Can a travel agency help get B2 visa quicker?

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

How hard can it be to fill out a form in your native language?

[Pennycat 880]

Permanently banned from trying to get into the U.S.?

Yes, some of these travel agents or "lawyers" they try to claim to be make it "easy" to get a tourist visa to the US because they know what they have to say to get it approved, even if it's a completely made up lie, false papers and all. Apparently it works just often enough to keep them in business, and I suppose the times that it fails, the applicants blame themselves, not the travel agent/lawyer.

Then, though, if they apply for other visas in the future, either on their own, with a fiance/spouse or with another "lawyer" who doesn't know what sorts of lies the first one told (and so can't keep it consistent), the truth comes out. Then, depending on the nature of the lie, yes, you can be permanently banned from the US for misrepresentation for immigration benefits.

These travel agents and "lawyers" don't care because they've made their money either way. It's $X for their help, pass or fail. Bonus for the travel agent because if you DO pass, well, you'll need a travel agent to book your flight, right? They don't appear to think or care about the potential consequences of this. There are quite a few people who go for their fiance or spouse visa interviews, only to find that the US thinks they're already married, maybe even have children, to someone else in their country. This is because that's what their "helper" for their failed B2 visa wrote down to make them look like they've got stronger ties to their home country, to improve chances of B2. Well, imagine what that looks like when you show up claiming to be engaged or married to an American? Bad. Very, very, very bad, that's what it looks like, and usually results in a denied fiance/spouse visa.

I wouldn't go near any of these people with a 10-foot pole. The DS-160 is not that difficult, and it is translated into your local language (hover the mouse over every question).

[IcezMan_IcezLady 582]

While others do get visas as long as they're honest and just find travel agent services helpful with the laborious ds160 steps by themselves.

That's true.. In Ghana, those agents are called "connection" men. Some people have successfully got visas through them even under fraudulent paperwork. It is an open secret. Any Ghanaian who grew up in Ghana and claims not to know this is a liar. The fact is, these guys sometimes fill out paperwork and the applicant may not be aware the "husband" or "wife" put on the application.

Most of these "connection" men are con artist. Some con their clients and the embassy.

It is probably why those of us, filling out forms on our own and going through the right process are having a hard time with our embassies.

How hard can it be to fill out a form in your native language?

That would assuming that the application forms are translated into the person's native language.

[almost_umrican 54]

My friend in Jamaica said hat his mother got a Visa to visit the U.S. Through a travel agent and said it was quicker. He wants to visit me here in the U.S. And was told by his sister that going thru a travel agent there it would cost about $200 and he'd have to go to the embassy and it would only take 6 days. Does anyone know if this is true? It seems to good to be true

This is not only false but a lie. i hope the visa the poor lady got is a genuine one. Most of this agents are quacks and have no control over or connections in foreign embassies. Did she ever went for an visa interview at any local US mission ?

[almost_umrican 54]

There are so many stories that go around Jamaica on visas. What's the easiest way, tricks to getting approved, etc. One needs to be careful believing all those tales. No a travel agent cannot speed up anything or guarantee approval. My future mother in law obtained one on her own. She has held a long term job and owns property. Young single men.....well that's totally different.

This is the story of every third world country. people find new ways to cheat everyday. very human huh !

[almost_umrican 54]

Yes, some of these travel agents or "lawyers" they try to claim to be make it "easy" to get a tourist visa to the US because they know what they have to say to get it approved, even if it's a completely made up lie, false papers and all. Apparently it works just often enough to keep them in business, and I suppose the times that it fails, the applicants blame themselves, not the travel agent/lawyer.

Then, though, if they apply for other visas in the future, either on their own, with a fiance/spouse or with another "lawyer" who doesn't know what sorts of lies the first one told (and so can't keep it consistent), the truth comes out. Then, depending on the nature of the lie, yes, you can be permanently banned from the US for misrepresentation for immigration benefits.

These travel agents and "lawyers" don't care because they've made their money either way. It's $X for their help, pass or fail. Bonus for the travel agent because if you DO pass, well, you'll need a travel agent to book your flight, right? They don't appear to think or care about the potential consequences of this. There are quite a few people who go for their fiance or spouse visa interviews, only to find that the US thinks they're already married, maybe even have children, to someone else in their country. This is because that's what their "helper" for their failed B2 visa wrote down to make them look like they've got stronger ties to their home country, to improve chances of B2. Well, imagine what that looks like when you show up claiming to be engaged or married to an American? Bad. Very, very, very bad, that's what it looks like, and usually results in a denied fiance/spouse visa.

I wouldn't go near any of these people with a 10-foot pole. The DS-160 is not that difficult, and it is translated into your local language (hover the mouse over every question).

this is absolutely right and these quacks can be found like wild weed in any third world country.

[SunflowerSweet 1,321]

While others do get visas as long as they're honest and just find travel agent services helpful with the laborious ds160 steps by themselves.

Are we thinking of the same ds160..?

Virtually all of those questions are things that only the applicant can directly answer about their life/job/education/travel history etc.

I don't see how much help a third party could possibly be in answering questions that they don't know the answers to... Definitely not worth the $$ and obvious risk.

[Transborderwife 4,666]

Are we thinking of the same ds160..?

Virtually all of those questions are things that only the applicant can directly answer about their life/job/education/travel history etc.

I don't see how much help a third party could possibly be in answering questions that they don't know the answers to... Definitely not worth the $$ and obvious risk.

The point is filling out the answers that USCIS would want, not necessarily what the applicants history is..

[amaxx8 0]

He was saying they help the process faster

[HFM181818 750]

At a couple of posts in which I worked, we knew most of the travel agencies and told them that we would NOT give any preferential treatment to anyone using their services....we had signs posted in the waiting area warning people not to pay these clowns for their 'advice' or assurances...and when we discovered that some of these agencies were crafting bogus documents, including airline tickets, hotel reservations, etc, we told them that any applicant who presented any document from their agency would be refused instantly. We managed to close a few agencies down, but others sprung up soon after....at one post, we had a policy that anyone using any travel agency would be have their case set aside under 221g, while our fraud department put their applications under an electron microscope...few applications survived that much scrutiny.

[SunflowerSweet 1,321]

The point is filling out the answers that USCIS would want, not necessarily what the applicants history is..

I understand that is the reality. I was more questioning the poster who seemed to think it was a honest and legitimate service..

[Boiler 46,094]

Many moons ago there was a Travel Agent where you could drop off your B application in London, saved going to the Consulate, I guess a left over from pre VWP days.

I know somebody who used it.

[TBoneTX 46,116]

A hijack post and replies have been removed.