Honest help to get and honest tourist visa

[jorgeYsarah 0]

Hello fellow VJers. First of all, I would love to say how awesome the VJ community is. You have helped me through the whole immigration process (fiance visa/AOS for my husband) without a lawyer and minimal time commitment. We just finished Removal of Conditions and completed the whole process without an interview or RFE. Needless to say, we are happy to have the 10-year green card in hand and get on with our lives!

Recently, my husband and I decided that we would are going to try to bring his siblings over for a visit this summer. His brother is 29 and sister is 19 - both from Peru. We understand the odds are against them. I read somewhere recently that Peru has a 50% approval rate for tourist visas right now, and I assume that two single young people have even less of a chance. As you can imagine, there is a lot of emotion behind this for us. We travel to Peru about every 18 months to visit family, but my husband's dream is to host his siblings in our home for a visit. Make note: we have NO intention of helping them illegally immigrate, nor do they want to. As much as I love them and would love to have them visit, this invitation is not one to come and live. It's hard to be coming at this from an honest position and know that the odds are still so against you. Here's a little information about them:

Sister - 19 yrs; intermediate level English; 4th-year architecture student (5 yrs total in Peru); no economic status to speak of, so basically all she's got going for her is the fact that she's so close to being done with school

Brother - 29 yrs; beginner English; college grad with degree in systems engineering; currently enrolled in a 2nd undergrad degree program (communications) and a master's degree program (business); He also works full time for an environmental engineering company earning a fairly decent salary (esp by Peru's standards); However, he has no savings, no car, and isn't a home owner because he is paying for two education programs right now. Obviously he is involved in a lot in Peru, but doesn't have the typical financial stability that they look for.

I would appreciate any feedback on documents that might be useful for them to bring to their interviews. For his sister, I'm asking her to bring a letter from her university saying she is a student who only has three semesters left to graduate. For his brother, he is going to get letters from both schools stating his enrollment an a letter from his employer saying he is a full time employer (should he add salary too?). Also a letter from us stating that we are inviting them and are paying for the trip.

Any feedback would help Thanks to all.

[apple21 953]

Also a letter from us stating that we are inviting them and are paying for the trip.

This is not a requisite and it won't help either as tourist visa applicants MUST prove that they have sufficient finances to fund their own trip. This will not benefit them in any way.

ITR of the brother should be submitted as proof of income plus letter of employment from his office.

[jorgeYsarah 0]

This is not a requisite and it won't help either as tourist visa applicants MUST prove that they have sufficient finances to fund their own trip. This will not benefit them in any way.

ITR of the brother should be submitted as proof of income plus letter of employment from his office.

ITR = income tax return? Not sure exactly how that works in Peru, but my husband says no one files returns. Also, they have no way of proving they have money to pay for the trip (ie not enough money any checking/savings), only that one is a full-time student and the other could get a letter from his employer stating his salary.

Edited April 26, 2013 by jorgeYsarah

[apple21 953]

ITR = income tax return? Not sure exactly how that works in Peru, but my husband says no one files returns. Also, they have no way of proving they have money to pay for the trip (ie not enough money any checking/savings), only that one is a full-time student and the other could get a letter from his employer stating his salary.

They don't file Income Tax Returns in Peru? Really? Maybe it's called by a different name?

Reading this is useful: http://lima.usembassy.gov/niv/required_documents/invitations.html

As it says here, approval is based on the outcome of the interview, rather than documentation. So its best to apply and see what happens. http://lima.usembassy.gov/niv/required_documents.html

Good luck.

[Boiler 45,993]

They could always just apply?

[apple21 953]

They could always just apply?

Seems like it.

Please note that the U.S. visa application is interview-based rather than document-based. Except for those documents requested above and those specified under other visa classes, you do not need to bring documents related to your trip to the interview unless you are traveling for business and your employer is paying for your trip. If the interviewing officer would like to request a specific document from you, they will do this during the interview. While we would like to make the interview process as free of documents as possible, we do recommend bringing prior passports containing a previous U.S. visa or showing international travel. Additionally, please see information regarding Invitation Letters.

Source: http://lima.usembassy.gov/niv/required_documents.html

[Boiler 45,993]

The vast vast majority of cases are application dependent. You will be hard pushed to find examples otherwise.

[Gosia & Tito 199]

Hello fellow VJers. First of all, I would love to say how awesome the VJ community is. You have helped me through the whole immigration process (fiance visa/AOS for my husband) without a lawyer and minimal time commitment. We just finished Removal of Conditions and completed the whole process without an interview or RFE. Needless to say, we are happy to have the 10-year green card in hand and get on with our lives!

