Short travel in US while Form I-130 is pending

[Nicolo Vito Nesta 1]

33 minutes ago, Jorgedig said:

Must say, it all sounds very fishy to me.   What employer is going to agree to be the I-864 co- sponsor for a job applicant sight unseen, and agree to be on the hook for the public charge?!   

I agree with you but this could be the only solution for me, if it's no scam. And I can only find out at the interview, if I will arrive there.

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

44 minutes ago, Nicolo Vito Nesta said:

I agree with you but this could be the only solution for me, if it's no scam. And I can only find out at the interview, if I will arrive there.

You need either ESTA or visa to board the plane as well as be allowed into the US. Playing ignorant just means you better buy a refundable airfare. 

[Villanelle 4,122]

@Nicolo Vito Nesta

 

Before hopping on a plane you should do more research. You need to find out what type of visa the company is proposing for you and any conditions. Work visas are for very specific jobs and based on what you wrote you probably do not qualify for a work visa. There is a program under the J1 visa for 'training' and it can give you up to 18 months; so I suspect that is the visa the company is offering you. (you do not need a degree to get this visa like you do for work visas and its based around the concept of on the job training). From the little bit of research I did it seems most places that offer this pass the plane ticket fees (among other expenses) back to the immigrant by weekly paycheck deductions. 

 

Please do more research about the company and visa they are offering you. Often when something seems 'too good to be true' it is. Find out what the fine print says before signing ANYTHING. 

 

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As others have said you need ESTA to board the plane. I do not understand why you think its necessary to play ignorant nor what you think you will gain from doing so. As previously posted ESTA is simply a pre-clearance check. It has nothing to do with determining your intentions. It simply verifies that you are eligible to enter the US based on criminal history and medical reasons. Once you establish that you are eligible via ESTA you can board the plane and the CBP officer will question you about the purpose of your trip when you land. The CBP officer will decide if you are a legitimate visitor or trying to circumvent immigration laws by entering as a visitor intending on staying. The 'you can visit thread' gives advice and user experiences visiting while they have an active spousal visa processing. If you havent read it you should do so.

 

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Does your wife have ANY family or friends in the US that could be a joint sponsor for the current spousal visa you have in progress? Do you guys have ANY assets that you can use to qualify? Has your wife filed US tax returns? If not she needs to. 

 

Please update this thread with any new developments or information as you can. I understand the frustration of not being able to immigrate due to financial requirements- many people struggle with this and the solution is usually to find a friend or family member to co-sponsor OR keeping the petition active with the Embassy while the USC returns to the US (alone) and secures a job and residence for apx 6-9 months and then submitting an updated 864 - get approved. No one WANTS to do this but many have to.