Help - Seeking info for cousin in Philippines

[gemst0nes1 0]

On 6/18/2019 at 4:58 AM, MacUK said:

For all the people who continually come on threads to tell about the thousands of people they know who walked into an embassy waving an invitation letter and got an immediate approval, a bottle of champagne and free Disneyworld tickets...

 

What exactly do you think an invitation letter does?

The US doesn't care why you want to visit, only that you'll leave. 214(b) is all about not overcoming presumption of immigrant intent, there's nothing in there about not having a valid reason to vist.

A line in it about someone covering expenses? Totally worthless as it can't be legally enforced. You can say anything in a letter, nothing will come back at you if you don't go through with it.

 

I can print off hundreds of invite letters promising all kinds of things, doesn't make it true

thanks. i have no idea about tourist visas

 

my only knowledge in regards to visas is the i-129f petition i filed for my husband to get the k1 visa. i know for that, there was so much info we had to provide but made perfect sense.

[Unlockable 7,315]

1 hour ago, gemst0nes1 said:

Thanks. I didn't think an invitation letter was needed, but my cousin really wants to come visit since I moved to Hawaii recently.

 

She wants us to do a cross country road trip ever since I told her about the one I did 2 years ago.

 

 

Another word of advice is to advise your cousin to approach the visitor visa with cautious optimism. By what you described it seems your cousin has high hopes about visiting the US. Denials of visitor visas are very common for young Filipinos. We see people who had high hopes get absolutely crushed when they are denied a visa.

 

Best to inform to her the chances are low but explain to her what you learned on here about why visas are so hard to get. Maybe even have a back up plan for the two of you to travel to another country. 

 

Point being is to hope for the best but be prepared for the worst.

 

Good luck to y’all.

[Loren Y 2,756]

4 hours ago, gemst0nes1 said:

Thanks. I didn't think an invitation letter was needed, but my cousin really wants to come visit since I moved to Hawaii recently.

 

She wants us to do a cross country road trip ever since I told her about the one I did 2 years ago.

 

 

Cross country trips are awesome. I have done a few in my time, and I am planning on doing one on my motorcycle next year with the now wife. We will see how that goes, as she is still kinda adjusting to the United States, but is loving it so far.

[Falcon Cara 378]

3 hours ago, Unlockable said:

Another word of advice is to advise your cousin to approach the visitor visa with cautious optimism. By what you described it seems your cousin has high hopes about visiting the US. Denials of visitor visas are very common for young Filipinos. We see people who had high hopes get absolutely crushed when they are denied a visa.

 

Very common for young Filipinos to get denied is so true, I don't know about them getting crushed if denied, I seems it is  common knowledge in the Philippines that getting a US tourist visa is a uphill battle.

 

 

[Falcon Cara 378]

5 hours ago, gemst0nes1 said:

thanks. i have no idea about tourist visas

 

my only knowledge in regards to visas is the i-129f petition i filed for my husband to get the k1 visa. i know for that, there was so much info we had to provide but made perfect sense.

You can go to the USEM website for information to read:  https://ph.usembassy.gov/visas/

 

My wife parents are going to apply for a tourist visa next spring to come to visit her in the USA. I would be shocked if the y get denied due to their ties the Philippines.

 

  Just give what ever documents you think will support their case to come to the USA.  The Consular Officers claim the most important thing is to show strong ties to their home country.  My personal opinion is they have decided the fate of the tourist visa from what is put on the DS-160 forms.   And I also think this is the same answer for the K1 visa as well.

 

There is a 3 to 5 minute pause between interviews on both the K1's and Tourist Visa in the Embassy in Manila, I personally watched and overheard about dozen K1 and Tourist Visa interviews last time I was inside the Embassy waiting for our K1.   The interview is pretty much for show, and it seems as if the approval or denial is done before the interview takes place.

 

 

 

 

[SusieQQQ 11,587]

30 minutes ago, Falcon Cara said:

 

 

The interview is pretty much for show, and it seems as if the approval or denial is done before the interview takes place.

 

 

 

 

It’s not for “show”, it’s for the CO to confirm or refute the conclusion reached through the application form. But yes the second part of the sentence is correct in most cases.

[gemst0nes1 0]

17 hours ago, Falcon Cara said:

Very common for young Filipinos to get denied is so true, I don't know about them getting crushed if denied, I seems it is  common knowledge in the Philippines that getting a US tourist visa is a uphill battle.

 

 

Well if it helps, she's not that young. She's my older cousin, she is in her 40's. She has freedom to travel now that her kids are both in college and not worry too much about them. We are optimistic. 

 

thank you.