Friend from Brazil had her J1 visa declined - please help

[stixmike 0]

Hi guys,

So here is the situation. My friend just had her visa denied because the consulate said she didn't prove that she had enough reason to return to Brazil if she traveled to the US. She worked here in MD as an au pair three years ago. While she was here she dated someone. When she left she wanted to come back to see him so she immediately applied for a travele'rs visa and was denied three times. She waited three years before applying for an au pair program for the second time. She was accepted and both the program and the host family sent letters to the embassy. She has a family in brazil, friends, and she is currently enrolled in college in brazil and had a job so there was no reason to say that she wouldn't return. What do you think happened? Is there anything she can do or will they never let her back to the US? My other friend who was an au pair three years ago too got her traveler's visa approved a few months ago and married someone as soon as she got here. My friend isn't in the same situation and I don't know why hers was denied.

Edited February 19, 2016 by stixmike

[Georgia16 2,858]

It can be a 100 things. You are asking us to guess.

She answered some question a way that made them suspicious.

She applied so many time the found her desparate to come to America

She didn't have the founds to support herself on the vacations

She didn't have enough ties to her home country

And so on....

What your other friend did will only add to the scrutiny others get from your country.

No it doesn't mean it will be for ever, but she will not be approved before she changes what ever reason she got denied.

[stixmike 0]

The reason they gave was that she didn't prove that she had the ties that would compel her to return (your 4th point). Her entire family lives in Brazil and because that was the reason they gave in the letter I was confused.

[canadian_wife 1,826]

She is unlikely to return to Brazil. Her family ties are not ties. What other ties did she provide?

good luck

[HFM181818 750]

the COs believed that she would not return....period. Nothing you can say can change that. Clearly she has a 'friend' in the US....and how is it that now she can take yet another year off to change diapers? Not believable. If she truly is enrolled in college, why abandon those studies to change diapers? (hmmm...perhaps to run off and get married)....too many inconsistencies.

[NancyNguyen 1,657]

"Friend" should start fiance or spousal process if love is big enough.

[Unidentified 2,930]

Having friends and family is not ties to your home country.

They saw that she was desperate to come to America. How old is she? Being an Au Pair is usually something you do fresh out of high school. Something you do to come to America, get a chance to see and experience the country before returning home get an education and start working. Few come back a few years later unless they have another motive to do so.

Like the above poster mentioned, I would recommend either fiance or spousal visa if their relationship is that strong.

[stixmike 0]

I think my initial post came off wrong. I brought up the fact that she applied for a travel visa to see her friend again years ago because I figured that was the main reason that she was denied. Her friend is in a relationship now, she isn't coming here for him. If they were going to get married he would have traveled to Brazil. I didn't realize having family and friends in your home country were not ties. The reason she wanted to come back is because when she was an au pair the first time she was underage and didn't have as much money so she didn't experience the country as she would have liked. Now that she is 25 she wants to come back and experience more cities. She tried to explain that to the CO but they told her only to answer the questions they ask.

Again she has no intention to come back to marry her "friend".

[Unidentified 2,930]

During her tourist visa interviews did she mention her "friend"?

[stixmike 0]

She said she did. Ugh.

[Unidentified 2,930]

Well there's your answer. They think she is going to see her "friend" and stay.

[Boiler 45,797]

Lots of places you can work as an Au Pair, why waste time looking to do it in the US, big world out there.

[HFM181818 750]

merely stating that a former BF is with someone else is really meaningless....how could that statement really be proven? It cannot (sorry, no notarized letters would do the trick)...

au pair (J1s) have an age limit, but at her age, the CO wondered why she is not willing to pursue her career in whatever instead of changing diapers....the most likely reason (from a COs perspective) is to go husband shopping.

[GatorDad 0]

I can't believe some of the ignorant, know-it-all answers posted here.  We've had au pairs for almost 10 years, and none of them were "just out of high school".  The cut off age is 26, and we have tended to go for older, more mature au pairs, often with advanced degrees and/or professional training as a teacher.  Some countries, sure, they offer younger au pairs.  Germany comes to mind.  In South America, however, you get all kinds of au pairs.

We were just informed that our next au pair's visa was denied today  I don't know all of the details at this point, but "lack of ties to home country" seems to be the prevalent rationale.  While I do not know what questions were asked, or how they were answered, I do know that she has a sheaf of supporting documentation and nobody from the embassy even looked at it. 

[Ontarkie 14,325]

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