How to appeal and success rate

[aaydrian 479]

I believe that if you are an honest person and have good intentions, someone should take you out of the statistics and read your letter from the pile...two types of tourist visas where the invitation/petition/guarantee on the american side would count for something.

Bear with me here. Do you really think you, your husband and sister are that special where a VO is going to sieve through every denial and find that YOUR letter/application is genuine? This is the reason why I laughed so hard when you where angry that someone you voted for and don't know refused to write a letter of character/intention for you/sister. If the world worked the way you wanted there would be no need for immigration rules as EVERYONE would be honest and so there would be no denials or even visas for that matter for countires outside the VWP.

That second section about 'petition/intention/guarantee' is pure baloney. A VO can't force your sister home after granting this baloney visa and as a matter of fact you or your husband can't guarantee her return to Bulgaria as she is an adult.

[Noah Lot 387]

Bear with me here. Do you really think you, your husband and sister are that special where a VO is going to sieve through every denial and find that YOUR letter/application is genuine? This is the reason why I laughed so hard when you where angry that someone you voted for and don't know refused to write a letter of character/intention for you/sister. If the world worked the way you wanted there would be no need for immigration rules as EVERYONE would be honest and so there would be no denials or even visas for that matter for countires outside the VWP.

That second section about 'petition/intention/guarantee' is pure baloney. A VO can't force your sister home after granting this baloney visa and as a matter of fact you or your husband can't guarantee her return to Bulgaria as she is an adult.

...something I have kept reiterating but has fallen on deaf (but honest!) ears.

[Derry Lea 2]

Still wondering

Are you kidding? He doesn't know her. A letter of recommendation on the basis that we are trusted, honest, tax paying DE residents in our right to invite a family member. So sorry if you have to have connections with the senator's office to receive some help.

[Peter_Pan 661]

A friend of mine just got the visa. She is 30 and married, but she has travelled extensivly (China, Japan, all of Europe), and her interview was a breeze. So a way of overcoming those issues that make you a high risj is to show that you are an avid tourist.

[Boiler 43,397]

Are you kidding? He doesn't know her. A letter of recommendation on the basis that we are trusted, honest, tax paying DE residents in our right to invite a family member. So sorry if you have to have connections with the senator's office to receive some help.

So you know the Senator personally, well enough for him to know all the above, and he would still not write a meaningless letter?

Nobody has doubted your right to invite a family member.

[Noah Lot 387]

Are you kidding? He doesn't know her. A letter of recommendation on the basis that we are trusted, honest, tax paying DE residents in our right to invite a family member. So sorry if you have to have connections with the senator's office to receive some help.

"Right" to invite is NOT the same as "right" to have someone visit...anyone can invite anyone on the planet, but that invitation does not bestow any unique privileges to that person, nor relieve that same individual of their own responsibility to convince a VO of their bona fides and intentions....something that NO congressman nor senator can do...'vouching' for another when it comes to tourist visas is non existent, no matter how much taxes their relatives or friends pay, nor for whom they vote....again, if you doubt this, please, by all means, stop by the local library, check out a copy of the INA and disprove what I just wrote (and have written numerous times). Your trust, honesty and tax bill are NOT considered when another person applies for a tourist visa, no matter what you think about the process. Your letter, should it be written and read, will be no different than the avalanche of similar letters received every week from all the rest of those 'honest, trustworthy' folks....more than the likely the reaction of the CG will be..."ho hum".

Edited June 2, 2012 by Noah Lot

[aaydrian 479]

He doesn't know her. A letter of recommendation on the basis that we are trusted, honest, tax paying DE residents in our right to invite a family member.

You know I wasn't thinking for 2 seconds and actually thought I SHOULD have President Obama write me a letter of recommendation so a few friends can hop on over here.

[Derry Lea 2]

You know I wasn't thinking for 2 seconds and actually thought I SHOULD have President Obama write me a letter of recommendation so a few friends can hop on over here.

You should be a comedian, you know.

[sonineni 8]

I think u can again apply for the visa for her...

I got visiting visa at the age of 21 and my father and I applied for visiting visa..

We both attended for the interview...

Iam age of 21,unmarried,doing job when i went to the interview...

U should show proves that she had ties in her hometown...u can also show proof that she is engaged with xx in her home town.

But if she denied for first time...there would be less chances to get the visa for second time ..

But u can try...but i suggest u dont apply only to her..If u join any one of ur family members for the interview there would be more possibility...

Hello, everyone. It's been a while, but I need some advice from the more experienced here again. My sister was denied a tourist visa today. Needless to say how disappointed we are. She is 24years old, not married (living with my parents and her boyfriend of 7years), doesn't own anything and hasn't had a job for 2 years now. Horrible, I know. However with the unemployment situation in Bulgaria we just wrote in the application she's a homemaker. Plus I thought our good chances were in the fact that both my dad and my brother got 10year visas when they applied in 2010 to come for our wedding. My brother came and stayed for less than a month and went back to Bulgaria after that and my dad never used his visa.(This was all mentioned and checked at the interview). As far as evidence go we provided the invitation letter and a bank statement to prove we can take care of all expenses. We just wanted her to come here for a month since we can't go to Bulgaria due to work and vacation etc, we wanted to bring a piece of my family here to visit and meet my new family.

