Tourist Visa

[steve057]

 I have a question that maybe you can help me with. I met a woman who lives in New Jersey from Russia. I asked her what type of visa she had and she told me a tourist visa. She also said she has lived here for 5 years in this country. How is that possible? I was under the impression that a tourist visa was very hard for a single woman to get, although she is 42 and does have a friend that lives in New Jersey also. It is also my understanding that she cannot take a tourist visa and apply for a permenent status from that visa. So if anyone can tell me I would apperitate it!:)

[Shadow]

I know several Russian women who traveled to the USA on a tourist visa, most of them single.
However a 5-year tourist visa does not exist, which means she either has managed to travel regularly or, more likely, overstayed her visa.

[GoodOlBoy]

Hello Steve057.

One of our "house" lawyers may jump in (William?) here. But I would have to go along with Shadow on this one. She has probably waaaay over stayed her Tourist Visa.

The good news is Barack is planning on giving amnesty to all illegal aliens soon! 

He is calling it "a path to citizenship"! 

Now isn't that special. 


GOB

[steve057]

Thanks guys! Well she will be going home then if they catch her, if in fact she over stayed her visa. That could be a real nightmare trying to get her another visa if she overstayed this one!!! Another thing is that for being here 5 years she cannot speak English or write very well. I just found it a little odd!
 Well if our new president is going to free them all she won't have anything to worry about then! Bless his little heart! 

[groovlstk]

Another thing is that for being here 5 years she cannot speak English or write very well. I just found it a little odd!

If she lives among Russians in Brooklyn, it's not a big surprise. Areas like Brighton Beach are in a time warp, there are many residents - both legal and illegal - who have no interest in learning English and never will.

[steve057]

I talked to her in a chat last night and I could tell she was really struggling to understand what I was asking and her answers were always short. I tried to tell her to take her time and I could use a translator if she wanted. She told me she needed the practice in English! Yes, I could see that!!:))

[ECOCKS]

I know several Russian women who traveled to the USA on a tourist visa, most of them single.
However a 5-year tourist visa does not exist, which means she either has managed to travel regularly or, more likely, overstayed her visa.

Yes, you can get a 5 year visa for the USA. It is non-specific as to business, tourism or whatever your purpose but it is not a residency visa/permit. There are a few folks who claim they have a 10 year version of this, but I have never seen one and the embassy in Kyiv indicates they don't issue these.

It is possible to apply for a change in status but very rare for them to be granted without a trip back to the home country.

[groovlstk]

I talked to her in a chat last night and I could tell she was really struggling to understand what I was asking and her answers were always short. I tried to tell her to take her time and I could use a translator if she wanted. She told me she needed the practice in English! Yes, I could see that!!:))

Completely off-topic as far as your original question, but I'd be wary of a woman who has lived in one of the Russian enclaves in the US for five years and during that time never felt it necessary to learn English. Most of the women living in these areas date Russian men exclusively and have no interest in foreigners. She didn't wake up one day last week and suddenly decide she wanted to date American men. Obviously we know only the barest of details about this girl based on your posts, but you should be careful to make sure there are no strings attached.

[Ronnie]

Marrying someone who is in this country illegally can be a huge and expensive problem.  My advice is to drop the relationship, there are plenty who are here with greencards.

As to amnesty.  It didn't pass last time even with Bush backing it and the economy in good shape.  Very unlikely to pass now with no Republican support, rising unemployment and the current vice president commenting against it.

"It's difficult to tell a constituency while unemployment is rising, they're losing their jobs and their homes, that what we should do is in fact legalize (illegal immigrants) and stop all deportation," Biden told a news conference in the Costa Rican capital.

[GoodOlBoy]

As to amnesty.  It didn't pass last time even with Bush backing it and the economy in good shape.  Very unlikely to pass now with no Republican support, rising unemployment and the current vice president commenting against it.

I think Barack's Aunt (illegal alien from Kenya), will be VERY unhappy to hear your opinion. 


http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,,24587593-5012748,00.html


GOB

[steve057]

Well groovlstk, you know about as much as I do about her! Her letters are always maybe two lines,thats it! Probably a good idea to drop this one though!! You are right Ronnie , there are plenty of them here with green cards already!

[Sculpto]

I would not jump to the conclusion she is here illegally.  I had two dates with a woman here in SF that came over on a tourist visa and immediately applied for change of status to student and it was granted.  I had a Russian language lesson with a woman from Moldava that did the same thing and has been here almost three years and had massaged her tourist/student visa into a work permit.  And there are also the girls from Vladikavkaz that came over on the work travel program and overstayed.  They used a Russian immigration lawyer to get their status changed from "overstay" to "white card" work permit. 

I would find out what her real deal is. 

Have you met her IRL or is she just a chat buddy?  If she is only a chat buddy I would be on the lookout for signs of scam.  If you have met her in real life and she is living in New Jersey and not Brighton Beach I would think she has found some way to establish some form of legal residency.  Obviously if her English is not good she is in some sort of Russian language community so that could be a negative.  But, she could be trying to branch out.. maybe her Russian X treated her bad and she decided to try and find an American?

[steve057]

Well I just got another letter from her after I asked her about her visa, sure enough it is expired and she is here illegally! Little does she know she just pissed away any chance of getting another one any time soon. Of course if they catch her she will be going back to Russia soon after. To bad really! I'll bet that would be a legal nightmare in the making!

[GoodOlBoy]

There are plenty of lawyers on this forum that can jump in here and correct me at anytime.. But from what very little I understand about Immigration Law, there is a 10 year turn around time for illegal aliens BEFORE they can reapply to the USA for any kind of re-entry after deportation proceedings.


GOB

[steve057]

Could be GOB! I do know it is not good so I think I'll keep looking!:)