B-2 Visa- Visiting Friends in U.S. versus Family

[merah 0]

My Indonesian wife failed the first time she applied for a B-2 visitor's visa and is determined to succeed the second time.  I understand that providing proof of ties in Indonesia is probably the best shot she has at being granted a visitor's visa, but she's curious to know what variables "Stateside" might make a difference in her interview process as pertains to just a short vacation/visit:

 

1.  If she is visiting friend in America who are Indonesian-Americans, would that be more advantageous than choosing to mention children from her current husband's first marriage?  Can she just mention the Indonesian-American friends and not mention her husband's relatives?  

2.  Does she have to mention EVERYONE she plans on visiting and giving full names and addresses as to where they live in the States?

3.  Would it be better to mention she is visiting her husband's family from a previous marriage? specifically- her husband's daughter who has a young child and whose husband is an U.S. army ranger.  Should she divulge that the husband is U.S. military personnel? 

4.  OFF-TOPIC:  Does it help my wife's case to tell the CO that I (her husband) have the equivalent of a green card in Indonesia and have no plans on returning to America?  The CO's tend to believe that if the applicant is married to an American and is applying for a visitor's visa that the intention is to provide illegal cover for immigration.  If the husband has plans on remaining in a foreign country, does providing proof of that help the applicant's cause?

 

Thanks in advance

[Penguin_ie 5,988]

I can only answer 4- it would definitely help if she shows YOU, the USC husband, has strong ties and does not plan to live in the USA.

[KULtoATL 1,551]

So here's the reality for some of the B2 applicants including myself... Saying that you have and/or visiting friends or family members could frankly be a disadvantage. If she didn't mention about visiting her daughter or friends in her failed/rejected application, when she apply it the second time, don't mention about those people at all.

 

Instead, focus on gathering her evidence of ties in Indonesia and ability to cover the trip on her own. Some of the things that I gathered previously:

 

1) Confirmation letter by my employer on my employment, addressed to the embassy proving that I have a job to go home to and I am expected to return after my duration of approved annual leave/vacation time.

 

2) Latest bank account balance page as well as my credit card page (that shows my credit card limit) to demonstrate my ability to fund my trip.

 

3) A rough itinerary on places I want to visit and things I want to do in the city/town that I'm planning to visit. Know your itinerary by heart to show you really are planning a vacation. Even if you're visiting multiple states/cities/towns, make it easy for yourself by sticking to just one or two places when coming up with an itinerary for the visa interview purpose.

 

4) This is a very bad thing but I booked a hotel for my intended visit dates, which had a very liberal free cancellation policy for latter cancellation. Because there's no mention of family and friends, logically speaking, I'd obviously need a hotel for my visit/vacation with the relevant dates.

 

5) If you have businesses and properties in your name, show that as evidence too. This proves ties back home very well.

 

6) About having a USC husband who holds an equivalent of GC in Indonesia, well, that might help but again, it might not. Because you're a USC, they really might think she'll try to overstay, you moving back to the US to join her and then adjust her status. I'm not paranoid because I was accused of some really crazy things that I never thought of doing by the officer who rejected me 10 years ago with me leaving the embassy in tears. You never know what crazy things they might try to accuse her of.

 

 

Have consistent answers for all the questions you're asked. The officer who interviewed me asked me a few questions over and over again by restructuring the questions to see if there would be a slip of tongue or inconsistent answers.

 

Must be able to answer why you want to go to the US. My first answer was just "for tourism". Then the officer asked again a few questions later and I had to repeat that and elaborate. It helps if you've traveled elsewhere and there are passport stamps to show you're really just enjoy traveling and like visiting places but still go home at the end of each trip.

 

Do not offer any answers or documents voluntarily unless you're asked because I was yelled at trying to show the letter written by my employer when the officer asked me about my job. 

 

Before you even go to the interview, try to think of the potential difficult or negative questions that they might ask, which you must give a convincing answers to. 

 

If she wants to succeed, she really needs to go all out to prep herself. It's not easy but that doesn't mean it's not doable. If she was rejected for her inability to prove ties and self sufficient financially, what all I just said can be considered.

 

If her rejection was something else, then she'll have to handle it differently in order to succeed at the second application.

 

After all is said and done, please know that I don't guarantee that she will get a visa. I am only sharing what I did for mine to succeed and hopefully you have some rough idea of what can be gathered as potential evidence to help with her next application.

 

*** Addendum: I brought the latest paystubs for the last 6 months.

Edited March 15, 2017 by KULtoATL

[MajaB 2]

One thing I have personally noticed is that they don't appreciate when you give them information they didn't ask for,

 

They have a series of questions they want to ask you depending on their impression of your case. And they are trying to fit you within a schedule. They don't have time to go over other subjects than what they have outlined to ask you about.

 

So I would answer their questions as they come and that's about it. Don't try to chit chat or give them info they don't ask for.  

There is no need to "mention" anything extra.

 

They are very straight forward. Just be natural and honest. 

 

 

[Boiler 43,859]

They are less interested why she is visiting, more so why she is returning.

 

The application has the questions they really need answered, most interviews are very short.

[KierenHby 897]

Coaching someone to say this or avoid that doesn't work. Be free flowing at the interview, and be honest. If visiting someone, say so if asked.

A b2 visa isn't necessarily something to be that determined for; those eligible are approved.