topcat1972

Dear All

I have a family member who is looking to get a B2 visa to visit her partner who will be on a working visa in the USA. I understand that this is only for a maximum of 6 months and she will need to show funds of at least £3,000 to support herself whilst staying. My question is, after the 6 months validity will she have to leave the country and if she wanted to return is there a period of time you have to stay out of the country before trying to return or are you able to extend or re-apply for a further B2 visa to stay an additional 6 months. They understand you are not allowed to work on a B2 but we are just trying to dot the i's and cross the t's before sorting out the application. Has anyone done this and what where the fees/timescales for applying for this visa. I have looked on various search engines but seem to get conflicting information.

TIA

Pulaski

If she applies as a "cohabiting domestic partner" she can stay pretty much on the same terms as the person she is cohabiting with, but on entry to the US she should be careful to ensure she is "stamped in" as a cohabiting domestic partner, not just a visitor with a maximum stay of six months. If she applies for a conventional visitor's B1/B2 then, assuming she is otherwise eligible for ESTA/VWP then she will probably be denied.

topcat1972

Thank you for your response

scrubbedexpat099

$15 a day?

Typo?

Jef65

I wouldn't apply for "cohabiting domestic partner" while still out of the country, I'd go with the B2 which can be extended when Inside the US. Failing to extend or apply for a different visa with in the time period will render the person illegal and banned for 5 years from returning. Good luck

Noorah101

It's bad advice to say "go directly for the B-2", because unless they were living together in the UK, a plain B-2 visa will most likely be denied. Assuming she is otherwise eligible for the VWP.

OP, were they living together in the UK? If so, then B-2 cohabitating visa is the way to go. If they were not living together in the UK, then she should travel on the VWP for 90 days at a time. Stay outside the USA longer than inside.

The problem with applying for a B-2 visa, unless they were cohabitating before, is that if the B-2 gets denied, the ESTA will also get denied for about 6 to 12 months after the B-2 denial. Which makes her ineligible to even visit the USA for around a year. So be very careful with this application.

Rene

Pulaski

"Out of the country" is invariably the appropriate time to apply for a visa, as a visa is designed to facilitate entry to country. ….. In fact there is nowhere inside the US that you can obtain a visa, and even renewals require you to leave the US to visit a US embassy to get the actual visa.

sherbert

What kind of visa is her partner getting? How will she support herself during 6 months in the US. Getting married would be a better option.

civilservant

What a completely nonsensical first post.

They have no option but to apply for a B2 in this case if they wish to enter for more than the VWP validity.

You can't apply for a B2 from inside the US since a visa is a travel document which which you can apply for entry to a country.

Pollyana

Looks like he might have now left the building!