Student Visa

[AfroMan]

First I'd like to thank All for the informative post I've been reading for the past months. Even the fights are great lol. Question, Has anyone ever thought about bringing a woman over on a student visa. Seems like a good way to make sure she's going to work out and if she does'nt she gets a free education.... and so do you.

[Pete E]

... in response to Student Visa, posted by AfroMan on Dec 9, 2001

Tourist and student visas,hard to get in the past,are almost impossible now.Because of possible amnesty deals for people already here and backlash from 9/11 (some of those AH were on student visas)its a slim and none chance.
You can get a fiance visa or a spousal visa ,but they require you to step up and take financial responsibility for the person.
The only other visa with somewhat of a chance,if the person is a proffesional(preferably technical)is a work visa.They have to have a college degree and a job offer from a US company who will sign for them.I think the company also has to say they cannot find people to hire in the US.Most of these have gone to Indians in the past.With our current recession and unemployment rate not likely to happen at this time.

Pete

[El Diablo]

... in response to Student Visa, posted by AfroMan on Dec 9, 2001

Yes lots of guys have thought about it and are generally discouraged from doing it as the likelyhood of pulling it off is slim at best.  I personally know two gringos who tried, went through all the hoops with the documentation and university acceptance and in less than two minutes their gals were rejected at the embassy. I am personally not aware of a single case where a gringo brought his gal over on a student VISA.

El Diablo

[Michael B]

... in response to Re: Student Visa, posted by El Diablo on Dec 9, 2001

But I didn't arrange it, in fact she had already finished her BA before I ever met her, and when I did meet her, she was here on a tourist visa 2 or 3 years after finishing school.

I'd say your chances are slim to none of getting a lady here on a student visa. Like the other guys said, she must be from a RICH family. The fact that my ex's father had graduated from the same US university and was a "good" (read that "contributing") alum had a lot to do with it. And the fact that her grandfather was the vice-president of Costa Rica didn't hurt her chances either.

Little "Maria, the clothing store sales clerk" hasn't got a PRAYER of getting this visa, no matter how much you care for her....best route is still the K1.

[El Diablo]

... in response to My "EX" came over on a student..., posted by Michael B on Dec 9, 2001


Michael,

I hear what you're saying.  I know quite a few Colombians who have come to the U.S. on tourist visas also but they were from wealthy families.  I know of no "Maria's" working as a secretary and bankrolled by a gringo who has ever gotten a tourist VISA.  I'm not saying it hasn't ever happened but I've yet to hear of it.

El Diablo

[Michael B]

... in response to Re: My "EX" came over on a stu..., posted by El Diablo on Dec 9, 2001

Check the archives...back in Feb or Mar my lady waited 8 months for the tourist visa interview. Rode a bus 14 hours each way to Bogota. At the embasy, when it was finally her turn for the interview, it took them all of 3 minutes to tell her "NO".

[Ken Power]

... in response to You're right, tourist visa won't work ei..., posted by Michael B on Dec 9, 2001

Why do you suppose they are so reluctent to give visas: tourist or student?   Are they afraid of losing several hundred dollars from the process they put couples through?

Ken

[Aaron]

... in response to Re: You're right, tourist visa won't wor..., posted by Ken Power on Dec 9, 2001

My friends tell me that first time petitions for a tourist visa are so backed up in Colombia now, that it is a year from the petition til the first interview. It's been this way for about two years now.

Aaron

[Aaron]

... in response to Re: You're right, tourist visa won't wor..., posted by Ken Power on Dec 9, 2001

I think they are taking precautions against fraudulent cases, which are people that are likely to come to the US, and never return back, but become illegal aliens. Basically, ask yourself this question "what do you think a young lady who's a sales clerk and parents are not much more will do once she arrives to the US on a tourist visa?" First thing she is going to do is to think of legitmate ways to stay (marriage to a Gringo or work), and possibly consider being illegal if her situation back home is bad enough. This is not what tourist visas and student visas are for.