Recently, my husband and I decided that we would are going to try to bring his siblings over for a visit this summer. His brother is 29 and sister is 19 - both from Peru. We understand the odds are against them. I read somewhere recently that Peru has a 50% approval rate for tourist visas right now, and I assume that two single young people have even less of a chance. As you can imagine, there is a lot of emotion behind this for us. We travel to Peru about every 18 months to visit family, but my husband's dream is to host his siblings in our home for a visit. Make note: we have NO intention of helping them illegally immigrate, nor do they want to. As much as I love them and would love to have them visit, this invitation is not one to come and live. It's hard to be coming at this from an honest position and know that the odds are still so against you. Here's a little information about them:

Sister - 19 yrs; intermediate level English; 4th-year architecture student (5 yrs total in Peru); no economic status to speak of, so basically all she's got going for her is the fact that she's so close to being done with school

Brother - 29 yrs; beginner English; college grad with degree in systems engineering; currently enrolled in a 2nd undergrad degree program (communications) and a master's degree program (business); He also works full time for an environmental engineering company earning a fairly decent salary (esp by Peru's standards); However, he has no savings, no car, and isn't a home owner because he is paying for two education programs right now. Obviously he is involved in a lot in Peru, but doesn't have the typical financial stability that they look for.

I would appreciate any feedback on documents that might be useful for them to bring to their interviews. For his sister, I'm asking her to bring a letter from her university saying she is a student who only has three semesters left to graduate. For his brother, he is going to get letters from both schools stating his enrollment an a letter from his employer saying he is a full time employer (should he add salary too?). Also a letter from us stating that we are inviting them and are paying for the trip.

Any feedback would help Thanks to all.

I'd not include the letter in which you are inviting and paying for trip. It could be used against them. Instead, if a question should come of where are they staying, then they can note at your home for some time.

It would be hard to get the visa. A lot of what goes on in the embassy is the attitude of the person requesting visa. Somehow, they need to present themselves as calm and worry free, even aloof about the visa.

Keep in mind that even if a visa is granted, entry to the country is upon determination by CBP at POE.

Good luck

[Gosia & Tito 199]

ITR = income tax return? Not sure exactly how that works in Peru, but my husband says no one files returns. Also, they have no way of proving they have money to pay for the trip (ie not enough money any checking/savings), only that one is a full-time student and the other could get a letter from his employer stating his salary.

Taxes are called 'impuesto a la renta', and is filed once a year. And people do file.

[jorgeYsarah 0]

Thanks everyone for your help. I'll let you know what the outcome is... maybe we'll get lucky!

[mechanicalshasta 1]

I hope you guys have better luck than my fiance had. We are currently going through the K-1 process and so far she has applied for a tourist visa twice (in Feb and Apr of 2013), hoping she could come to visit while the K-1 is being processed. She lives and works in Lima, college educated with a decent job, however she doesn't own property, and doesn't have any kids, or doesn't have anything to tie her to Peru (at least as far as the embassy is concerned). For both interviews she was asked why is she going, who does she know in the states, and if she's had a visa before (which she has). Both times she has taken statements from her employer and her bank, and an invitation for my graduation from my university, and the interviewer didn't ask to see any of it. Both times she was denied and both times the interviewer walked away from the window after quickly denying her, so I guess there's no discussion of any sort. Needless to say, the whole thing is frustrating (understatement), especially since it's not cheap to go through the tourist visa process. Congratulations on the removal of conditions, and I hope our K-1 process is as successful as y'alls!

[jorgeYsarah 0]

@mechanicalshasta - thanks for letting me know! I've heard it's extremely hard to get if you have an immigration-based visa pending. When my husband and I were dating in 2007, he was also denied a visa, and this was way before we applied for his K-1. The people at the embassy did not treat him very well either. However, our K-1 experience was totally different. Besides making us wait hours and ruining my nerves, the actual interview was easy as pie. I think me being there helped a lot too. The next hardest part is when she is actually in the U.S. waiting on AOS.... can't work, drive, travel, etc. My poor husband was bored out of his mind. However, all worth it in the end, my friend. Its a long road, but you will make it!

[angelwithoutwings 0]

My mother just got her US tourist/visitor's visa last week. I was like you full of questions and doesn't know whether my mom is going to get it or not. In her interview she was only asked three questions:

Who are you visiting in the US?

How many children do you have?

How long do you plan to stay in the US?

My mom's answer: daughter

five children

if possible 6 mos.

After that the consul took her passport without even looking at the bunch of paperworks I mailed her. after four days she got her passport in the mail with the visa (multiple entries).

There's no criteria but I think the older the applicant the more ties she has in the home country the better. I worked on the paperwork I sent her for nearly a month i.e. affidavit of support, letter of employment, bank letter, W2s, Tax return, copy of my green card and passport and my husband's passport, my recent bank statement but all of these papers weren't even viewed by the consul.

So I think the only way for you to know whether they're going to get their visa is by trying/applying. Just let them tell the truth and be honest.

Good luck I hope this helped a little. I'm booking my mom's ticket today and she's flying on the second week of May to Chicago. My mom is 54 yrs. old. from the Philippines.

Edited April 29, 2013 by angelwithoutwings