Where does my money go?

[No-Where-Man 147]

I am sorry that you feel this way. With no doubt, it is frustrating, But I would like to just clear what some other members said. The $160 is barely covers the whole process until the interview. That involved processing the application she applied, getting someone to look at the application, and the interview slot been reserved for her and the interview time itself. So if you put it all together, a $160 is not that much (especially nowadays).

Besides, there are all kinds of issues now about the TPS for Central American countries (Temporary Protected status) and most of the indicators leads to a factual reality that soon it will end. So I believe that also will make things difficult as most likely the officer will doubt that whoever wants a tourist visa from that country might want to overstay and get married or try to manipulate the system.

NOT saying that is the case with you, but merely my own opinion. It will just make things harders for B1/B1 applicants unless there is NO doubt they will get back to their countries...

Many interesting things going on with immigration system now and more to come in the next 3-4 months if not sooner. 

[David & Diana R 1,005]

18 hours ago, famaliden said:

My wife (US citizen now) has a sister in El Salvador that was denied a tourist Visa today with no reason other than, no. While I think that they should provide a valid reason as to why someone is denied, my question is where does that $160 go? Seems rather amusing to me that they can just take the money and deny someone or allow someone with what seems to be "how the interviewer is feeling at that time" as my wife's sister is no threat to stay in the US. She came prepared with documents and wasnt even asked to provide any. She was asked about her job that she has in El Salvador and that was basically it. So since my wife and I help them with finances and that $160 was on my dime, once again I ask, where did my money just go that my US Embassy just took from me lol.

So what exactly do you think?  You think it doesn't cost money to process a visa?  It doesn't make any difference whether a person is or is not granted the visa.  There are still costs involved.  If they refunded money to people who were denied who would pay the money it took to pay the employees to review the visa application?  I guess the only answer to that is the costs of visas would have to go up for people that were approved.  Come on now...give me a break.

[Harmonia 211]

This is why so many Central Americans are undocumented. Many applied for and were denied visas. Welcome to the reality of immigration. We as US citizens take it for granted that we can go nearly anywhere in the world. Not so for other citizens of other countries who want to visit family here. 

[SusieQQQ 11,587]

18 hours ago, NikLR said:

It's an application fee.  It's not a visa fee.  She paid to apply for a visa.  The paperwork and time of a consular officer costs money.   

Plus, it's stated upfront re any visa application that fees are non-refundable if the application is refused.

 

18 hours ago, famaliden said:

"The paperwork and time of a consular officer costs money." 

If this is the case, how do I get that job? $160 for 10 minutes of my time sounds amazing.

Obviously the 10 minutes of the interview is not the entire time the CO spends on the application. I've had a few B visa interviews in the past. It's been quite clear to me in each case that the CO already knew exactly what was in the application, and what if any supporting documents they wished to see.

 

I'm sorry you didn't get the outcome you wished for, but I think this comment is probably right on the mark:

2 hours ago, bakphx1@aol.com said:

If you have to help with finances, then you answered your own question.  They are looking for people with no incentive to stay and work in the US. 

Trust me, being in your 40s with a low paying job and kids does not necessarily mean you go home. I know people from (relatively) richer countries than El Salvador that have overstayed & worked illegally in the US coming from almost that exact same set of circumstances - the only difference being that they did not already have someone like a sister there to help support them... 

Edited November 16, 2017 by SusieQQQ

[Miss M 54]

The application is reviewed BEFORE the interview which is probably why they don't ask for any specific supporting documents at the interview, meaning a decision has likely already been reached.  CO's are not obliged to examine your documents for a tourist visa - I think it's discretionary.

(At least where I'm from),  people 'manufacture' supporting documents and so I'm assuming the CO's know not to waste time looking at them.

[lu_pomponet 0]

Sorry you went through this. In my opinion, it probably was the combination of risky country (meaning that a lot of people from that country abuse their visas) + low income (I am assuming that is the case, as others already mentioned) + family in the US (this is seen as a red flag in many cases).

[Esme2504 48]

In El Salvador you have to have a good job, a lot of money in your bank account, credit cards, a car and own a property to get a tourist visa. My uncle in El Salvador has a tourist visa he has a great paying job, cars and has $$,  he travels all over.  He has a good life lol

[geowrian 22,338]

1 hour ago, Harmonia said:

This is why so many Central Americans are undocumented. Many applied for and were denied visas. Welcome to the reality of immigration. We as US citizens take it for granted that we can go nearly anywhere in the world. Not so for other citizens of other countries who want to visit family here. 