The financial requirements are higher with the tourist and student visas because these people are more likely to return home when their time is up. They have a better situation to return to once they go back, and they have legal and financial ties to maintain back home. Also, these visas are for temporary stays anyway.

Aaron

[Pete E]

... in response to Precautions.., posted by Aaron on Dec 10, 2001

Aaron,
Its not just the sales clerks.My wife has a Colombiana friend who is a dentist.She came here on a tourist visa and never went back.Just about everybody is suspect.Maybe very old people who want to visit children have the best chance.

Pete

[Aaron]

... in response to Re: Precautions.., posted by Pete E on Dec 10, 2001

Guys that have gone through the INS know best. I haven't gone through the process yet. But, I'm pretty sure about the length of time it is taking first time petitions for tourist visas.

I think the spousal and K-1 visas are best. Don't fool around. And either way, the risk a person makes marrying someone is still the same.

This is why I prefer a long courtship (1 to 3 years) before marriage to see where the person's heart is.

Aaron

[Patrick]

... in response to Re: Precautions.., posted by Pete E on Dec 10, 2001

My parents-in-law were able to get tourist visas to come visit us.  They were both in their 70s.  I required an afidavit of support.  My brother-in-law, a doctor working in Brazil got a visa to come up for a medical conference in San Diego.  My sisters-in-law, one a mathematics professor and the other a Spanish professor, did not succeed in getting tourist visas and have been trying for 4 years to come up to Florida to take their children to Disney World.

If anyone's interested in ladies in their 70s, I'd say go for the tourist visa, otherwise, unless she's from a rich family, forget it.

[Aaron]

... in response to Re: You're right, tourist visa won't wor..., posted by Ken Power on Dec 9, 2001

I think they are taking precautions against fraudulent cases, which are people that are likely to come to the US, and never return back, but become illegal aliens. Basically, ask yourself this question "what do you think a young lady who's a sales clerk and parents are not much more will do once she arrives to the US on a tourist visa?" First thing she is going to do is to think of legitmate ways to stay (marriage to a Gringo or work), and possibly consider being illegal if her situation back home is bad enough. This is not what tourist visas and student visas are for.

The financial requirements are higher with the tourist and student visas because these people are more likely to return home when their time is up. They have a better situation to return to once they go back, and they have legal and financial ties to maintain back home. Also, these visas are for temporary stays anyway.

Aaron

[Michael B]

... in response to Re: You're right, tourist visa won't wor..., posted by Ken Power on Dec 9, 2001

They know that they won't go home. With the current situation in Colombia, would YOU? Yeah, they (INS) make you jump some hoops and play their little games to get a fiancee or spouse visa, BUT those are both immigrant visas, that is, the person intends to stay here and if you cross the t's and dot the i's and wait a while they actually don't mind granting them. But the INS gets really PO'd when you come on a temporary visa and either marry a gringo and try to adjust status or just simply fade into the underground economy. And 95% of them would do one or the other. And I don't blame them one bit, I would too under the circumstances. Effective 6 or 8 months ago, they made a rule that Colombians can't even change planes in the USA, too many of them were filing for asylum as soon as they  got to Miami. Mind you, now, I ain't saying I AGREE with the INS policy, just saying what it is.

PS. it isn't the money, there are fees for the tourist visa and student visa also, although I'm not sure how much. I remember I think Y had to pay $45.00 just to apply for the tourist visa and it would have been another $200.00 I think if she had been granted it.

[Aaron]

... in response to Student Visa, posted by AfroMan on Dec 9, 2001

Hi,

To meet the requirements of a student visa, the person has to show he or she has funding for each academic year of studying at the unversity up front, and they must maintain high academic performance. Also, depending on the funding agency, for example if the funding came from a governmental scholarship of the girl's country, there may be a stipulation that requires her to return to her country to work for a couple of years after study. And if she never returns, she will be required to pay the money back.

This is a big issue for all of my friends who came here to study. Some take loans, and some have governmental scholarships.

Aaron