Visitors visa to the USA

Boatygringo says on Apr 25, 06:32:

I forgot to say my wife is Colombian

Boatygringo

slguy says on Apr 25, 06:35:

similarly easy as sailing to La Paz, Bolivia, boaty. i'm fairly certain your only option is residency application to get her here - ridiculous, but true.

Before you throw me out, make sure I pay my bar tab

Robert Jorge says on Apr 25, 07:10:

For just a tourist visa, the chances are not good. Even if she meets all the basic requirements, all i's are dotted, t's are crossed, it is a crap shoot. A very low percentage of people are successful.

slguy says on Apr 25, 07:20:

do they even issue tourist visas to spouses of citizens, rj? i was thinking this was impossible...but i'm no expert.

Before you throw me out, make sure I pay my bar tab

mranderson says on Apr 25, 07:27:

I don't think they do. Maybe because a tourist visa is cheap and fast. And once you're in the states you can just change status.

She might have a better chance if you put the realestate in her name and she doesn't even mention that she is married to you. The embassy in bogota is not there to help you.

untreated says on Apr 25, 07:27:

Dear Sir:

You will just have to give it your best shot. It would certainly help if you could prove your own committment to residence in Colombia, such as mortgage and stable employment. The longer you have been married, the better. Keep a positive attitude, the odds are that you WILL get the visa. It definitely is not a sure thing, though, but at least it's not your fault if denied. What the hell do you want to go to the USA for anyway? Invite your family to visit you here in Colombia.

mranderson says on Apr 25, 07:31:

It's true. You and not her will have to prove close ties to colombia with strong reasons to return. Like property and stable employment with a work contract. Although odds are you will still NOT get the visa.

Gator says on Apr 25, 08:57:

If you can prove strong ties to Colombia, like the length of time you have been in Colombia, property owned, investments, etc. you stand a good shot at the visa. BUT they will take a close look at the length of time you have been married. If it is a relatively short time I wish you good luck-you will need it.

"Brevior Sltare Cum Deformibus Mulieribus Est Vita!" .

slguy says on Apr 25, 09:49:

"Keep a positive attitude, the odds are that you WILL get the visa"

LOTS of folks here would beg to differ. on what exactly do you base this, ummmm, opinion?

Before you throw me out, make sure I pay my bar tab

Gator says on Apr 25, 09:52:

Keep a positive attitude, the odds are that you WILL win the lottery.

"Brevior Sltare Cum Deformibus Mulieribus Est Vita!" .

Frank Rizzo says on Apr 25, 09:56:

sorry..wrong post

jonas says on Apr 25, 10:06:

"The land of the free"...cannot even bring your wife to visit your family... that´s kind of sad. They will grant an immigrant visa but not a non-immigrant visa because she might stay? What B.S. is that?

What I have, I do not want to lose, but Where I am I do not want to stay, but those I love, I do not want to leave, but those I know I no longer want to see, but Where I die, I do not want to go;I want to stay where I have never been

Gator says on Apr 25, 14:38:

Prove strong ties to Colombia and 95% chance the visa will be granted

"Brevior Sltare Cum Deformibus Mulieribus Est Vita!" .

slguy says on Apr 25, 16:00:

"The land of the free"...cannot even bring your wife to visit your family... that´s kind of sad. They will grant an immigrant visa but not a non-immigrant visa because she might stay? What B.S. is that?

It's the bs that happens when vast numbers of tourist visa holders ignore our laws and don't go home, i suppose because life lacks freedom here.

Before you throw me out, make sure I pay my bar tab

jonas says on Apr 25, 16:10:

but my point is that she would most likely be granted a "resident visa". So you wanna come live here? Here´s your visa. You only want to visit? No, you might decide to stay.... It just lacks some common sense logic to me. Or maybe I am just dumb.

What I have, I do not want to lose, but Where I am I do not want to stay, but those I love, I do not want to leave, but those I know I no longer want to see, but Where I die, I do not want to go;I want to stay where I have never been

slguy says on Apr 25, 16:40:

i think the logic is...if you truly want access to our country, undergo the process to be a resident, and have the freedom to come/go as you please. too many folks shortcut the process.

i agree completely - it's ludicrous that the process is so tough, just to visit family. but how else does oour government control the process in the face of startingly high visa overstays?

