Clarification abt immigration entry (Merged Threads)

[samneil10 6]

hi everyone 

  

so i am an indian citizen staying in bahrain and i have travelled twice to the US so i guess i will qualify for an interview waiver. 

my previous application 9yrs ago i had mentioned that my dad was paying for the trip however this time i will mention myself so my query is whether I will still be called for an interview or asked to submit bank statement inspite of a waiver since the person paying for the trip has changed now? 

also i receive salary checks instead of bank transfer (which is more common here) which i deposit in ny bank account. will. it be an issue for being recognized as a source of income. i have payslips and salary certificate. it's a family owned business. 

 

help will be appreciated 

Edited November 4, 2023 by Crazy Cat

[MaxP22 186]

A waiver is not guaranteed, it depends on the local consulate where you are applying. You say you are staying in Bahrain, I'm assuming you are planning to apply there? Unless you are a legal permanent resident there then highly doubt you will get an interview waiver.

 

Nobody knows whether they will ask for more information - you need to apply and find out. Take whatever documents you think may be needed at the interview - but don't expect to be asked for them, I certainly wasn't.

[samneil10 6]

i m a permanent resident of Bahrain n hv  travel history to places like Malaysia Singapore russia uae kuwait africa turkey sri lanka Georgia Indonesia china Egypt and usa

[samneil10 6]

can someone give me more insight? 

[NorthByNorthwest 323]

It is not relevant who pays for your trip, B1/B2 is purely based on how strong your ties are to your home country/country of residence. Unless you lived in Bahrain the last time you applied for a visa chances  are you will need an interview based on your current circumstances. I'm sure it's a positive that you've had visas in the past and have a history of properly returning from those trips, but anything beyond that is speculation.

[samneil10 6]

i have lived almost my entire life here and been working with my dad's firm since the past 20 yrs. so my employer is also the same. hope those ties are relevant enough. also i get paid by check which i deposit in ny savings account. hope salary by cheque isn't an issue 

Edited November 1, 2023 by Mzk279

[VinnyH 59]

17 minutes ago, Mzk279 said:

i have lived almost my entire life here and been working with my dad's firm since the past 20 yrs. so my employer is also the same. hope those ties are relevant enough. also i get paid by check which i deposit in ny savings account. hope salary by cheque isn't an issue 

Those are most likely irrelevant details (how the salary gets paid). The truth is that even the balance of your bank accounts are irrelevant (you can quickly transfer money).

 

Under U.S. Immigration laws, you are automatically considered/presumed to have immigrant intent, and the burden is on you to prove otherwise to the Consular Officer during the interviews.

 

Again, documents are generally irrelevant and you can bring them, but the CO is not obligated to look at them. This is because documents can be falsified/forged, not verifiable and/or not enforceable. Most of the times, if you can articulate clearly why you need to travel (tourist or business) with motivated reasons, have a clear plan for your travel that makes sense, explain things simply and have a body language that is in line with what you say, half of the work is done.

 

In your favor, you have a history of your travels and the (wise) usage of your previous visa that shows you didn't overstay or did not make too many frequent and long duration trips that could be appear suspicious in that you are trying to circumvent the purpose of a B1/B2 visa.

 

The fact that you can prove you have a stable job generating a stable stream of income, own some property, have a life established in Bahrain with family with friends will be the last criterion.

 

To prove all of the above, you can have documentation with you but if the way you explain is clear and not confused, your body language is the best lie detector, you might not even need to show those documents.

 

COs are trained to read people in their voice and body language.

 

 

[samneil10 6]

yea i have strong ties here. i think bahrain is a low risk country for potential immigrant behavior. so will i qualify for a waiver and ur saying it shudnt matter who's paying for the trip as long as i have  clean profile and no history of overstay? 

[NorthByNorthwest 323]

17 minutes ago, Mzk279 said:

yea i have strong ties here. i think bahrain is a low risk country for potential immigrant behavior. so will i qualify for a waiver and ur saying it shudnt matter who's paying for the trip as long as i have  clean profile and no history of overstay? 

