B2 Visa, Bulgarian Girlfriend, Unique Situation

[AmericanSlav 0]

Bulgarian girlfriend wants to come to the USA to meet my family, tour through my town, go to Chicago, etc. She will be sponsored by her own funds and will have board at my family's house.

 

We both have online jobs, she sells rakia at her home for extra money and her dad works as a steamroller whom makes a great living and helps support her if she needs. She has no family here in the United States.

 

The plan is for her to come here and visit, we will tour around my state, and since I am a Slav and love Bulgaria - I want to live there for a while. I will be applying for a Type D Visa to visit Bulgaria for longer than 3 months. While she is here in the States, we will wait for the Type D to approve, then we will go back to Bulgaria. There, we will apply for a K1.

 

It is imperative that she comes here to the USA before we file for a K1 because I have used all of my vacation time at a current desk job that I have, and I need to save enough money to live in Bulgaria for a year as my desk job makes more money than my online job. I would just rather her be with me during this process.

 

How about you guys? Were you able to get your girlfriend to the USA on a B2?

[Lil bear 4,289]

7 minutes ago, AmericanSlav said:

Bulgarian girlfriend wants to come to the USA to meet my family, tour through my town, go to Chicago, etc. She will be sponsored by her own funds and will have board at my family's house.

 

We both have online jobs, she sells rakia at her home for extra money and her dad works as a steamroller whom makes a great living and helps support her if she needs. She has no family here in the United States.

 

The plan is for her to come here and visit, we will tour around my state, and since I am a Slav and love Bulgaria - I want to live there for a while. I will be applying for a Type D Visa to visit Bulgaria for longer than 3 months. While she is here in the States, we will wait for the Type D to approve, then we will go back to Bulgaria. There, we will apply for a K1.

 

It is imperative that she comes here to the USA before we file for a K1 because I have used all of my vacation time at a current desk job that I have, and I need to save enough money to live in Bulgaria for a year as my desk job makes more money than my online job. I would just rather her be with me during this process.

 

How about you guys? Were you able to get your girlfriend to the USA on a B2?

The determination by the IO at her interview will be based on the strength of her demonstrated ties to her home country. Unfortunately, your situations isn’t unique .. it’s the same issues that the majority of long distance relationships face. Her ties as you describe them do not sound very strong. She may face an uphill battle. But no one can tell you what will happen.. she can apply and see what the outcome is. I suggest you have Plan B in your mind .. how you further your relationship without her being here in the US 😬

Edited April 16, 2019 by Lil bear

[geowrian 22,338]

I wish you both good luck.

 

Nobody has brought their girlfriend on a B-2. This is because you have no role in her getting a B-2 or not. If she is deemed eligible, she will get it. If not, she won’t. Hopefully she does.

[SalishSea 18,074]

9 minutes ago, AmericanSlav said:

Bulgarian girlfriend wants to come to the USA to meet my family, tour through my town, go to Chicago, etc. She will be sponsored by her own funds and will have board at my family's house.

 

We both have online jobs, she sells rakia at her home for extra money and her dad works as a steamroller whom makes a great living and helps support her if she needs. She has no family here in the United States.

 

The plan is for her to come here and visit, we will tour around my state, and since I am a Slav and love Bulgaria - I want to live there for a while. I will be applying for a Type D Visa to visit Bulgaria for longer than 3 months. While she is here in the States, we will wait for the Type D to approve, then we will go back to Bulgaria. There, we will apply for a K1.

 

It is imperative that she comes here to the USA before we file for a K1 because I have used all of my vacation time at a current desk job that I have, and I need to save enough money to live in Bulgaria for a year as my desk job makes more money than my online job. I would just rather her be with me during this process.

 

How about you guys? Were you able to get your girlfriend to the USA on a B2?

Her ability to get a B visa is all about her ties to home, and reason to return there.  Not about her reason for visiting the USA. 

 

You should also be aware that you may run into issues with the ability to financially sponsor her for the K-1 if you leave the US for a year.

