B2 Visa Refused - International Student

[RhettVoe 281]

And, you are not entitled to a visa, no matter what you may think or believe.

[Cathi 5,684]

You come off as very being very self entitled and elitist. Just because you go to one of the so called top 50 schools in the world and you claim to be one of the top 15 students in the world(who cares)doesn't make you special. Good schooling does not equal getting in the country over someone who is less educated, it makes you just like anyone else in the world who wants to visit. You must show strong ties to your home country in order to get a visitor visa, just like EVERYONE else. Plain and simple. Seeing that you haven't even lived in your home country for 12 years, and you applied from the country you study in, gives you a zero to no chance at being approved in your current situation.

[apple21 953]

My sister is at a private university in the US. She lives in campus so she only has 'a room', not a flat/house where I could crash at. So the hypothesis of the sister is just plain dumb, it's not like I had a familiar I could possibly stay with. Even meeting my sister was going to be at a hotel.

Well I have lived abroad many years but always in the right immigration type, never overstayed any visa or any of that. Also if my intention was to go to the USA the money I spent in enrolling in my current university I could have spent it and enrolled at a uni there which btw would have been MUCH cheaper for me.

It was hard for me to come to EU as I actually have a USA high school and most university dont accept it.

I hate this, they make me feel like some 'poor African kid' that just wants to have some piece of their BS. All I wanted is to visit my sister. I didn't want to stay in the USA, study in the USA nor live in the US. I hate this, all embassies treat me like some worthless piece of ###### who is a treat to their country. OMG.

I attended through my entire life private schools, lived in the best areas and eaten the best food. But when time comes to ask for a visa im seen the same as those people who put their life at sake to get into those dinghy .

The US does not owe you any favor.

[scienceworks 64]

one of the Top 15 students? Who are you? Richard Feynman's grandson?

[Boiler 44,700]

The Uni is in the top 15.

[camden 20]

OP, a tourist visa is difficult to obtain as you have learned the hard way and I can totally relate to how you're feeling at the moment. Please don't allow the naysayers to agitate you any further. Just work on another plan.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

A number of inappropriate comments containing judgmental personal attacks have been removed. If you have nothing constructive to add to the discussion, then please do not participate.

Moderator's hat off . . .

I can understand your frustration about being denied a visitor's visa to visit your sister whom you haven't seen in two years. You know yourself to be an honest, hardworking deserving individual who has a lot of reasons to return to where you are after your visit and can't understand why this wasn't obvious to the interviewing officer.

I don't know if it will help but in many ways this denial doesn't really have very much to do with 'you' in specifics but with the nature of visitor visas in general. You list your country of origin as the Philippines which you left 12 years ago and are studying abroad. You are single, have a relative in the US, appear to be from a country from which many people choose to immigrate to the US, have no property, no income or job, no close family connections (spouse and children), etc.

US immigration has the mindset that coming to the US 'trumps' any sort of possible benefit that is available outside of the US. They won't recognize that enrollment in a top University is actually a very good incentive to return from the US because of this insulated perspective. They believe that the lure of staying in the US once a visitor arrives will overwhelm any intention of leaving, and view every individual who presents themselves at the border for admission or at a Consulate for a visa as someone who secretly harbours the intent of immigrating to the US.

One has to provide cumulative and overwhelming documented evidence of the absolute 'need' for the individual to return to their country of citizenship or residence - that they will suffer some sort of serious economic, financial or personal loss if they remain in the US - before they will issue some visas - and even then it may not be enough. For a young single person studying at University with weak ties to their own country, with no job or property or financial resources that necessitate their return (University enrollment by itself will not be enough), it is unlikely they will grant a visitor's visa.

Is this fair? Nope - but they are not interested in fair. They write the rules and they decide who is allowed and not allowed to enter the US. They set the yardstick extremely high and view with suspicion - and possibly even fear - anyone who does not meet that yardstick.

I'm sorry for your circumstances, but perhaps there is the possibility you can both get visas to a third country and have a visit there, possibly Canada or Mexico?

[andaluza 1]

Since you obviously think very little of our laws and rules, it's best if you remain outside the US of A.

who said? I do think well of the US and nowhere have I shown the opposite. !? I don't get why people in forums tend to make weird uncalled for comments.

Well I don't wanna GO to the US, i just want temporary access. Americans have free access to my country and come and go on their free will, yet when I request for access and I have good intentions (short term visit) yet I do get rejected ? It extremely infuriating.

Anyways I wanted some advice or so, not this pointless comments.

[andaluza 1]

A number of inappropriate comments containing judgmental personal attacks have been removed. If you have nothing constructive to add to the discussion, then please do not participate.

Moderator's hat off . . .

I can understand your frustration about being denied a visitor's visa to visit your sister whom you haven't seen in two years. You know yourself to be an honest, hardworking deserving individual who has a lot of reasons to return to where you are after your visit and can't understand why this wasn't obvious to the interviewing officer.

I don't know if it will help but in many ways this denial doesn't really have very much to do with 'you' in specifics but with the nature of visitor visas in general. You list your country of origin as the Philippines which you left 12 years ago and are studying abroad. You are single, have a relative in the US, appear to be from a country from which many people choose to immigrate to the US, have no property, no income or job, no close family connections (spouse and children), etc.

