going in and out of the US to renew a tourist visa??? help!

[deezy455 0]

Hi everyone!

I'm new to this forum, My girlfriend and I have been together for 2 years, living in Japan. She is Japanese, and I am American. I want her to come to America with me and test it out, whether she likes living there with me, etc. I think we need about a year or so to test this out.

I thought the best way to go about this, is to just get a tourist visa for her, which lasts for 90 days, and after the 90 days leave the country to canada, or mexico, for a few days, and re-enter, and renew her tourist visa for another 90 days. Is this possible? Can you keep doing this pattern, or is there a number of times they limit you?

Are there other options we can take so that we don't have to keep leaving the country?

Any insight at all is greatly appreciated, I am clueless on this matter, and am very frusterated, as I have been searching the forums, and can't really find any definate answers to these questions.

Thanks so much in advance!

Daniel

[kitkat1 5]

Hi everyone!

I'm new to this forum, My girlfriend and I have been together for 2 years, living in Japan. She is Japanese, and I am American. I want her to come to America with me and test it out, whether she likes living there with me, etc. I think we need about a year or so to test this out.

I thought the best way to go about this, is to just get a tourist visa for her, which lasts for 90 days, and after the 90 days leave the country to canada, or mexico, for a few days, and re-enter, and renew her tourist visa for another 90 days. Is this possible? Can you keep doing this pattern, or is there a number of times they limit you?

Are there other options we can take so that we don't have to keep leaving the country?

Any insight at all is greatly appreciated, I am clueless on this matter, and am very frusterated, as I have been searching the forums, and can't really find any definate answers to these questions.

Thanks so much in advance!

Daniel

Technically speaking it's possible but it would depend on how the officer at the POE reacts. I've done the same thing on a 180 day tourist visa in Mexico - left for a few days, re-entered, and got another 180 days. But that's how they do it in Mexico and it was fairly easy for me to do a little sweet talking.

On the flipside, at a US POE, they are much more serious and will probably ask a lot of questions. Maybe you should post this question in the Japan regional forum to see if anyone else has done it - that way you'll get responses from people who have been through it. Good luck.

[Nordic em 0]

Hi everyone!

I'm new to this forum, My girlfriend and I have been together for 2 years, living in Japan. She is Japanese, and I am American. I want her to come to America with me and test it out, whether she likes living there with me, etc. I think we need about a year or so to test this out.

I thought the best way to go about this, is to just get a tourist visa for her, which lasts for 90 days, and after the 90 days leave the country to canada, or mexico, for a few days, and re-enter, and renew her tourist visa for another 90 days. Is this possible? Can you keep doing this pattern, or is there a number of times they limit you?

Are there other options we can take so that we don't have to keep leaving the country?

Any insight at all is greatly appreciated, I am clueless on this matter, and am very frusterated, as I have been searching the forums, and can't really find any definate answers to these questions.

Thanks so much in advance!

Daniel

I would say, don't do it. I did the same thing, went to Canada before 90 days was up, stayed two weeks, tried to re-enter but was denied. (The immigration officer told me that $3000 in my account and a return ticket was not enough stay in America for 3 months, he also questioned my motives.) Caused me a lot of trouble with getting back into the country, it's a very bad experience, believe me, and you will be constantly pulled aside for questioning each time you re-enter.) About six months later I got a J1 for a job, then a year later an H1B, I'm now getting married and hoping for a hassle free immigration process.

[deezy455 0]

Is there a US law that says you can't go in and out of the US (ie. to canada) just to renew your tourist visa?

After how many times of doing this would they get suspicious?

Thank you!

Daniel

[loonphang 0]

There is not such law that put a limit on visa waiver program. ( not that i know).....however, immigration officer at the airport has the right to refuse her entry to the united states without her showing proper proof why she visits the USA. maybe the first time she enters the united states, the officer might go easy with her. But second time, i am sure officer will give her a hard time. She might have to show proof of work in japan or residency, to show that she has not intention to stay in the states. good luck....

my thoughts for you is not to do so. dont even risk it if you are still planning to apply for fiancee visa. Refuse of entry to the United States might cause you trouble when you file for the petition. then you will have to explain why they dont let you enter the united states

[loonphang 0]

http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/without/without_1990.html

go to this website to learn more about Visa Waiver Program

[Jersey Girl 2]

It's a bad plan, for all the reasons people have already stated. The border is a lot tighter in the post 9-11 world, and even Canadians, who were used to going back and forth for shopping or sporting events are now being turned back.

