B2 visa for young, single person

[c_p]

Hi,

I'm from a country in Easter Europe, but live in London (so will be applying over here). I work full time as a computer programmer since I moved to the UK 1 year ago. My earnings are £21,000 annually (not too bad, but not too special either here in the UK). I basically don't have savings on my UKs bank account, but around £1400 comes in to my account every month. I can prove it showing my monthly pay slips for the past year and my employment agreement. I'm 21 years old, not graduated but working in IT industry, no wife, no kids, no house owned, no family in both UK and US. My family/parents are not rich. My mum also emigrated 1 year ago from our country, but to Italy.

I want to go to the US (by myself) because I would love to visit many places like CA, NY, NV -- I love travelling (visited many EU countries this year). So my first trip would kick off the next summer (or the following one) for 1-3 months.

In the US don't have family, either friends. So I know nobody there. Well, one friend in NYC, but not sure if it's worth mentioning (she emigrated from my country and married an American, eventually got her permanent visa after a few years of hassle).

Having said all of that, how are my chances to get this travel B2 visa? Enough to be authentic as a person who wants to come back to Europe onwards?
Just trying to figure out whether or not it's worthy to spend $160 at all for the application

Thanks!!

[rayb]

You are being realistic about the visa-granting criteria. But you won't know until you spend the $160 (U.S.) and apply.
I think your odds are much better, applying from UK rather than from Easter Europe.

You might enhance your chances of approval by having some potential employer names listed for possible interviews to show when you have your visa interview.

--Ray B

Hi,

I'm from a country in Easter Europe, but live in London. I work full time as a computer programmer since I moved to the UK 1 year ago. My earnings are £21,000 annually (not too bad, but not too special either here in the UK). I basically don't have savings on my UKs bank account, but around £1400 comes in to my account every month. I can prove it showing my monthly pay slips for the past year and my employment agreement. I'm 21 years old, not graduated but working in IT industry, no wife, no kids, no house owned, no family in both UK and US. My family/parents are not rich. My mum also emigrated 1 year ago from our country, but to Italy.

I want to go to the US (by myself) because I would love to visit many places like CA, NY, NV -- I love travelling (visited many EU countries this year). So my first trip would kick off the next summer (or the following one) for 1-3 months.

In the US don't have family, either friends. So I know nobody there. Well, one friend in NYC, but not sure if it's worth mentioning (she emigrated from my country and married an American, eventually got her permanent visa after a few years of hassle).

Having said all of that, how are my chances to get this travel B2 visa? Enough to be authentic as a person who wants to come back to Europe onwards?
Just trying to figure out whether or not it's worthy to spend $160 at all for the application

Thanks!!

[c_p]

I work for an IT company already, could you explain more what you mean with this potential employers? Just to make a list and print it or maybe print some emails I regularly get from IT recruitment agencies (they always include bits about an opportunity details, like requirements, salary)? Does it make any sense?

Also, having a nice job now and an ability to push my IT career in London/Europe much higher does not really make sense to go to the US and work with no contract (which means definitely not IT industry) for less money and with risk to strike my potential good contacts with some US-UK companies, doesn't it?

Will apply anyway, but would love to hear some your opinions or tips too.

Best

[raghvi]

Hi,

I'm from a country in Easter Europe, but live in London (so will be applying over here). I work full time as a computer programmer since I moved to the UK 1 year ago. My earnings are £21,000 annually (not too bad, but not too special either here in the UK). I basically don't have savings on my UKs bank account, but around £1400 comes in to my account every month. I can prove it showing my monthly pay slips for the past year and my employment agreement. I'm 21 years old, not graduated but working in IT industry, no wife, no kids, no house owned, no family in both UK and US. My family/parents are not rich. My mum also emigrated 1 year ago from our country, but to Italy.

I want to go to the US (by myself) because I would love to visit many places like CA, NY, NV -- I love travelling (visited many EU countries this year). So my first trip would kick off the next summer (or the following one) for 1-3 months.

In the US don't have family, either friends. So I know nobody there. Well, one friend in NYC, but not sure if it's worth mentioning (she emigrated from my country and married an American, eventually got her permanent visa after a few years of hassle).

Having said all of that, how are my chances to get this travel B2 visa? Enough to be authentic as a person who wants to come back to Europe onwards?
Just trying to figure out whether or not it's worthy to spend $160 at all for the application

Thanks!!

Such kind of casual pleasure trips are not viewed very convincing to the officers. You moving from another Country to UK and also your mom to Itals shows possibility of emigration for you and you can be viewed as a potential immigrant. You are literally looking at spending over 2 Months of your salary on a pleasure trip. Kinda of hard to believe for a person who doesn't have any saving. You would need stronger income/family ties to UK to prove otherwise.

