What are the odds of my girlfriend getting a USA tourist visa?

grubas 12 | 1382

15 Feb 2011 / #61

delphiandomine: even if she gets the visa, she still has to convince the border guard to let her in - and they're not going to do that with someone who has "vague" plans.
rubbish.

Not really.She doesn't have to convince immigration officer BUT they still have the right to refuse her entry WITHOUT giving a reason.Valid visa does NOT guarantee entry to the US.

delphiandomine 86 | 17823

15 Feb 2011 / #62

Really man you're being really judgmental... I only made out with a girl at a party when I was drunk. We're 18 years old now

Underage drinking as well? My, my, my.

et you continue to post this stuff.

What stuff? Are you saying that a visa guarantees you entry to the USA? I mean, that's news to me that the border guards there are so lax.

Harry

15 Feb 2011 / #63

you're so grossly ill informed about the USA

Perhaps we should take the word of the US government about whether having a valid visa means that a person will get into the USA? OK, let's see what their website says:

After I have my visa, I will be able to enter the U.S., correct?

A visa does not guarantee entry into the U.S. A visa allows a foreign citizen to travel to the U.S. port-of-entry, and the Department of Homeland Security U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) immigration inspector authorizes or denies admission to the United States. See Admissions on the CBP website.

That is here: travel.state.gov/visa/questions/questions_1253.html#3

And when we go to the CBP website we see this:

If you are an alien, the CBP Officer must determine why you are coming to the United States, what documents you may require, if you have those documents, and how long you should be allowed to initially stay in the United States. These determinations usually take less than one minute to make. If you are allowed to proceed, the officer will stamp your passport and customs declaration form and issue a completed Form I-94 to you. A completed form I-94 will show what immigration classification you were given and how long you are allowed to stay.

Also, If you are an alien, CBP Officers may decide that you should not be permitted to enter the United States. There are many reasons why this might happen (see INA § 212(a)). You will either be placed in detention, or temporarily held until return flight arrangements can be made. If you have a visa, it may be cancelled. In certain instances, Officer(s) may not be able to decide if you should be allowed into the United States. In this case, your inspection may be deferred (postponed), and you will be instructed to go to another office located near your intended destination in the United States for further processing.

That information is here: cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/id_visa/legally_admitted_to_the_u_s.xml

If you would like to read INA § 212(a), you can find it here: w3.uchastings.edu/boswell_01/PDF/8usc1182.pdf

In general, it is often a good idea to check that one knows what one is talking about before one mouths off at somebody.

FUZZYWICKETS 8 | 1878

15 Feb 2011 / #64

Harry wrote:

In general, it is often a good idea to check that one knows what one is talking about before one mouths off at somebody.

I am WELL aware of the laws and regs. My wife is Polish, she came to the USA with me on a travel visa three times and I just went through the immigrant visa process last year for her......nothing you cut and paste will surprise me. go back and read page two of this thread. NOWHERE did I say that Homeland Security cannot refuse entry.

first there was this:

delph wrote:

even if she gets the visa, she still has to convince the border guard to let her in - and they're not going to do that with someone who has "vague" plans.

this is HORRIBLY misleading. to suggest that everyone that goes to america has to "convince" the border guard to let them in and to then say flat out, "they are not going to do that with someone who has "vague" plans" is simply a false statement.

he then wrote this:

Look at the UK border - it's quite common that someone with a valid visa is refused at the border. You see quite a lot of Americans and Australians refused too, especially if they don't have an onward ticket and don't look to be arriving on business.

in response to someone telling him what he wrote is crap, which it was. he's trying to suggest that his experiences on the UK border must be the same, or similar to what goes on in the USA.......which it's not. he even compared THE UKRAINE.

The embassy in all countries reviews a person's case and makes a decision whether to give them a visa or not but it still needs to be written down in the laws and regs that they can still refuse you because it simply is another security measure. if someone gets a visa and then while on the plane picks a fight with half the staff on the plane, lights themselves on fire, etc., well, they need to have it written somewhere that they can lawfully say, "you're not entering the USA".

Harry

15 Feb 2011 / #65

this is HORRIBLY misleading. to suggest that everyone that goes to america has to "convince" the border guard to let them in and to then say flat out, "they are not going to do that with someone who has "vague" plans" is simply a false statement.

