Tourist Visa VS LPR

[TripleJRobinson 0]

My husband and I want my mom to come to the US. However, my mother is not sure whether she would like to stay here for good. Would a tourist visa be better than an application for legal permanent residency (green card)? Also, in terms of cost, how much will it cost to get a tourist visa VS petition her to come here and what are the other pros and cons of one over the other?

[payxibka 10,045]

3 minutes ago, TripleJRobinson said:

My husband and I want my mom to come to the US. However, my mother is not sure whether she would like to stay here for good. Would a tourist visa be better than an application for legal permanent residency (green card)? Also, in terms of cost, how much will it cost to get a tourist visa VS petition her to come here and what are the other pros and cons of one over the other?

A tourist visa costs about $165

 

A residency visa is about $1100 to $1200 plus the cost of a medical exam

[Adventine 3,201]

A tourist visa is much easier to get and requires less paperwork and is less expensive, as mentioned above.

 

A green card is more expensive, requires much more paperwork, and takes longer to obtain. It's not the right choice for someone who isn't 100% decided about living in the States.

 

[TripleJRobinson 0]

@Adventine, that makes sense. However, one of my biggest apprehensions about going the tourist visa route is the likelihood of her fulfilling the requirements. She has no money in the bank and her only asset is her house. She has no work and she does not have a binding economic ties to the Philippines. I feel like she will be refused the tourist visa on those accounts. What is your opinion on this?

[Boiler 45,658]

How would she fund living in the US?

[Adventine 3,201]

21 minutes ago, TripleJRobinson said:

@Adventine, that makes sense. However, one of my biggest apprehensions about going the tourist visa route is the likelihood of her fulfilling the requirements. She has no money in the bank and her only asset is her house. She has no work and she does not have a binding economic ties to the Philippines. I feel like she will be refused the tourist visa on those accounts. What is your opinion on this?

 

From your description, your mother's situation does not look that favorable. However, parents with similar circumstances have gotten tourist visas before. You will only be able to know for sure when she applies. 

 

Worst case scenario, if the tourist visa is denied, you lose the USD 165 and whatever time/money was spent for the interview. Still seems a better tradeoff than the amount of time and money you would spend on a green card application, especially as the applicant isn't even decided about relocating to the States.

[TripleJRobinson 0]

@Adventine, you have a good point. My husband agrees with you and I do too. I just need to know - if she gets the tourist visa, how much time is she allowed to stay here (US)? And does she need to keep getting a visa if she decides to come back?

[Ryan H 3,812]

***Thread locked in favor of existing thread linked below; do not start any new threads on this question.***

 

https://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/757080-help-me-bring-my-mom-to-the-us/