lucybelle

Thanks for all the input here! She is very excited to be training (and studying) in the USA! Now we just got to get her to make the Olympic cuts! 🤪

22 hours ago, SusieQQQ said:

Hope she can make it work out. Some years back a bunch of guys from my home country got swimming scholarships to the University of Arizona and broke the Olympic & world records when they won their gold (4x100 relay).  For an athlete from a developing country with limited resources, the US holds brilliant opportunities to excel at sport.

 

 

 

Thanks so mUch for this comment! I decided to have her focus on the athletic portion of "why" she wants to go to a university in the USA. I told her to get all her medals she has won, any newspaper clipping, articles that mention her and bring them. I told her make sure the CO doing the interview understands that the scholarship she received is athletic based. I told her to say she wants to continue training in the USA with hopes to make the Olympic team and represent Ecuador in 2020.

Shes been given a tourist visa. She's been to the USA and back. They have trusted her before. She needs to prove why she needs to study outside of the USA, and this is why. Hopefully this (plus all the other stuff I told her to get together) will be what she needs!

44 minutes ago, t-ten said:

Getting an international athletic scholarship is very difficult. She must be very talented (What's she doing? basketball, volleyball, soccer, tennis or gymnastics?) After visa denial, has she contacted her team, athletic department and/or international student office of the university? They should take care of her.

She's swimming. She wants to train in the USA to try to make the Olympic team. She is quite good for her country. She contacted the university and they were basically like "there's nothing we can do" Which is true. I mean they can't force the US government to give out visas.

I also just found out she (and her family) has been granted a US tourist visa in the past. I told her to bring evidence that she has been to the US before and has retuned on time back to her home country. Would it be important to show that her family has also gone to the US and returned? Or is that not as important?

1 hour ago, Nat&Amy said:

The issue here is that the cousin might have been one of the reasons why they denied it on the basis of immigrant intent. A relative in the US willing to help them financially means that she might get that support even if she chose to stay and not return to her home country. It's an assumption that is very difficult to overcome, especially when you are 18 years old with no strong ties to your country. I don't see how the letter from the cousin will help.

Yes I was worried when I heard about the cousin. Unfortunately it's already done and we can't take back that they know about her.

52 minutes ago, Nat&Amy said:

One thing that usually makes those cases easier is when the scholarship to study abroad is granted by the applicant's local government. That does not reduce the risk of a student breaking the rules of their visa but they normally need to sign several documents that list penalties if they don't return home. At the end of the day, the only question that matters is: does this applicant have higher chances of staying in the US or returning home? The evidence and the information she provides need to make a case for the latter, and with limited financial resources, few ties to her home country and a cousin in the US, it will be hard to convince the CO of her intentions to return.

Perhaps she could apply for a loan from Ecuador? Even a small $1000 loan?

I told her to get a letter from the cousin sponsor to say why she planned on sponsoring, any though as to what it should have?

Draft:

To whom it may concern,

My name is xxxx. I am writing this letter as a sign of intent to sponsor my cousin, xxxx, during her education at xxxxx university. She has explained to me her desire to be on the athletic team and I believe her training will be superior at xxxx university. She has obtained a large athletic scholarship and informed me there is a small portion left over of a sum of $5000 per year. I am happy to help her with this amount while she is studying at xxxx university.

thank you for your time, please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions.

name

phone number

addresss

5 minutes ago, AOSFairfax said:

Yup, it sounds like you gave them the best advice. I'd say that the proof of the company the dad owns and land titles have the best shot of being helpful. It depends on the circumstances obviously, but maybe if she's been employed or has received some sort of certification in Ecuador, she can provide those as evidence that she has began working on a career there.. It's hard to prove ties when you're young (possible straight out of high school?) so I think the next best thing is to prove your parent's strong ties to the country? I'm just thinking back to when I applied and I honestly did not have anything to prove except for my dad's business and tax records. 

Yeah she's fresh out of high school. I'll ask about the certification, maybe she graduated from a technical high school.

1 minute ago, AOSFairfax said:

Also, maybe I'm wrong but aren't scholarships awarded on a yearly basis? So if they awarded her X amount for an athletic scholarship, that would be X amount every year so she wouldn't need a sponsor for the following year? At least that's how it was for my college. Is that not the case here? For the visa though, you are correct that you only need to show proof of funds for the first year.

