Tourist visa from a visa waiver program country

[top_secret 2,421]

21 hours ago, Simon88 said:

I cannot find much case studies of these types of situations but the hope is that German citizenship is going to help a lot. Is it easier to get a tourist visa from a visa waiver country and anything that could be done to improve the chances for this type of application?

 

 

In FY 2023, nationals of Brazil had an 11.94% refusal rate for US B1/B2 visas.  In the same timeframe, nationals of Germany had 10.84% refusal rate for US B1/B2 visas.  https://travel.state.gov/content/dam/visas/Statistics/Non-Immigrant-Statistics/RefusalRates/FY23.pdf So by just raw statistics a random German B2 visa applicant has about 1% better odds than a random Brazilian B2 visa applicant. Of course, in reality it is all about the individual applicant so generic statistics don't really apply.  But it does seem that Germans don't just automatically get approved.

Edited November 22 by top_secret

[Cathi 5,755]

If she doesn't live in Germany, she should not apply for a visitor visa using her citizenship there. She has to show strong to Germany and if she doesn't live there, she has no ties.

[SalishSea 17,836]

4 hours ago, top_secret said:

 

 

In FY 2023, nationals of Brazil had an 11.94% refusal rate for US B1/B2 visas.  In the same timeframe, nationals of Germany had 10.84% refusal rate for US B1/B2 visas.  https://travel.state.gov/content/dam/visas/Statistics/Non-Immigrant-Statistics/RefusalRates/FY23.pdf So by just raw statistics a random German B2 visa applicant has about 1% better odds than a random Brazilian B2 visa applicant. Of course, in reality it is all about the individual applicant so generic statistics don't really apply.  But it does seem that Germans don't just automatically get approved.

Apples to oranges, comparing B refusals of a non-VWP country to a VWP country. 

[jan22 3,056]

On 11/22/2024 at 7:26 AM, Simon88 said:

I am hoping and assuming that there is some benefit to being from a visa waiver program country. Technically there is supposed to be reciprocity.

No she did not disclose "boyfriend" or significant. I have been advised by some sources it would be good to mention as it would make a solid story for why to visit but others said no.

She did get approved for a Canadian eta although that does not help much. 

The benefit to being from a visa waiver program country is being able to travel to the US for up yo 90 days without a visa, once ESTA is approved.  It actually can be more difficult for a citizen of a VWP country to get a visa approved because of this.  Applying for a tourist visa instead of using ESTA usually indicates to a consular officer that the applicant intends to spend more than 90 days in the US — which leads them to question how strong the ties to the home country can be if the applicant can be gone that long on a visit.
 

The multiple visa applications almost assuredly led to the ESTA denial — they make her appear to be desperate to get to the US, which leads to a question as to why and what her plans are.  She would be best served to wait a year or two and the apply again for ESTA.  Another visa application now — which is likely to get denied once the consulate officer knows that ESTA was denied, creating a vicious circle — will only lengthen the time she should wait to apply again for ESTA, IMO.