Advice for my girlfriend

[Coco8 1,054]

6 hours ago, Don4593 said:

Thank you. I actually live and work in Russia myself. So any transaction would be from a Russian bank to Russian bank. And she does work for a company so providing pay stubs would not be a problem

 

If you live in Russia then that could be a good thing. Have you "registered" at the US consulate or changed your address to a Russian address? They could confirm who you are if you did that. If she gets asked about a boyfriend, she can also present some documentation that you live in Russia and you have a job in Russia and you are just taking holidays (your paystubs, even a lease to show that you plan to come back, if you don't live together she could show something on that too, it is better to take additional stuff than for them to tell her that they don't have enough evidence that she'll return). 

Edited April 8, 2017 by Coco8

[Private One 44]

15 hours ago, Transborderwife said:

Completely and utterly disagree.  Quite often it seems to go like this from my experience on this site:

 

IO: purpose of visit?

applicant: tourism

IO: who are you visiting?

applicant: friends

IO: boyfriend?

 

 

Agreed

You can bet your last dollar they'll ask about a boyfriend or love interest. On a trip back into the U.S my wife and I heard a U.S Customs Officer grilling this dude about his intentions to enter the country. He said he just felt like coming to visit. Who? He was not specific so the Customs Officer hammered away with questions about a love interest and getting married. I don't know what was his fate but it did not look good for him.

 

Your girlfriend would stand a better chance if she had a legal relative here.

 

Good luck though. 

[KierenHby 900]

15 hours ago, Transborderwife said:

Completely and utterly disagree.  Quite often it seems to go like this from my experience on this site:

 

IO: purpose of visit?

applicant: tourism

IO: who are you visiting?

applicant: friends

IO: boyfriend?

 

 

Yep

Someone on VJ was asked that very same line of questions recently, she lied; her visa was denied. 

[Transborderwife 4,666]

6 minutes ago, Private One said:

Agreed

You can bet your last dollar they'll ask about a boyfriend or love interest. On a trip back into the U.S my wife and I heard a U.S Customs Officer grilling this dude about his intentions to enter the country. He said he just felt like coming to visit. Who? He was not specific so the Customs Officer hammered away with questions about a love interest and getting married. I don't know what was his fate but it did not look good for him.

 

Your girlfriend would stand a better chance if she had a legal relative here.

 

Good luck though. 

Sometimes.  I was given a hassle over LPR parents before 

[KierenHby 900]

15 hours ago, Coco8 said:

When you are in the visa interview they give you short questions. They basically have a predetermined list of questions they ask. 

 

She has to answer the question truthfully but that does not mean giving them a whole story/background. If they ask the purpose of the trip, she can say it is to travel as a tourist That is the answer to the question.  I doubt she will be asked if she has a US citizen boyfriend. If she is asked if she knows people she can say she has some friends. They usually have like questions they have to click through depending on someone's answer. It is not like they write down your whole answer and keep track of that.

 

Playing word games ain't gonna help.

Embassy COs aren't stupid.. a single russian with limited funds and a US bf isn't going to disney. 

[millefleur 5,052]

I personally don't think there's anything in this case which gives her a chance over anyone else applying. I've known Russians with zero travel history who got US visas, and I've known a few with extensive travel history who were declined. The longer work history is not bad, but it's not the hugest tie for a young woman either.

 

Either she gets a cheery CO who ends up approving the visa despite the boyfriend situation or she gets rejected. Only way to know is to go and apply and see what happens. The Moscow CO's seem to be friendlier than the ones in other Russian cities for some reason. I'm very certain the boyfriend question will be asked, however. There's no getting around it really. Just tell the truth and see what happens.

[MacUK 983]

16 hours ago, Coco8 said:

It is not like they write down your whole answer and keep track of that.

Completely wrong, on my last interview they referred back to answers I'd given in an interview 10 years earlier.

Everything is noted and saved.

[Jamile Cralcev 1]

I am not a Russian citizen, but I did apply for a B2 visa having a USC fiance. 

The form asked if I knew someone in the States and our relationship. Also, during my interview I was asked who I was traveling with and as I was traveling alone, he asked why. I told him I was traveling alone to visit my fiance. 

I took to the interview all documents I had proving that I intended to go back to my country - a letter from my employer, contracts, etc, as well as a statement from my bank showing I had enough money to cover my trip (it was not much, only enough to cover 30 days) and he didn't ask to see any of my documents. 

I was approved and my advice is: be honest at all times. 

[Jonathan Lopes 1]

One of the key issues for getting a tourist visa to US is strong ties to home and incentive to come back. Otherwise the applications will face difficulty.

 

She must show her job, and other ties that will bring her back to Russia at the end of her visit to US.