Not denied...yet....wants financial guarantee...advice please

[Popsicle 0]

There's plenty of cash on hand.

I know there is not an exact magic number to assure the visa officer of sufficient funds to visit the USA but this seems like overkill. Not sure how to handle when a financial guarantee/sponsor probably isn't forthcoming.

College buddy attended college for 5 years in the US and has visited every summer since graduation (4 years). His last visa expired so he went to the Saudi embassy to apply for a new one. He was called back to the embassy last week and was told that since this is his first visa on his own (parents had sponsored previous ones) they want a financial guarantee for "more security." On last year's trip he spent about $10,000 total but that is more than he usually spends. He has been employed full time with the same company in Saudi since he arrived home after college 4 years ago and makes over $100k per year. He has 20,000 in cash sitting in his bank account plus another 60k in cash/liquid funds in an investment account.

He at first thought they didn't realize the 60k was cash like the 20k so he asked if he should just move the 60k into the local account for reassurance. The officer replied "no because we don't know where the money came from." He said "you can see where it came from, that 60k sitting in this account here *shows figures on paperwork he provided at time of application*. Visa officer ignores and says "we want financial guarantee for more security, you're not denied."

Well great. His dad is not willing to sponsor him for anything as they are not getting along right now. I think the visa officer wasn't really interested in following the 60k but would it be worth just moving the money and going back and hoping for a different officer and just explaining that it wasn't clear the 60k was cash too? Or is he risking a straight up denial?

Seems like 20k is more than enough for a 2-3 weeks visit and 80k should be MORE than enough but once they ask for financial sponsor is that it? You have no other option?

[Ebunoluwa 6,136]

I agree that 20k should be enough.

CO wants more so submit more proof.
It is not advisable to just move the 60k to the bank account but instead (or in addition to moving it) present the exact

documents from the time the 60k was deposited in cash/liquid funds in the investment account and possibly where it originated

from. Show the entire paper trail. They do not like recent large deposits to bank accounts right before applying and rightly so as it could be borrowed etc.
One year is more reasonable.

[Popsicle 0]

Yeah, that makes sense. Just show the deposits/paper trail and get the 60k in with the 20k so they see it's all cash. Based on the officer's comment I don't think they trust it's really cash on hand and of course they're not going to investigate the type of account, what's investment money, what's not. I'll tell him to try that route. Worst they can do is say no and then I suppose he could try again. Not sure if it's worth his trouble. He's wanting to go back to school for a second bachelor's and is waiting for bank letter re: funds available for school and his school acceptance letter for spring. He was hoping to squeeze in our guys trip before student visa app but it doesn't look like that's gonna happen in time with this delay.

Thank you for your suggestion.

[Boiler 45,948]

You can not sponsor a tourist visa.

[KierenHby 899]

F2 visa =family sponsor

H1 visa =employer sponsor

B2 visa =sponsor ???

There is no sponsoring a tourist visa, period!

[Popsicle 0]

Clearly I just used the wrong terminology but I did say financial guarantee as well. So maybe the term wasn't correct but I obviously was not lookkng for advice on sponsoring or obtaining a sponsor for him. I was simply looking for advice on how he can show them he has more liquid funds than they may realize.

[jan22 3,056]

Proving the source of the 60k and that it is cash will not satisfy the visa officer. The officer is most likely actually looking for reasons why your friend will return to Saudi from a tourist trip to the US. Cash does not prove that -- it is easily transferred. A job, property, etc., show more financial ties to a home country than cash does.

And, it seems the officer was, in a way, correct -- your friend really doesn't plan to return to Saudi after a short trip and resume his job/life. He plans on returning to study in the US, if I am reading your post right. He will face some serious questions as to why a second bachelor's and the intent to return home afterwards if he is found ineligible for the tourist visa now.

Edited July 18, 2016 by jan22

[Ash.1101 1,756]

Has he just recently quit his job? You said he makes 100k a year, and generally that should satisfy the CO right there, without having to use cash back up. Did he bring proof of his job and stable income, or just proof he has some cash on the side. If he recently quit his job for his little vacay and then with plans to return to the US for more schooling, then chances are he won't be getting the visa.

Edited July 18, 2016 by Ash.1101

[Popsicle 0]

Thanks for your insight. I don't know how the visa officer would suspect anything about not returning as he isn't even 100% sure he's going to apply for student visa. He's getting his ducks in a row and waiting to hear back from schools that have the program he is interested in. I just mentioned it because I was curious about how the supposed lack of funds for tourist visa would later on affect a student visa.

The visa officer was very clear - "it's not a denial, we just want more of a financial guaranty." The 60k appeared to not have been considered, only the 20k, because that's in his local account. The 60k is cash inside an investment account and from what I've read on here, they do not like to see investment funds. I know they're not going to delve deeper into what the account is to make sure it's $60k in liquid funds.

There was no questioning about ties, intent to return, job, family, etc. He was a student in the US for 5 years, never overstayed a visa, returned home for visits, returned home immediately after college and has worked full time in his job there ever since, returning to the US once a year for vacation. His entire family is there. There's never been any funny business or plans of not returning. It would be a huge leap for the visa officer to infer any kind of intent not to return based on past history and current visa application. But I do understand it's a possibility as he's a young male and looked at more closely?

We will probably postpone our plans to see each other so he can work on strengthening his tourist application in a few months. Can he withdraw his application so it doesn't affect his chances at a student visa if he decides to pursue one?

[Popsicle 0]

No, he has not quit his job, he is still employed with the same employer for the past 4 years, just received a promotion actually and has no plans to quit. He did provide payslips. I did not ask how many but he did provide proof of income over the past few years and current payslips. So the financial guarantee part threw him. And it was his usual trip - 2 weeks this time instead of 3 I believe though.

[Boiler 45,948]

Does not make a lot of sense, has sufficient cah in hand and a good job.

A visa is approved or denied.

[Popsicle 0]

That's what we thought too! Ok, I get that they can ask for more info, etc. but with everything the way it is he was very surprised to be asked for financial guarantee. He even thought job/wages alone should be sufficient even if he just showed the 20k and that was it. His only thought was maybe because he spent 10k last year the 20k seemed to be cutting it close for them? Even still, that's DOUBLE what he spent last year and should still be enough. I guess we'll never know.

[Cathi 5,783]

Having his entire family living in the US will work against him(or anyone)when applying for a tourist visa. The way they look at it is he has more ties to the US than to KSA even with a well paying job. Jobs are easily quit.

[EM_Vandaveer 2,408]

Having his entire family living in the US will work against him(or anyone)when applying for a tourist visa. The way they look at it is he has more ties to the US than to KSA even with a well paying job. Jobs are easily quit.

His entire family is there. - I interpreted this to mean they're all in the KSA, not in the US.

[Popsicle 0]

Sorry if that was confusing - his entire family is in Saudi Arabia. He has no relatives in the US.