Visa to United States for the first time

[syphax 4]

Good morning, i hope everyone is fine, i just have some questions about tourist visa , i have a friend who have already get his green card after wining dv lottery, and now he is in New York , i'm looking to visit him in the next months , so i wanna know if he can send me invitation ? and if this can make it a little bit easyer for me to get my visa ? also i wanna say that i'm still studying in university , and this gonna be my last year, also i have never been no where before, except i visited just Tunisia, because i heard that if someone didn't visit some countires it's gonna be a little harder for him to get his visa, so i'm little bit wasted between applying for visa, or no, by the way , i'm from Algeria, and my friend is from Chad , he studying with me in university. so what do you think ?   

[geowrian 22,337]

He can send it, but it has no bearing on if you will get the visa or not. They will look at the merits of your own case/circumstances, the main one being your ties to return home on time.

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

Quote

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.

 

Good luck!

Edited November 12, 2019 by geowrian

[aaron2020 11,651]

There is nothing your friend can do to help you with a visa to the US. 

 

You applying for a visitor visa has nothing to do with your friend.  Your friend can send you an invitation, but that will not make it easier for you to get a visa.

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

Be sure to try show the interviewing officer evidence that you will be returning home (such as continued registration at university/need to write exams to get your degree) - but be aware that the officer may or may not look at any of that. Algeria has a 44% refusal rate for visit visas, and young single people are often at a disadvantage to show proper ties home, so also be realistic that there is a possibility you may be denied. 

[Boiler 45,470]

Sounds like you have already been invited.

[Unlockable 7,314]

43 minutes ago, syphax said:

 so i wanna know if he can send me invitation ? and if this can make it a little bit easyer for me to get my visa ? 

Absolutely not. That is not how it works.

 

Invitation letters helping get approval are a foreigner's myth. The US gives out millions of visitor visas every year and there is not one requirement for the applicant to have an invitation letter. The interviewing officer don't want to know why you are coming to the US; they want to know why you have to go back to Algeria and not use your friend to come over here to stay. You have to get approved for the visa based on your won circumstances and there is nothing your friend can do to help with the approval.

[PoojaCh 56]

On 11/12/2019 at 9:28 PM, Unlockable said:

Absolutely not. That is not how it works.

 

Invitation letters helping get approval are a foreigner's myth. The US gives out millions of visitor visas every year and there is not one requirement for the applicant to have an invitation letter. The interviewing officer don't want to know why you are coming to the US; they want to know why you have to go back to Algeria and not use your friend to come over here to stay. You have to get approved for the visa based on your won circumstances and there is nothing your friend can do to help with the approval.

I’m sorry I’m going to bring my own issue here. Yesterday my tourist visa got approved while I-130 is pending. Is the interview going to be same as it was at the visa interview? I’ve heard that they can deny at poe and my point is, if they had to deny, they could do it yesterday. Any suggestions for poe would be highly appreciated. I’m from India. NOA1 July 8th, Potomac service center. 

[geowrian 22,337]

10 minutes ago, PoojaCh said:

I’ve heard that they can deny at poe and my point is, if they had to deny, they could do it yesterday.

Every entry is at the discretion of CBP. Yes, they can deny. It would be unusual to do so with a recently issued visa, though.

[PoojaCh 56]

10 minutes ago, geowrian said:

Every entry is at the discretion of CBP. Yes, they can deny. It would be unusual to do so with a recently issued visa, though.

Thank you for your quick response. I’m going to take employer’s letter, rent lease agreement, bank statement along with me.