Tourist Visa for mother-in-law

[ecuanovios 0]

My wife came to the US one year ago on a K1 Visa.

We plan to have a child some time in the next 3 or 4 years, and we want to bring her mother from Ecuador to help out a couple of months during the pregnancy. It appears we'll need to get her a Tourist Visa for this purpose.

The problem:

My wife's family is very poor. The US Embassy in Ecuador is hostile/racist/proactively tries to deny visas to anyone who doesn't fit their little mold, whatever that is.

I lived in Ecuador for a couple years. Anecdotally, I know that only my Ecuadorian friends who have tens of thousands of dollars in their bank accounts, cars, businesses, academic degrees, have been approved Tourist Visas to the U.S.

My wife was originally denied a Tourist Visa in 2010. We then endured a horrific experience getting her K1 Visa approved, and the only reason that eventually happened was because I got my Congresswoman involved.

I have serious reservations about the prospect of mother-in-law getting a tourist visa.

I know there's no concrete question here.

But does anyone have any advice on some things I may be able to do / steps that I should start taking now, in order to build the best application possible and gather evidence for mother-in-law's tourist visa petition?

[Boiler 45,993]

1. We want to bring her mother from Ecuador to help out a couple of months during the pregnancy. It appears we'll need to get her a Tourist Visa for this purpose.

2. The US Consulate in Ecuador is hostile/racist/pro-actively tries to deny visas to anyone who doesn't fit their little mould, whatever that is.

1. She would need a Work Visa not a Tourist Visa.

2. Difficult when you are dealing with such openly racist organisations. I think you meant mould not mold and Consulate not Embassy so I corrected it.

[Indy90 21]

1. She would need a Work Visa not a Tourist Visa.

Why would she need a work visa? I'm just kind of curious.

Edited May 3, 2013 by Indy90

[Niels Bohr 72]

LOL.

You want your mother in law to be a house maid. LOL.

Why would she need a work visa? I'm just kind of curious.

[Indy90 21]

LOL.

You want your mother in law to be a house maid. LOL.

LOL? Honestly, I don't see anything funny about it. I know very few women who wouldn't want their mother to be around when they are pregnant, especially if it is her first child. I don't see anything from the OP's post that indicates that the mother will just do "maid" work. How do we know what she will help out with?

There is a far cry from coming to do the work of a maid, in which case you can argue that you should hire someone rather than use free labor, than coming to be with family, providing emotional support, during a difficult, emotional and exciting time of her daughter's life. Now, invariably her mother will help around the house ... but if I am staying with a friend for more than a few hours, I do the same thing--and I certainly wouldn't call it maid work.

Anyways, I have no idea what the fine line distinction is between needing a work visa and needing a tourist visa. But I doubt it is clearly black and white. If not, nobody could come to the United States on a tourist visa with the primary purpose to visit family in the United States. However, the State Department does say visiting friends and family is a valid reason to obtain a tourist visa. http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/types/types_1262.html#notravel

Edited May 3, 2013 by Indy90

[Niels Bohr 72]

I understand.

boiler was just being funny. That's all.

LOL? Honestly, I don't see anything funny about it. I know very few women who wouldn't want their mother to be around when they are pregnant, especially if it is her first child. I don't see anything from the OP's post that indicates that the mother will just do "maid" work. How do we know what she will help out with?

There is a far cry from coming to do the work of a maid, in which case you can argue that you should hire someone rather than use free labor, than coming to be with family, providing emotional support, during a difficult, emotional and exciting time of her daughter's life. Now, of course invariably her mother will help around the house ... but if I am staying with a friend for more than a few hours, I do the same thing--and I certainly wouldn't call it maid work.

Anyways, I have know idea what the fine line distinction is between needing a work visa and needing a tourist visa. But I doubt it is clearly black and white. If not, nobody could come to the United States on a tourist visa with the primary purpose to visit family in the United States. However, the State Department does say visiting friends and family is a valid reason to obtain a tourist visa. http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/types/types_1262.html#notravel

Edited May 3, 2013 by Niels Bohr

[Indy90 21]

I understand.

boiler was just being funny. That's all.

Haha, don't worry. I apologize if my answer seemed like I was bothered. I am just curious as well--my mother in law will certainly want to visit when my wife and I have a child.