Yeah, so they did estimated costs for 9 months to be $26,000 (including like $7000 of extra costs). She Is receiving $21,000 in scholarship. There is a chance she will be bumped to a full ride after her freshman year.

3 minutes ago, SusieQQQ said:

A letter from a family member saying he will hire her when she returns is totally meaningless. Sorry. A big company would be a different story, maybe, still no compulsion to return. As for pics with family and friends... again, that's in the past, countless people leave their past behind to look for a new life in the US. I don't want to be harsh, but I don't think anything here - even the coach letter as it is not certain she will get a full scholarship next year - helps her case.

Could she get a letter from another team saying they would hire her as a coach? Not a big company, but at least not family? Not a big improvement, but something.

I really appreciate your input. I'm trying to think what else could she prove? She's 18 so not a lot of financial investments or long term ties, ya know?

4 minutes ago, SusieQQQ said:

F1 visa holders are extemely limited as to the type of job they can undertake and the hours they can work. They are expected to show they can fund the studies without needing to work in the US.

 

 

For one year, but they would need some reassurance it was a sustainable form of income. It sounds like using up savings rather than what would be available regularly?

 

 

If she applied and paid the visa interview fee, she will get a visa interview. F visa appointments often have a quick turnaround. From what you've said the only "sign" is that she applied again?

 

 

This is a different animal. 214b is immigrant intent. This means she has to prove she will return home after completing her studies. Entirely different reason for refusal.

Thanks for all this info! Yes, I'm getting new information as we go. Above I listed what I recommended she brings to the next interview. Told her to buy an accordion folder to organize papers so She looks official. I think the cousin with money in the USA is going to be hard to overcome. But hopefully if she brings enough.... we'll see.

Any other suggestions for showing intent to return to Ecuador?

41 minutes ago, Boiler said:

So this cousin is new on the scene?

Cousin is listed on I20 as sponsor.

19 minutes ago, AOSFairfax said:

 

also wanted to add that especially if she has family in the US sponsoring her, she needs to prove strong ties to her home country and that she does not intend to use her visa to stay in the US. Unclear if such evidence was provided?

Yeah as soon as I heard the cousin in USA was sponsoring I was like NOOOOOOO. That's going to be tough to overcome. I told her to get all bank accounts, company papers that her dad owns, house and land titles in her parents names, a letter from dad saying he will hire her when she returns, letter from coach at university that she could potentially get a full scholarship for the next year and not need a sponsor, pictures with family and friends in Ecuador, letters from any local organizations she's been involved with. I'm asking my mom (was her coach in Ecuador, helped her find this university and plans to help move her in) to write a letter showing her support, but that she plans to stay in Ecuador (mom Is permanent resident there).

34 minutes ago, AOSFairfax said:

It's been a hot sec since I applied for my student visa so I don't remember the process 100% and apologies if the information is outdated. However, you are correct that she needs to provide evidence of the assets in the bank account. I remember that my family asked the bank to provide a written letter stating the balance in the account and indicating that that is enough to cover whatever costs my scholarship did not. A bank account statement would likely do the same. I assume that she would need a statement for every bank account that she would use to pay for her costs (her dad's, mom's and her own). Given how tight cash seems to be, I would also suggest providing land titles for whatever property the dad has that also states how much the property is worth. Was all of this financial information not provided at the first interview? That is a major part of the interview process..

 

On another note, I would definitely caution against family members adding their own cash "just for show," both because that is legally dubious and because the last thing you want is to have her come to the US only to realize that she does not have enough cash to cover everything here. Speaking from experience, even if all your costs are covered, life in the US can be expensive and unexpected costs do come up so it's in her best interest to really consider whether her and her family are financially prepared to make that commitment.

 

Working on an F1 can be done but it's hard. On campus jobs usually first go to USC students who have been awarded federal work study programs and then to everyone else. Adding any potential language barriers, international students tend to fall low on the priority list for on campus hiring. Off campus jobs have to be very specific to meet the appropriate work authorization requirements and can require some paperwork on the part of the employer. Although the paperwork is admittedly minimal many employers are not familiar with it / don't want to deal with it. Just my 2 cents, good luck!

