Visa to travel to US?

Question

Hello

I am a US citizen and my sister and mom would like to come and visit me for 3 weeks in California. Are there any different rules for family members of a US citizen. I mean, is it easier or harder for them to get a visa.

Thanks in advance

Answer 1

You will act as their sponsor for the duration of their stay. For procuring the visa, you will have to send them your signed sponsorship documents, a bank statement of the last 6 months (with a sizable bank balance) and they will also have to carry a Medical Insurance Policy for the duration of their stay in the US.

Presuming your mom and sis are from India, they will have to book an appointment ( usually weeks in advance ) and be at the Consulate, fresh and early, for their interview. Yes, an interview is conducted and the outcome is based solely on the discretion of the Visa Issuing Officer.

Answer 2

The tough part will be convincing visa/immigration officials that your mother and sister will return to their own country.  They should buy round-trip plane tickets.  They also need to prove circumstances compel them to return home at the end of their vacation: jobs to return to (letters from their employers stating the dates of their scheduled vacations and that they still have jobs to return to), own a home, have a husband/father & younger children that need mom & sis back home, anything else that proves they are only on a brief vacation and will indeed return home.

Thousands try to sneak in the "back door" -- visit a relative and never leave.  It is tougher to prove they will leave when they have a relative already in the US, than if they are taking the kiddies to Disney World for a week.