Young Person - Bike Trip - Tourist Visa

[T.caswell 0]

Hello,

 

I am currently considering applying for a B-2 tourist visa, in order to fulfil a lifelong dream of cycling coast to coast in the US (Los Angeles to New York).

 

My current worry is my credibility in relation to having sufficient ties to the UK:

 

- I currently work for a large transport company that operates in the UK and US, my contract will end in the middle of February (I plan to go to the US early March)

- I have an offer of a legal training contract with a large corporate firm operating in the UK and US, which I have signed a contract for. This does not start until January 2019 however.

- I currently live with my parents, so do not own any property. All my family and friends live in the UK and I have a long history of travelling to the US, but I have no firm ties in terms of property.

 

Does anyone else have experience of applying when on a break from employment, but with a job waiting for them, albeit more than 6 months after the visa date?

 

Secondly could anyone provide guidance on how my living with my parents will be treated? 

 

Any responses on my chances of being granted a visa would be greatly appreciated.

 

Many thanks,

Tom

[Unlockable 7,315]

You can enter the US without a visa for up to 90 days because the UK is part of the Visa Waiver Program (VWP).

 

Procuring a visa for someone from the UK should be rather easy in theory. This allows you up to 6 months of stay in the US. However, you should understand the risk. If you apply for tourist visa and are denied, you will no longer be eligible for the VWP. So it is sort of a "take what (immigration) gives you or nothing" option. 

 

As far as staying past 6 months. You can request extensions for a visa, but you will need to provide evidence to justify the need. Still, you would be at the mercy of immigration approving the extension or not.

 

Your plan is doable, just letting you know the risks involved.

 

Good luck to you.

 

[T.caswell 0]

Thanks for the response @NuestraUnion!

 

I understand the risks, but I don't think I could complete my trip in under 3 months, so I think I'll have to take the risk.

 

My issue therefore is firstly the strength of my current position (job lined up but not directly after, living at home etc.). Also whether there is any way I could strengthen my application - could I get attestations from people in my company I work with (who live in the US), or buying flights in advance of the interview.

 

I'd appreciate yours or anyone else's views on this!

 

Thanks once again,

Tom

[jle2234 68]

My situation is a bit different from yours, as Canadians do not need to apply for tourist visas to enter the U.S. -- but we still need to satisfy a border officer's queries. I was an internationally competing amateur athlete in my late teens and early 20s, and often visited the U.S. for training... and I mean often. Sometimes 2-3 times per month, or for several weeks at a time. I lived with my parents and had no real "job", as I survived off endorsement money. I never had any trouble with getting in to the U.S. That's not to say that you won't have any issue, but I always felt that they understood that I was young and pursuing a "young person"'s ambitions.

 

I think you are doing the right thing to try to show strong ties to the UK. The signed employment contract may go a long way. They may also want to know how you intend to fund your trip (to ensure you won't be seeking illegal employment in the U.S.).

[T.caswell 0]

Thanks for your response @jle2234.

 

It's good to know other people have had similar ambitions! I'm currently 21, so looking to spend my last year of freedom doing something adventurous before starting my training contract.

 

In regards to being able to fund my trip, I am planning on self-funding. I have saved circa. £8k through my current employment, which will easily be enough (I plan to camp and live frugally), but may not look like a lot to the US embassy for such a long trip. I think maybe I should ask for my parents to sponsor me to make the financials seem more secure, then we can work out funding between us.

 

Thanks for your help once again,

Tom

[Boiler 46,007]

I live near the TourDivide and met Mike Hall quite a few times:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Hall_(cyclist)

 

Obviously that sort of time period means you are slow touring, I see a lot of people doing stages, come back the following year and carry on where they left.

 

I have done the Coast to Coast, not this one.

[SusieQQQ 11,587]

18 minutes ago, T.caswell said:

Thanks for your response @jle2234.

 

It's good to know other people have had similar ambitions! I'm currently 21, so looking to spend my last year of freedom doing something adventurous before starting my training contract.

 

In regards to being able to fund my trip, I am planning on self-funding. I have saved circa. £8k through my current employment, which will easily be enough (I plan to camp and live frugally), but may not look like a lot to the US embassy for such a long trip. I think maybe I should ask for my parents to sponsor me to make the financials seem more secure, then we can work out funding between us.

