How hard is it to bring someone from Ghana to the USA on a tourist visa?

[CaseySF 0]

I live in San Francisco, California. I was just in Ghana visiting someone there in August. Had a great time. Now I want to invite him here, and show him my city. He said it is hard to get a tourist visa? I would formally invite him of course.

He had said it is easier to come on a fiancé visa. I'm not ready to commit to that for various reasons.

Thanks!

[aaron2020 11,651]

A formal invitation is not needed.  You are not a part of the process.  He applies for a visitor visa based on his circumstances and his ability to overcome the presumption of illegal immigration.  

It's highly unlikely that he will get a visitor visa when he's in a relationship with an American.  

[CaseySF 0]

Really? I wonder why? So he is correct that a fiancé visa is more possible.

[USS_Voyager 1,971]

10 minutes ago, CaseySF said:

I would formally invite him of course.

That is not needed. For applicants to a visitor visa B1/2, the Consular Officer places the assumption of immigration intent on the applicant (meaning they automatically assume that he will overstay his visa in the US and not returning to his country) and it is his job to convince the consular officer that he will indeed return to Ghana because of X, Y and Z (he has a house there, he has parents there, he has assets, boats, motorcycles, he has wife, husband, boyfriend, girlfriend, children, ... what have you). That's how that works. 

[USS_Voyager 1,971]

2 minutes ago, CaseySF said:

Really? I wonder why? So he is correct that a fiancé visa is more possible.

Only if you guys are truly in love and intend to get married in the US. You cannot use a fiance visa in lieu of a visitor visa. You yourself said you are not really to make that kind of commitment. 

[CaseySF 0]

It's not a case of not being in love.  It's a case of not being in the right place financially etc.

[Unlockable 7,306]

16 minutes ago, CaseySF said:

Really? I wonder why?

Nothing is needed by you. That is not how visitor visas work. Just like you don't need an invitation letter to see the Eiffel Tower or walk along the Great Wall of China, he doesn't need an invitation from you. And yes, it is difficult for single young people from Ghana to obtain a visitor visa. This is because there is a high rate of visa abusers from there. 

 

Quote

So he is correct that a fiancé visa is more possible.

What does this mean? Do you want to get married to him? If not, then don't even think about a fiance visa. One visa has nothing to do with the other. Either you want him to visit or you want to marry him.

 

It is a hard realization for many people, especially people from Western countries, but there are some people who never get a chance to visit other parts of the world.

[SalishSea 16,772]

24 minutes ago, CaseySF said:

Really? I wonder why? So he is correct that a fiancé visa is more possible.

Because historically people from his country have overstayed.

[SusieQQQ 11,584]

51 minutes ago, CaseySF said:

Really? I wonder why? So he is correct that a fiancé visa is more possible.

Well.. slightly. Ghana I believe also has a pretty high rate of refusals for fiancé visas. 

It’s not something to be pressured into so he can visit (and as someone who reads these forums a lot, that’s already a red flag to me). If you sponsor him for a fiancé visa and marry him, you are on the hook for the affidavit of support even if you split up later, so make sure you know what you are getting into. Rather offer to go visit him in Ghana if he can’t get a visitor visa here, than sponsor a fiancé visa. For that, wait until you are absolutely certain you want to marry him.

[carmel34 3,531]

Your best option is to go and visit him in Ghana or other places outside the US he can travel to and see where your relationship goes after a few more visits to be together.  If you eventually are ready to make it serious, then file for a K-1 or get married and file for a CR-1.  The fact that he has a love interest in the US will make it very difficult for him to get a B visa, especially coming from Ghana.  Unfortunately, there is no US visa for dating.  He can always apply for a B visa, but he will have to show very strong ties to return home and even then it's a long shot.  My Brazilian husband didn't even bother applying for a B visa during our dating phase for these reasons--I went and saw him a total of 10 times in our two-year long-distance relationship.  Now we're living together in the Bay Area.  Good luck to you!