Thanks!

30 minutes ago, JeanneAdil said:

my family has had 3 exchange students / one of which returned to study at Cornell

the process for visa was long even thought money was not an issue for her family

she first applied

was accepted (for the following year not the new current semester)

the college had to be on the list of SEVP appoved colleges as stated below:

Then she sent all infromation to the college's lawyer who works on the student visa as there is a lot of work to do for the student visa

she applied in the year 2007 and came as a student August 2009

 

 

Before you can apply for an F, J, or M student visa, you must first apply and be accepted by a U.S. institution of higher education that is certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP).

Even when an institution is SEVP-certified and able to issue I-20 and DS-2019 forms for use in visa applications, it may not hold national or regional accreditation. The U.S. Department of Education and Council for Higher Education Accreditation databases list accreditation status for all U.S. institutions.

Yeah she she got the I20 from the university.

15 minutes ago, Boiler said:

Why was she given a second interview?

Okay so she is reapplying and already has the interview set up for next Friday.

Got the denial paper and it was for 214b. Evidently her sponsor is a cousin in the USA who has plenty of money to cover the $5000. I told her it was sketchy that she had a rich family member in the USA and she needed to have a really good reason for why the cousin planned on sponsoring her. I told her to get house papers, land papers, etc.

4 minutes ago, Boiler said:

Begs the question how they could have refused her an interview, she paid she gets an interview.

Her first interview was today. She was denied. They gave her a second interview next week.

5 minutes ago, Boiler said:

Maybe once he has sold his assets try again?

They already gave her another interview for next week. So I'm taking that as a good sign?

3 minutes ago, Boiler said:

So they would need to show their total assets just to cover one year gap in tuition?

Yes, seems like total cash in bank would cover one year tuition. Evidently dad has additional assets in land, houses and such.

10 minutes ago, Boiler said:

Well certainly not having the money to cover the costs would be a show stopper.

Okay i just got some more information. The amount difference between the scholarship and costs is about $5000. The dad has $2000. Evidently the mom (parents are divorced) has money and the girl herself has money. Those three together will cover the $5000 and some. Would showing bank statements for those three accounts work? Since it is parents and the actual student? Or does it all need to be in one account? Does she need to show finances for just one year, or for all four years?

thanks for your help!!!!

6 minutes ago, Russ&Caro said:

I realize this won't sound very promising to you or your friend but there's really nothing to do. Her student visa application was denied and there is no appeal process nor is it very likely she would be successful if she applied again. My wife and I know of this from personal experience. Long before we decided to get married, my wife, who is from Colombia which neighbors Ecuador, applied for and was accepted by a US university. She applied for an F1 visa and was denied. Since I lived near the Canadian border, she then applied to a Canadian university and was also accepted. She applied for a Canadian student visa and was denied. Again, no appeal process and every bit of advice we received recommended not to waste further time and money attempting to apply again. Hopefully your friend can receive a good university education somewhere in South America. Best of luck to her.

Evidently she she has another interview next week? But yeah, I told her there might not be anything that can be done.

4 minutes ago, Boiler said:

So the extended family will pay for her education or this was just for show?

Extended family will not pay, it will just be for show. Which is why I said it wouldn't work. She got about 80% of costs covered through scholarships. I guess the plan was for her to get a work study job (not even sure if that's possible on her visa type) and my mom would help out a little financially as well.

sorry vague info, I don't have very much and it seems like my friend and her family were woefully underprepared for this whole process.

Hello all! A friend of the family was accepted into a US university for undergrad with an athletic scholarship and is supposed to start in one month. I was only just informed that she was denied a visa during her interview. I have (unfortunately) very little information about her application. I've done the whole CR1 and citizenship thing, but know very little about the student visa process.

After some quick research I think it's the F1 she has applied for. She was denied, I believe, because of lack of finances. She lives in Ecuador and her family has about $1500 to their name. Her extended family decided to get everyone together to deposit more money into their account, which I said would not work, i mean they're not the first people who thought of that. 