US immigration has the mindset that coming to the US 'trumps' any sort of possible benefit that is available outside of the US. They won't recognize that enrollment in a top University is actually a very good incentive to return from the US because of this insulated perspective. They believe that the lure of staying in the US once a visitor arrives will overwhelm any intention of leaving, and view every individual who presents themselves at the border for admission or at a Consulate for a visa as someone who secretly harbours the intent of immigrating to the US.

One has to provide cumulative and overwhelming documented evidence of the absolute 'need' for the individual to return to their country of citizenship or residence - that they will suffer some sort of serious economic, financial or personal loss if they remain in the US - before they will issue some visas - and even then it may not be enough. For a young single person studying at University with weak ties to their own country, with no job or property or financial resources that necessitate their return (University enrollment by itself will not be enough), it is unlikely they will grant a visitor's visa.

Is this fair? Nope - but they are not interested in fair. They write the rules and they decide who is allowed and not allowed to enter the US. They set the yardstick extremely high and view with suspicion - and possibly even fear - anyone who does not meet that yardstick.

I'm sorry for your circumstances, but perhaps there is the possibility you can both get visas to a third country and have a visit there, possibly Canada or Mexico?

Thank you for your words.

So you think there is no way I can actually prove my intention of returning as long as I am a student? Because Im not just enrolled, I am attending and have paid for the entire year's tuition fees, I also rent my flat and have a one year rental agreement. Is there any list of what would qualify as 'strong roots' ? I am also a legal EU resident.

I mean from my side it seems that if US was really my final destination the money I spent getting to my current university I could have used it to get a 5 years F1 visa, so I did have alternatives in terms of getting to the US if that was my aim. Heck even now if I wanted to stay in the US I have enough money (and obv the grades) to enroll into the 2nd semester at a university and go there next month legally and with a long term permit.

So it doesn't make sense to me that they believe that I might wanna stay there illegally when there are many legal ways for me to do so legally if that was my intent.

That is why it seems unfair to me, because when I reason it out I don't see why I'm seen as somebody who won't come back and I don't feel like I fit that profile.

The visa officer said 'well your sister can come here to you, it will be easier' , so I think why can she 'easily' come to EU while not me USA when we have the same profile ? I thought EU was on par with USA . Many of my familiar have 10 years long tourist US visa, even my parents had. I never thought it would be this difficult for me.

Well anyways what is done is done. We will just have to stick to visa-free places.

[andaluza 1]

You come off as very being very self entitled and elitist. Just because you go to one of the so called top 50 schools in the world and you claim to be one of the top 15 students in the world(who cares)doesn't make you special. Good schooling does not equal getting in the country over someone who is less educated, it makes you just like anyone else in the world who wants to visit. You must show strong ties to your home country in order to get a visitor visa, just like EVERYONE else. Plain and simple. Seeing that you haven't even lived in your home country for 12 years, and you applied from the country you study in, gives you a zero to no chance at being approved in your current situation.

Hi Mimolicious

Well I didn't say I was a top 15 students nor did I say that I feel self entitled. All I meant was that I go to a highly ranked university, therefore why would I leave my current resident country where I am studying at a top university to go to the USA where I have nothing/nobody there for me?

I didn't say that I was better that anyone else, all I said is I am enrolled at a great university with a very low acceptance rate (-10%), not some of those who accept anybody . I also rent a flat where obv I have a rental agreement and I have paid a high deposit and months in advance.

So wouldn't this mean that I have STRONG reasons to come back?

Also this " Seeing that you haven't even lived in your home country for 12 years, and you applied from the country you study in, gives you a zero to no chance at being approved in your current situation. " is wrong because I have tons of friends who study abroad and they DO get USA visas. Also previously I was living in another country and I did get all of the visas I applied for.

I came here looking for advice and answer to my questions, not to fight with people.

[Boiler 44,700]

What do you mean by EU resident, I though you had a Student Visa?

[andaluza 1]

I attended through my entire life private schools, lived in the best areas and eaten the best food. But when time comes to ask for a visa im seen the same as those people who put their life at sake to get into those dinghy .

Seems like people went crazy over this comment. What I meant was that many of those people who illegally come to live in Europe via those boats don't care risking their life, leaving everything behind just to get into EU. Those people have nothing other than themselves, they come from poverty and they have no other opportunity where they are.

[Boiler 44,700]

About half the people here out of status came using visa's.

[andaluza 1]

What do you mean by EU resident, I though you had a Student Visa?

It is a Residence for a student. Meaning that I have all the same advantages of a resident, even free healthcare. After 5 years I will have the same exact right as a citizen such as student grants, government grants etc and can apply for citizenship. Also once I start working here (if so I wish) I won't have to pay taxes for few years exactly like a citizen. This is not like some standard visa that require you to leave the country at end of study and to start the process all over again to work such as UK. Also I can currently travel through all Schaengen countries ( Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, Greece, Iceland, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Poland, Austria, Czech Republic, Austria etc ) and stay as long as I want (obv I won't because I have class but in summer I can).

[cdneh 3,112]

What is your country of origin? What country are you living in now?