When to apply for Visitor visa (B2) for parents

[vijaychsk]

Hi Everyone,

I am currently on F1 student visa status and graduating this December 2015. I am planning to apply for Visitor B2 visa for my parents. Although they have no plans to attend my graduation ceremony, which of the following was the best and easiest way to proceed?

1) Apply now, showing that they want to attend the graduation ceremony with their own expenses. For this I just need to send the invitation letter issued by my school and transcripts.

2) Since I have a job offer right after my graduation for which I will be working under OPT status. Wait till H1B visa is approved and then apply for visa stating that I will be taking care of the expenses for their stay in United States.


Which one is better? I mean which one is easier without risks?

This question arises for me because my parents are not at all intended to come to US for graduation ceremony but they will visit US sometime in the future.

[ramabalaji]

The first option is the best. Chances of getting a visitor visa on a self sponsored application is better than the 2nd one. This is what I did and got the visa.

[vijaychsk]

Thank you for your reply.

I have one more question. While applying visa for graduation ceremony, Can I also invite my immediate relatives (unlce, brother-in-law etc.) to attend for?

If they bring up their own expenses to travel, how likely are the chances of approval?

[ramabalaji]

Thank you for your reply.

I have one more question. While applying visa for graduation ceremony, Can I also invite my immediate relatives (unlce, brother-in-law etc.) to attend for?

If they bring up their own expenses to travel, how likely are the chances of approval?

You may send invitation but getting a visa for each one of them depends on their individual case. What the visa officer looks for is weather a person who applies for a visitor visa will return after the visit to USA. So each one needs to prove that he/she has family ties, properties, good bank balances etc so that he/she will come back.