Is it better to support parents on application, or only let them support themselves?

[chambm]

My wife (a green card holder by marriage) and I (citizen) are helping her parents to apply for a visa to visit us. They don't speak English. They own a house and have substantial savings in their home country. Her mother has been here once for several months and went back, when my wife was still a student. Her father has never been here. The real catch is that my wife is pregnant. My understanding is that the reasons for rejection, in descending order of likelihood, are:
1. Being found out lying about pregnancy: possible permanent rejection (retroactively?)
2. Being honest about pregnancy; parents are visiting for their grandchild's birth, emotional support of mother, tourism, shopping (no mention of babysitting or cooking): possible rejection by a grumpy officer
3. Not having enough financial support on their own (if we opt not to "sponsor" them): how much is enough?
4. Grumpy officer not liking my wife's green card through marriage, decides to take it out on us all by rejecting parents' visas

My thinking is that if we "sponsor" them, the application gets more complicated, the parents will be more nervous because they won't understand all the documents, and it will look like we're "trying too hard." Which means the officer is likely to think about why, which will lead them to think about pregnancy, which leads to #1 or #2. Whereas if we let them support themselves, it will look like everyday tourism and relative visitation, and the officer probably won't even ask about pregnancy (so only #3 is a possibility).

Does this analysis make sense? Are there better factors to determine whether the pregnancy question will be asked? In either case I expect very specific coaching about how to answer the potential pregnancy question is called for: it would be natural for my in-laws to respond they plan to do baby-sitting and cooking.

Thanks.

[Trinity71]

Is it better to support parents on application, or only let them support themselves?

My wife (a green card holder by marriage) and I (citizen) are helping her parents to apply for a visa to visit us. They don't speak English. They own a house and have substantial savings in their home country. Her mother has been here once for several months and went back, when my wife was still a student. Her father has never been here. The real catch is that my wife is pregnant. My understanding is that the reasons for rejection, in descending order of likelihood, are:
1. Being found out lying about pregnancy: possible permanent rejection (retroactively?)
2. Being honest about pregnancy; parents are visiting for their grandchild's birth, emotional support of mother, tourism, shopping (no mention of babysitting or cooking): possible rejection by a grumpy officer
3. Not having enough financial support on their own (if we opt not to "sponsor" them): how much is enough?
4. Grumpy officer not liking my wife's green card through marriage, decides to take it out on us all by rejecting parents' visas

My thinking is that if we "sponsor" them, the application gets more complicated, the parents will be more nervous because they won't understand all the documents, and it will look like we're "trying too hard." Which means the officer is likely to think about why, which will lead them to think about pregnancy, which leads to #1 or #2. Whereas if we let them support themselves, it will look like everyday tourism and relative visitation, and the officer probably won't even ask about pregnancy (so only #3 is a possibility).

Does this analysis make sense? Are there better factors to determine whether the pregnancy question will be asked? In either case I expect very specific coaching about how to answer the potential pregnancy question is called for: it would be natural for my in-laws to respond they plan to do baby-sitting and cooking.

Thanks.

Parents visiting their children and coming for the birth of a grandchild is very very common. The mother has visited before and returned to home country. They have a home, probably other children and grandchildren in their home country and the father has never even attempted to come here and apply for a visa when he certainly could have. These do not sound like high risk immigration prospects. You did not mention home country or country of citizenship. That could make a difference, but I do not see any real "red flags" here.

They would apply for the visas and would explain why they are wanting to visit. Their coming to visit their daughter and be here for the birth of their grandchild. I am going to attach a link to a website I found for the household income requirements for sponsoring. Not sure about them self sponsoring but it may give you some indication as to what they are looking for per person.

The consulate officers job is to detect untrue information, therefore I would be sure and not give any. Coaching people to respond in certain ways is not natural and it will be noticed. They would just answer the questions as they come. It's true that a consulate officer may just deny and sometimes they do not even look at paperwork. There is really nothing that can be done to avoid it but all you can do is try. Also, I believe you can request a native language speaker to be present at the interview. I would call the consulate and see what options you may have since they do not speak English.

https://www.immihelp.com/i-864p-poverty-guidelines-for-affidavit-of-support/

Good Luck to you and your family.

This is my opinion and not legal advice. Use of this information is strictly at your own risk.

[chambm]

Parents visiting their children and coming for the birth of a grandchild is very very common. The mother has visited before and returned to home country. They have a home, probably other children and grandchildren in their home country and the father has never even attempted to come here and apply for a visa when he certainly could have. These do not sound like high risk immigration prospects. You did not mention home country or country of citizenship. That could make a difference, but I do not see any real "red flags" here.

Thanks for the reply. In this case, they don't have other children and grandchildren: the home country is China. But neither do 80% of the other Chinese parents coming here to visit their kids, thanks to the one child policy. Does that change the equation?

They would apply for the visas and would explain why they are wanting to visit. Their coming to visit their daughter and be here for the birth of their grandchild. I am going to attach a link to a website I found for the household income requirements for sponsoring. Not sure about them self sponsoring but it may give you some indication as to what they are looking for per person.

