Chinese Girlfriend to America

[Baggerking]

Hello,

I know this is a little crazy but I would like to take my Chinese girlfriend back to America with me in the summer for a couple of weeks. I am a little intimated because it seems next to impossible for a Chinese to take a vacation out of China with anything short of handing a tourist group a lot of cash to follow a flag bearer and eat croissants at a Holiday Inn (speaking from ignorance, obviously). I obviously just want her to hang out with my family for a little bit and show her some of my favorite parts of America.

I guess what I really want is appropriate websites to find out official information.

So are there any "back doors" I should look into here? Fiancee stuff? What exactly is the deal with the marriage path? I have thought about stuffing her into my luggage but it seems like that would violate several human rights laws.

Thanks in advance for not calling me an idiot for asking about this (I have already done that myself, thanks).

[chrix]

The American consular authorities, as well as those of any other Western country, are always wary of granting visas to people who might potentially become illegal immigrants. So just try and take the perspective of an American consular official and look at your girlfriend from this perspective. How much money does she and her family have, what kind of work, how much is her salary etc. And if she has an American boyfriend, would this make her more or less likely to stay in America illegally?

In some Western countries, those issues go away as soon as the foreign national is pregnant with a future citizen, but I'm not sure if this would be a backdoor you're looking for.

[kdavid]

The consulate officers are told that if there is the slightest doubt in their mind that the person in question will not return as stated, they are not to issue the visa. It is very, very difficult for young, single, female Chinese to get tourist visas for America.

Your girlfriend needs to prove to the consulate officer why she has such strong ties to China that she absolutely must return to China after her visit to America. Simply sitting down and answering 2 - 5 minutes worth of questions is not enough. She needs to provide documentation, schools she's enrolled in, bank statements, property leases/deeds, etc.

The more concrete evidence she can give to the officer to prove not that she will, but that she MUST, return to China, the better.

[Erbse]

I know this is a little crazy but I would like to take my Chinese girlfriend back to America with me in the summer for a couple of weeks.

No, It's not crazy. It's human and the most normal thing one could wish.

The consulate officers are told that if there is the slightest doubt in their mind that the person in question will not return as stated, they are not to issue the visa. It is very, very difficult for young, single, female Chinese to get tourist visas for America.

If they find out she is your girlfriend, instead of regular friend, your chances are even lower.

A good way to solve the problem is, to buy her a house in China. Visa shouldn't be a problem then.

Maybe you want to visit another place together with her? Maybe some tropical island in SE-Asia?

[zhouhaochen]

wow, so are we suggesting for a Chinese girlfriend to go to the US, you either have to get her pregnant or buy her a house?

I wont be taking mine there then, thats for sure...

[chrix]

Zhouhaochen, I didn't say the US was one of those Western countries. You would need to check the legal details for that. I know for a fact that Germany is one of those countries, I highly suspect the US is too, but IANAL.

[zhouhaochen]

hehe, Chrisx, it was more of an ironic remark, I am not planning to take my girlfriend to America, get her pregnant or buy her a house.

I probably will invite her for lunch today though.

[chrix]

yeah, I just wanted to cover my *ss. I don't wanna get sued later if it doesn't work out *jk*

[yialanliu]

If you are in good standing US citizen with no felony charges, a good credit report(it comes with a background check), and all around "good", one of the ways that you could try which has worked for me is to write a letter to your Senator to the US congress(not the state) and write something that goes along the lines that I will vouch for her and mine safety as well as following the visa protocol. I was able to get a reply from my senator, Senator Kennedy at the time and this allowed me to bring someone from China to the US.

It's a complicated step but it's worthwhile because afterwards it becomes much easier to bring in the second person and subsequent visitors as long as you can prove that the person did not become illegal and what not.

My father has brought 2 relatives twice, a close family friend once and a business partner once. But what it really comes down is to make sure the first one goes off alright. Afterwards, you are given much more freedom.

[Baggerking]

Wow, thanks to everyone for your advice. Even the pregnancy piece. It's just oddly soothing to see other people confirm how much of a pain in the *ss this is.

Unfortunately I am just a young English teacher with no desire to buy a house a China. However, My girlfriends family said they could put the apartment they own under her name so she could have the proof. She also has a job in a Chinese University with a contract so that might help.

I wonder if I can draft up some letters and get my family back in the states to send them to my congressman. They are good people.

So I guess we will try the former first and have her apply by herself. Then get see if my family back in America can send the letter and such.

[xifbk]

Do let us kno how it goes, might be helpful for other people going through the same process.

[msittig]

A tourist visa to the United States for a girlfriend? My wife's first visa (she's on her third tourist visa now) was granted when she was a) unemployed, B) owning no property, and 3) living on her own independent of her parents. Granted, we were beginning to make preparations for our wedding and the visa was for our honeymoon trip, but that could have been faked for all the consular officer here in Shanghai knew.

As far as the interview, we put together a big folder of evidence that the officer merely flipped through absentmindedly; he asked my wife a few questions, tried to catch her on a technicality, and then granted the visa. Our feeling after reflecting on the process is that they already have a pretty good picture of you from your application data, and that the most important thing during the interview is to be honest, straightforward and confident in your answers.

I say, since you're doing this just for fun you might as well apply and have alternate plans ready in case it doesn't work out.

(Since you mention the fiancée visa: save that one for when you decide to move back permanently. It's a visa that leads to permanent residency, and it's a hassle/expensive to maintain from China.)