My question is, if I put all this in an email and write to the consul, what are my chances of success? In fact what are the steps of appeal? The part of bringing new evidence is not very good in this case, because my sister can't really find a steady job in the little town she lives. They don't want to go ahead and get married to bring a piece of paper to get a visa (her boyfriend has a good job and they are saving for a wedding now). The part with having children is not great either because the truth is she has fertility issues and they have been trying for 2 years now, unsuccessfully. (I will put this in the appeal email too).

So what do we do? Who do we write to? A congressman? A mayor? The US counsel in Bulgaria? Please give us an advice as I really want her to come and visit this summer. I understand the illegal aliens issues and all,but it hurts when you really are doing this for the right reasons and honest intentions.It's just devastating, because she has never even been outside of our hometown and for her to come here and experience the culture or to even fly on a plane will be amazing. Somebody somewhere must have a heart and understand that!!! Who do I write to? What do we do? Would it even help? Thank you.

[Noah Lot 387]

Applying together is a shallow ruse, seen countless times before, and at the end of the day, won't help the sister at all because she is no longer a minor child. Her interview would take place separately from her father's in any event. His qualifications will not flow downhill towards her. The VOs would see this 'let's travel together' story as just what it is...a story..because NO ONE can make them travel together anywhere at anytime. Nope, even those sancrosanct annotations will (a) not be placed on her visa, should she be given one and (b) even if accidently printed on it, has no legal effect whatsoever over her (nor dad). Lots of people think they have the 'magic solution' that will somehow fool the VO into granting a visa to someone who is otherwise not qualified. In reality, that is a rare event.

[Noah Lot 387]

I think u can again apply for the visa for her...

I got visiting visa at the age of 21 and my father and I applied for visiting visa..

We both attended for the interview...

Iam age of 21,unmarried,doing job when i went to the interview...

U should show proves that she had ties in her hometown...u can also show proof that she is engaged with xx in her home town.

But if she denied for first time...there would be less chances to get the visa for second time ..

But u can try...but i suggest u dont apply only to her..If u join any one of ur family members for the interview there would be more possibility...

What does 'being engaged' really mean? Will she be sent to jail by the Bulgarian government if she does not marry said BF? No. What other strong, compelling ties does she have? None. No matter who she stands next to at a subsequent interview.

the only accurate statement you made is having been denied once, the bar will be raised for approval the next time...why? Because the VO will ask...'what has significantly changed in YOUR situation since the last time?" It is not as if she will have been offered to be the CEO of a company or something in the interim. And pointing to some new nebulous reason for going does not matter.

You know I wasn't thinking for 2 seconds and actually thought I SHOULD have President Obama write me a letter of recommendation so a few friends can hop on over here.

wow.....can he do that?????????????????

Edited June 3, 2012 by Noah Lot

[Boiler 43,397]

I think he has done it for several family members...

[pluna505 11]

What does 'being engaged' really mean? Will she be sent to jail by the Bulgarian government if she does not marry said BF?

So ... if you have a significant other in your home country it means nothing but if you have one in the states it means you are going to overstay? Great logic there, Noah.

[Noah Lot 387]

So ... if you have a significant other in your home country it means nothing but if you have one in the states it means you are going to overstay? Great logic there, Noah.

wow...what a coherent response, no doubt based on some knowledge derived from where???

Think about this....a foreign fiancee from some developing third world country would rather stay put in his/her country than remain with his/her American fiance? Really? If you send me your address, I will mail you $5 so you can buy a clue.

Remind us all again...from what experience did you obtain this vast knowledge of the visa process?

wow...what a coherent response, no doubt based on some knowledge derived from where???

Think about this....a foreign fiancee from some developing third world country would rather stay put in his/her country than remain with his/her American fiance? Really? If you send me your address, I will mail you $5 so you can buy a clue.

Remind us all again...from what experience did you obtain this vast knowledge of the visa process?

And for the learning impaired....what downside befalls someone who abandons their foreign fiancee???? Do the local police tip off INTERPOL? Is that person's library card revoked? Do they have to pay a fine? Or...does nothing happen?

[pluna505 11]

I think you had some trouble understanding what I wrote.

We have two distinct situations here. One where a foreigner has a fiancee in their home country. The other where a foreigner has a fiancee in the United States.

Now, from what I've read on this forum, it seems like having a fiancee in the United States makes it more difficult to get a Visitor Visa. Which is perfetly understandable. A fiancee is a tie and the emotional burden of being away from the one you love is often times very difficult to bear.

So, emotional burden and all considered, why then would having a fiancee in your home country be worthless in your Visa interview? If the Consul views a US fiancee as a tie to the US then it should equally view a local fiancee as a tie to your home country. What is so irrational about that?

And from what experience did you get your knowledge? You tell just about everyone that they have no chance of getting a visitor visa, yet the statistics show that around 80% of ALL B2 applicants receive a Visa. Seems like you are on the one with the knowledge gap here, Noah.