Visitor visa for Brazilian mom to meet her grandchild

[lntdenver 42]

Hi everyone,

I have been a U.S. Citizen for a couple years now, and am pregnant with my first child due in March.  
This will be the first grandchild on my side of the family and my mom was planning on coming to help and meet her grandchild in May or June 2023. She lives in Brazil, had a visitor visa and was here visiting in January 2019. 
It turns out her visitor visa expired in November 2022 and the earliest she could schedule the interview is June 2024 where she lives, or if traveling to another city for consulate, October 2023. 

is there any way to expedite, get the visa sooner or apply for some kind of extension since she did have a valid one until recently? 
is it allowed to apply for the visa in a different country other than your home country? 

[Unlockable 7,306]

There is nothing to expedite. The process for visitor visa is already pretty fast, considering. The long wait times are because there are no available time slots. Embassy all over are backlogged. There are emergency situations where an applicant can ask for an emergency appointment. Things like operations and death of a family member and such. But your mother does not have an emergency. They will not consider her wanting to come to see you give birth an emergency. 

 

Your mother should still apply for her renewal. It may be possible for her to get a renewal without an interview. But no guarantee she will be eligible.

 

A technique that seems to work is checking available slots that are earlier than her original interview date. This requires constantly checking the interview schedule numerous times a day. 

 

Conngrats and best of luck.

Edited January 12, 2023 by Unlockable

[jostermacedo 52]

2 hours ago, lntdenver said:

Hi everyone,

I have been a U.S. Citizen for a couple years now, and am pregnant with my first child due in March.  
This will be the first grandchild on my side of the family and my mom was planning on coming to help and meet her grandchild in May or June 2023. She lives in Brazil, had a visitor visa and was here visiting in January 2019. 
It turns out her visitor visa expired in November 2022 and the earliest she could schedule the interview is June 2024 where she lives, or if traveling to another city for consulate, October 2023. 

is there any way to expedite, get the visa sooner or apply for some kind of extension since she did have a valid one until recently? 
is it allowed to apply for the visa in a different country other than your home country? 

Are you sure it takes that long to get her visa renewed? If she fulfills the following conditions, she can renew her visa without an interview:

 

To qualify for renewal, you must meet the following conditions:

• Be a Brazilian citizen or permanent resident currently in Brazil;
• Have a valid U.S. visa or one that expired within the last 48 months;
• Your previous visa was not lost, stolen, cancelled, or revoked;
• You were not refused on your last U.S. visa application;
• You have never been arrested or convicted of a crime; deported from or denied entry to the United States.

More info on Nonimmigrant Visas - U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Brazil (usembassy.gov) and click on the Renew a Visa section.

 

Joster

[Mike E 11,723]

2 hours ago, lntdenver said:

coming to help

Because of this reason, her  visa has an  elevated probability of being denied. If not denied, she has an elevated probability of being  denied entry.  
 

 

[Bh_sarah 942]

Even for renewal without the interview it's taking a lot of time from scheduling to dropping the documents at the visa center.

 

My parents just renewed their tourist visa (it expired in October 2021 I think). They applied for renewal in April 2022 and only managed to find an available date in January 2023 for dropping their documents in São Paulo (interview waived). We kept checking the website all the time to try to find an earlier date but only found one in December (one month ahead of the previous date). They got their passport/visa back after 2 weeks.

 

I heard it's best to check on early morning times (midnight to 5AM), that's when there might be earlier dates available, but I'm not sure if this is valid or not. Also if this is a huge priority, maybe renewing it through a visa agent ("despachante") can work out as they probably know how to schedule earlier/get earlier dates. Unfortunately I can't vouch for this either, just word on the street. 

 

And I'd say refrain from ever using the word "help" here and anywhere. I know that this kind of help is not work – it's not like you are bringing her to US so you can save on babysitters – but as you can see from the replies, this term gets super misunderstood here. I guess it's cultural and some other cultures don't really understand why you would need help from your relatives, especially parents (even if just emotional help) when you give birth/have a newborn. I don't get it as well, but just a suggestion to refrain from using this word when it's just your mom meeting your child and providing you maternal support.

Edited January 12, 2023 by Bh_sarah

[lntdenver 42]

On 1/12/2023 at 1:42 PM, Bh_sarah said:

Even for renewal without the interview it's taking a lot of time from scheduling to dropping the documents at the visa center.

