Tourist Visa For Mother-in-Law

[shikarnov 7]

Hi All,

Well, almost three years into our marriage, my wife (who is not a USC yet) is pregnant. It's a little earlier than we would have preferred, but here we are. And now there's talk about my mother-in-law coming to help out.

Now I know it's a big no-no to tell the interviewing officer that a baby is the reason for Babushka's visit (instant rejection), and that proof of ties to Russia will need to be established, and that we'll likely need to conjure some kind of special "event" to justify her coming to the US (but, I wonder, what kind of event merits a several month stay?), but my real question is: how long does this process take? If we start now, is there any hope that my mother-in-law could be here by October?

Thanks in advance!

Z

[Captain Hammer 113]

Hi All,

Well, almost three years into our marriage, my wife (who is not a USC yet) is pregnant. It's a little earlier than we would have preferred, but here we are. And now there's talk about my mother-in-law coming to help out.

Now I know it's a big no-no to tell the interviewing officer that a baby is the reason for Babushka's visit (instant rejection), and that proof of ties to Russia will need to be established, and that we'll likely need to conjure some kind of special "event" to justify her coming to the US (but, I wonder, what kind of event merits a several month stay?), but my real question is: how long does this process take? If we start now, is there any hope that my mother-in-law could be here by October?

Thanks in advance!

Z

First, congratulations!!! I know it doesn't seem like the optimal time, but you're gonna forget all about that the first time you meet your little guy or gal.

Why would it be a big no-no to tell the interviewing officer that it's about the baby? Seems to me like that would be a huge positive. But in any case, you are always better off being completely forthcoming in the interview. Don't try to out-guess them, just be honest.

Someone with ties to Russia can answer your specific question about October better (I think it would be possible, but I don't know how Russia works), but really I think telling them the visit is in conjunction with the baby can only be helpful.

[baron555 934]

And now there's talk about my mother-in-law coming to help out.

What do you mean? Just to visit for a few weeks?....OR.....stay for many months?

The first is logical and capable of being done using a tourist visa......the second, if that's the intention, is visa fraud using a tourist visa.

If your wife was a USC, she could petition her mother to immigrate to the US.

If all this has to happen quickly, have her apply for a multiple trip tourist visa, then she may be able to come and stay for some months at a time.

Isn't there any other helpers that can assist that are here now?

Or, you wife goes back to Russia and has the baby there. Then there is no issue with her coming here.

[Captain Hammer 113]

What do you mean? Just to visit for a few weeks?....OR.....stay for many months?

The first is logical and capable of being done using a tourist visa......the second, if that's the intention, is visa fraud using a tourist visa.

If your wife was a USC, she could petition her mother to immigrate to the US.

If all this has to happen quickly, have her apply for a multiple trip tourist visa, then she may be able to come and stay for some months at a time.

Isn't there any other helpers that can assist that are here now?

Or, you wife goes back to Russia and has the baby there. Then there is no issue with her coming here.

He said she would only be staying for "several months," implying a stay for less than 90 days, so I don't think they are intending to commit visa fraud. I'm just really curious as to why he thinks telling the truth would cause a denial and that they need to "conjure" a story. That way is disaster imho.

[shikarnov 7]

First, congratulations!!! I know it doesn't seem like the optimal time, but you're gonna forget all about that the first time you meet your little guy or gal.

Why would it be a big no-no to tell the interviewing officer that it's about the baby? Seems to me like that would be a huge positive. But in any case, you are always better off being completely forthcoming in the interview. Don't try to out-guess them, just be honest.

Someone with ties to Russia can answer your specific question about October better (I think it would be possible, but I don't know how Russia works), but really I think telling them the visit is in conjunction with the baby can only be helpful.

Thanks for the congratulations As for your question -- everything I've read (on this board and others) points to the notion that a baby would constitute a high risk of overstaying the visa and that it's better not to mention such a thing. I'm not particularly thrilled with the notion of being less than forthcoming with the State Department, but given their rules, regulations, and whims as it pertains to the granting of visas to Russians (especially poor Russians), it's hard to not want to hedge the bet.

What do you mean? Just to visit for a few weeks?....OR.....stay for many months?

The first is logical and capable of being done using a tourist visa......the second, if that's the intention, is visa fraud using a tourist visa.

If your wife was a USC, she could petition her mother to immigrate to the US.

I have no intention of committing visa fraud. It's my understanding that Tourist Visas allow a visitor to stay for up to 90 days -- aka, several months. And I am aware that, as a USC, my wife could petition for her mother to come as an immigrant, but my wife is at least two years away from that process, and my mother-in-law has no desire to migrate to the US.

If all this has to happen quickly, have her apply for a multiple trip tourist visa, then she may be able to come and stay for some months at a time.

Isn't there any other helpers that can assist that are here now?

Perhaps I misspoke in my original post. It's less about help, per se, than it is about comfort. Neither my wife, nor her mother, ever imagined this happening without the other. And it's more than a little heartbreaking to imagine all the things my mother-in-law, who is an absolute sweetheart, will be missing in the life of her only daughter and first grandchild. We'd all like for her to be here for the big day, and to experience some of the joys that will follow.

