Bringing her family over for the wedding

[Andrew83 0]

Our case has been forwarded to the embassy so we haven't even had an interview yet, but my fiancee is asking me about her mother coming for the wedding and me sending an invitation as part of the documentation to get her a tourist visa.

My thing is, it seems presumptive to do all this, her reason for travel being for our wedding and all, with the same embassy that has yet to approve our K-1 visa...

I think we should wait until we're approved but maybe I'm way over thinking it, and it's a pretty normal thing to go ahead and start the tourist visas for the family before gettiing the official approval.

Thoughts? Experience?

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

Are her family not Spanish citizens? Spanish citizens can use the Visa Waiver Program, no visa needed. They need to do an electronic certification called ESTA beforehand.

[Andrew83 0]

no, not spanish citizens..

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

What country? Do they live in Spain?

People don't need a good reason to come to the US to get an approved tourist visa. The point of the visa is for tourism, or "because they want to."

To get approved, they need to show strong ties to home. They need to show that they will not stay in the US illegally, and that they will return to their countries.

So having an invitation or a "good reason" will not help their case. They can apply when they like for the visas.

[Andrew83 0]

they're from colombia, the are legal residents of spain. And the real reason they are coming is for the wedding, so it's best we are up front about it. Her mom won't have a problem I don't think because she has a small child in schiool in Spain and all. But we want her sister to come and she doesn't have many legal ties to spain. She goes to school part time...doesn't haver an apartment in her own name...

[Laurka 65]

they're from colombia, the are legal residents of spain. And the real reason they are coming is for the wedding, so it's best we are up front about it. Her mom won't have a problem I don't think because she has a small child in schiool in Spain and all. But we want her sister to come and she doesn't have many legal ties to spain. She goes to school part time...doesn't haver an apartment in her own name...

Well, I plan to have my folks over for my wedding in the US. I read somewhere on VJ forum about a K1 visa beneficiary who scheduled their interview at the embassy and their family's member tourist visa interview the same day. I plan on doing the same thing when the time comes

Good luck to you!

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

By all means, be upfront about it, but attending a wedding won't help them get a visa.

[VirginiaMaria 3]

As residents of Spain and if they are traveling to the U.S. and then back to Spain they only need the ESTA. They'll ask them the standard questions at the airport in the U.S. and when they get back to Spain they just have to show their residency cards.

[Asia 2,499]

As residents of Spain and if they are traveling to the U.S. and then back to Spain they only need the ESTA.

Not true.

They are residents of Spain, not Spanish citizens.

ESTA is only for citizens of countries which are parts of VWP.

[VirginiaMaria 3]

Well I guess I'm special because that's all I do.

[thairath 4]

Well I guess I'm special because that's all I do.

And the passport you use to enter the US is from which country?

[VirginiaMaria 3]

I shouldn't say I, I should say my cousin. He's Mexican. Spain resident though. We just went to Florida in December and he didn't have any problems.

[vbtwo 54]

By all means, be upfront about it, but attending a wedding won't help them get a visa.

It might. I had a relative get a visa from Israel when she was coming here for a wedding. They asked her to show the wedding invitation and then had no more questions and approved the visa.

[Pinkrlion 2,724]

Our case has been forwarded to the embassy so we haven't even had an interview yet, but my fiancee is asking me about her mother coming for the wedding and me sending an invitation as part of the documentation to get her a tourist visa.

My thing is, it seems presumptive to do all this, her reason for travel being for our wedding and all, with the same embassy that has yet to approve our K-1 visa...

I think we should wait until we're approved but maybe I'm way over thinking it, and it's a pretty normal thing to go ahead and start the tourist visas for the family before gettiing the official approval.

Thoughts? Experience?

They are asking for the information now, because it takes time to get approved for a visitor visa interview, regardless of if she is coming to the wedding, it is best to apply now, so that when the wedding occurs she has the visa in hand.

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

I shouldn't say I, I should say my cousin. He's Mexican. Spain resident though. We just went to Florida in December and he didn't have any problems.

He didn't go through ESTA, as it is impossible. He must have a tourist visa, B2.

It might. I had a relative get a visa from Israel when she was coming here for a wedding. They asked her to show the wedding invitation and then had no more questions and approved the visa.

Israel has a very low tourist visa denial rate anyway.