Visiting USC while waiting?

[Heather&Ramy 22]

Hey everyone,

I just spent a few hours going through the thread in the other forum about the foreign fiancé visiting the US during the process... but most of the people posting their experiences were from Canada, the UK, or another European country with VWP.

My fiancé tried to get a tourist visa to meet my family before we started the K1, and he was denied. But we have heard that trying again, perhaps from a different city, might work better. He has friends who claim to have been rejected in Cairo, but then they flew to Cyprus or Qatar and were easily approved. I find that really strange and hard to believe, but I don't know, maybe it happens.

My concern now though, is that even if my fiancé was able to get a tourist visa issued (from Cairo or elsewhere) there is still the chance he could be turned down at the POE.

I'm really curious, has anyone from MENA had any luck getting their fiancés or spouses to visit on a tourist visa while going through the visa process? (I'd also be interested to know if trying through a different city than Cairo can really work... just reinforces my fiancé's question, WHAT IS WRONG WITH CAIRO, which I can't answer.)

[zttrszPwCmp 34]

Had the same question before since I has applied before for a tourist visa for other reasons (same sex couples could not apply for a fiancé visa at that time and our options were limited ) and were denied . A member of VJ has the same experience, they were denied a tourist visa, had applied later for a K1 visa and was approved no problem. They didnt even ask them to provide explanation of why applying for a fiancé visa while your first attempt were touristic. No need to apply from another place!! just doesnt make no sense to me.

[PatandHani 0]

Tourist visa denied - K-1 visa approved.

[berber_wife 90]

My S/O has a tourist visa, although he got it before he met me, so I can't speak to the concurrent tourist/K1 visa aspects. But when he came to visit last fall, he BREEZED through. Almost no questions asked. While being sent back is always a possibility, if your financee were to get a tourist visa, it's more likely than not that he would be allowed in.

[Mithra 1,185]

RFQ's husband got a tourist visa prior to them filing a petition so it's possible for Egyptian males to get one. It's just that your fiancé was denied one before so unfortunately it would most likely happen again. I suppose he could try, he would only be out time and money if he got denied again.

ETA - nothing wrong with Cairo, the embassy has specific rules about who they give tourist visas to. Most young Egyptian men do not qualify. They want to make sure the visas are used for tourism only. If a young Egyptian male (or any Egyptian) cannot prove that he has sufficient ties to the country and will return, they deny the tourist visa.

Edited July 16, 2013 by Mithra

[RFQ 110]

Yes, as Mithra said, we were approved for a tourist visa out of Cairo. My husband entered twice on a tourist visa to visit me-- once before we were married and submitted the I130 and once after we were married and began the visa process. However my husband has a long history of world travel including multiple stays in the US. We were not denied at the POE. We have been informed by DOS not to attempt to travel now on the tourist visa while in AP.

Edited July 19, 2013 by RFQ

[Heather&Ramy 22]

Thanks for your anecdotes... we too don't think it likely my fiancé could get a tourist visa now, after being denied. He's travelled a little bit but mostly in the Mediterranean area, not far into Europe. Probably we will just have to wait..