Attempt #1: Tourist (B2) visa for girlfriend

[lostinchina]

I've been dating my girlfriend since September 2010 and met her while studying abroad in China for a year. She's traveled twice to Hong Kong visiting me and I've spent about 7 months in mainland China with her.

 

I will be graduating college this December and want her to apply now for a B2 visa so she can meet my family and visit the US for about 2 weeks. She will submit the application this month and hope to have an interview in March when I fly out to Shanghai during spring break to see her.

 

Her income is low (~3000 RMB/month) and she doesn't really have any major assets or savings. Therefore, I'm telling her to not even bring bank statements, etc. to the interview. I may have her bring my parents tax return to show that we can pay for her travel expenses. Besides that, I want her to walk into the interview saying (in English):

1. I started dating my boyfriend while he was studying in Nanjing during the fall of 2010 and then visited him twice in Hong Kong during the Spring of 2011 while he attended school there. During the summer, we spent 3 months together back in Nanjing and Shanghai.
   
2. Here are pictures of us: [shows pictures...]
   
3. I want to visit the United States for two weeks in December so I can see him graduate college, meet his family, and celebrate Christmas with them.
   
4. Here is his school transcript and my invitation for his graduation: [shows documents....]
   
5. After two weeks, I will fly back to China and visit my parents and brother to tell them about the United States and my boyfriends family.
   
6. [shows pictures of her parents and brother + my family...]
   
7. If everything goes to plan and we're still happy together, we will then begin the K1 visa process so I can travel back to the United States hopefully in the summer/fall of 2013 and then marry him.
   

Visa interviewer (hopefully says): Awesome, here's your visa!

 

We've got nothing to lose but the visa fee. How's my plan sound? Please offer any comments/suggestions for improvement.

 

_{BTW, I also have a thread from a year ago posted here: http://candleforlove.com/forums/index.php?/topic/43026-tough-situation-please-give-me-advice/}

[Randy W]

Kind of like a pre-K-1.

[warpedbored]

The visa officer is going to be primarily concerned with one thing. Will your girlfriend return to China? From what you've put forth so far it looks more like you've given a bunch of reasons why she might stay in the US. Young single Chinese woman, not many assets, in relationship with US male and planning marriage. I think I would start looking for more reasons why she will return to China. Job, school, family, other commitments etc etc etc.

[dnoblett]

There are several threads running on same subject.

http://candleforlove.com/forums/index.php?/topic/44312-advice-for-helping-boyfriend-get-a-tourist-visa/page__view__findpost__p__583143

 

http://candleforlove.com/forums/index.php?/topic/44286-no-plan-no-hurry/

 

Info about ties to China,

 

http://guangzhou.usembassy-china.org.cn/niv-frequently-asked-questions.html#4

[Zesty]

I will tell you of my experience.

 

I moved to China in September 2010. I teach Business and English and I do some minor consulting work. My then fiancee tried to get a B2 in June 2011. She is a school teacher for a High School. We took to the interview more than 25 documents including:

 

Her teaching contract for the following year.

Letter from her school leaders showing support for her to travel to America and return.

My teaching contract for the following year.

Wedding invitation from my best friend.

Letters of welcome from my family expressing excitement about meeting her.

A letter from me to her with planned itinerary, including my return ticket and letter from travel agent quoting prices to add her return ticket.

 

The VO asked her name, then, "Do you own property in China?"

 

"No".

 

"Sorry, you can't come at this time."

 

Less than 45 seconds.

 

 

Prior to this experience, I would have said (in fact I did say) "We have nothing to lose but the visa fee." HOWEVER, something I did not consider was how much "face" my then fiancee/now wife lost because of the rejection. I urge you to make sure you understand what a rejection will do to her psyche.

 

The VO _must_ assume that your girlfriend will try to stay in America. It is up to her to prove that she will return to China.

 

How can she prove it? Hard assets...a house or money in the bank - a lot of money. Or a child or spouse still in China. Job contract is not enough - for us it wasn't anyway.

 

There are others who have been successful. I can only tell you my situation. I wish you the best of luck whatever your decision.

[Kyle]

I've kept quiet on this thread thus far, because quite honestly, what I would have to say largely echos Warpedboard's sentiment. I started a B-2 thread a while back, and like the rest of the B-2 threads, ensuring that the applicant is going to return to China is one of the major themes they have in common. Lacking to adequately address that issue is where I believe the majority of applicants fail.

[foobaz123]

At the risk of sounding like a broken record....

 

Young+Chinese+Single+NoKids+NotRich(Assets)-Magic == Denied

 

TheAbove+VistingBoyfriend+MeetFamily == Double Denied

 

The consulate rarely issues visas in the first place. Asking for one so that a girl friend can meet your parents is nothing more than paying them $150 to tell you no. The sun will rise at midnight first.

 

I tried it thinking I knew better. I was wrong. In our case she had graduated from University recently, but had more classes for certifications lined up post visit here. Her family is there and at that point we had only met once in person. The denial was so fast you'd hardly believe they looked at the evidence. That would be because they didn't. They applied some form of the formula I gave above before she ever showed up to the interview. The purpose of the interview was just to determine exactly which flavor of denial to issue. Nothing more.

 

Some what like Zesty said, I didn't fully take into consideration the impact the denial would have on my then girlfriend, now wife. It wasn't so much a 'face' thing for her as it was just crushing disappointment. Here it is now approaching two years later and we're working on a CR1. Something that is also been extremely slow going.

 

You can try if you like. The stars just might align and you get super lucky. The VO might have had a wonderful day and take pity on you/her. Just have a backup plan already in place for when you're denied.

 

Good God this is depressing...

 

What's wrong with this system when really the only realistic option for a perspective bride to meet ones family prior to the wedding is for them to go to China? Setting aside certain unusual cases where Magic is available.

[dnoblett]

I will take the other side, I have seen several come over from China as a tourist, and then marry and adjust status.

 

If the US consulates in China issued over 1 million visas last year, more than likely quite a few slipped through that had immigrations as an intent.

 

Examples:

http://candleforlove.com/forums/index.php?/topic/42899-b2-visa-cant-get-married-within-3-month-upon-arrival-to-the-us/

http://candleforlove.com/forums/index.php?/topic/26372-any-similar-case/

http://candleforlove.com/forums/index.php?/topic/28571-how-to-apply-for-gc-for-son-in-law-in-china-help/

[Randy W]

I will take the other side, I have seen several come over from China as a tourist, and then marry and adjust status.

 

If the US consulates in China issued over 1 million visas last year, more than likely quite a few slipped through that had immigrations as an intent.

 

Examples:

http://candleforlove.com/forums/index.php?/topic/42899-b2-visa-cant-get-married-within-3-month-upon-arrival-to-the-us/

http://candleforlove.com/forums/index.php?/topic/26372-any-similar-case/

http://candleforlove.com/forums/index.php?/topic/28571-how-to-apply-for-gc-for-son-in-law-in-china-help/

 

 

It's one thing thing to acquire and legitimately use a B-2 visa - it's another thing entirely to overstay and try to adjust status. Be careful what you recommend.

 

What's being said here is that it's unlikely that she'll be awarded the visa. CLAIMING immigrations intent will only lengthen the odds. There's only one side in that - the one belonging to the Visa Officer.