U.S. Tourist Visa for Women !

[Chicagoguy]

My wife and I wanted her 27 year old daughter to come here to U.S. for a visit now that we had been married for two years.
I was dubious because of all the stories I had heard although that some were saying it was getting easier. She is 27 without big job, no car, no condo or dacha. However, she has a Schengen Visa and has been to Turkey and Paris. I sent her an invite with nice letter and copies of my passport and drivers license plus my wife's passport, Green Card and Social Security card.
I had read that these mean nothing - that they concentrate only upon the applicant. Well, she went over to U.S. Embassy in Moscow on June 6 and asked for 1 month visa. They gave her 2 year visa !!!!

[GoodOlBoy]

Congratulations Chicagoguy!
I am sure that the Mrs. will be happy to see her daughter. 
Hope she has a nice visit to the GoodOl' USA.
 
GOB

[Kuna]

That's wonderful news...  congrats to you (and your wife) and her!!!

I can imagine the reunion will be very special - especially for the ladies! 

[wicheese]

Chicagoguy,
 
Congrats on her getting the visa as I'm sure her mother is happy and you know what they say, "a happy wife leads to a happy life".
 
 
Also, for all the othe readers out there, Moscow has a MUCH higher approval rate for tourist visas than Kyiv, not sure if it has to do with the staff at the embassy or more macro level relations with the country, but it's a pretty well known fact or so I have been told (I need to dig out the figures myself).

[Gator]

The Federal government is attempting to revive the economy, and one of its goals is to increase tourism.  It makes sense for a Russian to come here to visit American family and spend money here (even though it probably is your money) rather than the American  family go to Russia and spend money there.
 

[Gylden]

Chicagoguy,
 
Congrats on her getting the visa as I'm sure her mother is happy and you know what they say, "a happy wife leads to a happy life".
 
 
Also, for all the othe readers out there, Moscow has a MUCH higher approval rate for tourist visas than Kyiv, not sure if it has to do with the staff at the embassy or more macro level relations with the country, but it's a pretty well known fact or so I have been told (I need to dig out the figures myself).

Well Moscow is in Russia and Kiev is in Ukraine and the two countries have very different visa approval stats.
But both contries stats are getting better.

[GQBlues]

.... She is 27 without big job, no car, no condo or dacha. However, she has a Schengen Visa and has been to Turkey and Paris. I sent her an invite with nice letter and copies of my passport and drivers license plus my wife's passport, Green Card and Social Security card.
I had read that these mean nothing - that they concentrate only upon the applicant. Well, she went over to U.S. Embassy in Moscow on June 6 and asked for 1 month visa. They gave her 2 year visa !!!!

Congratulations Mr&Mrs. ChicagoGuy! Have a great time during your DIL's visit..
 
I always belong to the school of thought that once a US citizen take responsibility and an active approach for their spouse's relative's visa process, chances are better they'll get no beef from the embassies. I experienced this personally. Their flight risk is minimalized, IMO, if they know the person will be with a US citizen and had taken active participation and responsibility with the person.
 
Anyway...great time of the year for her visit.

[Faux Pas]

Count me in on the Congrats bandwagon there Chi-guy. Thats wonderful news! 

[LAman]

Congrats Chicgo guy and the Mrs.
 
Actually I am not really surprised. I talk with a russian girl in New York and she tells me almost all people she send invitation letter receive a tourist visa...this is not true (as much) for ukraine.
 
Only question is how long her approval stamp will be?? I have seen it as short as 2 months and as long as 6 months.
 
Is that the SD?   She's cute!!!

[ML]

As I understand it, there is still a major difference as to who writes the invitation letter. 

The US Embassy site in Kyiv clearly states that the existence of boyfriend in USA will be a  red flag for them when a gal applies for tourist visa as they will view it as an attempt to get around the more time consuming fiance visa process.

But in another thread someone (a single guy) posted that he had written an invitation letter for a gal in Moldova and she got the tourist visa.

So is it possible the 'rules' are different for different countries?

In the current case, CG wrote invitation for his DIL, not a girlfriend, so it doesn't shed light on what would happen if a guy wrote letter for his girlfriend.

Any other experiences in this situation?

[GQBlues]

....So is it possible the 'rules' are different for different countries?

In the current case, CG wrote invitation for his DIL, not a girlfriend, so it doesn't shed light on what would happen if a guy wrote letter for his girlfriend.

Any other experiences in this situation?

The extent of my experience in this matter was during he late '90s, and it was with CR and Slovakia. I've written LOIs for my Czech GF (later also with a Slovak) and they received tourists visas without a hitch.
 
As a matter of fact, my first letter involved inviting 2 women as my CR's GF at the time wanted to take one of her friends along the first visit (LOL, she didn't trust me, smart girl).
 
I wanted to do this with my wife (GF then), but I knew that the case with Russia is a bit different because there were far more flight risks happening with Russia and the ex-Soviet states than any of the other CE countries. So I didn't risk it.
 
Maybe Russia's status these days had changed for the better since that time...Ukraine, IMO, may not be in the same situation as Rus today.

[Chicagoguy]

An immigration lawyer I know said that every interview can be different. There does not seem to be a standard like we would expect.
About 8 years ago I invited a single woman on a business visa who was about 45 at the time. She had been to the U.S. before and Paris a few months before. She had a good job, her own car, a small flat in Moscow and a three floor all brick dacha with garage about 45 minutes outside Moscow. Plus a son who was living with his father. And she was denied.
I just was not expecting a 2 year visa though. Because she is single she will probably go to some of the singles bars in Chicago with my youngest daughter but she has never expressed any interest in American men. She likes Russia.

[LAman]

As I understand it, there is still a major difference as to who writes the invitation letter. 

The US Embassy site in Kyiv clearly states that the existence of boyfriend in USA will be a  red flag for them when a gal applies for tourist visa as they will view it as an attempt to get around the more time consuming fiance visa process.

But in another thread someone (a single guy) posted that he had written an invitation letter for a gal in Moldova and she got the tourist visa.

So is it possible the 'rules' are different for different countries?
 


In the current case, CG wrote invitation for his DIL, not a girlfriend, so it doesn't shed light on what would happen if a guy wrote letter for his girlfriend.

Any other experiences in this situation?

That was me Manlooking. Of course I didn't write I was her boyfriend. I merely stated I had met her before in her country...we were friends....she showed me around in her country and I was to show her around in my country AND I was responsible for her room and board. This letter is only one of many things looked at but you do need a letter from someone in USA and I think know of each other. Plus this same girl had been denied 2 times before.....so she told them something new!!!