I-134 to sponsor non-family member?

[minibadger]

Hello,

May I-134 forms be filled out to sponsor people who are not related?

I am in a situation where I am trying to invite a person from Croatia to stay, at least for a while, with me during a 51-day vacation in the US. The person also intends to visit a couple other people in other cities, and has letters from those persons as well. This is a true vacation, and nothing more. Yet, this person keeps getting rejected, the first time because the consulate "could not understand why she'd stay with someone she hadn't met" (we have known each other through the internet and phone for two years, but never met in real life). The other two people, she has met but did not provide any concrete proof of that other than their letters.

This person has had a full-time job for over 2.5 years and makes about $900, after taxes, a month. Not bad at all. However, she is single and owns no property and is not quite 30 years old. She lives, as most Croatians do, at her parents' apartment. She has a bank account with $10,000 or so in it (the balance sheet was provided), but she has been denied twice now, the second time because of insufficient ties to Croatia.

We have more than enough resources to fully sponsor her, but there is no relation among us. I have seen very conflicting references to the use of I-134, and would like to know if filling out one of these would help, despite not being related to the person we'd like to sponsor/invite.

Also, I read on this site that "getting a letter from a senator/congressman will likely not help," but does that refer to an American citizen sponsor getting a U.S. congressman to write a letter vouching for the intending visitor, or those attempting to invite/sponsor her?

Thank you.

[PraetorianXI]

The main reason this person is being rejected is not because she lacks someone in the US to sponsor the trip.

From what you mentioned this person is: Single, under 30, with a chunk of money saved, many an OK amount of money (he could probably make 3 times as much here in the US), with no properties and no evident ties to Croatia.

He is failing at overcoming the 214(b). Basically he has to show proof that his intentions are just to visit and not stay past his visa or immigrate completely.

With the information you provided, I do not see it so-easy to show those ties. This person fits the profile of a possible immigrant and will continue being rejected until he can convince the Consular Officer otherwise.

You can file an I-134 for this person, but again, if it makes any difference, it will be ever so slightly that won't make any real change unless he makes a change.

Buy/rent his own property with a contract.
Gets married, has children, etc.
Has a contract with a company in Croatia.

He needs to show or make strong ties in order to obtain a visa.

[minibadger]

Thank you for your answer. I found it helpful, but what does "Has a contract with a company in Croatia" mean? The person has had a steady job as an agent at their largest bank for almost three years now, if that's considered a contract.

A marriage or children will not happen, so I suppose this person needs to buy an apartment if possible. Would enrolling in college help as a major tie to Croatia? Also, the person will be 30 in a month, if that helps at all. I would suppose that *****ally going from 29 to 30 would not suddenly constitute a new "tie."

I also don't understand how "he could make three times as much." That'd be $2,700 a month after taxes, or $32,400 a year. I do not see how working as an undocumented illegal immigrant could make more than the majority of individual US citizens in many cities. I know an academic research assistant at a major college who doesn't make that much.

[PraetorianXI]

I meant an employment letter, showing how long the person has been working, how much the person makes, the intention of the employer to continue employing the person.

Turning from 29 to 30, changes nothing.

Enrolling in school, buying/renting an apartment, among other things will help.

[minibadger]

I meant an employment letter, showing how long the person has been working, how much the person makes, the intention of the employer to continue employing the person.

Turning from 29 to 30, changes nothing.

Enrolling in school, buying/renting an apartment, among other things will help.

The person had a signed letter from the head of her bank's branch saying:

1) How much she makes
2) How long she's worked there
3) That her vacation days are paid vacation days and are authorized
4) Her position at the bank
5) Why she needed to return (what duties she was expected to perform upon coming back from vacation.)


That seems to be exactly what you mention. Yet she was denied for insufficient ties, despite bringing in a boatload of documentation, including a notarized letter from her father stating that she'll receive a good lot of property upon his death, and that she currently has access to those properties.

I would hope that, if she is able to get herself an apartment and back into school, that "being a single non-rich woman" would not continue to mean she's unworthy to be a tourist.

I must say, I'm starting to feel extremely embarrassed by our country's tourist immigration procedures. The standards are excessive and the meetings, from what I've heard from this person, are too short to be able to undersand a person's true situation, which in many cases would likely make it obvious through circumstantial evidence that they're not an intending immigrant. I also find it frustrating that a person could have letters of invitation and financial support from three natural American citizens, unrelated people in different cities, and one could even file an official I-134 form and this would effectively mean nothing to our own consulate. It seems incredibly insulting both to intending tourists and the US-born Americans looking to spend time with them.

Thank you for your help. You've been very informative.