You may wish to read the documents before you talk about the practice.

(3) Security and related grounds.--
(A) In general. Any alien who a consular officer or the Attorney General
knows, or has reasonable ground to believe, seeks to enter the United States to
engage solely, principally, or incidentally in--
(i) any activity (I) to violate any law of the United States relating
to espionage or sabotage or (II) to violate or evade any law prohibiting the
export from the United States of goods, technology, or sensitive
information,
(ii) any other unlawful activity, or
(iii) any activity a purpose of which is the opposition to, or the
control or overthrow of, the Government of the United States by force,
violence, or other unlawful means,
is inadmissible.

Is working without permission lawful or unlawful? So if you give the immigration officer reasonable ground to believe that you're there to work, he/she is very simply not allowed to let you in. So if your reason for visiting is "Er, like, you know, see stuff." and you're of a profile which suggests that you may be likely to work illegally, you may very well find you have a problem.

but it still needs to be written down in the laws and regs that they can still refuse you because it simply is another security measure. if someone gets a visa and then while on the plane picks a fight with half the staff on the plane, lights themselves on fire, etc., well, they need to have it written somewhere that they can lawfully say, "you're not entering the USA".

Perhaps you would like to actually read INA § 212(a)? You'll find it goes into a fair bit more detail than "you're not entering the USA". Alternatively keep coming back and posting without knowing what you're talking about.

delphiandomine 86 | 17823

15 Feb 2011 / #66

So if your reason for visiting is "Er, like, you know, see stuff." and you're of a profile which suggests that you may be likely to work illegally, you may very well find you have a problem.

I'd suggest that you're almost certainly going to get refused - I know someone who had all sorts of problems because he didn't have fixed plans - and crucially, didn't have the visible means of support. Virtually any authoritative source on US entry procedures makes it clear that you should be prepared to show clear plans to them, including a return ticket and evidence of what you're getting upto.

A Pole heading to anywhere near Chicago, to stay with her Aunt for three months would almost certainly set off alarm bells. Obviously we can't speak for every immigration officer, but it's pretty well documented online just what they're looking for.

FUZZYWICKETS 8 | 1878

15 Feb 2011 / #67

Harry wrote:

are you honestly siding with Delph? My response was based on what HE wrote compared to reality, not on INA 212 and every word that it contains. How do the details of INA 212 take anything away from the original point I was making? What are you talking about man?

Delph wrote:

A Pole heading to anywhere near Chicago, to stay with her Aunt for three months would almost certainly set off alarm bells.

OH but why?! Poles don't overstay their visas and they should be part of the visa waiver program and they're a central european country and.....and.......and...........(not directed towards you in particular delph, but to many others;))

You know, it's funny reading this stuff now while living in the USA. It all just seems that much more absurd now. Keep up the good work!

Harry

15 Feb 2011 / #68

I half agree with him. If a person who holds a valid visa for the USA tries to enter the USA and has only vague travel plans (as he said) and lacks visible means of support (as he didn't say, at first), that person will need to convince the immigration officer to let them in. That is the reality and it is reality based on INA 212(a). The same is true with pretty much every country I can think of: visas very simply do not guarantee entry, not having one which you need will keep you out of a country but just having one doesn't mean you are automatically getting in.

jeffsocal

20 Feb 2011 / #69

i'm sorry but half of the responses here are just made by complete idiots who have obviously never left the U.S. Stop being such dickheads, would you want to marry your gf after dating her for a few months? Give the guy a ******* break, he just wants to party with his gf and get laid, is that too much to ask? Don't sweat these idiots man, I have a Peruvian gf and we deal with the same bullshit, and unfortunately this is an open thread where stupid people from our country can reply, who have probably never left whatever podunk town it is they come from. Keep trying the tourist Visa, have her go every couple months so it doesn't look bad, if not that, the only other option is the fiancee visa which can be tough and expensive

OP h0mefry 2 | 23

20 Feb 2011 / #70

Give the guy a ******* break, he just wants to party with his gf and get laid, is that too much to ask?

Amen brotha...amen;)

Yeah I mean I'm 18 years old... freshman in college... I'm not going to move to freaking Poland right now. And besides... we're not dating right now anyway until she gets here.