B-2 Visa- When is Sponsorship by family in U.S. a good thing?

[merah 0]

I have heard both pros and cons about having family in the U.S. acting as sponsors for non-U.S. citizens for short visits to the U.S.

Under what circumstances would sponsorship documents for a B-2, short term visitors visa best be filed by the U.S. family and when would it be best that the applicant themselves 

take on the burden of proof that they are capable of financing their own trip?  Is the key factor money, or are there other equally important factors?

 

Thanks in advance

[ConOfficer 167]

There is no such thing as a sponsor for a short term visitor. Your personal financial situation or your statement that your relative will return to their country have no impact at all on the interview. The consular officer is only looking at the applicant and assessing whether they are credible and have sufficient social and economic ties to their country. 

 

I personally never read letters of invitation because they do more harm than good. People write crazy things like "I want my sister to come because there's too much violence in X country and she is out of work." Or, "I really need help taking care of my kids for the next three years." People also frequently submit affidavits of support and tax returns for random people in the U.S., none of which get looked at. 

 

Don't take this to mean that someone who obviously can't pay for their plane ticket will not get a visa. They do all the time. 

 

The only possible situation where you might want to submit some financial info is if your relative is seeking medical care in the U.S. and needs to prove that they can pay for it. 

[Unlockable 7,315]

There is no sponsorship for tourist visas. They apply on their own merits. They have to prove that they have a reason to return to their country.

 

Put it this way. If an American family member is willing to provide them with financial support and a place to stay, then the foreigner will have a way to remain in the US thus making them a possible risk.

 

You can help them with fill out the application and such but providing documents that you will financially support them will likely backfire.

[merah 0]

Both of your replies agreed with my presumption before I posted the query.  What confused me was the following website:

http://www.***removed***/visitor-visa/sponsor-documents.html   and    https://www.path2usa.com/visitor-visa-guide/documents-for-sponsor

 

These web page outline the complete procedure for: 

USA Visitor Visa Sponsor Documents

All this centers on the i-134 affidavit form.  So I was very confused to see all this in context of a visitor's visa.  When is i-134 properly used?

[Unlockable 7,315]

Those websites are notorious for leading members to think they need things that they don't. I think one is owned by an international travelers insurance company.

 

Think about it for a moment. Why would a person need a citizen from another country to provide an affidavit of support to finance their family's vacation? I've met plenty of people visiting the US that never had anyone provide an affidavit.

 

Trust us. It is a huge misconception. Have your family file on their own.

[merah 0]

41 minutes ago, NuestraUnion said:

Those websites are notorious for leading members to think they need things that they don't. I think one is owned by an international travelers insurance company.

 

Think about it for a moment. Why would a person need a citizen from another country to provide an affidavit of support to finance their family's vacation? I've met plenty of people visiting the US that never had anyone provide an affidavit.

 

Trust us. It is a huge misconception. Have your family file on their own.

I do trust you.  It was a shock to see what crowded those web sites.  It went against every understanding I previously had held. Thanks for the support.

[Boiler 46,086]

2 hours ago, NuestraUnion said:

Those websites are notorious for leading members to think they need things that they don't. I think one is owned by an international travelers insurance company.

 

Think about it for a moment. Why would a person need a citizen from another country to provide an affidavit of support to finance their family's vacation? I've met plenty of people visiting the US that never had anyone provide an affidavit.

 

Trust us. It is a huge misconception. Have your family file on their own.

I agree, VJ block out the name for reasons I do not know, but very misleading. They seem to be set up for the Indian Sub Continent mainly on work visa's and cover other countries where the regulations are different.

 

Their forum seems mainly people posting with no replies assuming nothing has changed.

 

path2us has a forum as well. now I had not looked at them, saw that nobody had posted on their forum in months and seems an Immi clone.

 

https://travelassistanceloan.wordpress.com/

 

Found this place advertised, after some searching they offer loans at 3,5% per month, to support your student, whatever visa application.

 

Now if you were reviewing an application and somebody had obtained such a loan what would you be thinking?

Edited March 8, 2017 by Boiler

[merah 0]

Ok- you all have convinced me that there are nifarious websites out there whose mission is to take advantage of those seeking visas.  But I have one lingering question- what is the proper use of form i-134 affidavit?  It is clearly a sponsorship form co-issued by  Department of Homeland Security & U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.  What purpose does it serve?

[merah 0]

I-134, Affidavit of Support

• Form I-134 (PDF, 461 KB)
• Instructions for Form I-134 (PDF, 199 KB)

Close All   Open All

Purpose of Form

To show that visa applicants have sponsorship and will not become public charges while in the United States. The sponsor must file a separate affidavit for each applicant.

[Boiler 46,086]

1 minute ago, merah said:

Ok- you all have convinced me that there are nefarious websites out there whose mission is to take advantage of those seeking visas.  But I have one lingering question- what is the proper use of form i-134 affidavit?  It is clearly a sponsorship form co-issued by  Department of Homeland Security & U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.  What purpose does it serve?

A good question, it is not legally enforceable to pretty pointless. Normally seen in conjunction with the K1.

 

Lots of things the Gov does make you wonder.

[KierenHby 899]

Those websites are based in India and seem to have nefarious motives. They mainly cater to India nationals with advice that is suspect at best. 

If B2 visas required sponsorship, USCIS\NVC would've made sponsorship legally enforceable. 

[blooms 63]

Maybe a more reliable source of information might help you. Won't personally recommend  you to provide I-134 for your family applying visa. But by all means do so if it helps you sleep better. For deets, check out this link.

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/visit/visitor.html#documentation

 

"Visa applicants must qualify on the basis of the applicant's residence and ties abroad, rather than assurances from U.S. family and friends. A letter of invitation or Affidavit of Support is not needed to apply for a nonimmigrant tourist visa. If you do choose to bring a letter of invitation or Affidavit of Support to your interview, please remember that it is not one of the factors that we use in determining whether to issue or deny a nonimmigrant tourist visa."

 

 

 

 

[KierenHby 899]

A relic from the old days; not legally obsolete, but practically obsolete.