Can tourist visa screw up K-1, or reverse?

[minibadger 1]

My apologies if this is the wrong forum for this, but I couldn't find a better fit.

I will soon be sending in a K-1 petition for my soon-to-be fiancee, but it's been around a year since she last tried to get here on a tourist visa (to visit, not to marry --- we know that's a horrible idea) and she has a fair amount more evidence and ties since that last time, which was denied. We know that the K-1 process can and will likely be several or more months, and therefore she plans to apply for a tourist visa somewhere at the beginning of September.

We are wondering if this has the potential to screw up either the tourist visa or the K-1 visa; for example, would they be able to see that there's a K-1 on file and deny her the tourist visa, assuming she'd be trying to go there to get married illegally? Or, if she applied for a tourist visa and said she was going to visit her friends (which she is, not just me) and then the K-1 meeting arrived, would that sort of ####### on proving a past relationship, since she would/should(?) have otherwise mentioned seeing her boyfriend, not just some friends?

If the latter is so, would, in practice, stating that her intention for the tourist visit is to visit her friends and her boyfriend hamper her chances of getting the tourist visa? She's been denied repeatedly before because nobody told her they'll send you right back out the door if you try again, say, a week or two later. "You can re-apply as many times as you like," my ###.

Thanks for any help you can give, and apologies again if this is a little loosely tied to this forum.

[Cécy 44]

My apologies if this is the wrong forum for this, but I couldn't find a better fit.

I will soon be sending in a K-1 petition for my soon-to-be fiancee, but it's been around a year since she last tried to get here on a tourist visa (to visit, not to marry --- we know that's a horrible idea) and she has a fair amount more evidence and ties since that last time, which was denied. We know that the K-1 process can and will likely be several or more months, and therefore she plans to apply for a tourist visa somewhere at the beginning of September.

We are wondering if this has the potential to screw up either the tourist visa or the K-1 visa; for example, would they be able to see that there's a K-1 on file and deny her the tourist visa, assuming she'd be trying to go there to get married illegally? Or, if she applied for a tourist visa and said she was going to visit her friends (which she is, not just me) and then the K-1 meeting arrived, would that sort of ####### on proving a past relationship, since she would/should(?) have otherwise mentioned seeing her boyfriend, not just some friends?

If the latter is so, would, in practice, stating that her intention for the tourist visit is to visit her friends and her boyfriend hamper her chances of getting the tourist visa? She's been denied repeatedly before because nobody told her they'll send you right back out the door if you try again, say, a week or two later. "You can re-apply as many times as you like," my ###.

Thanks for any help you can give, and apologies again if this is a little loosely tied to this forum.

People visit their fiance on a tourism visa during the K1 process.

She should be honest if she applies for it, say that she wants to visit you because you don't want to wait for the visa to be approved to spend some time together. There is a risk however that they won't approve her, but that is with any visa application and it is up t the embassy staff.

The reasons why she was denied before might give you an idea of her chances to be approved or not.

If you think the chances to get it are strong then have her go ahead and do it, but make sure she provides enough proof that she will be coming back to her homecountry to finish the visa process: letter of employment saying when she is due back at work, appartment lease, return ticke, car ownership document, bank document, etc.

If you think the chances are low, then why don't you plan to visit her in her country? Of plan a vacation together in a country you can both have access to easily.

[Nanusia & Lukaszek 0]

My apologies if this is the wrong forum for this, but I couldn't find a better fit.

I will soon be sending in a K-1 petition for my soon-to-be fiancee, but it's been around a year since she last tried to get here on a tourist visa (to visit, not to marry --- we know that's a horrible idea) and she has a fair amount more evidence and ties since that last time, which was denied. We know that the K-1 process can and will likely be several or more months, and therefore she plans to apply for a tourist visa somewhere at the beginning of September.

We are wondering if this has the potential to screw up either the tourist visa or the K-1 visa; for example, would they be able to see that there's a K-1 on file and deny her the tourist visa, assuming she'd be trying to go there to get married illegally? Or, if she applied for a tourist visa and said she was going to visit her friends (which she is, not just me) and then the K-1 meeting arrived, would that sort of ####### on proving a past relationship, since she would/should(?) have otherwise mentioned seeing her boyfriend, not just some friends?

If the latter is so, would, in practice, stating that her intention for the tourist visit is to visit her friends and her boyfriend hamper her chances of getting the tourist visa? She's been denied repeatedly before because nobody told her they'll send you right back out the door if you try again, say, a week or two later. "You can re-apply as many times as you like," my ###.

Thanks for any help you can give, and apologies again if this is a little loosely tied to this forum.

People visit their fiance on a tourism visa during the K1 process.

She should be honest if she applies for it, say that she wants to visit you because you don't want to wait for the visa to be approved to spend some time together. There is a risk however that they won't approve her, but that is with any visa application and it is up t the embassy staff.