[gregcrs2 1,778]

Have you two physically met yet?  If not, perhaps it would be better for you to visit her for 90 days visa free in Bulgaria.  Your current plans are all contingent upon her getting a tourist visa.  That may not occur.

[AmericanSlav 0]

1 minute ago, gregcrs2 said:

Have you two physically met yet?  If not, perhaps it would be better for you to visit her for 90 days visa free in Bulgaria.  Your current plans are all contingent upon her getting a tourist visa.  That may not occur.

Yes. We have met before. However, she has not been to the USA.

[aaron2020 11,651]

Your situation is not unique.  It's common.  There's a pinned thread at the top of a couple of the subforum.

 

She applies for the visitor visa.  You are not a part of it.  She will need to overcome the legal presumption that she intends to immigrate by showing strong ties to her home country.  It's all about her.  No one gets his girlfriend a visitor visa.  She gets it based on her circumstances.  

 

 

Edited April 16, 2019 by aaron2020

[Cathi 5,783]

She must apply and be approved on her own merits and her merits alone. You have nothing to do with her visa or any type of sponsorship.

 

She will need to prove strong ties to her home country, prove she can finance the trip on her own and having a US citizen fiance' will work against her. If she's asked about your relationship she must be 100% honest about being engaged. She must be 100% honest in all of her answers.

 

It doesn't matter how imperative you think it is that she visits the US, that decision is left to the CO. The only thing she can do is apply and find out. Good luck.

[Going through 5,671]

Establishing US domicile also something for you to think about (depending on how long you plan on living in Bulgaria for), by the time you are ready to file the K1.

[millefleur 5,047]

Just prepare for a denial and have a plan B for meeting up before the K-1. The plan to move to Bulgaria makes sense in this case. B visas are regularly denied for women with USC boyfriends....especially since you've already mentioned K-1, there is immigrant intent at some point.

 

She needs to focus on her ties to Bulgaria and why she needs to return. Her having an online job might make that iffier in terms of convincing the CO.

[Boiler 45,922]

K1 would not seem to be the obvious choice.

[Unlockable 7,315]

7 hours ago, AmericanSlav said:

Bulgarian girlfriend wants to come to the USA to meet my family, tour through my town, go to Chicago, etc. She will be sponsored by her own funds and will have board at my family's house.

 

We both have online jobs, she sells rakia at her home for extra money and her dad works as a steamroller whom makes a great living and helps support her if she needs. She has no family here in the United States.

 

The plan is for her to come here and visit, we will tour around my state, and since I am a Slav and love Bulgaria - I want to live there for a while. I will be applying for a Type D Visa to visit Bulgaria for longer than 3 months. While she is here in the States, we will wait for the Type D to approve, then we will go back to Bulgaria. There, we will apply for a K1.

 

It is imperative that she comes here to the USA before we file for a K1 because I have used all of my vacation time at a current desk job that I have, and I need to save enough money to live in Bulgaria for a year as my desk job makes more money than my online job. I would just rather her be with me during this process.

 

How about you guys? Were you able to get your girlfriend to the USA on a B2?

 

7 hours ago, AmericanSlav said:

Yes. We have met before. However, she has not been to the USA.

You need to have a plan B just in case due to a strong possibility of a denial. There are tons of people that never get approved for a visitor visa. The way you word you post is like her coming to the US is essential. You should never put too much hope in getting a B2 because it is not guaranteed and for many people in some countries the refusal rate is really high.

 

What happens if she is denied? At least this is a question you should be talking to her about. If she gets it, then you two are good to go. 

[SusieQQQ 11,587]

Bulgaria only has an 11% B visa refusal rate so that’s a positive, but the particular factors of your girlfriend’s situation do raise questions about whether she will be granted a visa. As others have said, your plan to live in Bulgaria before applying for spouse visa is a good one, but you need to keep in mind whether you’ll need a joint sponsor if you apply before you secure a job back in the US.