@thepier

On 2/24/2018 at 2:53 PM, E_G said:

Just wanted to share my recent experience - I entered via Stewart airport (New York) on the Thursday the 22nd  Feb- I was incredibly nervous and had been fretting the entire flight about being refused entry and sent back! I had prepared and brought a letter from my employer stating the date I was returning to work - anyway, the interaction went as follows:

Me: Hi

Officer: How long are you visiting for?

Me: I fly back on Monday the 26th

Officer: What do you do for work?

Me: *states employer and job title*

Officer: Enjoy your stay

 

All that fretting for two questions!! 

I went through the same thing. Almost had a panic attack on my way there, I kept imagining all the possible scenarios just to be prepared. The officer asked me why I was visiting, when i was flying back and how much money I had with me. That was all. but it is a good thing to be prepared. Have a save return.

2 hours ago, peterad said:

Hi everyone,

 

Just been approved my B2 tourist visa to go see my fiance for a motnh or so.

 

I applied at the Nairobi embassy as a Kenyan and went in shitting myself becasue of some feedback here, went with lots of evidence of ties to home country etc.

 

I was simply asked:

-have you been to usa before?

-where have yout ravelled before?

-why are you coming?

-who will you stay with?

-How long?

-do you have a job?

-how long have you had it?

Finally she ended by warning me not to overstay or I will jeopardise my K1.

 

I made it clear I am doing the k1 process and I just miss my fiance who cant get time off to come to kenya. 

 

If anyone is considering applying for a visa, DO IT. Its worth the risk of $160 application fee.

 

Thanks for the advice guys!

Wow congratulations. I just returned from visiting my fiance for 9 days.  The whole thing at the airport went smoothly.  Hope you have a great time with your loved one

17 hours ago, peterad said:

I have gone from being overconfident in going, to being absolutely terrified yesterday, to now being slightly confident hearing your case.

I will go well prepared and as you say, its just an application so worth the risk of losing the application fee.

Thank you, you've given me some encouragement to give it a shot! Good luck with your whole process!

I understand you completely, many times I found myself going from "I will apply" to "I better not". I finally made my mind with the help of my fiance. He spoke to a lawyer just to make sure if we were doing the right thing. He said that the US Embassy understands that couples want to visit. They don't see it as a crime, they just don't want you to stay illegally . Good luck with everything, I hope you get it.

18 hours ago, peterad said:

Thank you for your advice. I really had my hopes up but didn;t consider all of you are from countries with visa waivers.

 

I guess my only option is to apply and be truthful at the interview. Guess I will need to show as kmuch as I can that will tie me back to Kenya including bank accounts, employment, return ticket.... Probably going to be another 5 months before I get the K1 approved so seeing her soon would be a godsend.

 

Thanks for the advice and hopefully someone from a non-visa waiver country sees this.

Hello. I had the same fear as you.  I was hesitant about applying for a tourist Visa. I am from Costa Rica and already have a k1 process pending. Last week I applied for the the tourist and I said i was planning on visiting my fiance. He asked when we were getting married and I said " we dont know, we are waiting for the k1 visa" he did not ask me anything else and my Visa was approved without any problems. If you want to apply I would say go for it just don't lie. Be very honest. The worst thing that can happen is they say no. I took with me bank statements, letter from work, birth certificate of my son (he is a minor), vacation schedule from work but I did not need any of it. Go prepared and just be very honest. Wish you the best. 

On 5/10/2007 at 3:39 PM, Michele and Adam said:

I'm sure all the vets on this board are tired of this daily question, but keep in mind that dozens of people are just starting this process every day, and the "can I visit while the application is pending?" question is one, if not the, most pressing matters to most of them.

Information about this is all over this site, but scattered. I for one am a person who likes to hear personal experiences too, so I can make a decision based on what others in my similar situation have gone through.

The answer is yes, visits are allowed. But whether you will actually be admitted lies entirely in the hands of the officer questioning you upon entry. And face it, hearing you've got a sweetheart you're intending to/have married waiting for you in the US is going to set off a "he/she is just going to stay here forever" bell to that officer. It's your job to convince that officer that you have a life back in your home country that you fully intend, and will, go back to.

Anyway, I'm hoping people will post their experiences visiting the USC before and during the visa journey. I'm sure that all of us do visit legally, and do leave when we're supposed to. So, is there anything that worked for you? Hindered you? If you were ever denied, why? Were you able to remedy the situation and try again?

Going through customs can make your stomach turn, and make you feel like a criminal even though you've done nothing wrong. So, let's try to calm each other down and tell each other our experiences. I think we'll find that most of us are admitted (albeit with a little hassle, perhaps).

Vets, maybe this will cut down on having to answer the question 5 times a day!

Michele

I have a question and hopefully someone here has some info. I am in the process of getting my K1 Visa and in the meantime I plan to go  visit my fiance. I heard that if you travel to the States with a Tourist visa that can delay the K1 process, like somehow it's put on hold.  Is this correct? I don't want to travel if that means that the k1 is going to take longer.