ems123

Hi,

I'm new here! Came across it when i was doing a bit of research for the B2 visa!

Was wondering if anybody could give me any advice on what my chances would be of being accepted for a b2 visa?

I am 21 year old from the UK wanting to travel America with 2 friends (both from UK also, one 22 one 26) we have already booked our return flights from 29th November - 29th March to and from NYC (some people may say were stupid booking before we've applied for visas but we thought this may work in our favour as we can now show we have a return flight and if we do get rejected flights can be changed at a cost) and we are hoping to basically travel and see as much of the US as we possibly can beginning in NYC travelling to California the southern route then coming back to NYC along the top...

Now i know we could've just gone down the Visa Waiver route but as you all know we would only get 90 days, after saving solidly for a year and dreaming about this trip for so long we thought that wasnt really long enough for what we wanted to do/see so have opted for 4 months which in turn means we need the 6 month tourist visa...

I am due back in fulltime work in April at my job that ive had for over a year, so will have an employment contract written up and signed to show this, will be taking as much evidence as possible to show i am returning and have the funds to support myself out there, bank statements, utility bills, letter from my boss etc etc

I dont own a property as still live at home and dont have children, have heard that this may limit my chances? Have also heard that because im from a country that qualifys for the visa waiver i may not get accepted for a b2 and that because 'i want to stay longer' is not a good excuse... starting to worry now as flights have been booked but originally when we researched we were told that we need to show were coming back and we thought if we had the return flight it would increase our chances...

Any advice/previous experience/tips on what to take for the interview etc would be GREATLY appreciated! (oh and interivews havent been booked yet but the helpline said we have plenty of time, hoping to get them booked next week)

Thanks in advance

crg

Consider shaving time off of the travel plans. You are unlikely to get a visa and being denied will cause you to change your answers to your ESTA and the ESTA may also bedenied.

Don't expect a chance to show anything at the interview. If your application doesn't pass the sniff test, and it likely will not, they often won't bother looking at anything you have to show or listening to anything you have to say.

Be aware that the visa, if granted, would most likely be valid for 10 years. Too many people seek the visa so they can go over forever. They use the 10 year multiple entry visa to work illegally while they try to file applications to get more permanent status. It's rampant to the point where even legitimate travelers have found that unless they can complete their trip in less than 90 days, they should just stay home or visit somewhere else because they aren't getting the visa.

ian-mstm

Your chances are slim to none. I suggest you alter your travel plans and concentrate on the VWP.

Ian

fatbrit

Very, very low.

Rebook your flights.

ems123

Thanks for your replies

Well, ive spent most of the day researcing and obviously reading your replies has made me realise our chances are very very slim of being accepted... we also wouldnt want being rejected for a b2 to ruin our chances of obtaining a visa under the waiver programme thus not being able to go at all..

Have been discussing it and trying to come up with a solution as we all do not want to have to cut the trip short due to taking the time off work, having been saving for this for a year we feel that 90 days just wouldnt be as worth all the sacrifices...

We have decided to go to America on the visa waiver programme for 90 days then head into Canada for the final month of our trip and fly home from there, we all have relatives in Canada anyway and had considered going there anyway in the beginning, all this would involve is changing our flight to return back to the UK from Canada rather than New York... rang the airline today and they said this would be possible, at a charge of course but we dont really have a choice!

Am i right in thinking that this would be do-able? We would therefore technically be leaving America before our 90 days is up and rather than flying home to the UK, heading into Canada instead (still a different country) and going back to the UK from there...

meauxna

Going to Canada won't help you. It's part of "America" always, and it's part of of the VWP when you're visiting the US.


Return or onward ticket

If entering the United States by air or sea, additional requirements apply. The traveler must:

* Be traveling on a participating commercial carrier and;
* Be holding a valid return or onward ticket. Where the ticket terminates in Canada, Mexico, Bermuda or an island in the Caribbean, the traveler must be a legal resident of that country or territory

iray

N/M didn't read last line!

ems123

I was under the impression that Canada wasnt part of the Visa Waiver Programme so if you entered Canada before your 90 days was up and did not return to the US then that would be ok?

We would also have a flight booked from Canada to the UK so the immigration officers in Canada could see when we were leaving and the immigration officers in the USA could see we werent going to return

ems123

But our ticket wouldn't terminate in Canada, Canada would just be a stop gap... it would technically terminate in UK, we would be travelling into Canada by car i guess and we would then have a flight home from Canada, so nothing would 'terminate' in Canada...

ian-mstm

I think you might have misread the plan.

If they leave the US prior to the end of their 90 days and enter Canada for a month (at which point they are under Canadian jurisdiction and not US jurisdiction) and fly to the UK from Canada, the US isn't going to care. They must be sure to surrender their I-94s at the Canadian border because they won't normally be removed from their passport when crossing by land.

I think they have arrived at a solution to their problem.

Ian

ems123

Thanks Ian, thats what we thought, if we can show the immigration officers that we have a return flight from Canada to the UK therefore showing we will have to leave USA then as far as their concerned as long as we leave before our 90 days is up its none of their business anymore!

The only worry i have now is are the immigration officer in the USA going to want to see proof that were going from the USA into Canada in the form of a plane/bus/train ticket? as far as we were concerned we were going to drive into Canada by maybe one of our relatives picking us up or something... will that be ok or will they need to see proof of this trip? or will our return flight from Canada be enough?

ian-mstm

You will probably need proof of some sort that you will leave the US within those 90 days. Not sure how you'll do that though... but you've got a fair bit of time to figure it out.

Where are you planning to cross the border?

Ian

ems123

well i have an Aunty that lives in Penticton and i think (may be wrong) that washington is the nearest state to her? Our plans were to see as much of America as we can then head up to Washington and go into Canada either by coach/car or relatives picking us up (which they have offered to do) obviously if that is the case we wont have solid proof that we are leaving the US, only our return flight to show... unless we could give the address of my Aunty to show where we will be staying? Its going to cost us about £200 to change our flights so i want to be 100% sure this plans going to work before i fork out that kind of money as im sure you'll understand!

edited to say - it may even be worth us booking a coach ticket nearer the time to show were leaving the USA

lisa67

Just as an aside, you may not be able to rent a car which will have adequate insurance to drive you over into Canada.....just thougt I'd mention it sooner rather than later.

ems123

good point! will have to be coach/train or lift then!