Tourist Visa valid and thinking of Petitioning

[ezzy 3]

Hi all! I just got my US Citizenship recently and thinking of moving forward with petitioning my parents (and hopefully my siblings after) over as immigrants. It really gets lonely without readily accessible family close to us.

 

However, I am hesitant to start this process mainly because my parents, my sister and her husband all have 10-year multiple entry visas and I am scared their tourist visas will be cancelled or revoked at POE (maybe?) if they come and visit while my petition in process. Can anyone share their experiences?

 

Each couple had already been to the US once. My parents got through immigration (CBP) fine but, when my sister and her hubby came to visit the next year, they got stuck at immigration for about 6 hours for extensive interrogation. I am worried it would hurt them the next time they come to visit and I have a petition pending.

 

Thanks in advance! Much love!

[aleful 1,905]

hi

 

first of all, if you petition for your sister, depending on the country of origin it will take 14 or more years, for some countries, sibling petitions take over 20 years

 

they can visit in the mean time

 

and your parents can visit as well once you file for them, as long as they don't stay for a long time, short visits

 

 

[ezzy 3]

Yup. I did read about the long wait for siblings. We're not really in a rush.. I just don't our ability to see each other on an annual basis with tourist visa once I petition them be compromised. Am I just paranoid, then?

 

 

17 minutes ago, aleful said:

hi

 

first of all, if you petition for your sister, depending on the country of origin it will take 14 or more years, for some countries, sibling petitions take over 20 years

 

they can visit in the mean time

 

and your parents can visit as well once you file for them, as long as they don't stay for a long time, short visits

 

 

Edited February 18, 2019 by ezzy

[Going through 5,668]

19 minutes ago, ezzy said:

However, I am hesitant to start this process mainly because my parents, my sister and her husband all have 10-year multiple entry visas and I am scared their tourist visas will be cancelled or revoked at POE (maybe?) if they come and visit while my petition in process. Can anyone share their experiences?

It may be harder for them to be admitted as tourists (even with valid visas, actual entry/duration of stay is still at the discretion of the POE officer) once there are pending i-130s...  The pending i-130 is going to show immigration intent, but not entirely impossible if they are able to convince POE they would return to their home country afterwards.

 

21 minutes ago, ezzy said:

I just got my US Citizenship recently and thinking of moving forward with petitioning my parents (and hopefully my siblings after) over as immigrants. It really gets lonely without readily accessible family close to us.

What is their country of origin?  Wait times depend on that.

[ezzy 3]

7 minutes ago, Going through said:

It may be harder for them to be admitted as tourists (even with valid visas, actual entry/duration of stay is still at the discretion of the POE officer) once there are pending i-130s...  The pending i-130 is going to show immigration intent, but not entirely impossible if they are able to convince POE they would return to their home country afterwards.

 

What is their country of origin?  Wait times depend on that.

 

The Philippines. I am worried about the immigration intent part. :S I guess there is no easy way to go about it. We are using the visa's as intended - as tourists on a short term period to visit me....They can show ties to the Philippines at POE that makes sure they go back but those strong ties may also make their immigration intent seem like they really do not want to be here?

 

What do you guys think?

Edited February 18, 2019 by ezzy

[Boiler 43,430]

For Siblings Philippines you are looking at 30 years? impossible to say but so long that immigration intent would be generationally.

[ezzy 3]

1 minute ago, Boiler said:

For Siblings Philippines you are looking at 30 years? impossible to say but so long that immigration intent would be generationally.

That's a long time....🤮

I had thought it was around 15~

[Boiler 43,430]

Those getting to their visa's now have waited over 20 years and the line gets longer.

[ezzy 3]

Understood. I will just have to focus on my parents for now, then.

 

I am also curious if anyone has had experience with being the petitioner/recipient of IR visa while also holding a valid tourist visa and was able to visit the US with active petition. Thanks for your input!!

[WeGuyGal 1,052]

Plenty of folks with an existing tourist visa and a i130 in the pipeline visit the US. Usually no issues as long as their visit is short and they return home. 

[Boiler 43,430]

VJ has a mega thread on yes you can visit.

[carmel34 3,529]

If visiting family members are turned away by CBP, refused entry because of the pending petition and a concern about overstaying or immigrant intent, you can always go and visit them in the Philippines.

[CEE53147 559]

5 hours ago, ezzy said:

Hi all! I just got my US Citizenship recently and thinking of moving forward with petitioning my parents (and hopefully my siblings after) over as immigrants. It really gets lonely without readily accessible family close to us.

 

However, I am hesitant to start this process mainly because my parents, my sister and her husband all have 10-year multiple entry visas and I am scared their tourist visas will be cancelled or revoked at POE (maybe?) if they come and visit while my petition in process. Can anyone share their experiences?

 

Each couple had already been to the US once. My parents got through immigration (CBP) fine but, when my sister and her hubby came to visit the next year, they got stuck at immigration for about 6 hours for extensive interrogation. I am worried it would hurt them the next time they come to visit and I have a petition pending.

 

Thanks in advance! Much love!

 

You made the choice when you decided to immigrate.  Don't whine about it now. You likely came as a spouse or fiance,. That person is your primary family now.

[ezzy 3]

40 minutes ago, CEE53147 said:

 

You made the choice when you decided to immigrate.  Don't whine about it now. You likely came as a spouse or fiance,. That person is your primary family now.

Lol. This seems like an attack. But rather than be triggered, I would agree. This was a choice. And, to be honest, saying that it's lonely to not have family around is a normal feeling. And I also share this feeling with his family.

 

That being said, I do have a choice and a right to reunite myself and my husband with all the family I could get. Thanks for your input, though.

 

 

3 hours ago, carmel34 said:

If visiting family members are turned away by CBP, refused entry because of the pending petition and a concern about overstaying or immigrant intent, you can always go and visit them in the Philippines. 

I would have to think hard about what to do. Unlikely things will get rolling this year but I want to be prepared with possible scenarios. 

Edited February 18, 2019 by ezzy

[SusieQQQ 11,584]

9 minutes ago, ezzy said:

Lol. This seems like an attack. But rather than be triggered, I would agree. This was a choice. And, to be honest, saying that it's lonely to not have family around is a normal feeling. And I also share this feeling with his family.

 

That being said, I do have a choice and a right to reunite myself and my husband with all the family I could get. Thanks for your input, though.

 

 

I would have to think hard about what to do. Unlikely things will get rolling this year but I want to be prepared with possible scenarios. 

Leaving family behind is the choice we all make when we immigrate.

 

And it’s not always the case that everyone wants to immigrate with us even when we reach the stage that we can sponsor family members. Especially parents - some parents are very eager to rejoin their child and do so as soon as they can , others find the thought of being uprooted from what they’ve known their entire lives to be put in an alien culture with an alien language where they may not know anyone other than their child, a highly disruptive and traumatic experience.

 

incidentally, immigration is a privilege, not a right.