Assistance Needed with DS-160 --- Please Help!

[cnm]

Hi Friends,

I need your help. If you could please help me with the following visa form questions.

Situation: I am filling DS-160 form for my parents visitor (B2) visa application. This is our second attempt. Their earlier visa application was rejected on January 2011 at Mumbai consulate. They both are between 62 to 66 years of age.

My status: Working in a tech firm and currently on H1-B visa with validity till January 2013. Received EAD card two weeks back. I am married.

1. My father is self-employed and has business since last 40 years. The visa application has a question "Were you previously employed?" asking for employment information for the last 5 years. For this question in his form should I select 'Yes' OR 'No'. If I elect 'Yes', then the form opens up additional questions on the employment history with employer name, title, supervisor name, address, start date and end date. But since my father has been always self-employed, there is no supervisor and no start date and no end date. The form does not allow to skip those dates / leave them blank. If I select 'No', then would the visa officer think he recently started working and was not working before?

2. My mother is a home-maker and assists my father in business. She has a different PAN number and files minimal income taxes. In the previous application (which was rejected in January 2011), we had shown her occupation as 'self-employed'. I am thinking to change this time and list her occupation as 'homemaker'. Any guidance as to which is better to show: homemaker or self-employed? Also, would there be a conflict that last time we had shown he status as self-employed and this time we are changing to homemaker?

3. There is a question which asks if the visa was rejected earlier, and if yes to explain why. What explanation should I put here for their previous rejection?

4. I will be sponsoring their trip and providing financial support. Any suggestion on how much funds ($$) is recommended to be shown for 2 person visitor visa?

Thanks for all your help! Much appreciated!

CNM

[cnm]

Trying to make up new stories will fail. Creating new jobs or income where there was none or minimal will fail. Sponsorship does not exist in the tourist visa realm...there is no specific money that YOU have to have in the bank because YOU cannot be legally forced to pay their expenses under ANY circumstances...therefore, they will have to qualify based on their own circumstances, not yours. Ask yourself this: who is the applicant? Does the application ask "who will sponsor you?" (no, it does not).

Hi Kloodin,

Thank you very much for your response!

By sponsorship, I was referring to the financial support for my parents' trip expenses. There is a question in DS-160 "Name of Person Paying for Your Trip:" and I have suggested them to use my name. Since I am supporting their trip, I will be providing the Form I-134, Affidavit of Support. In this form, we have to provide the information on funds ($$) {Q 7.}. I was looking if there is any guidelines on this.

Regarding the new income / jobs, its NOT new as she is been paying income taxes for 12+ years. Its just the amount is low, I was wondering is it better to show "home-maker".

Hope this clarifies my questions.

Thanks again for your time!

CNM