applying for a B2/Tourist Visa - Will this letter help?

[defeedme 4]

Hi all, just curious if this letter will help to get my mother-in-law a visitor/tourist visa. I know how difficult it is. She's 58 years old and just got a fresh new Philippines passport which I think helps. She is part owner of the house she lives in. Has a 30yr old daughter there and lives with her 19yr old son and the father. But no savings. Thanks in advance for any help or advice, it's greatly appreciated - Here is the letter:

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Hello and thank you for reading this letter. When reviewing the application for the Visitor’s Visa (B2 Visa) for my Mother-In-Law, xxx xxx please consider the following:

In Feb of 2014 I petitioned a I-129F Fiancée Visa for (mother-in-law's) daughter, xxxxxxxx. The Fiancée Visa was approved and xxxxx arrived in New York via (via K-1 Visa) on Aug 23, 2014. In Sept 2014 we were officially married and in June 2015 her 6 yr old daughter, xxxx, joined us in the US (via K-2 to join Visa). in Jan 2018, (wifes name) & (wife's daughter name) both became US Permanent Residents..

We would like for (mother-in-law) to have the opportunity to visit us in (your town), FL, USA. (mother-in-law) have no intentions of wanting to stay here permanently; otherwise, this would be the wrong type of Visa to apply for. The sole purpose of them applying for the B2 Visas would be to visit her daughter xxxx and grandchildren xxx & xxx.

Pending the approval of her B2 Visitors Visa, I, xxx, will personally be the one to finance (mother-in-law) travel expenses to and from the United States and during their stay with us. I own a house, so room and board for (mother-in-law) will not be an issue. Enclosed are some additional documents we’d like to include in addition to (mother-in-law) application for the Visitor’s Visa to USA. The documents will show (My wife) is legally married to me. Also, the documents will show that I make enough money to finance my mother-in-law’s trip should she be approved of her B2 Visas. Those documents, along with other supporting documents, are:

1) Copy of our marriage certificate.

2) Our son’s birth certificate.

3) Copy of our passport info page.

4) Copy of (wifes K-1) US 10yr Permanent Resident Card and letter

4b) Copy of (daughter-in-law K-2) US 10yr Permanent Resident Card and letter.

5) Notarized I-134 Affidavit of Support (with supporting documents)

a) My employment verification statement from [name of work]

b) 2018 Tax Return and W-2 (showing approx $100k income)

c) 3 recent paycheck stubs

d) Property Tax statement to show I own a home under my name with no mortgage

We hope this letter, along with the I-134 Affidavit Of Support and its supporting documents, will help in getting the approval for (mother-in-law) Visitor’s Visa. Thank you in advanced for reading this letter, we hope of good news in getting the approval of the B2 Visa for my Mother–in-law. Should there be any questions for me, xxx xxxxxxx and (wife's name), feel free to contact us via email address or by phone, Home: 707-zzz-xxxx or cell 1-707-xxx-xxxx.

[Going through 5,671]

Likely the letter won't even be read, much less taken into consideration.  Nor will documents pertaining to your wife's own immigration journey.

She will be approved based on her own merits, and whether she can show compelling reasons to return to her home country.

 

In all honesty, letters like yours can sometimes tend to do more harm than good....for example, you mentioned a couple of times how you would be able to financially support your mother-in-law, pay her travel expenses, give her room and board, etc.   which can naturally lead a CO to believe that you would continue to financially support your MIL, as well as provide her a place to live permanently, should she decide to overstay her visa.

Edited March 30, 2019 by Going through

[Unlockable 7,315]

Unfortunately, you've done all this work to write this letter and gather all of those documents but you are about to hear some news you may not want to hear.

 

Everything you are supplying with this letter will not even be looked at. You are making one of the biggest errors of foreigners who apply for visitor visas to the US. You are supply your proof instead of the applicant's (your MIL's) proof. 

 

By law, the interviewing officer doesn't need to know why the applicant wants to come to the US, which is everything you are stating, the officer wants to know why your MIL needs to return to her home country.

 

Affidavits of support for tourist visa are not even legally binding. So the document it is not even worth anything. 

 

If you do a search on this site, you will find countless people who attempted to provide the same evidence as you and come here to say that the officer never even looked at the documents.

 

It is even mentioned on the US government website that all of that evidence you listed may not even be considered in the decision.

 

We know you feel like you need to do something to help but technically there isn't much for you to do. You can have your mother apply and find out. Hopefully, she will get it.

[Unlockable 7,315]

*** Moved from Bringing Family Members of Permanent Residents to America to "Tourist Visas" ***

[nastra30 2,303]

The USEM has no obligation to look at the invitation letter or the affidavit of support or the money you have or your employment or your green card, at all. These are not taken into consideration when CO is making a decision on visa issuance. Your mom-in-law will have to proof strong ties to her home country on her own accord.  None of what you are sending her  or your assurances will affect visa decision. 