I have asked for the I-20 application and the denial letter to better understand what is going on. What should I look for? I believe I read there is a section that states expected costs minus scholarships and gives how much cash money should be in the bank. Is there anything that can be done? My parents have considered sponsoring her, but I told them that was a huge financial investment (which it is for CR1, I'm not sure the commitments for student visa?) and you have to claim her as a dependent on taxes.

Thanks in advance to this wonderful community who helped me through my process!!

Karine and Paul were living in Manaus which is a decent sized city. Not in her small hometown.

22 hours ago, Chris Duffy said:

I think in UK the beneficiary can be the sponsor

Only if the income will continue once in the USA. I applied from abroad for my foreign spouse. You either have to prove assets, income in the USA, or get a sponsor.

I am so sick of Rachel & Jon's "woe is me" speech.  Guess what Jon, when you have a criminal background there are consequences.  It's not "unfair" it's the way the world works.  Get over it and get a good lawyer.  Not one of those POS rent-a-lawyers they always have on the show that always know NOTHING about immigration.

Darcey, walk away already.  Geeze.

Paul is awful and Karine is immature.  Who would have thought getting married and having kids without speaking each other's language would be a bad idea?  I'm floored this isn't working out.🙄

Angela taking back her MAGA hat was the highlight of the night.  What a train wreck.

Marta & Daya, where do they find these people?  A little too much Islamaphobia from the mom too. "They'll kill her" really.. in Algeria?... 🤦‍♂️

Missed Tarik and Hazel this week!

7 hours ago, JFH said:

We didn't see the shoe incident so I don't know if she threw them at his head, pushed them across the floor, or what happened. But it bothers me some that he is being ridiculed (in particular on the Facebook group) for this when if a woman had claimed that a man had thrown shoes (or anything else at her) they would be fully supportive of her leaving and calling the police. I've seen people giving advice to call the police for far less serious stuff on the "effects of major changes" forum here. We have seen people wanting to divorce because the spouse checked their text messages and refused to help with the household chores. No one should have something thrown at them - man or woman. I know Jesse is an abuser but that's not the way to fight back. If Darcy really wanted him gone, there's a simpler, legal way to do that. I'm betting she paid for the Air BnB so she just needs to tell him to leave and if he doesn't, then call the police and have him removed. Throwing shoes is not the way to handle a disagreement. And if she feared for her own safety she should have left. 

 

I just wonder what the comments would would have been if she claimed that he'd thrown something at her. 

I think the issue about "shoe gate" is Jesse has already shown plenty of signs of emotional abuse. Had it been Micheal to be like "this crazy lady threw a shoe at me", I'd be like "Get out!" But Jesse is manipulative, abusive and narcissistic. This is just a new way to keep her under control.

3 hours ago, radharose said:

Oh, please let us know how the CR residency process goes.  I think my fiancé and I will do the same--return to CR after he gets citizenship.  Where in CR are you living, if you don't mind my asking?  I used to live in Montes de Oro, in Puntarenas.

We’re in Chepe.

We lived here for four years before going up to the USA. My partner just couldn’t get into it. He was homesick, and as I now am sitting in the lovely sun next to my huge avocado tree, I can see why! So we came back!

I’m actually applying for a work visa through my employer. I figure after two years I’ll apply for citizenship and be done with it.

Best wishes!!

Hey all! My partner and I did CR1 from abroad in CR and it took a ridiculously long time. We happened to apply during some backlog or whatever.

Anyways, about 1.5 years after applying we moved to the USA. We got his GC, removed conditions 2 years later, then a year after that applied for citizenship. He is now a dual citizen of CR & USA. (Full timeline in signature)

To top it all off, we moved back to CR and are now living here. I’m now applying for my residency!! I haven’t had much interaction with the huelga since I don’t have a reason to go into San Jose center right now. But going a full week without trash pickup really sucked.

11 hours ago, Chris Duffy said:

She comes from a poor family with little to no education,  I was thinking she grew up in a squatters village.  She shed a bad light on a typical pinay.    And the no sex before marriage was silly. 

 

I bet She said that to protect herself. She does not want to sleep with this guy she barely knows. That whole "I thought there were two beds" bull ! He knew it was one bed and was trying to get in her pants. Then when she's obviously uncomfortable in the situation he makes her kiss him so he won't toUch her. That is really rapey and disgusting. He's playing his power card like no other.