B1 Visa for UP Graduate from Philippines

[TomD 4]

My wife is Filipino. She is US Citizen same as me.  Her niece which she raised will be graduating with a BS degree from UP Los Banos next year.  She has a 3.5 + GPA and is not married or with children.  She would like to attend a College here in the US to achieve her Masters Degree. I know the process but because the Philippines is what it is I am concerned that she will not be granted a visa because of her age, sex, and marital status.  We are willing to support her while she is attending College.  Has anyone had similar experience getting a relative a B1 from the philippines. Can anyone give us any advise which might help her attend school here.  Thanks 

[Unlockable 7,314]

If she is seeking to attend college here in the US then a B1 (Business visa) is not the right visa for her. What she will need is an F1 visa.

 

She will need proof of being accepted into a University and proof of being able to pay (usually by showing available funds to pay for tuition).

 

Keep in mind that a F1 visa is NOT dual intent. That means it is not for people who intend on immigrating to the US. She is allowed to remain in the US as long as she is a student. Once that is over (or if she drops out of school), she either has to return to her country or find another means of keeping legal status in the US. 

 

ETA: She will also not be authorized for work on a student visa.

Edited August 15, 2018 by NuestraUnion

[Roel 7,192]

Not b1 visa. That's for business. 

 

She needs a student visa. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/study/student-visa.html

 

Well she needs to prove non-immigrant intent and that she can finance her school and that's most important. If you have a spare 20.000$ to 50.000$ then you can act as her sponsor. 

 

Hope you and her are aware that she will not be allowed to work on student visa. 

[Jojo92122 1,924]

A B1 is not the appropriate visa to attend graduate school.

 

Your niece would need an F-1 student visa.

 

1.  Apply and be accepted to a US university.  She will need to show that she has the funds to pay international student tuition and living expenses for the average student (does not matter if she lives with you - still needs to show the funds for independent living since you are not legally obligated to support her).  The lack of funds is what usually ends people looking into a student visa for a niece.  She would likely need to show $40k or $50k in the bank for graduate school in the US.  Have you looked into international student tuition at the program that she is interested in?

 

2.  US university accepts her into their program and issues I-20.  The I-20 is required in order to apply for an F-1 student visa.

3.  Apply for F1 student visa and must show that she intends to return home after finishing her studies.  She would not be denied a visa based on age, sex, or marital status because it's illegal and there are plenty of young single women her age enrolled as international students in the US.  She would be denied for not showing that she is a serious student, lacks the funds, or can not overcome the presumption of immigrant intent.  

 

 

Edited August 15, 2018 by Jojo92122

[TomD 4]

Thanks All , I appreciate your input.  Guess I misread the B1 so I will look into the FI.  No problem with the $50K as I would be sponsoring her and she isn't looking to live here although things change.  I think it would be near impossible for her to get here any other way because of her status, lack of funds, no property etc which you would expect from someone so young. 

Thanks again for the links and help .  Enjoy the summer. 

[WandY 430]

Before she can get into a credible master's degree program in the U.S., she needs to make sure her foreign degree is acceptable. Although not usually a problem, many universities require the foreign student to submit their transcripts to a credentialing service. (http://www.naces.org/). This is especially true in the medical and technology field. I know of many schools that also require some ESL classes (for students with poor English skills). Foreign students cannot use U.S.-based student loans, but can sometimes get a break on tuition. I went to grad school with several foreign students that were able to get a good deal on tuition - it's up to the school (and must be within federal law). Private schools can be more creative, but they are also more expensive. Schools admit foreign grad students because it's culturally enriching and most importantly, it's very profitable. Foreign students pay a lot for our grad schools, while Americans generally pay very little. Most U.S. master's students (depending on the program) don't pay tuition, opting instead to teach or do research while in school. My tuition was waived and I was actually paid $10k per year to teach undergrad. Foreigners can't do this.

[TomD 4]

Great information thanks for sharing. She is attending UP which I believe is accredited. I have ask her to send me her curriculum with her grades if possible. This documentation is only to use during initial discussions. As we are now living in Florida. I will be looking for a school nearby our home. Gainsville is only 1 hr away. Hopefully language will not be an issue because English is spoken and schools are taught in English although they do mistake meaning sometimes. Im hoping it’s not cost prohibitive. 

[TomD 4]

On 8/15/2018 at 4:17 PM, Jojo92122 said:

3.  Apply for F1 student visa and must show that she intends to return home after finishing her studies.  She would not be denied a visa based on age, sex, or marital status because it's illegal and there are plenty of young single women her age enrolled as international students in the US.  She would be denied for not showing that she is a serious student, lacks the funds, or can not overcome the presumption of immigrant intent.  

 

 

This is the difficult part in my view. Overcoming a presumption of intent because a typical young person has little to show other than their family. As material things usually come to most of us later in life. Don’t think for a minute sex, age and marital status are not important. Why else would they ask the question. They would not quote it as the basis for refusing a visa but I would bet it’s a factor. These agents are no different than anybody else and I would bet looks matter also. Thanks for your response. 

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

1 hour ago, TomD said:

These agents are no different than anybody else and I would bet looks matter also. 

What, uglier people get visas easier? Rotfl... and I thought I’d seen it all on here already 

[TomD 4]

2 minutes ago, SusieQQQ said:

What, uglier people get visas easier? Rotfl... and I thought I’d seen it all on here already 

Not looking an argument or exchanging insults.  I simply was implying that even if there are laws against discrimination it still occurs. That was in regards to sex, age and marital status. Then I stated appearances would also be a factor. If you don’t agree that fine. You’re the one who leaped to uglier, which never entered my mind. Take care Susieqqq.

 

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

16 hours ago, TomD said:

Not looking an argument or exchanging insults.  I simply was implying that even if there are laws against discrimination it still occurs. That was in regards to sex, age and marital status. Then I stated appearances would also be a factor. If you don’t agree that fine. You’re the one who leaped to uglier, which never entered my mind. Take care Susieqqq.

 

Ok then, if I leaped to the wrong conclusion, please explain how looks influence the decision of the interviewing officer? 

[geowrian 22,337]

Rumor has it that blue shirts get visas.

 

There's certainly bias from individuals and people who violate laws and policies at every level. However, there's no data in support of conclusions that one's looks influence the decision making process.

Edited August 17, 2018 by geowrian

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

Just now, geowrian said:

Rumor has it that blue shirts get visas.

 

There's certainly bias from individuals and people who violate laws and policies at every level. However, there's no data in support of conclusions that one's looks influence the decision making process.

Irrational justifications sometimes make people feel better about refusals, though.

[Jojo92122 1,924]

16 hours ago, TomD said:

Not looking an argument or exchanging insults.  I simply was implying that even if there are laws against discrimination it still occurs. That was in regards to sex, age and marital status. Then I stated appearances would also be a factor. If you don’t agree that fine. You’re the one who leaped to uglier, which never entered my mind. Take care Susieqqq.

 

Bwaaaaaa!!!!!!!

 

My niece is an international college student.  She had two fellow international students over for the weekend.  Being young single women didn't stop them from getting student visas.  

[TomD 4]

4 hours ago, SusieQQQ said:

Ok then, if I leaped to the wrong conclusion, please explain how looks influence the decision of the interviewing officer? 

Have you ever drove down a road and saw someone holding a sign will work for food . That’s looks. Have you ever spent time in jail and someone next to you has tats from head to toe. That’s looks . Susie have you ever been to Hamburger Mary’s in the mission district that’s looks. Of course you would not draw a conclusion from any of these situations. Ever walk through GGP and ... Well you get the idea .