Limit on How Many People I can Sponsor (Financial Support)?

[Muffinji 43]

Hi just to add my take on the ‘financial sponsor’ ,

1. Its a visitor visa, you sponsoring her would totally make the case more suspicious in my opinion because you’re not her family and it just hints that she is unable to pay for the trip on her own and since she is ‘dependant’ On you, higher chances of her to continue being dependant on you by not leaving. 

 

2. I think Usually ‘sponsorship’ works if it’s someone like her father (or anyone related) that is in India that will ‘finance’ her trip for a holiday. - Dad paying for kid’s holiday is acceptable  or a husband for his wife for holiday/ obviously it probably won’t work if the father/ husband is in USA.

 

- for my tourist visa, (I was doing my postgrad studies so for my interview I brought along my dad’s bank accounts and also said that he is the one sponsoring my trip - the officer interviewing did look at it during my interview) 

 

- for my mom’s tourist visa, (she applied with my brother and my dad), the officer asked her who is sponsoring as she is a housewife and she said my dad is - they were traveling together for my wedding. 

 

just remember it’s a tourist visa, they really just want to know that she has no reason to stay in USA after her trip. Having you sponsor her might be a good reason she will want to continue staying (in the eyes of the embassy probably). 

 

It would be a stronger case for her if she can prove that she does not need your ‘support’ to travel even if you can provide accommodation and etc for her. 

Just my thoughts on it. 

 

Godd luck. 

 

[Unlockable 7,306]

1 hour ago, Muffinji said:

Hi just to add my take on the ‘financial sponsor’ ,

1. Its a visitor visa, you sponsoring her would totally make the case more suspicious in my opinion because you’re not her family and it just hints that she is unable to pay for the trip on her own and since she is ‘dependant’ On you, higher chances of her to continue being dependant on you by not leaving. 

 

2. I think Usually ‘sponsorship’ works if it’s someone like her father (or anyone related) that is in India that will ‘finance’ her trip for a holiday. - Dad paying for kid’s holiday is acceptable  or a husband for his wife for holiday/ obviously it probably won’t work if the father/ husband is in USA.

 

- for my tourist visa, (I was doing my postgrad studies so for my interview I brought along my dad’s bank accounts and also said that he is the one sponsoring my trip - the officer interviewing did look at it during my interview) 

 

- for my mom’s tourist visa, (she applied with my brother and my dad), the officer asked her who is sponsoring as she is a housewife and she said my dad is - they were traveling together for my wedding. 

 

just remember it’s a tourist visa, they really just want to know that she has no reason to stay in USA after her trip. Having you sponsor her might be a good reason she will want to continue staying (in the eyes of the embassy probably). 

 

It would be a stronger case for her if she can prove that she does not need your ‘support’ to travel even if you can provide accommodation and etc for her. 

Just my thoughts on it. 

 

Godd luck. 

 

Legally, there is no sponsorship for s visitor visa whether it is a relative or not. Financing a person's trip is not the same as sponsorship. The OP wanted to provide a legal document like the I-134 as a means to represent a legal way to support a person on a visitor visa. Like already said, there is no legal ground for a person, including a family member, for a person to sponsor a visitor visa.

 

The only thing that happened in your case is that you showed how your trip will be paid for. Technically, it wasn't a sponsor. It is just a misuse in terminology. And although, it worked out for your family, we see on a weekly bases people who try to use the same method for family and friends and get denied.

 

 

 

 

[Muffinji 43]

2 hours ago, NuestraUnion said:

Legally, there is no sponsorship for s visitor visa whether it is a relative or not. Financing a person's trip is not the same as sponsorship. The OP wanted to provide a legal document like the I-134 as a means to represent a legal way to support a person on a visitor visa. Like already said, there is no legal ground for a person, including a family member, for a person to sponsor a visitor visa.