 

Read-->

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/tourism-visit/visitor.html

"Note: Visa applicants must qualify on the basis of the applicant's residence and ties abroad, rather than assurances from U.S. family and friends. A letter of invitation or Affidavit of Support is not needed to apply for a visitor visa. If you choose to bring a letter of invitation or Affidavit of Support to your interview, please remember it is not one of the factors used in determining whether to issue or deny the visa."

[apple21 953]

My parents applied for tourist visas last year and got approved. No letter or other "proofs" were needed. Don't bother anymore. Check out my signature for their interview experience.  Good luck!

[Boiler 45,772]

B2 is a tourist visa not an Immigrant Visa.

[millefleur 5,047]

Certainly no need for all these "sponsorship" supporting docs you've mentioned like the W-2's or the I-134. Tourist visas cannot be sponsored by family members.

 

If she is part owner of the house she lives in, that is a tie to her home country. In terms of bringing any docs at all (which as mentioned they are not obligated to look at), focus on docs showing her ties to home and why she will return to the Philippines.

 

I agree with the other posts stating that mentions of any supporting financial docs from your side can be interpreted as immigrant intent. The key thing with tourist visas are : a.) what are the reasons you will leave the US and return to your home country and b.) what ties do you have in said home country in order to show you do not have immigrant intent. Best of luck.

[JFH 12,190]

Waste of ink and paper. 

[defeedme 4]

22 hours ago, apple21 said:

My parents applied for tourist visas last year and got approved. No letter or other "proofs" were needed. Don't bother anymore. Check out my signature for their interview experience.  Good luck!

wow, did they have bank accounts or real estate ?  was there anything specific they had that showed strong ties ? 

also my mother-in-law does not speak English.  Thanks

[defeedme 4]

21 hours ago, Boiler said:

B2 is a tourist visa not an Immigrant Visa.

yes I know that.

[defeedme 4]

On 3/30/2019 at 7:22 PM, Unlockable said:

Unfortunately, you've done all this work to write this letter and gather all of those documents but you are about to hear some news you may not want to hear.

 

Everything you are supplying with this letter will not even be looked at. You are making one of the biggest errors of foreigners who apply for visitor visas to the US. You are supply your proof instead of the applicant's (your MIL's) proof. 

 

By law, the interviewing officer doesn't need to know why the applicant wants to come to the US, which is everything you are stating, the officer wants to know why your MIL needs to return to her home country.

 

Affidavits of support for tourist visa are not even legally binding. So the document it is not even worth anything. 

 

If you do a search on this site, you will find countless people who attempted to provide the same evidence as you and come here to say that the officer never even looked at the documents.

 

It is even mentioned on the US government website that all of that evidence you listed may not even be considered in the decision.

 

We know you feel like you need to do something to help but technically there isn't much for you to do. You can have your mother apply and find out. Hopefully, she will get it.

I didn't do any work, found the letter on the internet. So basically someone with 0 money but shows strong ties can get approved then come to the U.S. and drain our system to the max and become a burden on society? doesn't make sense - isn't the officer going to want to at least know where the person will be staying?  Hey you never know governments have been know to bite off their nose to spite their faces. Wouldn't surprise me one bit. Thanks for all the advice, I'm still going to supply the letter so they know this person will not be a burden on our society, will include all our I.D. , passports and Marriage Cert - but toned down and without the affidavit of support. 

 

[Boiler 45,772]

The application asks where they are staying.

[Going through 5,671]

3 hours ago, defeedme said:

I didn't do any work, found the letter on the internet. So basically someone with 0 money but shows strong ties can get approved then come to the U.S. and drain our system to the max and become a burden on society? doesn't make sense - isn't the officer going to want to at least know where the person will be staying?  Hey you never know governments have been know to bite off their nose to spite their faces. Wouldn't surprise me one bit. Thanks for all the advice, I'm still going to supply the letter so they know this person will not be a burden on our society, will include all our I.D. , passports and Marriage Cert - but toned down and without the affidavit of support. 

 

Keep us updated on how it goes.

[Going through 5,671]

On 3/30/2019 at 9:05 PM, Boiler said:

B2 is a tourist visa not an Immigrant Visa.

 

3 hours ago, defeedme said:

yes I know that.

I think what Boiler might have been pointing out is that you're treating the B2 like it's an immigrant visa with all the "supporting documents" and financial info/marriage certificate/paystubs/permanent resident info/tax info etc. that you feel you need to send.

 

None of that is going to be fully taken into consideration----only things to consider for the CO is the application form and how she answers any questions during her interview.  Interview is normally 5-10 minutes or so, not much time to present all of that "evidence" probably.

 

3 hours ago, defeedme said:

So basically someone with 0 money but shows strong ties can get approved then come to the U.S. and drain our system to the max and become a burden on society?

Key words there for approval is "strong ties"...the CO believes the person would return/the person has every intention of returning after a short stay---no draining the system or burden on society since they have compelling reasons to return, and do return.

 

No one here is saying she can't try for a tourist visa---and she may end up getting approved---we're just saying that the CO is not obligated to take any of the documents you send into consideration when deciding the outcome, and not to put all of your hope/energy into it being approved based on what you send or state in your letter.  Best of luck to her.

 

 

Edited April 1, 2019 by Going through