Mother in law & stepson visiting the USA

[Zosia 4]

My husband is a citizen of Belarus and LPR. He has a son (age 7) from a previous marriage in Belarus and we wanted to bring him to visit us for the summer for a month or two- assuming the pandemic situation improves enough that the US Embassy in Minsk starts doing tourist visa interviews again. Since he is so young and has never been on a plane before, we don't want to make him fly as an unaccompanied minor, and thought it might be a good idea to have him come with my mother-in-law. 

 

Would it be an issue getting a child who is the stepson of a US citizen and son of an LPR a tourist visa, given that he does have the right to get a green card? (We would like to do that in the future but have agreed with is mother to wait until he is a little bit older). I wouldn't want the authorities thinking we were trying to somehow bring him here permanently at this time. 

 

My mother-in-law has had a job at the same place since she was about 20 years old, and she is now in her mid-50s. She owns her apartment and in a couple of years will be able to retire on a state pension. Her income is pretty average for Belarus, she has been divorced for a long time and lives alone, has no car and does not drive, has traveled to Ukraine and Turkey as a tourist in the last couple of years, but she has never tried to come to the USA or even "the West" before. I am not pregnant, and my husband and I do not have any children together (I have an elementary school-aged child who lives with us), nor are we planning on it. We would be paying for the trip for both of them. She has plenty of ties to Belarus, but I'm not sure if they would think we were trying to bring her here permanently, or if a grandmother and grandson traveling together to visit us would raise any red flags. 

 

Edited November 28, 2020 by Zosia

[Pinkrlion 2,724]

They both have to apply separately for visa.  That is always the question when they visit of not leaving.  

[Zosia 4]

17 minutes ago, Pinkrlion said:

They both have to apply separately for visa.  That is always the question when they visit of not leaving.  

Yes, I know they both need separate tourist visas, I just don't know if the two of them traveling together would set off any red flags with the consulate thinking they were planning on remaining in the USA. 

[Allovertheworld 355]

12 minutes ago, Zosia said:

Yes, I know they both need separate tourist visas, I just don't know if the two of them traveling together would set off any red flags with the consulate thinking they were planning on remaining in the USA. 

From what I have seen family member request interview together for tourist visa.  

[SalishSea 18,072]

11 hours ago, Zosia said:

Yes, I know they both need separate tourist visas, I just don't know if the two of them traveling together would set off any red flags with the consulate thinking they were planning on remaining in the USA. 

Of course it could, since the COs are required by law to scrutinize every B applicant for immigrant intent.  The only option for knowing the answer to this, is to apply and find out.