B-2 success rate for Russians -> USA?

[Salsa Shark 0]

Hello,

I have always been under the impression that it would generally be a fool's journey for a single Russian woman to apply for a tourist visa for the US.

However, I was reviewing the visa statistics ("Report of the Visa Office 2009") and am now thoroughly confused.

http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/frvi/stat...stics_4594.html

Buried in here is a table that lists the refusal rates for each country. For Russia, this number is only 4.9%.

That means there were 111,946 applications for B1/B2 or B2 visas, with 106,461 B1/B2 and B2 issued out of Moscow in 2009.

Does that sound right? There were over 4.5 million B1/B2 and B2 visa applications covering all countries in 2009. Around 75% of those were approved.

The only countries with a higher number of B1/B2 and B2 visas issued were

China - 15.6% refusal rate for mainland, 4.4% for Taiwan, 466,946 visas issued

India - 28.7% refusal, 286,073 issued

Israel - 5.1% refusal, 122,148 issued

Argentina - 3.3% refusal, 118,850 issued

Brazil - 7.0% refusal, 425,550 issued

Colombia - 27.3% refusal, 185,190 issued

Venezuela - 18.3% refusal, 108,893 issued

What am I missing? Is the success rate really this high? I went back to 2006 and the refusal rate for Russia was still only 15.3%.

[slim 1,530]

It used to be a fool's journey but today it's almost a given that someone will be issued a tourist visa provided they have a valid reason to visit and a valid reason to go home.

[Waitinggent 2]

Last week I met a Russian woman who has lived in the USA for 10 years. Her daughter had visited her twice on tourist visas previously, but her most recent visa request was rejected. I had always assumed that once you get your first visa, and don't violate it, that future visas are no problem. Maybe the US is getting tougher again. Certainly no conclusions can be drawn from one instance, but I had always heard that it wasn't necessarily so easy for Russians to get a visa to the USA as Slim seems to think - especially for young, single Russian women.

[AKguy 1]

My SO prepared well with supporting documentation linking her to her home city and was able to secure a 1 year tourist visa. It's doable.

[Salsa Shark 0]

My SO prepared well with supporting documentation linking her to her home city and was able to secure a 1 year tourist visa. It's doable.

Out of curiosity, was it clear to the embassy that she had a SO who was a US citizen?

I've been involved with my SO for almost two years now--we've previously vacationed in Prague, Egypt and the Bahamas. I would like her to visit the US as well (she was previously here in 2004 on a student visa, but a different part of the country). The intent is to have her meet my family and talk to the admissions departments at a few local universities to see what credits from her Russian studies will transfer. It is also an attempt to judge if we should proceed with a K-1/K-3/CR-1 visa application down the line.

My concern is giving the embassy the impression of "dual intent". I have no desire to commit fraud--the purpose of her visit is to ultimately return home and, if we decide to take the next step together, file the appropriate paperwork, wait for the interview in Moscow and take the opportunity to meet her family as well.

Is full disclosure truly the best approach, or is a more conservative angle a better one to take?

[AKguy 1]

Good question that I forgot to address.

No, nothing about me was ever mentioned intentionally.

I don't advocate not telling the whole truth, we did what was right for us, so it's up to you on what you should do here.

[sachinky 465]

Single women recent college graduates with no secure job or property are considered to be "flight risks." They're usually not given tourist visas unless they can prove overwhelming evidence that would compel them to return to the home country.

[Salsa Shark 0]

Yes, that was my understanding as well, but a 4.9% rejection rate either means they're lightening up or single Russian women make up a very small minority of the B1/B2 and B2 visa applications...

Edited January 25, 2010 by Salsa Shark

[SMR 368]

Out of curiosity, was it clear to the embassy that she had a SO who was a US citizen?

I've been involved with my SO for almost two years now--we've previously vacationed in Prague, Egypt and the Bahamas. I would like her to visit the US as well (she was previously here in 2004 on a student visa, but a different part of the country). The intent is to have her meet my family and talk to the admissions departments at a few local universities to see what credits from her Russian studies will transfer. It is also an attempt to judge if we should proceed with a K-1/K-3/CR-1 visa application down the line.

My concern is giving the embassy the impression of "dual intent". I have no desire to commit fraud--the purpose of her visit is to ultimately return home and, if we decide to take the next step together, file the appropriate paperwork, wait for the interview in Moscow and take the opportunity to meet her family as well.

Is full disclosure truly the best approach, or is a more conservative angle a better one to take?

My understanding of your post is that no matter what happens, she is intending to return home. You are planning to use a visitor's visa for what it was intended: a visit. There is no fraud there.

She may or may not apply for another visa later. If they ask about future intentions, she can answer honestly that she intends to return home. She's coming to visit friends and explore the city.

My opinion is there is no reason for what you are calling "full disclosure." You tell them the relevant details. If they don't ask, it isn't relevant.

Another way of thinking about this: there is no risk to not telling them about you unless she has to directly lie in order to do so. As long as she doesn't lie and doesn't violate the terms of her visa, she isn't committing fraud. If she doesn't talk about you, she has a better chance of getting the visa. Conclusion, do whatever possible to increase your chances of getting the visa as long as it doesn't require you to commit fraud.

The one caveat to this is that if you do get the visa, be very careful about changing your mind and deciding to marry and adjust status without her leaving. It will be your responsibility to prove lack of intent and that will be difficult considering the situation. Beware of lawyers who tell you otherwise; they want you to get into a tricky situation so they can get your business helping you get out of it. But at long as she does leave, there are no fraud problems here.

[Salsa Shark 0]

Thanks for the feedback! Will let everyone know how it goes. I'm still amazed by that rejection number, though...

[mox 298]

Yes, that was my understanding as well, but a 4.9% rejection rate either means they're lightening up or single Russian women make up a very small minority of the B1/B2 and B2 visa applications...

It could also be that the only people who are applying are people who stand a good chance of getting the visa. As you know, the visa application isn't cheap for your average Russian, so I imagine that most Russians will only apply if they have the financial means to do so (and the financial means to take a holiday in the US), and who stand a good chance of getting the visa. I don't know this for a fact of course, it's just a guess. But it would explain the low rejection rate.

[slim 1,530]

her most recent visa request was rejected.

I had always heard that it wasn't necessarily so easy for Russians to get a visa to the USA as Slim seems to think - especially for young, single Russian women.

Recently, it's been easier than ever. Back when I first started the VJ process, it was almost non-existent. Maybe they are switching back to making it hard again.

What I imagine happened in your case was the young lady either had some sort of change of status at home (graduated school, sold the apt., etc.) or her visas had overlapped to the point where she basically had a green card because she was always authorized to be in the U.S. They may have seen some sort of pattern to where her visa status appeared that she was trying to use visitor visas for business or student matters and should've used a different visa, or she was going so frequently she would attempt to immigrate on her next try. Perhaps if she applied again later this year or waited a year or two she'd be granted a visa with no problems.

Either way, she got two already. And two out of threeee..eeeeee......eeeeeeee........................ aint bad.

the purpose of her visit is to ultimately return home

There's your answer.

They don't need to know anything other than she's coming here to visit.

[Salsa Shark 0]

Good question that I forgot to address.

No, nothing about me was ever mentioned intentionally.

I don't advocate not telling the whole truth, we did what was right for us, so it's up to you on what you should do here.

Was browsing other posts...Anna's from Chelyabinsk?

[AKguy 1]

Yup! There are a decent few of us here.

[Salsa Shark 0]

Yup! There are a decent few of us here.

Very cool, my Olga is also from Chelyabinsk. After reading your recent posts, I'm gonna make sure I fly through DME instead of SVO