The reasons why she was denied before might give you an idea of her chances to be approved or not.

If you think the chances to get it are strong then have her go ahead and do it, but make sure she provides enough proof that she will be coming back to her homecountry to finish the visa process: letter of employment saying when she is due back at work, appartment lease, return ticke, car ownership document, bank document, etc.

If you think the chances are low, then why don't you plan to visit her in her country? Of plan a vacation together in a country you can both have access to easily.

I agree, the most important part is to prove ties to the home country and that you have something to return to, ie job/contract, home or condo ownership in your name, anything that would make need to come back. I heard that students in college near graduation have higher success rates for tourist visa's because the counsel beleives they'll return to finish up school & get the diploma.

Also as Cecy stated, she should be honest and say what the intent of her visit is, to visit you & friends. She doesnt have to go into details of the K1.

Good luck

[minibadger 1]

If you think the chances to get it are strong then have her go ahead and do it, but make sure she provides enough proof that she will be coming back to her homecountry to finish the visa process: letter of employment saying when she is due back at work, appartment lease, return ticke, car ownership document, bank document, etc.

If you think the chances are low, then why don't you plan to visit her in her country? Of plan a vacation together in a country you can both have access to easily.

Unfortunately, the previous times she's tried for a tourist visa, she provided the work letter with all that information, multiple bank documents, a letter of invitation from multiple friends, and notarized statements from her relatives, her grandparents of which she helps take care, and it was still denied without much of a glance at the evidence. The very first time, she said she'd met my family on the internet and wanted to visit, and it seemed she was denied for, in majority, that reason. So we e worry that they'll find any and all reasons to deny the tourist visa, such as elaborating that I'm her boyfriend. Is it really a legitimate worry that, if she simply doesn't give that information, the K-1 meeting would be put into doubt simply because of the way someone wishes to define a relationship?

As for visiting her in her home country, I already did that for three weeks in March/April, and will be going back sometime around late August. The tourist visa for her is because the more times we can see each other, the better.

I guess I'm mainly wondering if having an outstanding K-1 would hurt her chances for the tourist visa, or the reason for the tourist visa could hurt her K-1, or if denied tourist visas also hurt K-1. I've been told the latter doesn't, and I can't see why they would, either, since in my mind it proves she was trying to see me.

Thanks!

EDIT: At the time of her last tourist application, she'd also started back at college, resuming her third year, only about one year from graduation. Still denied; told her to come back perhaps once she'd passed some exams. She'll have a whopping 11 or more out of 20 done by the time she applies for this one, but I fear if she says "boyfriend" they'll just throw her out. They've been treating her like ####### there from the very start.

Edited June 30, 2008 by minibadger

[Nanusia & Lukaszek 0]

Having denied tourist visas does not affect the K1. My husband (fiance at the time) tried visiting me, and his tourist visa request was denied. We got the K1 with no prob.

[aleena 0]

My opinion is that if she really wants a tourist visa...and considering the fact that she already had refusals...she should apply before starting the K1 process.

i also had a very frustrating tourist visa refusal back in February...on the grounds that it hasn't been enough time since my return home (6 months...was previous on J1 visa)...

so i do understand your situation...

didn't have any "hidden thoughts", just wanted to visit... And yes..it does make you bitter when someone decides you can or cannot go visit...

Hope she has better luck next time and she can come visit... That makes this whole K1 process a lot easier!)

[minibadger 1]

I guess I'm wondering, too... if the K-1 petition has only gotten the first NOA and hasn't been denied or approved yet, can the foreign consulate even have a way of knowing there's a K-1 underway for my fiancee if she applies for a tourist visa, if it's just basically sitting on a shelf somewhere?

[eric_and_teresa 10]

I guess I'm wondering, too... if the K-1 petition has only gotten the first NOA and hasn't been denied or approved yet, can the foreign consulate even have a way of knowing there's a K-1 underway for my fiancee if she applies for a tourist visa, if it's just basically sitting on a shelf somewhere?

They probably wont know, but she needs to be honest about it. There is question on the DS-156 (non-immigrant visa application) that she will have to fill out when she applies for the tourist visa, that asks if she has a fiance in the U.S. so she needs to answer YES, and if asked about the K-1 she should be honest about it too.

If she qualifies to get a B-2 (tourist Visa) the fact that there is a K-1 pending wont have any effect on the approval of the B-2. I got a B-2 while my K-1 was being processed but I had been granted 2 tourist visas in the past. I brought all the K-1 papers for the B-2 interview and I wasn't asked anything about our K-1 process.

If you are willing to risk loosing the $131.00 fee give it a try.. the worst that can happen is that they might say NO, and as others have said the denial wont have any negative effect on the K-1 either.

Edited June 30, 2008 by eric_and_teresa