Petitioning my older sister

[sister4ever 0]

Let me start by saying hello everyone here, my mom wanted to petition my older sister to come here as a tourist. I am just wondering do my mom need to write an invitation letter to the US immigration or not? And what are the requirements to file for a tourist visa? Is it true that you cannot petition your married daughter?

[madtownguy 164]

I'm curious about your question too. How easy is it to file for a tourist visa for a family memember if a USC is married to someone in the family? By easy I mean feasible?

[belinda63 3,031]

A relative has nothing to do with a person receiving a tourist visa. The person wanting the tourist visa must apply for themselves and show strong ties to the home country to prove they will not remain in the US. An person applying for a tourist visa is considered to have immigrant intent and it is up to the applicant to prove they will not remain in the US.

The relative can write a letter stating they will be providing a place to stay for the tourist, etc. but it has little to no affect on whether the visa is granted.

[Dave&Roza 748]

Let me start by saying hello everyone here, my mom wanted to petition my older sister to come here as a tourist. I am just wondering do my mom need to write an invitation letter to the US immigration or not? And what are the requirements to file for a tourist visa? Is it true that you cannot petition your married daughter?

Your sister must qualify for the tourist visa all by herself. No help from anyone is required or needed and in the case of a USC or US LPR relative it may actually hurt her chances. The Consulate/Embassy looks at all tourists as potential immigrants. As a result of this, the applicant must prove that they will return to their home country and not use the tourist visa as a means to gain entry to the US and then stay. So your sister must have very strong ties to the PI to show that it would cause her economic and emotional hardship to remain in the US and that she will return to the PI. Having a Mother in the US will make it very hard for her to get a tourist visa. The only way to know for sure is for your sister to apply for the tourist visa and see what happens. She will only be out the visa fee if denied.

Good luck,

Dave

[Darnell 8,478]

Visa Officer at Tourist Visa Interview: I see your letter of invitation from your mother in the USA. She wants to sponser you, as you have no ties to the RoP. Sorry, we're going to deny your Tourist Visa Application.

[madtownguy 164]

Visa Officer at Tourist Visa Interview: I see your letter of invitation from your mother in the USA. She wants to sponser you, as you have no ties to the RoP. Sorry, we're going to deny your Tourist Visa Application.

Did this actually happen to you? Just curious. Do you think if someone is married and their spouse stays behind that is enough to tie them to a country? I guess the only way to find out is to file for a tourist visa. Maybe being the USC if I write a letter saying we just want her sister to visit, I guarantee she will not overstay and if she does I will tie her up and push her out to sea on a small dingy. They'd have to grant a tourist visa then, maybe I better draw a picture too illustrating it. They like pictures.

[Hank_ 9,174]

[Caryh 5,206]

Did this actually happen to you? Just curious. Do you think if someone is married and their spouse stays behind that is enough to tie them to a country? I guess the only way to find out is to file for a tourist visa. Maybe being the USC if I write a letter saying we just want her sister to visit, I guarantee she will not overstay and if she does I will tie her up and push her out to sea on a small dingy. They'd have to grant a tourist visa then, maybe I better draw a picture too illustrating it. They like pictures.

Sounds like a planned attempt to use VAWA so the sister is allowed to stay, denied

I'm not sure how much weight the put on immediate family. My wife had a friend who tried multiple times to get a tourist visa and was denied every time until she had already spent time working abroad and returned to the Philippines. She had four kids and a husband, plus owned a home there. But her husband was a seaman and often in the USA. Which is why she wanted the visa, as he was an officer on the ship, his wife could travel with if she could get the visa. She finally got it on the fourth attempt.

I've never seen any clear instructions or guide on what will get a tourist visa for a Filipino.

Edited March 26, 2013 by Caryh

[Darnell 8,478]

seriously, to get a tourist visa to the USA from the US Embassy Manila, NIV section,.

one must show strong ties to the RoP at the interview.

http://manila.usembassy.gov/wwwhniv5.html

pay particular attention to:

For business and tourist visas (B-1/B-2), each applicant must qualify under section 214(b) of the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), which states:

"Every alien shall be presumed to be an immigrant until he establishes to the satisfaction of the officer, at the time of the application for a visa . . . that he is entitled to nonimmigrant status . . .”

