Impact on future possible F1 visa from information shared during B2 visa application

[casinoroyale 1]

Hi all,

 

My Colombian girlfriend (second-year university student in Colombia) and I are considering our future options both related to our goal of increasing the amount of time we spend together (I live in the US, and visit her in Colombia as frequently as I can, work-permitting) and her desire to spend a semester/year studying abroad in an English-speaking country. 

In an ideal world, she would get a B2 visa allowing her to visit me here in the US every few months, as well as meet my parents on one of these trips. We were planning on her applying for this, even knowing that the chances of approval are slim.

 

However, as previously mentioned, also in the cards is that next year, she will be eligible to study abroad with her university, which has exchange agreements with some great universities in the US for her area of study.

My concern here is that, if she were to apply for a B2 visa (and regardless of whether her application is approved or denied), the CO examining her F1 application next year will see in the notes from her B2 interview that "visiting boyfriend" was the stated purpose of her visit. This, in turn, may lead him/her to cast doubt on her intent to return to Colombia, in the same way I imagine it would for the B2 visa interview. 

 

As a result, we are reconsidering whether it is even a good idea to apply for the B2 visa at all, and instead potentially tough it out until next year when she can honestly claim a reason for wanting to spend time in the US that doesn't involve me. This would be where its kinda tricky though, because on the one hand, she'd be lying (by omission, I suppose) if she didn't say that her reason to study in the US specifically (over other countries where her university also has partnerships) wasn't motivated by my presence there, but at the same time, her university's partner institutions in the US really would be great options for her, independent of my involvement in the situation.

Finally, it is worth mentioning that although we have no intention to marry at the moment, if that were to change in the future and she were to desire a K1 visa, I'd be concerned that they might deem an omission of any mention of me in her F1 application to be dishonest, which would negatively impact that application.

So my questions are the following: Are my concerns about the B2 application impacting a future F1 application valid? Would it be beneficial to completely write me out of the picture in her F1 application, and would that be dishonest? And might that have a negative impact on a future K1 application? Any other thoughts on the best approach to this situation?

Thanks very much!

TLDR: Will saying "visiting boyfriend" on B2 application have negative impact on potential future F1 application?

[kris&me 572]

she can apply to college or university here and if accepted, they will apply the student visa 

she should let them know in interview she does have a US bf but if u 2 decide to be together later, she wil follow the K1 (fiancee) or CR1 (spouuse) visa

she should let them know her intentions are to return  home for process of either of these later visas

if she intends to apply AOS after coming on student visa, it is not advised as that is visa fraud to immigrate permanently

all questions have to be answered honestly 

if anything says or asks about BF in US u  have to answer correctly

 

[Coco8 1,042]

Student exchanges go under J1 not F1. 

 

If she gets denied the visitor visa, it could impact her J1 because the J1 has the same requirement of going back to her country (in this case, to finish her degree, the one she is doing the exchange with). 

 

Because of all your questions, the safe thing to do would be to avoid the B2 and go directly for J1. You guys can meet in Colombia or in some other country, like Mexico. 

 

That said, she should be honest when applying for J1. The best way to get the J1 is for her to have great grades in college and show that she is interested in the exchange for academic purposes and she will go back to Colombia to finish the degree. That said, she should be honest if they ask her if she has a boyfriend or whatever in the U.S. 

 

The reason for studying in the US should not be to be with you. You are probably not even going to be in the same city. If that is the reason, then she is not thinking about what she wants to do with her life or to pursue her interests. If someone told me they want to do something due to a relationship, sure, she won't get the J1, because it is to do an academic exchange, not to have fun and have a vacation, or meet people. Similarly, why would her parents spend a ton of many for her to do an academic exchange when she is not going because she wants to study?