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A Few Questions About US Tourist Visas for Russian Citizens

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  • A Few Questions About US Tourist Visas for Russian Citizens

    I have a Russian girlfriend from St Petersburg. We have talked non-stop for several months. We are thinking about getting married but I have never met her in person. I owe back child support on which I am paying but my passport is suspended until I get it caught up (in a few years probably) so me leaving America is not an option. She is 27 and works as a police dispatcher, there. She has no criminal history and she has all the required documents. She speaks no English. However with all of the visa restrictions concerning Russia and long wait times, we are thinking about having her go to the US embassy in Lithuania to apply for a tourist visa.

    Question 1 - Anyone know how long the wait is for an interview there currently May 20 2019? How about Estonia or Latvia? Any better? I understand in Moscow, the wait is at least 300 days, I hear that the Baltics or maybe Finland would be much quicker.

    Question 2 - Should she tell the interviewer that we are considering getting married? We still are not sure, as we have not met. But if we do meet and like each other, we might very well get married while she is here on a tourist visa. However, she might return home, even if we do marry, as we do not want to apply for an adjustment of status if we marry, because this may appear as visa fraud, I hear.

    Question 3 - Should we just say we are friends and she is visiting me? It is not entirely false.

    We can't apply for a fiance visa as we have not met yet, so a tourist visa would be the only honest way. Like I said, I cannot go there to meet her.

    So, since we probably should not get her here on a tourist visa, and then decide to marry and apply for an AOS, it would probably be best that she return to Russia after a two week visit. Then, perhaps later, she can return for a second visit. I understand that at least two visits are necessary in order to apply for a fiance visa, successfully. But I really want to marry this girl now. I am absolutely certain that we love each other enough to get married and stay married. If the two-visit rule was not in place, we would certainly apply for a fiance visa now, but we are stuck with having to apply for a tourist visa.

    Question 4 - How likely is it that she will be approved at any of these embassies? Should we not even waste our time and I should just give up on her? I have heard it is very difficult for a single young Russian girl to be approved for a US tourist visa. Is this correct?

    Question 5 - Does it make any difference which embassy we go to? Will one embassy be more likely to approve her over another? Or are they all the same? And I mean the embassies in Riga, Vilnius, Tallin, Helsinki, or Moscow.

    Question 6 - What if she comes here on a tourist visa, we get married and she goes home, anyway? Would we have more problems in the future if I then apply for her green card to move here? Will they say we should not have got married while she was here on the tourist visa?

    We thought previously about meeting in Guam and getting married, as she can come to Guam on the visa waiver program, but I understand if we do get married, it might also be grounds for fraud, as the visa waiver is for non-immigrant intent.

    I am pretty confused about this. I can't really afford an immigration lawyer at the moment, but probably I can next year. We are planning to do all of this sometime in 2020, when she gets her next vacation from her work.

    I guess this is enough questions for now.

    Thanks,
    Andrew in Michigan

  • #2
    Answering whatever I can:

    Originally posted by aah11b View Post
    Question 2 - Should she tell the interviewer that we are considering getting married? We still are not sure, as we have not met. But if we do meet and like each other, we might very well get married while she is here on a tourist visa. However, she might return home, even if we do marry, as we do not want to apply for an adjustment of status if we marry, because this may appear as visa fraud, I hear.
    She will be straight away rejected, if she mention that she will be visiting on tourist visa to meet you & get married. One of the first requirement for tourist visa is to prove that you've strong ties to your home country & so you'll return. By saying so, you'll prove that your final intention is to stay in USA.
    Originally posted by aah11b View Post
    Question 3 - Should we just say we are friends and she is visiting me? It is not entirely false.
    This is also not required, she can just be fairly tourist.
    Originally posted by aah11b View Post
    So, since we probably should not get her here on a tourist visa, and then decide to marry and apply for an AOS, it would probably be best that she return to Russia after a two week visit. Then, perhaps later, she can return for a second visit. I understand that at least two visits are necessary in order to apply for a fiance visa, successfully. But I really want to marry this girl now. I am absolutely certain that we love each other enough to get married and stay married. If the two-visit rule was not in place, we would certainly apply for a fiance visa now, but we are stuck with having to apply for a tourist visa.
    I don't think there is a two-visit rule for fiance visa.
    Originally posted by aah11b View Post
    Question 4 - How likely is it that she will be approved at any of these embassies? Should we not even waste our time and I should just give up on her? I have heard it is very difficult for a single young Russian girl to be approved for a US tourist visa. Is this correct?
    Its pretty difficult for a single young person to get a US tourist visa. They are always treated as potential immigrant.
    ​​​​​​​
    Originally posted by aah11b View Post
    Question 5 - Does it make any difference which embassy we go to? Will one embassy be more likely to approve her over another? Or are they all the same? And I mean the embassies in Riga, Vilnius, Tallin, Helsinki, or Moscow.
    No, the rules are same for tourist visa everywhere across the globe.

    Not sure about the known languages for these places (Riga, Vilnius, Tallin, Helsinki, or Moscow), but if she cannot speak English, then she should visit her home country only to get a translator.
    ​​​​​​​
    Originally posted by aah11b View Post
    Question 6 - What if she comes here on a tourist visa, we get married and she goes home, anyway? Would we have more problems in the future if I then apply for her green card to move here? Will they say we should not have got married while she was here on the tourist visa?
    Not a problem, she just need to prove at that time that the marriage is not to acquire the green card, but a real relationship exists. Applying for green card from outside USA might be little time consuming.
    - I am not an Attorney, hence not giving any legal advice. Just sharing MY opinion with an intent to help others.

    If my opinion helping you, then please do click "like" button below.

    Comment


    • #3
      Thanks a lot for your time, Libra. Yeah she is not really that excited about coming to America. I think this country scares her to death and she is only wanting to come here to be with me. I figured if she applies for a green card out of the country it would take several months, but we will at least be married. This is the important thing for now, for me. She is worth waiting for.

      If anyone could add more to this, I would appreciate it.

      Thanks Again.

      Comment


      • #4
        Best of luck Aah11b !!
        - I am not an Attorney, hence not giving any legal advice. Just sharing MY opinion with an intent to help others.

        If my opinion helping you, then please do click "like" button below.

        Comment

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