Have you ever heard that you as a US citizen has to provide more than a letter of invite for a b-2 visa?

Question

my boy friend is from Africa originaly. but is currently living in the UK. He would like to come and visit me in the states.

however he has been told i need to provide him with my passport info and other secured documents that i am not comfortable giving out this information. I was told i need to provide a letter of invite, passport info, pay stub and bank information. Is this a scam to get my info .. or is this truly what he needs to obtane a visa to visit.

please help. i tried to look threw the gov. web sites to no avail .. i have not found any evedance stating i need to provide these documents.

can any one help ?

Answer 1

Who told you this? It sounds very fishy to me. How well do you really know this boyfriend? No offence, but Africa is full of scam merchants trying to get bank account details from westerners and he may have latched onto you for no other reason. Do not give out this information. His entry to the USA should not depend on anyone else's circumstances, only his own.

Unless it was the US government asked you for this information in some form that you knew beyond doubt that it was official, refuse to disclose it.

Answer 2

It's a total scam.  

Provide nothing beyond a letter of invitation.  It's NOT "very" common.  In the United States it's TOTALLY the responsibility of the applicant to prove his admissibility to the USA.  If you don't believe me call the US embassy in London and speak with an American consular officer.

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Answer 3

It is not true. I am a US Citizen who lives in Tunisia (North Africa). My father-in-law applied for a visa to the US so he could visit me and my family there while I was there on vacation. My parents sent him an invitation letter, and I even called the US Consular at the Embassy. The Consular told me that the invitation letter or any information I send makes little difference - what matters is HIS (my father-in-laws) merits.

Even if you are planning on paying for everything while he visits you, he still must meet this criteria before a visa will be granted. At NO time, will they ever ask you for your passport info, pay stub or bank information. If they do, then you need to speak directly to the US Consular because that is NOT required, or admissible.  Here is what the US Consular told me via e-mail:

" Please understand Mrs. ___ that the visa process in no way reflects on your situation, desire, or need to have your father-in-law visit your family, but rests solely on his merits to acquire a visa according to U.S. immigration law. United States immigration law presumes that every applicant for a non-immigrant visa is an intending immigrant. Each visa applicant must overcome this presumption."

There are a few things the US government (Embassies) look for when granting a visa. These are used to help show that the applicant has significant ties to their country and are more than likely to return back instead of staying in the US. They are:

JOB - should be able to prove he has a stable job, such as by a letter from his boss.

CAR - can be proven by title, car payments, etc.

HOUSE/APARTMENT- can be proven by mortgage, or renters contract.

MONEY - should be able to prove that he has money in the country he lives in, such as by bank statements.

FAMILY TIES - should be able to prove that he has reason to return to his country. Can be proven by talking about or bringing pictures.

PREVIOUS VISITS- If he has visited previously, they will take that into great consideration since he visited and then returned back to his home country.

I hope this helped you, and I hope your boyfriend is able to get a visa to visit you. If I can be of anymore help or assistance, please feel free to contact me.

Answer 4

If it is the US Consulate asking it is not a scam.  If it is some guy in Africa, then wise up.  If it is your boyfriend asking and you don't trust him enough, then you may want to think again about sponsoring him

BUT, if you are sponsoring someone to come to the US you are telling the government that you can take care of them if they cannot.  That way they won't become a public charge and a burden on the American taxpayer.  In order to do this you must PROVE it.  You need to prove your work status and financial situation

So yes this is very common, in fact needed, by the US Consulate.  But I would only give that information to an Official.

Answer 5

The Yak Man is right again.  In all my years as a consular officer I have never asked for this kind of information from the American citizen that a visa applicant intended to visit; I can't imagine asking for it.  This young man is scamming you.