My cousin in VN would like to visit USA. How can he convince interviewer he intends to return to VN?

Question

According to the State Department, a person wishing to get a visitor visa must provide "compelling" reason(s) that he/she intends to return to his/her home country after the visit. Reasons include property holdings, family, job, or education. My cousin's parents are in the US already so no family ties. He has finished high school so no education ties. He works as a hostess at a restaurant so no job ties. He owns his family home but it is paid off and has no other property holdings. However, once his parents become US citizens, they will sponsor him to immgrate to the US so he really doesn't want to hurt that chance by "sneaking" into the US with a visitor visa. The visa would be in time for my wedding but not sure if that's compelling enough. He has a girlfriend of 4 years but they are not married. Anybody working in the State Dept got any advice? or anybody with family in VN who has applied for a visitor visa?

Answer 1

You would be considered a "high risk" visitor. You will need a large amount of money in the bank and or property holdings. Sorry,but it's very hard for third world Asians to get a visa.

Answer 2

I'm going through the visa and immigration process with my wife right now, and I'll tell you that it's certainly not a fun thing to do.

I'm going to skip the nice stuff, and get bluntly to the point. Your cousin has a snowball's chance in h**l in obtaining a visitor visa based on what you've described so far. He's Vietnamese, single, young, has no kids and is not rich. Having a house free and clear is a plus, but it's not enough to outweigh the other factors. The U.S. State Department will consider him an "immigration threat", as I call it, and will decline his tourist visa request.

You are correct that you don't want to cause problems if he is intending to immigrate through the proper processes. Submitting a travel visa request should not hurt his chances of eventually immigrating, but it might cause unnecessary issues. This will come to question when he is interviewed by the consulate's office, and he doesn't want to leave anything to question at that stage of the immigration process.    

Good luck and congratulations!

Answer 3

I wonder why his parents left him in Vietnam when they went to the US? Was he an adult when his parents left? Do you mean the US wouldn't allow tourist to come to this country? If he owns his own home and paid it off, that is a good reason why he should go back because if he didn't, he'll lose the house that he already paid for. It doesn't make sense to me. If he still owes the money on the house then I can see that he doesn't want to go back. When you said "the state department" are you talking the US state department or Vietnamese state department?

Answer 4

I think you have built up a pretty good case for his denial.  Maybe if he stresses he owns his own home and does work that might help.  If he has any bank accounts that would help also.  Good Luck.