Can my wife get a tourist visa ?

[Boiler 46,242]

Because they had good jobs and life style and probably would not disappear into the US to work in bars.

[NickD 203]

You don't know until you try, did you try?

Don't expect any help from your congressman or senator, tell you the NVC is under the jurisdiction of the DOS that is under the jurisdiction of the executive branch, or in other words, the president of the US.

Could try sending a letter to Obama, but he doesn't seem to answer his mail.

If you are a tax paying US citizen, can apply for what they call adjustment of status, as your spouse your wife will maintain number one priority. Different sections on this board tell you how to do this. Have to maintain residency here, she will get a visa, then a green card, then US citizenship with a US passport. Then you are free to go anywhere you want to. As long as you are paying taxes to the US.

[BKKflyer 17]

Since you seem to know better than the people on this board, why did you even bother to ask?

Well, he was a bit testy.

But I agree that people on this board do seem to be unduly pessimistic about getting tourist visas.

[BKKflyer 17]

The US is actually ranked as one of the most difficult countries in the world to get a visitors visa for.

Millions of people visit every year, but billions don't have the opportunity.

Hardest countries to get visa to visit #9

Yes it is there, but it says: "For your average tourist, this is generally a straightforward process, but if you’ve got a criminal record then think again. If you’ve ever dabbled in illegal drugs and been caught, consider the US to be off limits."

[Boiler 46,242]

Well, he was a bit testy.

But I agree that people on this board do seem to be unduly pessimistic about getting tourist visas.

You tend to see the shall we say dubious end of the spectrum, most people would just apply and get one and never think twice about it.

[BKKflyer 17]

You tend to see the shall we say dubious end of the spectrum, most people would just apply and get one and never think twice about it.

Haha.. don't say "you". I agree with you and that is exactly what I did with the lady I'm dating. See my thread called:

B1/B2 Business/Tourist Visa For Thai Lady

[Boiler 46,242]

It was akin to the Royal We.

[BKKflyer 17]

It was akin to the Royal We.

Got it. Good luck.

[No name 88 48]

Here's my take on this. The tourist visa application takes 20 minutes to fill out and costs $160. This visa is soley based on the information in the application, requested documents and interview that last 5 minutes. There is no law that you can't apply for your spouse or you can't apply with an petition for an I-130 on file.

Apply for it! If denied you're only out $160 and it is a dry run for your CR-1 or K-1 interview. Don't lie; if they ask if you have an I-130 on file tell them and make sure your spouse is prepared to show why your they will leave the US once the visa is up.

I would like my wife and my new son to visit my family while we are waiting for the I-130 petition approval. I plan on applying on a tourist visa for the wife next month. If I get denied I'm out $160. I've lost more money on worse stuff than that and it will make me feel better having tried. I don't know why people on here keep saying You Can't Do That! when it's not illegal to try. I see it here a lot on the posts. The worst they can say is denied, have a nice day.

I have to agree with the OP that some people go overboard on here. I read posts about how you need to bring mountians of evidance to your interview and then read a consular review that says the CO didn't look at it; only the photos. If it makes you feel good bring everything but it's not my style. People told me I needed a three inch stack of paper for my sons CRBA on top of the requested information and the CO only wanted to see 4 photos and was more interested in the interview part. I now believe that the CO's rely more on body language and not the content of your anwsers to the questions asked but how you answer. The CO may look at 50 applications a day. Do you really think their reading every single one?

If you think the US visa process is terrible or takes to long I suggest you try getting an employment visa to India. It will make you look at the US process and say hey this isn't so bad. That said I do think they need to speed up the process times of family based visas. Why should it take 8 months to adjudicate 3 pieces of paper.

[jan22 3,067]

The US is actually ranked as one of the most difficult countries in the world to get a visitors visa for.

Millions of people visit every year, but billions don't have the opportunity.

Hardest countries to get visa to visit #9

I think your post is really misleading. If you actually look at the link, what it says about the U.S. is:

United States

For your average tourist, this is generally a straightforward process, but if you’ve got a criminal record then think again. If you’ve ever dabbled in illegal drugs and been caught, consider the US to be off limits.

Personally, I don't mind at all that we keep out a significant number of criminals and drug dealers -- it should be difficult for them to get visas. "Billions" don't apply for a visa, so there is no way of knowing whether they would get one or not.

Just to clarify -- I'm not saying that your wife, if her visa happens to be denied, is a criminal or a drug dealer! There are other reasons (the primary one being the inability to overcome the presumption of intending immigration that Congress wrote into the law). But, if you have strong ties to your current job (i.e., your contract is valid for a while longer), and there are no other issues you haven't mentioned, unlike other posters, I think she's likely to be approved. Good luck to both of you.

Edited January 25, 2014 by jan22

[MacUK 983]

I think your post is really misleading. If you actually look at the link, what it says about the U.S. is:

United States

For your average tourist, this is generally a straightforward process, but if youve got a criminal record then think again. If youve ever dabbled in illegal drugs and been caught, consider the US to be off limits.

Personally, I don't mind at all that we keep out a significant number of criminals and drug dealers -- it should be difficult for them to get visas. "Billions" don't apply for a visa, so there is no way of knowing whether they would get one or not.

Just to clarify -- I'm not saying that your wife, if her visa happens to be denied, is a criminal or a drug dealer! There are other reasons (the primary one being the inability to overcome the presumption of intending immigration that Congress wrote into the law). But, if you have strong ties to your current job (i.e., your contract is valid for a while longer), and there are no other issues you haven't mentioned, unlike other posters, I think she's likely to be approved. Good luck to both of you.

The article was written by a British publication so of course it focuses on VWP scenarios so yes for the average tourist it's relatively straightforward to get to the US.

But it's not just drug dealers that are being kept out. Last time I flew in to the States there was a guy on the flight who was refused entry and sent back to the UK.

His crime? 30 years earlier he'd got into a brawl and found himself with a conviction for Actual Bodily Harm. He'd not been in any trouble since then and had brought his family for a once in a lifetime vacation. The hardened criminals and drug dealers you want to keep out just lie on their ESTA application.

But for a lot of people around the world there's just not much they can do to get past the presumption of immigration intent due to the US arrogance that everyone in the world wants to live there.

And I think you'll find that a lot of posters told the OP that his ties to Dubai were beneficial to his wifes application.