 

The only thing that happened in your case is that you showed how your trip will be paid for. Technically, it wasn't a sponsor. It is just a misuse in terminology. And although, it worked out for your family, we see on a weekly bases people who try to use the same method for family and friends and get denied.

 

 

 

 

Thanks for the terminology correction. True. Not everyone gets approved Using the same method because everyone have different background and additional history that will be taken into account. 

 

Hopefully OP understands that there is no sponsorship for tourist visa. 

[meiliani 10]

17 hours ago, KozmicBlues said:

Are you sure? I recall when my fiance was originally going to apply for a tourist visa (we decided against it since it was high probability of being denied) that the requirements specifically talked about showing a financial support. I can't find the exact list he had but it specifically mentioned the affidavit of support form. Here's a link to IMMI talking about the sponsor documents required for reference:

 

https://www.***removed***/visitor-visa/sponsor-documents.html

My uncle applied for Visa last month and was approved. I didn't give him I-134 but I gave him letter stating I will be responsible for his accommodation while in USA. I give my brother in law I-134 when he applied last year and got denied. He said the CO didn't even look at the I-134 form. What the officer wanted was proof of strong ties in Indonesia. I guess what I'm trying to say is I-134 is not necessary for tourist visa. You can fill it out and give it to your friend but if she can't proof a strong ties to India, she might get denied. 

Hope this is help.  

[KozmicBlues 592]

17 hours ago, apple21 said:

 

Yes I’m sure. My parents recently applied for a tourist visa and got approved. No document was asked from them (although they are retired already). My brother is the one they wrote as the person paying for the trip and the interviewing officer never asked for proof of finances. 

 

17 hours ago, apple21 said:

If you feel compelled to bring the affidavit of support then go ahead. Let us know the outcome. 

 

Good luck. 

Thank you!! I'll probably give her the info just so she can have it handy in case they ask. 

 

16 hours ago, NuestraUnion said:

There is no sponsorship for visitor visas. Think of it this way, do you and husband need a sponsor to go have a honeymoon in Paris, France? No.

 

Sponsorship for a visitor visa is a huge myth. Many foreigners cling to the myth because they think it will help.

 

That website does offer info and resources to help with immigration but it is also plagued with misguided information. Requirement to have a sponsor for visitor visa is one of the biggest misinformation that comes from that site.

 

 

Thanks! Yeah it seems like the whole financial support requirement is a huge misconception across India because I've heard it from multiple people. 

[KozmicBlues 592]

11 hours ago, CEE53147 said:

 

Unless you own the residence in which they will be staying, your landlord may limit the number of visitors and the length of time they may stay.  When we visited DS for a week (even though it was our first visit in his several uears of tenancy), he had to get special permission because the apartment complex limited visits to 2 overnights.  Cities too limit the occupancy of residences - even those occupied by the owner.

Makes sense, never even thought about that. Appreciate the info! 

[KozmicBlues 592]

2 hours ago, Muffinji said:

Thanks for the terminology correction. True. Not everyone gets approved Using the same method because everyone have different background and additional history that will be taken into account. 

 

Hopefully OP understands that there is no sponsorship for tourist visa. 

 

4 hours ago, NuestraUnion said:

Legally, there is no sponsorship for s visitor visa whether it is a relative or not. Financing a person's trip is not the same as sponsorship. The OP wanted to provide a legal document like the I-134 as a means to represent a legal way to support a person on a visitor visa. Like already said, there is no legal ground for a person, including a family member, for a person to sponsor a visitor visa.

 

The only thing that happened in your case is that you showed how your trip will be paid for. Technically, it wasn't a sponsor. It is just a misuse in terminology. And although, it worked out for your family, we see on a weekly bases people who try to use the same method for family and friends and get denied.

 

 

 

 

Thanks! Yeah I think the wrong use of words on my part added confusion. I 100% understand that by no means am I sponsoring her visa - that was never my intention and I know it's not possible. I just meant the financial support document such as the i-134 to supplement her application for a tourist visa. 