Before you throw me out, make sure I pay my bar tab

guacharaca says on Apr 25, 16:56:

It is a pity that the US will revoke one’s green card if one is outside the US for too long. If they did not have those time limits, it would be worthwhile to get the darn thing even for a visit.
On the other hand, Canada allows a permanent resident to be outside the country without a time limit as long as the permanent resident is accompanying one's Canadian spouse. Carrying around that permanent resident card, from either country, allows a Colombian to visit many more countries without a visa.

lampltr says on Apr 25, 18:35:

"If you can prove strong ties to Colombia, like the length of time you have been in Colombia, property owned, investments, etc. you stand a good shot at the visa." However afterwards, you may receive a letter from the Dept. of Treasury & I.R.S. to arrive back to the states yourself for a special interview for review your yearly tax documents to see if you had summited references to these offshore bank accounts and business (s). I don't sound to negative do I...sorry!

slguy says on Apr 25, 19:58:

It is a pity that the US will revoke one’s green card if one is outside the US for too long. If they did not have those time limits, it would be worthwhile to get the darn thing even for a visit.

oh puhlease. a few hundred bucks for an airplane ticket once in a while is too big a price for maintaining residency here? then you're prolly right...it isn't for you.

Before you throw me out, make sure I pay my bar tab

guacharaca says on Apr 25, 22:05:

slguy....by your comment, it is clear that you have never held a green card and know only the usual hearsay about immigration law. Perhaps if you were married to a foreign spouse, as well as living abroad while she held a green card, you would see the situation in a different light. Entering the US as an American and entering the US as a Permanent Resident is as different as night and day.

slguy says on Apr 25, 22:10:

and your point?

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Robert Jorge says on Apr 25, 23:01:

I am going to take a wild guess, and say that I bet slguy has been, or is now involved with a green card holder. As am I currently. Guacharaca, it is a pretty naive assumption to presume somebody here does not have involvement in the immigration process - whether it be them or their significant other. But like slguy said: "and your point?"

guacharaca says on Apr 26, 06:27:

You stated "undergo the process to be a resident, and have the freedom to come/go as you please". This is not true. You can not come and go as you please. You have to maintain a residence in the US or lose the card. My point is that the US should adopt a law allowing a permanent resident (PR) to be outside of the US without a time limit provided that the PR is accompanied by their US citizen spouse. In doing so, a PR residing abroad would no longer need to lie to US immigration by saying that they are maintaining a residence in the US when they are actually not. Just spending "a few hundred bucks for an airplane ticket once in a while" also involves lying to a US immigration officer about their real status in the States. If you do not believe this to be the situation, I challenge the non-believer to tell their foreign green card holding spouse to openly admit to the immigration officer, on their next entry, that they are living abroad and are only returning for a short visit in order to maintain their PR card. You will then see all that time and money you spent getting that darn PR card for your spouse (even though you are both residing abroad) go out the door. The most expensive "tourist visa" would now become even more expensive.

jorgegdiaz says on Apr 26, 07:25:

Even if you just travel once a year to the US as a greencard holder, sometime an ICE officer is going to wonder why if you have greencard you don´t live in the US... It can be taken away, you know?
When my brother in law finally moved to the US he had been out for 11 months (green card holder then). The officer asked why so long, he said he was finishing college (true) and no problem. later on when he applied for citizenship he had to prove that he was in fact finishing college. It took him extra 18 months to get his citizenship.

Man with hole in pocket feel cocky all day.

mranderson says on Apr 26, 07:36:

guacharaca I don't quite understand. If you're living outside the u.s. then how can you be considered a permanent resident of the u.s. and keep the green card?

If you want to live in colombia and be able to travel to the u.s. whenever you want then get a tourist visa. It's hard to get the first time but I think it's pretty easy to renew if you don't break the rules. Or just get citizenship.

By the way, a few hundred bucks for an airline ticket every once in a while? Where??
Airline tickets seem to be like 800 or more and your not going to send her back without any cash. I would say it's more like 1500. She'll probably want to go back for 3 weeks or a month.

slguy says on Apr 26, 07:40:

out of curiosity, i just googled visa overstays. they don't track 'em by country, but something approaching 45% of US tourist visa holders overstay.

pretty much explains the problem, no?

Before you throw me out, make sure I pay my bar tab

OneHappyBoy says on Apr 26, 07:44:

I met my Colombian wife outside of the US. I brought her to Seattle and we got married the next day. After three weeks, I sent her back. Her previous visa expired. She went into renew it, and at no time did the embassy hassle her about being married to me.. They interviewed her about her intentions. I wrote a letter guaranteeing support while she was here and a promise to put her butt back on a plane in 6 weeks. I told them we are working with an attorney to address immigration and have filed an I-130.. NO problem.. SHE GOT A MULTIPLE ENTRY VISA not problem.. You just have to prove that she isn't a criminal and she WILL go back and enter the US the right way..some times being up front about it is the easiet way...