 

My parents just renewed their tourist visa (it expired in October 2021 I think). They applied for renewal in April 2022 and only managed to find an available date in January 2023 for dropping their documents in São Paulo (interview waived). We kept checking the website all the time to try to find an earlier date but only found one in December (one month ahead of the previous date). They got their passport/visa back after 2 weeks.

 

I heard it's best to check on early morning times (midnight to 5AM), that's when there might be earlier dates available, but I'm not sure if this is valid or not. Also if this is a huge priority, maybe renewing it through a visa agent ("despachante") can work out as they probably know how to schedule earlier/get earlier dates. Unfortunately I can't vouch for this either, just word on the street. 

 

And I'd say refrain from ever using the word "help" here and anywhere. I know that this kind of help is not work – it's not like you are bringing her to US so you can save on babysitters – but as you can see from the replies, this term gets super misunderstood here. I guess it's cultural and some other cultures don't really understand why you would need help from your relatives, especially parents (even if just emotional help) when you give birth/have a newborn. I don't get it as well, but just a suggestion to refrain from using this word when it's just your mom meeting your child and providing you maternal support.

Thank you so much for your input!!! Very helpful!!! 

[SalishSea 16,810]

On 1/12/2023 at 3:59 AM, lntdenver said:

Hi everyone,

I have been a U.S. Citizen for a couple years now, and am pregnant with my first child due in March.  
This will be the first grandchild on my side of the family and my mom was planning on coming to help and meet her grandchild in May or June 2023. She lives in Brazil, had a visitor visa and was here visiting in January 2019. 
It turns out her visitor visa expired in November 2022 and the earliest she could schedule the interview is June 2024 where she lives, or if traveling to another city for consulate, October 2023. 

is there any way to expedite, get the visa sooner or apply for some kind of extension since she did have a valid one until recently? 
is it allowed to apply for the visa in a different country other than your home country? 

If she’s coming here to suddenly change plans and adjust status, just petition her properly.

[lntdenver 42]

14 hours ago, Jorgedig said:

If she’s coming here to suddenly change plans and adjust status, just petition her properly.

She is definitely going back after a 4 week visit. She owns her business and has a lot going on in Brazil. Just trying to come meet her first grandchild.  

[lntdenver 42]

On 1/12/2023 at 7:54 AM, Mike E said:

Because of this reason, her  visa has an  elevated probability of being denied. If not denied, she has an elevated probability of being  denied entry.  
 

 

Wow. That seems a little harsh for just coming to visit her daughter and son in law after 3 years. And to meet her first and only grandchild. 

[jostermacedo 52]

3 minutes ago, lntdenver said:

Wow. That seems a little harsh for just coming to visit her daughter and son in law after 3 years. And to meet her first and only grandchild. 

Keyword to use is "visit" and "meet" her grandchild. Don't use the word "help".

 

 

[Mike E 11,723]

9 minutes ago, lntdenver said:

Wow. That seems a little harsh for just coming to visit her daughter and son in law after 3 years. And to meet her first and only grandchild. 

 

On 1/12/2023 at 4:59 AM, lntdenver said:

my mom was planning on coming to help

Your  story has changed.  You led with the above.  “Help” is work. A B-2 visa is not a working visa.  
 

 

[lntdenver 42]

18 minutes ago, Mike E said:

 

Your  story has changed.  You led with the above.  “Help” is work. A B-2 visa is not a working visa.  
 

 

It has not changed. I meant “Help” as in “I’m a first time mom and have no clue what I’m doing” or “hey mom can you watch the baby  so I can take a shower?” 😂 

But thanks for your input anyway 

[Mike E 11,723]

4 minutes ago, lntdenver said:

hey mom can you watch the baby  so I can take a shower?”

Your mom’s B-2 visa doesn’t cover that use.  
 

I’m out. 

[OldUser 4,926]

11 hours ago, lntdenver said:

Wow. That seems a little harsh for just coming to visit her daughter and son in law after 3 years. And to meet her first and only grandchild. 

Unfortunately, DHS and US immigration system in general is harsh. Mike E only gave you a preview of a cold shower your mother may receive at US Embassy or from CBP while trying to enter the States with intent of helping you with a newborn.

Edited January 18, 2023 by OldUser