Tourist Visa Chances

[Tr@vler 1]

I’m a retired US citizen M57 married to a Filipino F48 and want to visit my family in the US. My wife doesn’t work.  I have permanent residence in the Philippines and we are not looking to immigrate to the US.  Because my wife doesn’t work what will be our chances of getting her a tourist visa for the US.  Any other American Citizen trying to get their wife tourist visa under similar circumstances got approved ?

[jskibo 588]

Manila current wait time shows 470 days for an appointment 

[Mike E 11,739]

1 hour ago, Tr@vler said:

Because my wife doesn’t work what will be our chances of getting her a tourist visa for the US

The problem isn’t that she doesn’t work.  The problem is that she is married to a U.S. citizen.  Thus her chances are low. I put them at under 10 percent.  

[Tr@vler 1]

Why would being married to US citizen lower her chances

[carmel34 3,620]

10 minutes ago, Tr@vler said:

Why would being married to US citizen lower her chances

Immigrant intent.  She could fraudulently use a tourist B2 visa to enter the US, then decide to stay and adjust status through you.  Many have done this so it makes it very difficult to get approved even if she has no intent to misuse a tourist visa.  All she can do is apply and see what happens.  It will take a year and a half plus $160 to find out.

Edited November 1, 2022 by carmel34

[Boiler 45,434]

0 if she does not apply

 

Something else if she does

[Mike E 11,739]

36 minutes ago, Tr@vler said:

Why would being married to US citizen lower her chances

Because she can easily file to adjust status once she is in the USA and enough people married to U.S. citizens do exactly that when they get a B visa.  
 

The why matters not. The fact is she will likely be denied.  
 

If you acquire a citizenship with a country that has a visa waiver with the U.S. and if she then travels there and returns, this will provide solid evidence that she has no immigration intent.  

[Tr@vler 1]

I thought it was committing visa fraud if she went on tourist visa and tried to convert.  We are happy in the Philippines but I have a new granddaughter we wanted to visit.  Thanks for the explanation 

[Mike E 11,739]

19 minutes ago, Tr@vler said:

I thought it was committing visa fraud if she went on tourist visa and tried to convert.   

Precisely 

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

1 hour ago, Tr@vler said:

I thought it was committing visa fraud if she went on tourist visa and tried to convert.  We are happy in the Philippines but I have a new granddaughter we wanted to visit.  Thanks for the explanation 

It is technically, but no one ever suffers consequences when they are married to a US citizen.  Unfortunately you will be prejudiced by the many others who do this. 

[Kurt and Kristina 72]

5 hours ago, jskibo said:

Manila current wait time shows 470 days for an appointment 

 

  This link now shows 120 days:   https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/wait-times.html

 

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

4 minutes ago, Kurt and Kristina said:

 

  This link now shows 120 days:   https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/wait-times.html

 

Quite a few posts seem to have shown a significant improvement in wait times recently, very encouraging. Hopefully it will improve further.

[top_secret 2,394]

17 hours ago, Tr@vler said:

I’m a retired US citizen M57 married to a Filipino F48 and want to visit my family in the US. My wife doesn’t work.  I have permanent residence in the Philippines and we are not looking to immigrate to the US.  Because my wife doesn’t work what will be our chances of getting her a tourist visa for the US.  Any other American Citizen trying to get their wife tourist visa under similar circumstances got approved ?

In a case like this very often the interview and the outcome will hinge on your wife's ability to very articulately express YOUR intent to forever remain in the Philippines.  US Consuls are programmed to assume a Filipina wife will follow her husband.  If YOU return to the US to live they will assume she will follow.  (Immigrant intent= no tourist visa).   If YOU have a very serious and very permanent life in the Philippines they may believe her intent is to remain with you.  She must articulate that well.  You permanent residence in the Philippines is a HUGE benefit.  She should bring proof and more importantly be able to discuss it well.  The interview will likely hinge on YOUR permanence in the Philippines.  They will assume your wife will follow you whenever you may go.

[Tr@vler 1]

I guess the biggest issues I’m hung up on are. If we wanted to move to the US we would apply for the required residence visa.  If the US doesn’t want people to use the tourist visa as a entry way into the US for the purpose of converting the visa to immigration visa then the US shouldn’t allow for the conversion. The other option I looked into was flying to Mexico, my wife can get a Mexican visa easier then US and I would pay to fly my daughter and granddaughter from Texas to Mexico.  The problem with this is my wife would need a transit visa to pass through the US which seems to be the same process as for applying for a US tourist visa.  Also, there is only one direct flight from all of Asia to Mexico and that is with ANA Japan airlines and my wife would also need to apply for a Japan transit visa.  What a pain just to visit family.