Visitor Visa - Chances of Approval

[DuncanWilson 4]

Greetings,

 

I am a 21-year-old full-time master of chemistry degree student currently in year three of my five year course. My graduation year is 2021. I have organised a three week trip to Iowa from August 1 to August 22, 2019 and I’m in the process of applying for a B-1/B-2 non-immigrant visa. As I am a UK national, I qualify for an ESTA under the visa waiver program. However, it is my intention to travel back to the US more than once before I graduate, and to hike the Appalachian Trail after graduation in 2021 - which will take approximately five months months. An ESTA will not cover a five month period for hiking as it is strictly limited to 90 days without the possibility for extensions. Furthermore, as I am keen to visit the US more than once over the coming years, I don’t fancy having to renew my ESTA once it expires every two years. I have absolutely no intention of immigrating to the US. I have no relatives in the US, few friends, an elderly relative who is dependent on me at home in the UK, I have a dog and I need to be in the UK to complete my masters degree course. I understand that the Consular Officer will want to know why I am applying for a visitor visa if the duration of my trip would be more than covered by an ESTA, but as previously mentioned, my application isn’t just about this trip, it’s about making use of a visitor visa in the years ahead. I would greatly appreciate if somebody could provide a bit of advice on my situation, and whether or not they think my visa application is plausible given the situation and the documents that I possess which I have listed below: 

 

• New and old passports of mine

• Evidence that my entire immediate family live and work in the UK, including birth certificates, passports and my relation to them

• A written letter from an elderly dependent of mine, supported by medical prescriptions

• Academic registration document proving that I am a full-time masters degree student graduating in 2021

• Academic transcript

• Letter of invitation from and signed by one of the few friends I have in America (whom I will visit)

• Letter of invitation from and signed by my accommodation host 

• Conference ticket to a materials laboratory testing event at Iowa State University

• Bank statements

• Bank verification letter

• Letter from my dog carer for the period I am away from home

• Full travel itinerary with all flights, numbers of flights, airports and so on

• Receipt for my accommodation in Des Moines, Iowa

 

I have the utmost respect for the U.S. Department of State, and I’d like to submit my application in full confidence that the information I have provided is both accurate and relevant to my application. I hope members on this forum can point me in the right direction. I should add that I have never visited the US before, but I am now at a stage in my life where I am able to get up and go. It is also an ambition of mine to visit every state in the Union over my lifetime. I view this as the first step in the right direction.

 

Thank you,

 

Duncan. 

 

[aleful 1,905]

hi

 

none, nope, zero chance

 

cancel the interview and apply for ESTA. the first thing that the officer will ask you and think, why do you need a tourist visa if you can visit with an ESTA?

 

it doesn't matter your plans in the future, you can always apply for a tourist visa in the future, it's this trip what matters.

 

Most of the evidence is irrelevant, immigration doesn't care about an invitation or your dog, or even your family. you are a young man with a place to stay, you don't have a job in your country, you can stay with your friends and get a job here,

 

you said it yourself you can get up and go, you don't have strong ties to your country.

[Dashinka 23,238]

I agree with @aleful here, don't bother with a B1 application and interview as your chances will most likely be low.  Use the ESTA for your three week trip and if and when the time comes your App Trail trip comes to life, look at a B1 then as I am assuming you may be more established with stronger ties to the UK.  The other real potential here is that if you go forward with the B1 application and it is denied, you may also have issues getting an approved ESTA afterward depending on why the B1 application was denied.

 

Good Luck!

[EM_Vandaveer 2,368]

Your tourist visa application is likely to be refused. If it is refused then you lose your ESTA privileges. It's not worth that risk.

[DuncanWilson 4]

Hello all,

 

Thank you for your timely replies. So if I were to be refused a visitor visa I would by default become ineligible for an ESTA? 

 

Duncan. 

[EM_Vandaveer 2,368]

19 minutes ago, DuncanWilson said:

Hello all,

 

Thank you for your timely replies. So if I were to be refused a visitor visa I would by default become ineligible for an ESTA? 

 

Duncan. 

Yes, that's correct.

[WeGuyGal 1,052]

44 minutes ago, DuncanWilson said:

Hello all,

 

Thank you for your timely replies. So if I were to be refused a visitor visa I would by default become ineligible for an ESTA? 

 

Duncan. 

An ESTA is a privilege granted to a very few country nationals, I wouldn't squander that privilege by applying for a B2 at this stage. 

[USS_Voyager 1,971]

I agree with the others. Why bother applying now? Apply for the tourist visa at the time you actually will need it. A lot of things can change between now and 2021. 

 

Other than that, welcome to Iowa, my home state. Des Moines will be lovely in August. 

[DuncanWilson 4]

2 minutes ago, WeGuyGal said:

An ESTA is a privilege granted to a very few country nationals, I wouldn't squander that privilege by applying for a B2 at this stage. 

Thank you to everybody! I have since applied for my ESTA and shelved the DS-160. I will apply for my visa when it’s closer to my longer visit. Out of interest, will travel to and from the US on an ESTA support a future visa application as it shows you to be ‘trusted’ to return home? 

