Tourist Visa for Filipino Mother-in-law

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

I'M A PERMANENT RESIDENT AND ALSO WANT MY MOM TO VISIT AS A TOURIST. I TRIED TO SEND HER A MONEY TO FILL UP HER BANK ACCOUNT. AND I'M PLANNING TO SEND AN INVITATION LETER STATING THAT I'M RESPONSIBLE OF HER EXPENSES. CAN SHE TELL THE VO'S THAT I'M THE ONE WHO'S FILLING UP HER BANK ACCOUNT SINCE SHE DOESN'T MAKE THAT MUCH MONEY?

THANKS AHEAD FOR YOUR REPLY!

The US Embassy will not even consider an invitation letter. It has no weight. You have to overcome the presumption that your mother is intending to emigrate to the United States.

What do you mean by "ties to the Philippines?"

"Ties" are the aspects of one’s life that bind him/her to his/her place of residence, including family relationships, employment and possessions. In the case of younger applicants, who may not have had an opportunity to establish such ties, interviewing officers may look at educational status, grades, the situation of parents, and an applicant's long-range plans and prospects in the Philippines. As each person's situation is different, there is no set answer as to what constitutes adequate ties.

We wish to attend a wedding in the United States. Should we bring a copy of the invitation to the interview?

The applicant may bring any documents to the interview that the applicant believes necessary. However, the officer may not review the invitation, or any of the applicant's documents, before reaching a decision as to admissibility. This is because the interviewing officer elicits the information they need to make a decision largely through the nonimmigrant visa application and the interviewing questions. Personal documentation is rarely requested or required. Always keep in mind that the interviewiing officer is more concerned with whether the applicant will return to the Philippines than why the applicant wishes to visit the United States.

Interview Process

Why are the visa interviews so short? I was asked only a couple of questions and the interviewer hardly looked at my documents.

In a typical 8-hour day, a consular officer may need to interview 150 applicants or more, which allows about 3 minutes per applicant. The application form, if completed thoroughly, contains most of the information needed to adjudicate the visa. Additional documents are examined only if the consular officer needs to obtain further clarification of the applicant’s situation.

I presented all the documents I had, but my application was turned down anyway. What else could I bring?

When an officer conducts an interview, he or she references the application forms, and may refer to supporting documentation if necessary. However, most visa interviews are conducted based on information provided in the application and the interview questions. While the officer may ask for some documentation, the heart of the interview is the applicant's responses to the officers' questions.

http://manila.usembassy.gov/wwwhniv5.html

Edited March 3, 2012 by ☼