Questions about Tourist Visa relating to Weddings.

[YozhikandBulochka 3]

Hello Everybody,

So me and my wife have started to plan our official wedding. The wedding is to take place summer of next year. We were wondering, what process would her friends/family have to go through to make it to the wedding? I know B-2 Tourist visa is involved but what guarantees can I have that my wife will have her wish of her Friends and Family being there to support her at her wedding? How does the consulate view these applications? Does an invitation letter written and mailed to the recipients as well as a formal invitation i.e Wedding invitation help to secure that they will receive a visa? I understand that the decision is mainly on the Consulate officer but how can we help persuade them to approve rather than disapprove and throw them with the rest of the "denied" herd out the door? Please any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Yozhik

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

There is nothing you can do. They must qualify on their own merits. They can show the invitation but it doesn't guarantee anything. They don't need a good reason to visit the US, they must show they will return to their country when the visit is over.

[canadian_wife 1,822]

Agreed, the reasons to go to the US are not important, why they MUST return to Russia bears the most weight

Nothing can guarentee a visa

good luck

[YozhikandBulochka 3]

I figured. Okay At least I know ways to prove that they will return to Russia. Thanks again guys.

[Xanax 349]

I figured. Okay At least I know ways to prove that they will return to Russia. Thanks again guys.

Good luck and congratulations

[Boiler 45,527]

Have the wedding in Russia, problem solved.

[ndu26 114]

Agreed, the reasons to go to the US are not important, why they MUST return to Russia bears the most weight

good luck

never heard it said more straightforward.

[san diego 407]

Yes, there something you CAN do. Write invitation letter stating wedding as a reason. I did this for my wife's parents and they got visas. I also provided I134 and stated in the letter that I will support them here. While they still need to qualify on their own, this definitely helps.

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

I-134 can backfire, it is not a tie to home and makes it seem like they have a free ride already in the US. I do not recommend.

[san diego 407]

I-134 can backfire, it is not a tie to home and makes it seem like they have a free ride already in the US. I do not recommend.

From my experience it did not. I am not sure it helped but did not backfire. I also know at least one individual in person that kept inviting his mother from Russia and she would not get a visa. Once he provided I134, she got visa. I am not sure if it is connected but at least in these two cases id not backfire. In any case, while I134 use is controversial, providing an invitation letter, explaining the reason and that ou are ready to support visitors helped.

[Dave&Roza 748]

From my experience it did not. I am not sure it helped but did not backfire. I also know at least one individual in person that kept inviting his mother from Russia and she would not get a visa. Once he provided I134, she got visa. I am not sure if it is connected but at least in these two cases id not backfire. In any case, while I134 use is controversial, providing an invitation letter, explaining the reason and that ou are ready to support visitors helped.

Let me give you my wife's experience on getting a tourist visa from Kazakhstan in 2007. She went to the Consulate in Almaty with a letter from her employer, documents showing she had property, evidence that her brother, SIL nephew, and Mother live in Almaty and she was denied. A friend of ours contacted their congressman and asked him to help. She went back to the Consulate about two weeks later and re-applied. This time she was approved. Same exact information as the first time except for the congressman being contacted and the IO was a nice older man who knew about where she worked verses a young woman. Which was it that got her approved? I think it was the difference in the IO myself as my MIL had her interview with him this past summer and she was approved for a tourist visa. IMHO I think it depends more on the IO and how much experience they have with the country and issuing visas than any information you provide. In your case, the IO might have approved without the I-134 or an invitation letter.

OP: You might want to pick a location for the "wedding" that all parties can get to without visa troubles when your wife is able to re-enter the US.

Good luck,

Dave

[Boiler 45,527]

To make an accurate conclusion you would need all the data, which nobody outside the Consulate has.

[raf.luv.leah 5]

We didn't have an I-134 but my parents got approved. I think you should at least try it. PM me if you want to compare notes. :-)