 

Thank you. 

Just now, USS_Voyager said:

I agree with the others. Why bother applying now? Apply for the tourist visa at the time you actually will need it. A lot of things can change between now and 2021. 

 

Other than that, welcome to Iowa, my home state. Des Moines will be lovely in August. 

Agreed! Yes, I’m looking forward to the state fair. I’m sure I’ll have a ball. Thank you. 

[WeGuyGal 1,052]

1 minute ago, DuncanWilson said:

Thank you to everybody! I have since applied for my ESTA and shelved the DS-160. I will apply for my visa when it’s closer to my longer visit. Out of interest, will travel to and from the US on an ESTA support a future visa application as it shows you to be ‘trusted’ to return home? 

 

It will neither support nor unsupport. 

 

Any future application will be decided on its own merit when submitted. A good travel history could be helpful. Any CO could wonder why just the interest in the US, and not other European countries if you haven't traveled anywhere else. 

[DuncanWilson 4]

4 minutes ago, WeGuyGal said:

It will neither support nor unsupport. 

 

Any future application will be decided on its own merit when submitted. A good travel history could be helpful. Any CO could wonder why just the interest in the US, and not other European countries if you haven't traveled anywhere else. 

I have visited France, Belgium, Germany, Holland, Italy, Austria, Spain and Cyprus. Some of this was done on a collective passport, however. Anyway, that’s my ESTA sorted. Thank you for the advice. 

[CappuccinoMo 48]

2 hours ago, DuncanWilson said:

Greetings,

 

I am a 21-year-old full-time master of chemistry degree student currently in year three of my five year course. My graduation year is 2021. I have organised a three week trip to Iowa from August 1 to August 22, 2019 and I’m in the process of applying for a B-1/B-2 non-immigrant visa. As I am a UK national, I qualify for an ESTA under the visa waiver program. However, it is my intention to travel back to the US more than once before I graduate, and to hike the Appalachian Trail after graduation in 2021 - which will take approximately five months months. An ESTA will not cover a five month period for hiking as it is strictly limited to 90 days without the possibility for extensions. Furthermore, as I am keen to visit the US more than once over the coming years, I don’t fancy having to renew my ESTA once it expires every two years. I have absolutely no intention of immigrating to the US. I have no relatives in the US, few friends, an elderly relative who is dependent on me at home in the UK, I have a dog and I need to be in the UK to complete my masters degree course. I understand that the Consular Officer will want to know why I am applying for a visitor visa if the duration of my trip would be more than covered by an ESTA, but as previously mentioned, my application isn’t just about this trip, it’s about making use of a visitor visa in the years ahead. I would greatly appreciate if somebody could provide a bit of advice on my situation, and whether or not they think my visa application is plausible given the situation and the documents that I possess which I have listed below: 

 

• New and old passports of mine

• Evidence that my entire immediate family live and work in the UK, including birth certificates, passports and my relation to them

• A written letter from an elderly dependent of mine, supported by medical prescriptions

• Academic registration document proving that I am a full-time masters degree student graduating in 2021

• Academic transcript

• Letter of invitation from and signed by one of the few friends I have in America (whom I will visit)

• Letter of invitation from and signed by my accommodation host 

• Conference ticket to a materials laboratory testing event at Iowa State University

• Bank statements

• Bank verification letter

• Letter from my dog carer for the period I am away from home

• Full travel itinerary with all flights, numbers of flights, airports and so on

• Receipt for my accommodation in Des Moines, Iowa

 

I have the utmost respect for the U.S. Department of State, and I’d like to submit my application in full confidence that the information I have provided is both accurate and relevant to my application. I hope members on this forum can point me in the right direction. I should add that I have never visited the US before, but I am now at a stage in my life where I am able to get up and go. It is also an ambition of mine to visit every state in the Union over my lifetime. I view this as the first step in the right direction.

 

Thank you,

 

Duncan. 

 

i have no advice, but i like how ambitious you are

wish you to realize all your dreams 

[SusieQQQ 11,584]

10 minutes ago, DuncanWilson said:

I have visited France, Belgium, Germany, Holland, Italy, Austria, Spain and Cyprus. Some of this was done on a collective passport, however. Anyway, that’s my ESTA sorted. Thank you for the advice. 

What’s a collective passport?

[DuncanWilson 4]

1 minute ago, SusieQQQ said:

What’s a collective passport?

A collective passport is one which is used by a large group to travel collectively. It speeds up border checks. As a member of the European Union, it was possible for kids from my school to travel through the continent relatively frictionlessly on a collective passport. One check at the port in France and we were off on the bus! 

[SusieQQQ 11,584]

1 minute ago, DuncanWilson said:

A collective passport is one which is used by a large group to travel collectively. It speeds up border checks. As a member of the European Union, it was possible for kids from my school to travel through the continent relatively frictionlessly on a collective passport. One check at the port in France and we were off on the bus! 

Well, that’s not really a positive (or negative) from an immigration perspective then. Travel on your own passport as an adult making your own decisions is what counts when looking at travel history, and obviously if you have (soon to be had) right to remain in the EU anyway it’s not really proof of anything.