Tourist visa

[ryna 132]

Any tips for a minor, whose parents won't be applying along with her, to obtain a tourist visa? My wife's niece want to visit us next summer (in 2013) when she turns 15 (and when my sister-in-law might actually consider letting her travel alone.).

On one hand, I would think applying alone would help as her parents and the rest of her entire family (except for my wife) being in Colombia would be her "strong ties". On the other hand, she has no job, no assets, no property, only the need to return to school after 3 weeks. Also, although she's already talking about starting to save up for the trip, at 13 y/o, she really doesn't have a realistic idea of the costs involved (and her parents couldn't afford it without hardship either) so we'd be footing the bill for (almost) everything as a birthday present.

In any event, this is still a good 18 months off in the future but I'm just trying to get an idea how the DoS evaluates tourist visa applications from minors vs. the normal criteria applied to adults... She's so excited about planning a visit to see her aunt without understanding the visa process that, while I know she has to qualify on her own merits, I want to help her understand what those merits are in the case of a minor.

[Noah Lot 391]

Any tips for a minor, whose parents won't be applying along with her, to obtain a tourist visa? My wife's niece want to visit us next summer (in 2013) when she turns 15 (and when my sister-in-law might actually consider letting her travel alone.).

On one hand, I would think applying alone would help as her parents and the rest of her entire family (except for my wife) being in Colombia would be her "strong ties". On the other hand, she has no job, no assets, no property, only the need to return to school after 3 weeks. Also, although she's already talking about starting to save up for the trip, at 13 y/o, she really doesn't have a realistic idea of the costs involved (and her parents couldn't afford it without hardship either) so we'd be footing the bill for (almost) everything as a birthday present.

In any event, this is still a good 18 months off in the future but I'm just trying to get an idea how the DoS evaluates tourist visa applications from minors vs. the normal criteria applied to adults... She's so excited about planning a visit to see her aunt without understanding the visa process that, while I know she has to qualify on her own merits, I want to help her understand what those merits are in the case of a minor.

In general, minors qualify through their parents....if their parents have visas, that will (likely) make it much easier; if they don't, well.....much of the concern over unaccompanied minors being sent to the US is this: a lot of people 'drop off' their children with relatives, put them in public schools at my expense and thus the US taxpayers wind up footing the bill for their education....not something most of us wish to do.

There are also concerns if both parents don't show at the interview...where is the missing parent? And is this visa request little more than attempting family reunification? Just something to think about.

If her parents are not well off or have had a string of visa denials themselves, well, it could be a difficult situation to overcome.

Sometimes teens go for their 'quincenera' but usually travel with a group.

As usual, the actions of a few often impact the abilities of others to obtain visas.

[bigdog 376]

It may be an issue, can't hurt to try.

[ryna 132]

I have no idea how the U.S. government would view her parent's (mother/step father) tourist visa app because no one in my wife's family has ever applied for a visa, been approved or denied, or even wanted to visit the U.S. before. Her biological father most certainly wouldn't travel 1/2-way across Colombia for a visa interview, especially since his wife doesn't even like him talking to his own daughter and forbids their daughters to talk to their own half-sister in their hometown. I'm certain that my niece doesn't want to visit the U.S. for any reason other than this is where her aunt lives now and she wants to be able to visit her like she could before in Colombia but I also know that the U.S. embassy sees things their own way... Anyway, there's still well over a year to see what happens.

In any event, I'm sure she'll try, we'll see what happens, but the backup plan will be to give her a birthday vacation (with us visiting) in a Caribbean resort in Colombia which would still be a new experience for her. I just don't want to waste too much time, money or energy on something that might not be possible, especially since we'll be the ones paying for a trip for three (instead of one) if she can't come here. A shame too, since that triple expense will be spent outside of the U.S. economy at a time that Florida could use the tourist $...