come in two weeks. So, it's doable. I don't really think that you have to be superrich or anything. I think you just need to have a combination of various strong ties that will assure the consular section that your parents in law will come back. And by the way, my parents had all kinds of documents that prove their ties (letters from employes, copies of their property ownership, receipt from buying a car, etc.) and again this year the officer who interviewed them didn't look at anything. She just asked about their jobs based on what was provided on the electronic DS-156.

Good luck to bringing your in-laws! I know plenty of people who were able to bring their parents on tourist visas. But there are also plenty cases of denials. Just like with us. It's not the reason to give up though or not to try, I think.