Bringing her over on a tourist Visa - HELP!

[MrAdamSK 0]

Greetings,

I am one of the most HOPEFUL people and I can't help get it but I get excited to easily. Well my Fiancee and I have not met in person (with the US economy it so hard to raise the money). Her family made the offer of flying her out here and staying with me. But I was concerned that because she is 25, were engaged, and that we want to get married that they will turn her down.

Here is my dream which led to this Incredible amount of anxiety and disapointment. I could really use some advice here:

1.) Apply for a tourist Visa and stay for as long as it would allow. (I read it could be for up to 6 months)

2.) After the first month or so we get married. (the month or so is to establish if things are just as Great in person as they are online)

3.) She would stay with me and my parents. We all kind of stick together.

4.) We would provide for everything she could possibly need/want.

5.) Apply for Green card after we are married.

We haven't submitted any paperwork yet for anything. She has traveled to Italy last February. It was my hope to keep her here until next year when we Both go there for her brother's wedding.

Am I wasting my time?

Will she get approved if they know she is engaged to me?

I need strong advice here PLEASE

Don't let my hope and excitement go away. But I would appreciate honesty and cold hard truth.

Thank you!

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

You cannot use a nonimmigrant visa like a tourist visa to immigrate to the US. That is visa fraud. So no, your plan won't work.

[MrAdamSK 0]

What if we process the paperwork for a K1 while she is here? If we process the paperwork after the first month would that be legitimate?

[Andy and Pui 16]

What if we process the paperwork for a K1 while she is here? If we process the paperwork after the first month would that be legitimate?

She would have to return home for the interview or before her tourist visa expired.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

To clarify - it is not the getting married in the US that is the problem. It is the 'staying' in the US after marriage and applying to adjust status. A person is allowed to adjust status while in the US on another visa type IF (a BIG IF) they had no intentions of getting married and staying in the US when they arrived. Normally this includes employees working on a work visa, students attending school on a student visa, or a tourist who has a whirlwind romance (or overstays their visa) and gets married while here. Entering the US with a visa meant for one purpose - a tourist - but with the deliberate intent of using it as a means by bypass the more appropriate formal immigration process for an immigrant visa - is committing Visa Fraud. Depending on what the intending immigrant told the border when he/she entered, visa fraud could be compounded by 'misrepresentation' - lying to the border about your intent upon entry. This can result is a permanent, life-time ban from ever being allowed to enter, let alone live in the US.

So, yes - if she is ever able to get a visitor's visa, you can get married or you can file for the K-1 visa, but she would have to return to her home country to complete the processing of tthe appropriate spousal or fiancee visa.

It may be a moot point, however. It is extremely difficult for young, single women from the Philippines to get a tourist visa to the US. In order to get a tourist visa the tourist needs to be able to prove they have strong financial and employment ties that necessitate their return to their home country after a specified period of time.

You may wish to 'meet' in a third country you both can get to if you are not able to get to the Philippines, and then file for the fiancee visa afterwards.

Good luck.

Edited June 29, 2011 by Kathryn41

[Kish.2328 9]

Its so hard to obtain a tourist visa especially if she is coming from the Philippines. She must show strong ties and prove that she will return back home. What are those? Business, money at the bank, good high paying job, etc etc. Now that you both are already engaged, it might likely be suspected that once she gets there, you both will get married. Like what above poster said

"You cannot use a nonimmigrant visa like a tourist visa to immigrate to the US. That is visa fraud."

But if she has all the assets and whatever she has to show strong ties here in the Philippines, it doesn't hurt to try. Applying for a tourist visa costs $150 (if im not mistaken) she then needs to fill up a form online from the US embassy website and can now schedule her appointment online. Whatever the outcome is, it can or cannot affect if you two will decide to apply for a fiancee visa. Good luck!

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

And, after all that's been said so far, especially by Kathryn, how can you be engaged to a woman and willing to marry her and stay with her until death do you part if you haven't even met her once in your lifetime? Don't you think there's something terribly wrong here? I understand that people sometimes buy a car from far away without looking at it first (and often regret it), perhaps a camel or a goat, but a wife?

[Guest fundoctor]

Sorry but i have been with my fiance for almost 5 years. I own a large business. She is filipina, educated and comes from a family with substantial financial stability. It is extremely unlikely that you will get a tourist visa for your singe 20-something girlfriend. I tried and failed to get my fiance a tourist visa to Italy and it was rejected. We even had an immigration attorney in manila trying to help- which was a big waste of money.

I gave up trying to get tourist visa to USA after we got "its almost impossible for a single filipina to get a tourist visa to usa" from many sources there.

Most likely, without some major connection in the Phils, You are going to have to vist her in the Phils.

Save your money and go vist her family. Plus you shoudl check the poverty guidelines to make sure if you get married that you will be able to support her according to the USCIS guidelines.

This exact topic had caused us terrible stress and hardship along our journey, but we are so happy now that we are getting married and got the fiance visa for her to come to USA.

Best wishes.

[joyjohn 18]

your have a better chance of growing a snowball in "hell" than getting a 25 yr old a vise to quoto " visit my BF in the states"...sorry but we all have tried it believe me, i wish you and I could do that ............hehe i tried myself... no luck...

[MrAdamSK 0]

I am very grateful for everyone's support and input.

She has family here (cousins). Would we have a better chance that way (or a chance at all?).

[dindo and patty 20]

I am very grateful for everyone's support and input.

She has family here (cousins). Would we have a better chance that way (or a chance at all?).

IMO, it does not enhance your chances. It may even make it worse as they may assume that it will be easier for her to stay in the USA with the help of family. Just my opinion.

Since her family is willing to fly her there, may be you can suggest that you share the expense and you visit her in the Philippines. If they are agreeable, now, you've fulfilled one of the mandatory requirements for a K-1 Visa that you've met within the last two years when filing the petition. K-1 is faster than CR-1, well at least in my case, it only took 80 days to get approved. Good luck and I hope you find a way to meet her personally.

Edited June 29, 2011 by dindo and patty

[sunshinearizona 21]

What if we process the paperwork for a K1 while she is here? If we process the paperwork after the first month would that be legitimate?

i don't think you can process a k1 while she's here. you can marry her and apply for adjustment of status when she gets here... but

the hard part is for her to get a b1/b2 visa from the phils. unless she already have a multiple tourist visa to the U.S.

[sjr09 155]

I am very grateful for everyone's support and input.

She has family here (cousins). Would we have a better chance that way (or a chance at all?).

Family in the US would make it harder, the odds are not in your favor!

[Boiler 45,910]

Sort of explains why it is so hard to get a Tourist Visa in certain countries. Should be a sticky.

[MrAdamSK 0]

Thank you everyone again. I just want to go see her or for her to come here some how... The US economy is making this so difficult :(