I'd actually argue it the other way around. Lots of people from Central America have abused tourist visas in the past, making it much harder for others from those countries to get them now.

 

Well unless we're talking about EWI entrants, but I'm skeptical most of them are just visiting family temporarily. But they have a means for doing so already with a far, far higher approval rate than getting a tourist visa.

[Jeanne Adil 1,651]

Instuctions for applying tell you from USCIS site

 

https://my.uscis.gov/helpcenter/article/3049

 

In general, USCIS does not refund a fee regardless of the decision on the application unless there is a finding of USCIS error. Instances of USCIS error are as follows:

• Unnecessary Filing - USCIS (or the Department of State in the case of an application or petition filed overseas) erroneously requested an unnecessary application or petition and collected a fee;

• Payment in Excess of Amount Due – USCIS (or the Department of State in the case of an application or petition filed overseas) erroneously accepted and processed an application or petition with a fee in excess of the amount due;

 

i wish they refunded fees / i applied K1 $325 denied

CR1 $450 denied

and new CR1 approved 

plus all the work done and trips to  see him wthin 2 years of each interview 

total costs just over $35000

 

BTW when you pay someone to do a job like process your application , you don't get money back 

and they look at the application with supporting documents the day before interview  / most are decided before interview as my mother-in-law received a paper of denial typed the day before her interview

Edited November 16, 2017 by adil-rafa

[Ksenia_O 696]

Fee of 2-years  United Kingdom visitor's visa is around  $400 (depends on country).

$160.00 for 10 years (in most cases) US visitor visa .. It's not really  that huge "loss" even to talk about... 

 

[kris&me 572]

anytime money leaves your hand to another, it is not your money anymore

simple as that

[ConOfficer 167]

We don't look at documents because they don't help us make a decision. Aside from the fact that applicants present fake documents, it's just easier and more efficient to have a conversation with a person rather than look at their bank statement. Also, as others have mentioned, the fact that someone owns a home or has a job doesn't mean they won't overstay or otherwise abuse their visa (e.g. by working or giving birth using Medicaid funds).

 

I do believe that most central americans would return home. But we know that a substantial minority of visa holders are misusing their visas by working 2-3 months a year in the U.S. or abusing Medicaid. That's why it's so hard for working age people to get a visa.

 

It's a cost-benefit analysis and the economic and other benefits to the United States don't outweigh the risk of issuing central americans. To me, this was an easy no - the visa applicant is working age, never had a visa before, strong ties to the U.S. etc. 

 

 

[SusieQQQ 11,587]

3 hours ago, geowrian said:

I'd actually argue it the other way around. Lots of people from Central America have abused tourist visas in the past, making it much harder for others from those countries to get them now.

 

I'm inclined to believe this because I know it is getting harder and harder for people from my home country to get B visas to the US, as there have been more and more instances of people abusing those (including from this kind of background). Hard as it is to believe now, my first B visa was granted when I was a brand new college graduate with absolutely zero ties to go back home. It was only valid a year, but they gave it to me! I am 100% certain that wouldn't happen now. (My next visa, as a young working professional, was also a year, then after that they started giving me 10-year visas.) 

 

20 minutes ago, ConOfficer said:

We don't look at documents because they don't help us make a decision. Aside from the fact that applicants present fake documents, it's just easier and more efficient to have a conversation with a person rather than look at their bank statement. Also, as others have mentioned, the fact that someone owns a home or has a job doesn't mean they won't overstay or otherwise abuse their visa (e.g. by working or giving birth using Medicaid funds).

 

 

Is this specific to central America? Because I was always asked to present documents for my B visas ...not that I had anything to show for my first visa, haha, but the rest (another 3, the last of which was granted while I already had an approved immigrant petition underway) I  was asked for employment letters and bank statements. 

[Boiler 46,087]

I was not, neither of us are probably representative.

[ConOfficer 167]

1 hour ago, SusieQQQ said:

Is this specific to central America? Because I was always asked to present documents for my B visas ...not that I had anything to show for my first visa, haha, but the rest (another 3, the last of which was granted while I already had an approved immigrant petition underway) I  was asked for employment letters and bank statements. 

We're trained not to look at documents and rely on interviewing techniques. If some consulates are still requesting documents they have bad managers.