Hmm, I'm not sure how to interpret that page to determine whether or not the visitors need to be sponsored to have a good chance of approval.

The consulate officers job is to detect untrue information, therefore I would be sure and not give any. Coaching people to respond in certain ways is not natural and it will be noticed. They would just answer the questions as they come. It's true that a consulate officer may just deny and sometimes they do not even look at paperwork. There is really nothing that can be done to avoid it but all you can do is try. Also, I believe you can request a native language speaker to be present at the interview. I would call the consulate and see what options you may have since they do not speak English.

I won't coach them to lie (my wife has already done that, by telling them not to say she's pregnant...gotta undo the damage). I just want them to emphasize their main purpose is visiting family and tourism, and that any baby-sitting and housework they happen to do is just a part of their culture. Immihelp has this page:

https://www.immihelp.com/visitor-visa-pregnancy-help-daughter-in-law-sister/

If the consular officer asks whether your daughter/daughter-in-law is pregnant or asks about their kids and their ages or any related questions, you can not lie. Otherwise, it will be a major trouble, your visa will be rejected and you may have a very difficult time getting the visa again in the future.

Even if the question of baby-sitting arises during the interview, the parents should maintain the position that baby sitting may be considered a job in the U.S. but not in their country. Spending quality time with grandchildren should be allowed and it is invaluable family time that can not be measured in terms of money. In Indian culture, it is customary to provide all types of support and be present during and after delivery because the expectant mother is generally nervous and scared, being inexperienced with this. That is the reason, it is customary in India for the expectant mother to go to her mother's house for first delivery. If expectant mother can not do that due to work and career issues or herself or husband, it is the duty of mother or mother-in-law to travel to the U.S. and help them out.

[goodgirl]

Parents visiting their children and coming for the birth of a grandchild is very very common. The mother has visited before and returned to home country. They have a home, probably other children and grandchildren in their home country and the father has never even attempted to come here and apply for a visa when he certainly could have. These do not sound like high risk immigration prospects. You did not mention home country or country of citizenship. That could make a difference, but I do not see any real "red flags" here.

They would apply for the visas and would explain why they are wanting to visit. Their coming to visit their daughter and be here for the birth of their grandchild. I am going to attach a link to a website I found for the household income requirements for sponsoring. Not sure about them self sponsoring but it may give you some indication as to what they are looking for per person.

The consulate officers job is to detect untrue information, therefore I would be sure and not give any. Coaching people to respond in certain ways is not natural and it will be noticed. They would just answer the questions as they come. It's true that a consulate officer may just deny and sometimes they do not even look at paperwork. There is really nothing that can be done to avoid it but all you can do is try. Also, I believe you can request a native language speaker to be present at the interview. I would call the consulate and see what options you may have since they do not speak English.

https://www.immihelp.com/i-864p-poverty-guidelines-for-affidavit-of-support/

Good Luck to you and your family.

This is my opinion and not legal advice. Use of this information is strictly at your own risk.

Hi Group Members

Plz could u kindly help me in my queries for my following scenario:

I am a Green card(conditional) holder in New York and want to invite my mom(living with my retired dad and student siblings) from Pakistan to stay with me during and after my pregnancy, and also to visit US. I need moral support, and want to share my first baby's joy with her, as Im v close to her. I dont need her to baby-sit or do house chores. I have maid coming for it already, and can arrange her to help me in baby-sitting as well. Also, I just started working v recently(professional job), and my husband works full time too. Following are my queries and concerns plz, if anyone can kindly advise me:

1- What should be the reason to apply for Visitor Visa? (Mom applying first time for US, has visited Europe in past 5 years, no one else in family visited US before other than me). Should the reason on form DS-160 be: "Tourism AND meeting Family"?
My concern: During Visa interview, if officer specifically asks: "Is your daughter pregnant?", and my mother saying yes; wouldn't this contradict the above purpose in DS-160 of Tourism and Family meet-up?
May be my mom can add herself that she is going to meet family n welcome baby plus tourism before and after delivery. She may say explicitly that the officer should not take her purpose as baby-sitting, as her daughter(me) already has maid's arrangement for it. Will such self-explanation be a good approach?

My sole concern is: If she writes Tourism and family meet-up as purpose, and then also tells upon officer's inquiry that I'm pregnant, will this not be considered hiding a fact?or incomplete information/ contradiction to purpose written on DS-160? (We dont want to write purpose as Pregnancy as this would suggest baby-sitting work, which is not the case).

2- My mom is a house-wife, never worked, has no bank account, plus my father's earnings are also not consistent sufficient for proving funds. Hence, shall my husband sponsor her or I should sponsor myself?(I just started working 1 month ago, so I never filed tax returns in US yet, neither have past months bank statements; but my husband has solid financial background).

3- Although mom cannot sponsor herself, still should she take along with herself house documents which my father owns? Utility Bills? (to show economic ties to home country?)

4- For social ties, what can she take along as proof? Family tree certificate from NADRA, siblings university enrollment letter, father's passport, siblings id's, family photographs. Are these enough to prove social/family ties?

Still my main concern remains as the purpose of her trip to US, in case of officer asking pregnancy question explicitly.

Kindly advise and help. Thanks!