Any advice for a B2 and russian girlfriend? Will sponsoring work?

[LordArt]

Hello. Any advice would be helpful.

I have known a lady for a year now, whom I have visited twice in St. Petersberg Russia, and have daily contact with. She would like to come the USA to visit, to see what the USA is like. She was rejected because she doesn't have enough ties to Russia, which is true. Her only living relative is in Latvia, which is her grandmother.

Upon calling a Visa consulting place, they were going to charge me just shy of $1000 to do a sponsored visa. Do you think it is best to try to use what is on this site to do it myself? Do you have any recommendations of what she should or shouldn't say in her interview or any other advice in general?

Thanks!

Arthur

P.S. No I didn't meet her through a dating agency or something, so such a place wouldn't be of any help.

[peace999]

The most import. factor officers assess is if the applicant is likely to return home after the visit.
Which means overcoming section 214b; presumption of immigrant intent.

If she cannot overcome 214b, your sponsorhsip ( invitation cum funding support) will not matter .
In fact it adds to 214b in that the she does not have the financial ties at home to fund the trip herself.

Does she have any work ties at home?
What is her education, how does she support herself?
Can you post her last interview whatever she can recall?

[LordArt]

The most import. factor officers assess is if the applicant is likely to return home after the visit.
Which means overcoming section 214b; presumption of immigrant intent.

If she cannot overcome 214b, your sponsorhsip ( invitation cum funding support) will not matter .
In fact it adds to 214b in that the she does not have the financial ties at home to fund the trip herself.

Does she have any work ties at home?
What is her education, how does she support herself?
Can you post her last interview whatever she can recall?

She graduated from college and works at the university at St. Peterberg teaching dance.

Unfortunately, all I can do to guarantee that she will return is my letter saying I will be responsible for her returning, even if I have to draft a legal document saying such.

She can fund the trip herself just fine, actually. The problem was she was rejected for not having enough ties. She said the interview was very short, so I don't have a description of how it went beyond that. I wish I had more.

I was told by a visa consultant that the sponsorship was the way to go since she didn't have sufficient ties. Mind you, that may be just to get the hefty legal fees, which is why I'm trying this site first.

Arthur

[peace999]

You did the right thing, you would have wasted $1000.

Your writing a letter won't work. In fact the very mention of " going to visit boyfriend "
makes the officer think she won't return.

She stands a much better chance if she comes with a purpose related to her work. For example,
her university sends her or she herself comes for a short dance workshop.
The visa given is the same B1/B2 .

She can wait a few months and apply with that purpose without a mention of you.
She must show that her job at the university is stable and ongoing.

That said, visitor visa decisions have a high discretionary component and success is never
guaranteed.
She can also try another class of visa like a P3 visa ;
(To perform, teach or coach under a program that is culturally unique or a traditional ethnic,
folk, cultural, musical, theatrical, or artistic performance or presentation.)

[LordArt]

She didn't mention me as a boyfriend. Nor am I mentioning her as such in the letters and invites. Just a friend. In everything I'm writing, she's a tourist, which isn't untrue.

At this point, filling out the I-134 basically says they can sue me if she doesn't leave the country. So either they accept it or they don't. If they don't, they would have never let her over anyway because of her situation. So it can't hurt to try.

I have more information about the interview. They asked her what her purpose was to visit the USA, if she had property in Russia and if she had children. Not that it matters too much at this point, I guess.

Arthur

You did the right thing, you would have wasted $1000.
Your writing a letter won't work. In fact the very mention of " going to visit boyfriend "
makes the officer think she won't return.

She stands a much better chance if she comes with a purpose related to her work. For example,
her university sends her or she herself comes for a short dance workshop.
The visa given is the same B1/B2 .

She can wait a few months and apply with that purpose without a mention of you.
She must show that her job at the university is stable and ongoing.

That said, visitor visa decisions have a high discretionary component and success is never
guaranteed.
She can also try another class of visa like a P3 visa ;
(To perform, teach or coach under a program that is culturally unique or a traditional ethnic,
folk, cultural, musical, theatrical, or artistic performance or presentation.)

[peace999]

Like I said, the important deciding factor is her ties to russia .Not a secure source of funds for her trip.
I-134 merely acts to show secure funding for her trip. And it is counterproductive for working age applicants.
If she is depending on her US host for funding by way of requesting an I-134, it indirectly tells the officer that
she has weak financial ties to russia.

Also, I-134 is not an enforcable document in US courts.
It merely acts at the embassy level for visa purpose to a few classes of applicants.
Like elderly parents visiting their working kids in US, who send them an I-134.

[LordArt]

While I know the important factors here are her ties to Russia, she doesn't have any. While she has an apartment and a job, that wasn't enough not to reject her the first time on her first application.

So this is really the only shot she has. The I-134 may not be court enforceable, hopefully the visa officer won't know I don't know that and simply take me at my word based on all the supporting documentation I provided, being an "upright and honest citizen". There is a overview even on this site between the difference between a trip and and visa. A visa is for a longer stay (like months), where a trip is for a few weeks. The sponsor bit seems to work well for a few weeks, according to the site. She showed she could afford it when she went the first time. Perhaps the numbers weren't enough, but one would think if she is being paid for on both sides, that it would be. Who knows.

In the end, I simply don't have a choice. There is nothing else she can do to provide more ties to Russia than she did in the first place, hopefully the sponsor documentation will push it over the top enough to get an entry visa. I do seriously plan it only to be a few weeks, so I am hoping the officer will understand that. It might be naive but there has been no other viable options presented for the time span.

At this point I have all the letters and documentation written and forms filled out. I'm just waiting on the bank statement.

Arthur

Like I said, the important deciding factor is her ties to russia .Not a secure source of funds for her trip.
I-134 merely acts to show secure funding for her trip. And it is counterproductive for working age applicants.
If she is depending on her US host for funding by way of requesting an I-134, it indirectly tells the officer that
she has weak financial ties to russia.

Also, I-134 is not an enforcable document in US courts.
It merely acts at the embassy level for visa purpose to a few classes of applicants.
Like elderly parents visiting their working kids in US, who send them an I-134.

[peace999]

I gave you the option;

she should try coming in relation to her work( dance workshop) without a mention of you.
She will stand a much better chance.

As long as she is single and young and applies with a purpose of meeting you / even as a pure tourist,
she will never get it.

[LordArt]

I asked her directly what she said when they asked what was the purpose of her visit. She said "To a dance workshop and to the see the city". So I guess she already used your ideas. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough the first go round.

So if the sponsorship doesn't work, we'll just meet up in Europe somewhere.

Arthur