 

Thanks for your help once again,

Tom

Bring the contract and proof you can fund it, and be prepared to answer why it needs longer than esta would allow you

buying tickets in advance is not advised (in fact warned against on official US sites until you get a visa) and attesttaons from people you know won’t matter, the most important is to show them ties to the UK.

[T.caswell 0]

Thanks for your response @SusieQQQ

 

In relation to the funding, my budget of £8k is more than enough for how I plan to travel, but may not seem enough to the embassy officials - maybe I should consider getting my parents to sponsor me and paying them back?

 

In relation to showing why it will take longer than an esta, the honest answer is I don't know how long it will take me! Do you think the best course of action would be to plot out a route, then calculate how many miles per day I could cycle, then show it would take over 90 days?

 

Thanks,

Tom

[SusieQQQ 11,587]

9 minutes ago, T.caswell said:

Thanks for your response @SusieQQQ

 

In relation to the funding, my budget of £8k is more than enough for how I plan to travel, but may not seem enough to the embassy officials - maybe I should consider getting my parents to sponsor me and paying them back?

 

In relation to showing why it will take longer than an esta, the honest answer is I don't know how long it will take me! Do you think the best course of action would be to plot out a route, then calculate how many miles per day I could cycle, then show it would take over 90 days?

 

Thanks,

Tom

Look, I don’t know how much they will engage you in conversation, but it seems a likely question to come up so having something like that could help. Camping and hostels is quite normal for young people, they know they have different budgets, but again a “just in case” showing you’ve worked out the numbers for food and accommodation can’t hurt (might not be considered either though... up to the interviewing officer)

i think your best bet is to emphasise the professional nature of your upcoming contract, large firm etc.

 

[T.caswell 0]

Yes I will put together a full route and breakdown of costs - although who knows whether they'll bother to look at it!

 

I agree that the job to return to is my main asset, only downside is that it does not start until Jan 2019, and I'd be looking for a visa starting March 2018, so doesn't quite match up.

 

At this point it is risk vs reward - I've read some horror stories of people being denied ESTAs for years after a visa rejection which is worrying, but I think I will just try and build as strong a case up as possible and go for it.

[T.caswell 0]

If anyone has any advice on how to strengthen my argument of strong ties to the UK I'd love to hear them. I have lived in the UK my whole life, and all my family live here.

[Boiler 46,007]

1 hour ago, T.caswell said:

If anyone has any advice on how to strengthen my argument of strong ties to the UK I'd love to hear them. I have lived in the UK my whole life, and all my family live here.

Get married?

[geowrian 22,338]

14 hours ago, T.caswell said:

I understand the risks, but I don't think I could complete my trip in under 3 months, so I think I'll have to take the risk.

Fair enough. Just so long as you know what you're getting into. The UK refusal rate for a B-2 is 20%, which is pretty high (although I would assume most of those applying were ineligible for an ESTA so probably have underlying issues).

 

14 hours ago, T.caswell said:

My issue therefore is firstly the strength of my current position (job lined up but not directly after, living at home etc.). Also whether there is any way I could strengthen my application - could I get attestations from people in my company I work with (who live in the US), or buying flights in advance of the interview.

The attestations won't really matter. In most cases the CO doesn't even look at supporting documents, and even if they did, it seems unlikely they would read them. The interviews aren't long or drawn out processes...it's typically a few questions about why you're visiting, where you'll visit, what you do for a living, if you know anybody in the US, etc.

A good travel itinerary would probably be better than any kind of statement from somebody they don't know and cannot verify or hold accountable.

It's highly recommended not to purchase tickets until the visa is in hand.

[jle2234 68]

@T.caswell I think a proposed route, including where you plan to stay (with estimated costs) and how long each leg of the trip is expected to take, would be very helpful to you. I also think you'd benefit from having a signed letter from your parents saying they will provide you with financial support if you experience unexpected expenses.

 

Here are some of the most common questions I was asked when traveling to the U.S. for athletics:

• How are you funding the trip?
• What happens if you are injured? Do you have insurance? Will you cut your trip short? How will you get home?
• Why do this in the U.S. and not your home country, or somewhere else?

And a few that caught me by surprise every now and then:

• Are you traveling with any weapons (for traveling alone)?
• Are you traveling with performance enhancing drugs or athletic supplements? (Remember that the rules for substances differ from country to country)

Given the nature of your trip, I think you should also be prepared to answer what will happen if you run in to delays (bike issues, illness, etc.) and aren't able to make it to your destination in time to leave the country on-schedule.