You can have lots of documents to support your claim that you have ties to your home country, but in the end, it's entirely up to the discretion of the officer. Frankly, your plan to "try it out for a year" is tantamount to immigrating and that's what will be sniffed out, sooner or later. Try it for 3 months and don't put your future in jeopardy.

[deezy455 0]

Thanks to everyone who answered so far, a couple more questions..

if My girlfriend goes back to japan after her 90 days are finished, then how long does she have to wait in japan before she can enter the USA again?

Also, If we did go to Canada or mexico after the 90 days are up, and she gets stopped by the officer trying to re-enter the US at the border, what will she do then? She has to buy a plane ticket from Canada, to japan??

your help is greatly appreciated!

[dani_christine 0]

i believe, if i'm not mistaken, that the 90 day stay you're talking about is the visa waiver program. the US also issues actual "tourist visas", known as a B-2. i'm not that familliar with the B-2, except from my quick googling, it looks like it's good for 6 months, and maybe sometimes renewable up to 12 months.

one word of caution...if your girlfriend gets a B-2 visa and comes to visit the US, the understanding is that she is not coming to the US with the intent to work or stay permanently. if you plan to get married while she is here, then this visa is not for you.

[Kez/JWolf 6]

I have a friend who came to visit his girlfriend in GA he stayed the 90 days left for Toronto on day 89... spent 2 weeks in toronto and tried to fly back to GA.... was denied at POE but on flight to toronto at his expence and then had to buy a ticket from toronto to london as well as pay for hotel accomidation at toronto airport....

Now he is in the process of filing for a K1 and he says himself he wishes he had done it the right way as he would have been here now.... but he can never use the VWP again because he was denied entry.....

Kezzie

[Ladylethal 12]

It could be tricky doing it on a tourist visa. I think your best option would be to get her to take some course in US and apply for a student visa, which can last up to a year as far as I know.

[meauxna 15]

Hi everyone!

I'm new to this forum, My girlfriend and I have been together for 2 years, living in Japan. She is Japanese, and I am American. I want her to come to America with me and test it out, whether she likes living there with me, etc. I think we need about a year or so to test this out.

I thought the best way to go about this, is to just get a tourist visa for her, which lasts for 90 days, and after the 90 days leave the country to canada, or mexico, for a few days, and re-enter, and renew her tourist visa for another 90 days. Is this possible? Can you keep doing this pattern, or is there a number of times they limit you?

Are there other options we can take so that we don't have to keep leaving the country?

Any insight at all is greatly appreciated, I am clueless on this matter, and am very frusterated, as I have been searching the forums, and can't really find any definate answers to these questions.

Thanks so much in advance!

Daniel

hi Daniel,

Many of us have looked for this type of option. Some of us didn't necessarily "believe" in marriage, didn't know our partners well, didn't know how they would like living in the US. My own very first post about immigration was to ask if there was a visa like this.

There ain't.

Japan is part of the Visa Waiver Program, allowing their citizens to visit the US without a visa for 90 days. It can not be extended; it is for visiting. When a country is in the VWP, it's difficult for its citizens to get B visas (good for visits up to 6 months) because they have to have a darn good reason to stay more than 90 days and they need exceptional proof of their intent to return home.

Not only can the VWP 90 days not be extended, too many people before you thought of the border run. The law now does not count Canada, Mexico and most of the Caribbean as being far enough out of the US.

The Customs and Broder Patrol monitors the border and grants admission.

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/id_visa/vwp/vwp.xml

Q: Can a VWP applicant for Admission Be Readmitted To the United States Follwing a Short Trip To an Adjacent Island, Canada, or Mexico?

A: Generally, VWP applicants admitted under the VWP may be readmitted to the United States after a departure to Canada or Mexico or adjacent islands for the balance of their original admission period. This is provided they are otherwise admissible and meet all the conditions of the VWP, with the exception of arrival on a signatory carrier, in which case the inspecting officers have the discretion to grant the applicants entirely new periods of admission.

The VWP applicant is admissible and may be readmitted to the United States under the VWP after a departure to Canada or Mexico or adjacent islands provided the person:

Can identify an authorized period of admission that has not expired,

Plans to depart the United States prior to the expiration date of their period of admission,

Presents valid, unexpired passports which reflect admission to the United States under the VWP, and

Continues to meet all criteria set forth in 8 CFR 217 and section 217 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (Act), with the exception of arrival on a signatory carrier.

There is no written rule about how often one can use the VWP. The guideline is: spend more time in your home country than in the US. Anything more than 90 days is frowned on. Several short visits are not the same as one 90 day visit. The rules are not written down for public use for a number of reasons.