 

Nobody is saying you will or will not get an interview waiver, that process can differ slightly by country and the DS-160 application system will typically tell you if you qualify based on your answers as you put in the application.

 

For Bahrain these appear to be the basic requirements: (from ustraveldocs.com)

• The applicant and everyone applying with him/her is a citizen or resident of Bahrain.
• The applicant is currently present in Bahrain.
• The applicant and everyone applying with him/her, have a previous visa in the same category (except children under 14).
•  

• The applicant IS applying to renew a B1/B2 visa that has not been expired for more than 48 months.

• The applicant and everyone applying with him/her have a prior 5-year (or full-validity for your nationality), B1/B2 US visa.

• The applicant most recent visa issued after June 27, 2007.

• The applicant and everyone applying with him/her do not have any US visa refusals after the expiration of an issued B1/B2 visa.
• The applicant visa, and the visa of everyone applying with him/her, still valid or has expired within the past 48 months.

[samneil10 6]

thanks. I have read the details on the website usatraveldocs. 

here majority of the people dont get an interview call if qualified for waiver. Just drop box. 

i was just enquiring  if my payment of the trip this time is a significant change (as compared to previously where my dad had paid) to be called for an interview an even if i do i have my bank statement and salary slips. but is check salary considered appropriate for the usa embassy or ahud it be bank transfer? 

Edited November 1, 2023 by Mzk279

[Cathi 5,740]

Just because you have strong ties to Bahrain, does not equal a b1/b2 to the U.S. You're an Indian citizen, India is one of the most difficult countries to obtain a visitor visa from, it's based on you citizenship. You can thank those from your country who have gone before you and abused their visitor visas, for that. No one can answer whether or not you'll have an interview, it's on a case by case basis. 

[samneil10 6]

i also would like to knw something else. i recently traveled to Boston . at the immigration i got asked the usual questions but when asked abt travel plans i said i always wanted to study at MIT but i couldn't get in so i always wanted to see the place. he asked me if i wanted to study or get admission n i said no. so i was handed my passport n let in. so will it be an issue in the future for renewal or was it just a casual conversation. he also said i shud try fr MIT before i left. 

hope my conversations not recorded or shared with the embassy back home. 

Edited November 2, 2023 by Mzk279

[OldUser 6,452]

1 hour ago, Mzk279 said:

i also would like to knw something else. i recently traveled to Boston . at the immigration i got asked the usual questions but when asked abt travel plans i said i always wanted to study at MIT but i couldn't get in so i always wanted to see the place. he asked me if i wanted to study or get admission n i said no. so i was handed my passport n let in. so will it be an issue in the future for renewal or was it just a casual conversation. he also said i shud try fr MIT before i left. 

hope my conversations not recorded or shared with the embassy back home. 

Even if this is shared with embassy, I don't see how this could be a problem. Seeing MIT or studying at MIT is not an immigrant intent.

[samneil10 6]

i guess so. MIT is quite a prestigious place for anyone to say they dreamt of studying there.i think if my talking abt it was in issue i wouldn't have been let out or subjected to a secondary verification. 

just wanted some feedback. 

and having traveled twice helps to renew before visa expires i assume. 

m not really sure if i wud  get called for interview since i asked most of the people who renewed their visas. my only change from the previous application is that i will be paying for the trip this time. some never got asked for a bank statement even the first time in the interview even though they carried it along. 

i think they are more concerned with overstayers. 

Edited November 3, 2023 by Mzk279

[samneil10 6]

i recently traveled to new jersey. this is my second trip on my ten year visa. so at the immigration i. got asked a few questions about why i was here, my work life back home in Bahrain, etc (i am an indian citizen by the way). so when i was asked abt my travel plans i sort of said i always wanted to study at MIT but i couldn't get in so i finished my software engineering in india and now i wanted to see the place. he asked me if i wanted to study or get an admission to which i denied and said its not possible. he handed over my passport and before i left he said i shud try. i exited the country 2 weeks later. 

i have been thinking abt it ever since if he entered something or flagged me in the system that would show up at the US embassy here. will it be an issue when i apply for renewal? or am i just overthinking? 

Edited November 4, 2023 by Mzk279