[KozmicBlues 592]

57 minutes ago, meiliani said:

My uncle applied for Visa last month and was approved. I didn't give him I-134 but I gave him letter stating I will be responsible for his accommodation while in USA. I give my brother in law I-134 when he applied last year and got denied. He said the CO didn't even look at the I-134 form. What the officer wanted was proof of strong ties in Indonesia. I guess what I'm trying to say is I-134 is not necessary for tourist visa. You can fill it out and give it to your friend but if she can't proof a strong ties to India, she might get denied. 

Hope this is help.  

Thanks! Yeah I will definitely provide her a letter but may not even bother with the I-134 since it's not technically required. She has a steady job and family in India so hopefully she has enough to provide her strong ties to India, but if not there's nothing I can do about it. I always understood that and didn't think my financial support would change the outcome of any decision. I was just given the impression that it will help with proving that she has enough money to fund the trip.

 

Now I have a much better understanding and I appreciate everyone's responses!

[WeGuyGal 1,052]

1 hour ago, KozmicBlues said:

 

Thanks! Yeah it seems like the whole financial support requirement is a huge misconception across India because I've heard it from multiple people. 

Yep

 

When visiting India, I had a few friends of friends come up to me and asked if I or someone could 'sponsor them for a visit visa'. I replied there is no such requirement for a US tourist visa; all they had to do was apply. I found b2 sponsorship and visa consultants among the top misconceptions in India. 

[Amit&Julie 180]

I agree that this is a common misconception in India. My fiance too has somebody I refer to "Travel Agent Uncle" who has advised this kind of thing and given other advice which runs counter to what I've read on VJ and counter to required and recommended processes on US government websites.

 

I have some thoughts and opinions below on how the culture in India contributes to what you've observed on the non-VJ-website that shall not be named and in advice from acquaintances. I really do think that it amounts to a cultural difference. These are my personal *opinions* and, yes, generalizations. I am not saying that everyone in India is like this. And I'm not saying that it's good or bad. It's just very different than it is here in the US, and it might help explain some things (at least, it does for me and gives me a little peace when I'm frustrated). Ok, end of disclaimer.

 

I think that there is kind of a mentality in India that it's not about what you know, but who you know. You don't have to play by the rules and deal with the admittedly VERY convoluted bureaucracy (even worse than US bureaucracy) and frequent corruption if you know the right people. I also feel that there can also be a tendency to try to "beat the system". Need something? In India, there's an uncle or aunty for that. Or a brother's workmate's cousin's driver. 'I know a guy who knows a guy who used to work in the consulate, yadda yadda.' Truth be told, there was one instance where such an uncle helped us with something needed for our K1 process. If we didn't have that connection, it would've been extremely difficult and slow to obtain the desired result thanks to the Indian variety of bureaucracy. 

 

But I think when people try to apply these attitudes and "hacks" to try to circumvent US law and processes involving immigration, it's a recipe for disaster. I suspect that US consular officers have seen and gotten wise to just about every "hack" that the local population has thought up, spread through word-of-mouth, and slipped through the interview window to them, day after day. I've told my fiance I don't know how many times that the US government doesn't give a rat's behind why a tourist wants to visit; they only care about why they will return to India. I've told him that the consular officers are required by law to assume immigration intent, and it is up to the B2 applicant to prove otherwise. Yet, here I am, about to scan the wedding invitation over to him after 2 failed attempts to mail hard copies to India for his family's B2 application to attend our wedding. *sigh*

 

Word of mouth and connections can be very powerful, and the internet is a great way to share these quickly and to a large audience (for better or worse), so I'm afraid this misinformation will keep perpetuating itself.

 

That's my $0.02.

[Boiler 43,759]

I have not had a look at that site for a long time but certainly its focus was selling slightly iffy travel Insurance, the forum seemed to be lots of people asking the same questions with one or two answering.

 

Agree likely to be a cultural thing.