Words are just words. nothing more or less, but eloquently expressed, like a symphony to Beethoven's ear, no army can defeat and no oppression can exist.

guacharaca says on Apr 26, 08:56:

I agree with you mranderson. "It's hard to get the first time but I think it's pretty easy to renew if you don't break the rules". The trouble is that it is almost impossible to get the first time. As US citizens, we are discriminated against because of the statistics of overstays. I suspect that it is easier for a Colombian who is NOT the spouse of a US citizen to get a tourist visa than one who is married to a US citizen. It very clearly asks on the tourist visa application if your spouse is a US citizen. It is unfortunate that our constitutional law of "freedom of movement" does not extend to the entry into and exit from the USA so one of us could force an amendment to the immigration law. The reason the spouse of a European national can move freely within the European community is because their ECC law covers this situation and each of the member states had to adopt a law accepting free movement of their alien spouses.

Robert Jorge says on Apr 26, 21:43:

Guacharaca - finally I read a post of your's that I 100% agree with. You hit the nail on the head 6 posts above.

OneHappyBoy says on Apr 27, 07:51:

so, getting the visa is the first hurdle.....The second hurdle is clearing customs...I called the customs office in Houston, our favorite port of entry, and talked with the supervisor. I told him the situation that my Colombian wife will be coming through Houston and what can we do to appease their fears about overstaying, He said, "round trip ticket in her possession, a letter from the spouse gauranteeing support while she is here, contact information of the spouse, an address where she will be residing, and a definitive length of time she plans to be here

Words are just words. nothing more or less, but eloquently expressed, like a symphony to Beethoven's ear, no army can defeat and no oppression can exist.

OneHappyBoy says on Apr 27, 07:59:

The trick for being granted a first time visa is simple.. show ties back to Colombia- a job (letter from her employer stating they expect her to return) family ties to colombia, or anything else that screams, I am coing back! Plus, a purposeful reason for going to the US to see your spouse, Like we are going on Vacation for a couple of weeks, or visiting elderly in-laws.. Just to hang out for 3-4 months doesn't cut it...

The problem most people have is they have a poor work history and their ties back to their native country are fluid... being upfront that, yes they are married to a US citizen, but this is just a visit while we are waiting for our immigration status to change and it is a short visit. Claiming an intention to do the right thing always helps..

Words are just words. nothing more or less, but eloquently expressed, like a symphony to Beethoven's ear, no army can defeat and no oppression can exist.

Boatygringo says on Apr 27, 08:30:

I guess I didn't ask the question clearly. My wife and I would like to visit the USA to attend a the wedding of one of my children from a previouse marriage. We would travel together as she speaks no english. I am a US citizen and my wife is Colombian, we live full time in Colombia. I own a finca, live stock, a truck, and two moto's outright in Colombia. We have no intention of living in the USA we just want to visit for a week or two. We would be staying with one of my children. How hard would it be to get my wife a tourist visa.

Boatygringo

Gator says on Apr 27, 11:32:

I guess you didn't read the answers clearly. Basically you pays you money and you takes youyr chances.

"Brevior Sltare Cum Deformibus Mulieribus Est Vita!" .

OneHappyBoy says on Apr 29, 19:00:

If you two show ties back to colombia, Yep, 95% chance no problem.. there is no law against visiting and goiing to a wedding... just be upfront and good luck!

FYI I write a letter to customs for my wife, Notarized, stating she won't be her over x amount of days.. works 100% of the time. The customs agent calls me and we discuss the case.
I never have problems bringing her here..

Words are just words. nothing more or less, but eloquently expressed, like a symphony to Beethoven's ear, no army can defeat and no oppression can exist.

Gator says on Apr 29, 19:10:

Just one experience:

My sister-in-law wanted to accompany us several years ago to the USA-good job same place for 22 years, owned her own home and other property, money in the bank,et al.. Denied as being "too young." At the time she was 48.

What the Hell did he have to do with it??? "The customs agent calls me"

"Brevior Sltare Cum Deformibus Mulieribus Est Vita!" .

poco says on Apr 29, 19:28:

Quote: i agree completely - it's ludicrous that the process is so tough, just to visit family. but how else does oour government control the process in the face of startlingly high visa overstays?
========
I see these posts and wonder,, WTF? How is it so many people seem to have a problem?

Maybe it is for someone who is NOT a professional or poor,, gezzz, there are lots of teachers, police, military, plain ole citizens etc who have this visa or something like it,, it needs to renewed,, not sure the time.

Honestly,, teachers,, who are not the richest Colombians seem to have no problem,, especially if they are a professor at a University. I met one University Professor and his wife who showed me their TROPHY pictures taken at Disneyworld,, get this,,, the Alamo in Texas. They had also traveled to Spain.

Last time I looked,,, most of the folks on the planes were Colombian.

Anyway,, getting a temporary visa IS A PROBLEM for,, what? most? many? and it has been talked about before,, those that have chosen in the past to ignore or cheat the system have made it difficult for those who would play by the rules,, but,,,, what's new.

"Violence is the first refuge of the incompetent" - Isaac Asimov

slguy says on Apr 29, 19:39:

95% chance? i have a bridge for sale....

Before you throw me out, make sure I pay my bar tab