Essentially, the visa officer is looking to see that the applicant has compelling reasons to return to the Philippines. By law, the burden of proof is on the applicant to show that he or she qualifies for the visa. This proof may come in many forms, but when considered together, it must be strong enough for the interviewing officer to conclude that one’s ties to the Philippines will bring him/her back at the end of a temporary stay in the United States.

Edited March 26, 2013 by Darnell

[apple21 953]

Let me start by saying hello everyone here, my mom wanted to petition my older sister to come here as a tourist. I am just wondering do my mom need to write an invitation letter to the US immigration or not? And what are the requirements to file for a tourist visa? Is it true that you cannot petition your married daughter?

Just to clear things a little bit. You don't "petition" for someone to get a tourist visa. The term "petition" is most commonly heard from people who have filed for their family members to immigrate and live permanently in the US, not for "just visiting" purposes.

If your sister intends to VISIT the US, she must apply for a tourist visa known as the B2 visa. She must qualify based on her own merits. The "invitation letter" from your mother means nothing to the consul officer. She will need to provide STRONG TIES to the Philippines by showing that she has a stable and high earning job, a business, properties under her name (car, land, house, condo, stocks/bonds) and her own money/bank savings.

Source: http://manila.usembassy.gov/wwwhniv7.html

[PhiLandShiR 18]

"Every alien shall be presumed to be an immigrant until he establishes to the satisfaction of the officer, at the time of the application for a visa . . . that he is entitled to nonimmigrant status . . .”

Interesting... My Father-in-Law has an immigrant visa guaranteed as his daughter is a USC. My Mother-in-Law has been petitioned by my wife and that process is going well. My FiL is not overly interested in living in this country but would like to visit his grandchildren. My MiL is comming over to help with the children for a few years with my FiL's blessing. MiL may stay long enough to get USC but I expect she will want to spend her last days back in RoP.

What are the chances that my FiL can get a tourist visa?

Just thinking out loud...

-P

[Dave&Roza 748]

"Every alien shall be presumed to be an immigrant until he establishes to the satisfaction of the officer, at the time of the application for a visa . . . that he is entitled to nonimmigrant status . . ."

Interesting... My Father-in-Law has an immigrant visa guaranteed as his daughter is a USC. My Mother-in-Law has been petitioned by my wife and that process is going well. My FiL is not overly interested in living in this country but would like to visit his grandchildren. My MiL is comming over to help with the children for a few years with my FiL's blessing. MiL may stay long enough to get USC but I expect she will want to spend her last days back in RoP.

What are the chances that my FiL can get a tourist visa?

Just thinking out loud...

-P

With a wife, daughter, SIL, and grandchild already in the US, I would say it is almost nil. He would have to have a good paying job, or property he would loose if he stayed in the US. You can try, but do not expect him to receive a tourist visa.

Dave

[PhiLandShiR 18]

I don't understand that...

He has a visa any time he wants but he only wants to visit. Not live here.

-P

With a wife, daughter, SIL, and grandchild already in the US, I would say it is almost nil. He would have to have a good paying job, or property he would loose if he stayed in the US. You can try, but do not expect him to receive a tourist visa.

Dave

[sunandmoon 450]

I don't understand that...

He has a visa any time he wants but he only wants to visit. Not live here.

-P

being eligible for an immmigrant visa and obtaining a tourist visa are two totally separete issues. he can apply for a tourist visa, but obtaining it is not guaranteed. he has to prove to the CO that he intends to return to the Philippines.

Edited March 26, 2013 by sunandmoon

[sister4ever 0]

Just to clear things a little bit. You don't "petition" for someone to get a tourist visa. The term "petition" is most commonly heard from people who have filed for their family members to immigrate and live permanently in the US, not for "just visiting" purposes.

If your sister intends to VISIT the US, she must apply for a tourist visa known as the B2 visa. She must qualify based on her own merits. The "invitation letter" from your mother means nothing to the consul officer. She will need to provide STRONG TIES to the Philippines by showing that she has a stable and high earning job, a business, properties under her name (car, land, house, condo, stocks/bonds) and her own money/bank savings.

Source: http://manila.usembassy.gov/wwwhniv7.html

Sorry for the confusion there, I am talking about two separate visa. One is tourist visa which I know that you dont need to petition, and the other one is Immigrant visa(Petition for Alien Relative) since my mom and dad is here. I read somewhere that parent cannot petition their married daughter over 21 years old. That is why I ask also the tourist visa, maybe that is the best option.