B-2 Visa questions and assistance

[HFM181818 748]

that is true...the abusers have only made it tougher for others....sadly, so many people have used semantics, with varying degrees of success, that their relatives use to obtain B2 visas...carefully couching the proposed visit in terms that bear no relation to the true purpose....but when applicants who said they were going to visit for, say a month, then wind up staying 6-12 (with an extension) try to renew their visas, they are often quizzed about the huge difference between what they said and what they did....and often, the story comes out that they were indeed working in some capacity (often babysitting so everyone else could go back to work)...guess what their chances are for a successful renewal? Yep. 0. And now, the consuls learn the new quaint terms that are being used against them....and guess what happens to the next batch of first time applicants who try the same word games? Who is going to be believed?

Sure, many are issued, and no doubt, many do not abuse the privilege....but lots do....and then your relative's success may depend on the focus of a particular CO...but you can only imagine how many letters 'promising' that my relative won't be working or babysitting, 'you have my assurance that...."...blah blah blah...are offered by applicants...which are just more window dressing...it will come down to what the CO believes....so, don't be surprised if her first application is denied....but enjoy life if she is approved and try hard not to allow any abuse of her visa nor give future COs more reasons to 'just say no.'

Edited February 1, 2016 by HFM181818

[HFM181818 748]

Please understand that I am not saying that if Grandma changes diapers occasionally or watches the newborn one night here and there so the parents can have a night out is cause for her visa to be cancelled and grannie deemed ineligible for the rest of her life to ever get a visa again....no, I am talking about the concerted efforts people go through to bring a relative over to allow said parents to go back to work soon after the child is born, and to avoid shelling out buckets of money for daily child care....big difference.

[Foxblood 2]

that is true...the abusers have only made it tougher for others....sadly, so many people have used semantics, with varying degrees of success, that their relatives use to obtain B2 visas...carefully couching the proposed visit in terms that bear no relation to the true purpose....but when applicants who said they were going to visit for, say a month, then wind up staying 6-12 (with an extension) try to renew their visas, they are often quizzed about the huge difference between what they said and what they did....and often, the story comes out that they were indeed working in some capacity (often babysitting so everyone else could go back to work)...guess what their chances are for a successful renewal? Yep. 0. And now, the consuls learn the new quaint terms that are being used against them....and guess what happens to the next batch of first time applicants who try the same word games? Who is going to be believed?

Sure, many are issued, and no doubt, many do not abuse the privilege....but lots do....and then your relative's success may depend on the focus of a particular CO...but you can only imagine how many letters 'promising' that my relative won't be working or babysitting, 'you have my assurance that...."...blah blah blah...are offered by applicants...which are just more window dressing...it will come down to what the CO believes....so, don't be surprised if her first application is denied....but enjoy life if she is approved and try hard not to allow any abuse of her visa nor give future COs more reasons to 'just say no.'

Roger that - thanks for the comments.

We will just assist my MIL with the process as best we can. Let her know to be honest about everything and provide the best evidence that she can. After that it will be up to the CO to make the decision. If she is denied then she will just have to apply again in the future.

What if she came to the United States and leaves BEFORE the baby is born? I mean the intention is to visit her daughter not baby sit for us after the baby is born. Maybe they would still deny her equally because people abuse the extension rules.?

Also - are shorter visits approved with more frequency? Maybe that information is not available.

This was something my wife and I had not anticipated when we completed the K1 Visa process.

Edited February 1, 2016 by Foxblood

[HFM181818 748]

B2 visitors are routinely admitted for 6 months, no matter what they might have written on their DS 160...the COs know this all too well...again, trying to make verbal claims of what the applicant will or won't do mostly sounds hollow....it's their response to the CO's questions that matter, not some canned speech or desperate sounding rationales...she should answer any and all questions easily, truthfully, as best she can....repeated attempts to shove papers at the CO will not be productive. The COs interview people, not papers, and not you (via those papers). People forget that all too often. It just looks like desperation when applicants tried to push papers at me....unless I asked for them, I did not want them. But so many cultures believe otherwise, that documents, especially 'notarized ones' (woo hoo!) will somehow cause the CO to grant the visa.....but that is not the case (in the vast majority of interviews).

[Foxblood 2]

B2 visitors are routinely admitted for 6 months, no matter what they might have written on their DS 160...the COs know this all too well...again, trying to make verbal claims of what the applicant will or won't do mostly sounds hollow....it's their response to the CO's questions that matter, not some canned speech or desperate sounding rationales...she should answer any and all questions easily, truthfully, as best she can....repeated attempts to shove papers at the CO will not be productive. The COs interview people, not papers, and not you (via those papers). People forget that all too often. It just looks like desperation when applicants tried to push papers at me....unless I asked for them, I did not want them. But so many cultures believe otherwise, that documents, especially 'notarized ones' (woo hoo!) will somehow cause the CO to grant the visa.....but that is not the case (in the vast majority of interviews).

Roger that!

Thank you for the direct and honest responses to my questions =)

[Foxblood 2]

Just wanted to provided an update on my situation. I hopes this helps other people =)

So my wife's mother went for her B2 Visa interview today and she passed with no problems =) The interview was in Chengdu, Sichuan China

They ask her the following: (My Mandarin is not the best so this is what I understood)

For what reason are you wanting to visit the United States: To visit my daughter and see how she is doing.

How did your daughter come to the United states: She applied for a K1 Visa and was accepted. She married her husband and they are making a life in the United States.

How can we be sure that you will return to China after the visit? I do not speak English so it would be very difficult for me to live in the United States. All of my family and friends are in China. I just purchased a brand new house in China. (she handed them paper work to show that she owns the house)

Where does your daughter live in the United States: (She cannot say it in English so handed them a piece of paper with the United States Address and other contact information)

Where does your daughter work: (she handed them an offer letter from my wife's current Job title and company address - she did not know how to say it in English and there is not a Chinese translation)

We are very excited! So far so good - now she has to get a flight here and make it past the POE.

[Merrytooth 5,748]

Just wanted to provided an update on my situation. I hopes this helps other people =)

So my wife's mother went for her B2 Visa interview today and she passed with no problems =) The interview was in Chengdu, Sichuan China

They ask her the following: (My Mandarin is not the best so this is what I understood)

For what reason are you wanting to visit the United States: To visit my daughter and see how she is doing.

How did your daughter come to the United states: She applied for a K1 Visa and was accepted. She married her husband and they are making a life in the United States.

How can we be sure that you will return to China after the visit? I do not speak English so it would be very difficult for me to live in the United States. All of my family and friends are in China. I just purchased a brand new house in China. (she handed them paper work to show that she owns the house)

Where does your daughter live in the United States: (She cannot say it in English so handed them a piece of paper with the United States Address and other contact information)

Where does your daughter work: (she handed them an offer letter from my wife's current Job title and company address - she did not know how to say it in English and there is not a Chinese translation)

We are very excited! So far so good - now she has to get a flight here and make it past the POE.

Congratulations!

Edited March 9, 2016 by Merrytooth

[TBoneTX 43,399]

Thanks for the positive update -- that's good news.