This is my opinion not legal advice.

[c_p]

Thanks for your opinions. I realise it could look like that so that's where my concerns came from. Well, I mentioned all this info, but hope to not be asked where my family live, or if they're rich etc... I moved to the UK but at a young age, moved out from my country just once, started my IT career and live here and work for the same company for a year by now.

Am I supposed to bring my income listings or bank account listings for an interview to prove what I'll be saying?

No savings I can easily explain by high living expenses in London and my last eurotrip which costed me a lot. If it's in any sense convincing...

[rayb]

I agree with Raghvi's assessment, but I would recommend that you give it a shot anyway.

You are of an age at which you have little to lose by looking at different options and taking a chance now and then. The risk of losing $160 to try and get to the other side of the globe is well worth the gamble.

By a "potential employer list," I meant that your visa application will be more convincing if you have concrete evidence of an intention to explore employment opportunities in the U.S.

One of the best experiences I ever had was the decision to take a first trip to Europe at age 67. I had already been to several countries in Western hemisphere and Asia, but 15 days in the countries of my ancestry (Switzerland, Germany, UK) opened my eyes to a bigger world much more than viewing the poverty in Manila or striking cultural differences in Mexico. If only I had not waited 45 more years than your age to see Europe, I can only speculate how different my direction might have gone.

It's not that the U.S. has more to offer or better employment that European countries, but the sheer size and diversity you will find in the U.S. will awaken your senses in ways you may never experience in Europe.

--Ray B

Such kind of casual pleasure trips are not viewed very convincing to the officers. You moving from another Country to UK and also your mom to Itals shows possibility of emigration for you and you can be viewed as a potential immigrant. You are literally looking at spending over 2 Months of your salary on a pleasure trip. Kinda of hard to believe for a person who doesn't have any saving. You would need stronger income/family ties to UK to prove otherwise.

This is my opinion not legal advice.

[c_p]

Ah, I see. You meant career opportunities there in the US, not in the UK, to prove it doesn't make sense for me to strike out my potential IT career in the US in the future by working illegally or not coming back. Is that correct?

The question comes how to get that sort of evidences... Even If I created a resume and send it over to recruitment agencies, it wouldn't mean I will get responses since I'm not even eligible to work on the US territory. Any idea?

[rayb]

All I am recommending you have at the interview is a list of potential employers with whom you will try to interview. Confirmations of scheduled interviews are not necesssary, just filler documentation for your plans while visiting the U.S.

--Ray B

Ah, I see. You meant career opportunities there in the US, not in the UK, to prove it doesn't make sense for me to strike out my potential IT career in the US in the future by working illegally or not coming back. Is that correct?

The question comes how to get that sort of evidences... Even If I created a resume and send it over to recruitment agencies, it wouldn't mean I will get responses since I'm not even eligible to work on the US territory. Any idea?

[c_p]

Thanks Ray for explanation, but wouldn't it sound **** since I'm applying for the tourist visa which doesn't allow me to work in the US? Also, I need to get their belief I want to come back to Europe (which is true anyway), not am planning to move to the US, don't I?

[c_p]

Hi there again,

A little update. I've got the interview arranged in a few days. I'm going to bring with me:
1) pay slips from the last 15 months
2) Bank statement from the last 3 months

Any idea what else? Since I plan to use the fact I was traveling across Europe as my advantage and convince the embassy man I want to go to the US for traveling (which is the true real reason), do you think it's worth bringing also a written plan of my potential trip? (a list of cities and places [like Great Canyon] I want to go to? Along with hostels addresses?).
Any idea what else can I bring or say?

Hi,

I'm from a country in Easter Europe, but live in London (so will be applying over here). I work full time as a computer programmer since I moved to the UK 1 year ago. My earnings are £21,000 annually (not too bad, but not too special either here in the UK). I basically don't have savings on my UKs bank account, but around £1400 comes in to my account every month. I can prove it showing my monthly pay slips for the past year and my employment agreement. I'm 21 years old, not graduated but working in IT industry, no wife, no kids, no house owned, no family in both UK and US. My family/parents are not rich. My mum also emigrated 1 year ago from our country, but to Italy.

I want to go to the US (by myself) because I would love to visit many places like CA, NY, NV -- I love travelling (visited many EU countries this year). So my first trip would kick off the next summer (or the following one) for 1-3 months.

In the US don't have family, either friends. So I know nobody there. Well, one friend in NYC, but not sure if it's worth mentioning (she emigrated from my country and married an American, eventually got her permanent visa after a few years of hassle).

Having said all of that, how are my chances to get this travel B2 visa? Enough to be authentic as a person who wants to come back to Europe onwards?
Just trying to figure out whether or not it's worthy to spend $160 at all for the application

Thanks!!

[c_p]

anyone pls??