Or, you wife goes back to Russia and has the baby there. Then there is no issue with her coming here.

When she had her baby in the local hospital, my wife's best friend used this toilet for both excreting and bathing. That teapot in the backround was her shower, which she used to deliver water while she squatted over the toilet to catch the run-off.

'Nuff said.

Edited March 15, 2011 by shikarnov

[Captain Hammer 113]

shikarnov, I haven't been around here long enough to get a sense of what people are saying about MiL's visiting for the birth of a baby, but it just doesn't seem likely to me that they would deny on that basis. But I think I've beat that dead horse enough, and my apologies for doing so.

I think really the crux of your question is how long it takes to get the visitor visa for Russia. Hopefully somebody with experience in Russia can step up and answer.

Best of luck, and again, congratulations!

[Neonred 3,517]

When my step daughter got her visitors visa about a year and a half ago, I think it took between one and two months to get the appointment and have the interview.

[baron555 934]

Sorry but "several" implies more than a couple (which is 2) and three is just a smidge more than a couple so "several" is more like 5 or 7 or 9.

Just ain't gonna happen with a tourist visa for 3 months.

[Captain Hammer 113]

Sorry but "several" implies more than a couple (which is 2) and three is just a smidge more than a couple so "several" is more like 5 or 7 or 9.

Just ain't gonna happen with a tourist visa for 3 months.

Yeah ok but he's since clarified that her visit will in fact stay within a 90 day period. So the question now is, does he have enough time if he filed now to have her over here by October.

[^_^ 5,021]

shikarnov, I haven't been around here long enough to get a sense of what people are saying about MiL's visiting for the birth of a baby, but it just doesn't seem likely to me that they would deny on that basis.

Hearsay is that denials are routine when parents or inlaws try to get visitor visas to come to the US from India on that basis. Supposedly they are worried the true purpose of the visit is childcare which is working.

Edited March 16, 2011 by \

[Captain Hammer 113]

Hearsay is that denials are routine when parents or inlaws try to get visitor visas to come to the US from India on that basis. Supposedly they are worried the true purpose of the visit is childcare which is working.

Well I wouldn't plan something as important as the grandmother visiting her daughter and grandchild around something like hearsay. Unless somebody can document it somewhere, I'd urge shikarnov to just be up-front about the visit.

[^_^ 5,021]

http://www.***removed***/visitor-visa/daughter-in-law-sister-pregnancy-help.html

Read beyond the title, it goes into the after-birth period as well.

[slim 1,514]

Historically speaking it's never a good idea to tell them MIL is coming to "help" with the baby. But, times are changing and it may be a good reason to come over now. I don't know.

What I do know is she needs a valid reason to come over and a good reason to return. You have to paint the picture they're looking for. She can get a visa pretty quickly and it'll allow her to stay for several months so the timeline shouldn't be a problem. The backstory is.

Work on her "reason to return." Coming to visit her daughter is a good enough reason to come to the US. Back home she needs a job or obligation of some type to return to. Work on that before you apply.

[shikarnov 7]

Sorry but "several" implies more than a couple (which is 2) and three is just a smidge more than a couple so "several" is more like 5 or 7 or 9.

Just ain't gonna happen with a tourist visa for 3 months.

What is it with Grammar Nazis on the Internet? The point of the thread was to ask a simple question about timing. If you don't have something useful to add to the conversation, why not go find something else to do with your time?

And the next time you get all hot and bothered by somebody's (mis)use of language, at least get your own facts straight. Here's a link: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/several

http://www.***removed***/visitor-visa/daughter-in-law-sister-pregnancy-help.html

Read beyond the title, it goes into the after-birth period as well.

This was quite an interesting read. Thanks for sharing.

Historically speaking it's never a good idea to tell them MIL is coming to "help" with the baby. But, times are changing and it may be a good reason to come over now. I don't know.

What I do know is she needs a valid reason to come over and a good reason to return. You have to paint the picture they're looking for. She can get a visa pretty quickly and it'll allow her to stay for several months so the timeline shouldn't be a problem. The backstory is.

Work on her "reason to return." Coming to visit her daughter is a good enough reason to come to the US. Back home she needs a job or obligation of some type to return to. Work on that before you apply.

Yeah, I've heard all the same things. My MIL has a job (albeit not the best of jobs), property, and will be leaving behind close ties -- like her son, live-in boyfriend, and one of the most closely knit network of extended relatives I've ever known.

[baron555 934]

Well OP, you're the one that started this thread talking about "conjuring" up a phantom reason in which to fool the Embassy into granting a tourist visa. We here are dead set against any of that kind of talk; it's against the TOS of VJ.

I would conjure up a letter of invitation from you and your wife to your MIL inviting her to live with you for a typical tourist visa type of time period and wishing that she be here for the blessed event. Period.

To me that seems very regular and proper, that the MIL be present at her grand daughter's birth.

I'd get going on this sooner than later and request the tourist visa be granted for the time period that you think she should be here.

Oh, Congrats to be.