Why does US Embassy staff refuse visa without reason?
Why does US Embassy staff refuse visa without reason?
I am a UK citizen living in Cambodia. I have tried, but failed, to get US visas for my Cambodian wife and step-daughter. I had prepared a lot of supporting documents (bank statements, marriage certificate, evidence of ties in Cambodia etc). But the Embassy staff refused the visas without even looking at these documents. My wife was asked why she was going to the US and she said it was to visit her husband's daughter and family. She had documents available to show that this was true but the Emassy staffer did not look at them. The standardised letter that my wife was given said that the visas had been refused because she had not demonstrated any ties to her home country. Again she had documents to show that she had such ties but these were not seen. Is this arbitrary refusal common? Could it be related to my wife's ethnicity and/or is Phnom Penh Embassy notoriously difficult?
Maybe the “husbands daughter” was the bit that raised eyebrows.
Assuming she’s divorced and it’s her actual daughter. Plus you used the present tense of “husband” and I thought she was your wife?
Is he a US citizen?
These documents. We’re they her bank statements (which isn’t a reason to not come home) or yours. Any land, job, ties her to Cambodia?
So you’re not the father of her kid and you’re not a Cambodian or US citizen, or did you just stay out of the procedure - which you really should have, unless you’re legally married. But that really doesn’t help matters.
It’s hard to get a US visa for US nationals let online a Brit with a Cambodian wife with ties (read reason to stay) in the US.
Assuming she’s divorced and it’s her actual daughter. Plus you used the present tense of “husband” and I thought she was your wife?
Is he a US citizen?
These documents. We’re they her bank statements (which isn’t a reason to not come home) or yours. Any land, job, ties her to Cambodia?
So you’re not the father of her kid and you’re not a Cambodian or US citizen, or did you just stay out of the procedure - which you really should have, unless you’re legally married. But that really doesn’t help matters.
It’s hard to get a US visa for US nationals let online a Brit with a Cambodian wife with ties (read reason to stay) in the US.
pew, pew, pew, pew!
Did you"re wife provide supporting documents of any land or any assets she has/ owns in Cambodia?
They just do that, and from many others I've talked to, there seems to be no rhyme or reason.
My wife and I have even been denied entry by immigration, post interview and already received visas nonetheless. Caused us to buy sudden return flights and come right back, not to mention cancel all our plans and reservations. My uncle has also recently been placed on the U.S. no fly list with no explanation given and missed a funeral because of it.
Part of me thinks the U.S. is just trying to piss off as many foreigners as they can because I can't think of any other reason for the nonsense I've dealt with.
My wife and I have even been denied entry by immigration, post interview and already received visas nonetheless. Caused us to buy sudden return flights and come right back, not to mention cancel all our plans and reservations. My uncle has also recently been placed on the U.S. no fly list with no explanation given and missed a funeral because of it.
Part of me thinks the U.S. is just trying to piss off as many foreigners as they can because I can't think of any other reason for the nonsense I've dealt with.
A UK citizen trying to get a Cambodian wife into a third country, the US? Come on. It was never going to happen. It's hard enough to get your spouse into your own country, let alone a third country.
Spot on there Del bro, Getting my wife to NZ was a mission, had all documents in order, that wasn't enough, so Immigration NZ using a Cambodian interpreter conducted. phone interview,he asked me 20 questions,(his English was terrible) then phoned my wife and asked the same 20 questions. 8 wrong. answers.Dallow Spicer wrote: ↑Mon Jun 24, 2019 3:44 pmA UK citizen trying to get a Cambodian wife into a third country, the US? Come on. It was never going to happen. It's hard enough to get your spouse into your own country, let alone a third country.
stupid questions trying to filp us up. Anyways , Case Officer lady said the interview didn't go well and their are doubts,..I told her the Khmer interpreter dude was a fuckwit, and our Wedding Photo album weighs 3 kgs,. also 2 DVD's of the event .shall I send that to you as more proof of relationship? . Oh OK.
The Visa was approved a week later,
Last edited by Jep on Mon Jun 24, 2019 4:57 pm, edited 3 times in total.
I think polygamy is illegal in the US.
TheGrimReaper wrote: ↑Mon Sep 02, 2019 1:45 pmSlavedog, you do not belong on this forum as you talk too much sense.
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Can you give more details about that story? That's unusual, but not unheard of. How long was your visit planned for and did you have a return flight? They must have had a pretty good reason to believe you would violate the terms of the visa, over overstay, or maybe didn't have funds to stay until your return flight. People who arrive and say they're staying for six months get more scrutiny than common holidaymakers who have a flight back in two weeks, that could have been another problem.
Also, if you arrive at the airport in the USA and they deny you entry, they will fly you back at the airline's expense on the next flight of that airline back to where you came. You have no obligation to buy your deportation ticket. But what they will do is say "This airline doesn't have a flight back until tomorrow night so you'll have to stay in JAIL until then and the JAIL is terrible and you really don't want to stay there, so why don't you buy another ticket back on a different airline leaving in 2 hours so we don't have to deal with the hassle of detaining you and transporting you to the JAIL and feeding and housing you until your flight tomorrow night." And some people do that.
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It wasn't related to you wife's "ethnicity." It was related to her country of citizenship and residence. I'm assuming she's Cambodian with a right to residency only in Cambodia. The U.S. views Cambodia is an impoverished, corrupt country that many citizens want to move away from. Or, in the common American vernacular, it's a "shithole country." It's not unlike Honduras and Nicaragua, countries from which thousands of citizens a day are desperately crossing our deserts and rivers to illegally immigrate to the USA.PMG wrote: ↑Mon Jun 24, 2019 1:16 pmI am a UK citizen living in Cambodia. I have tried, but failed, to get US visas for my Cambodian wife and step-daughter. I had prepared a lot of supporting documents (bank statements, marriage certificate, evidence of ties in Cambodia etc). But the Embassy staff refused the visas without even looking at these documents. My wife was asked why she was going to the US and she said it was to visit her husband's daughter and family. She had documents available to show that this was true but the Emassy staffer did not look at them. The standardised letter that my wife was given said that the visas had been refused because she had not demonstrated any ties to her home country. Again she had documents to show that she had such ties but these were not seen. Is this arbitrary refusal common? Could it be related to my wife's ethnicity and/or is Phnom Penh Embassy notoriously difficult?
When you're a citizen of a country like this and you apply for a visa to visit the USA, it's presumed that you really want to immigrate to the great USA and will overstay your visa, because your quality of life and earning capacity (even as an illegal overstayer working under the table in a menial job for $10 an hour) are much higher than in the Cambodia.
What they consular officers want to see from her is weak ties to the USA and strong ties to Cambodia. The fact that she has in laws in the USA would have been a strike against her. If you could have truthfully said you guys were going to Disney World for two weeks and had no family in the USA, then your chances would be higher.
You mention trying to get a visa for your wife's daughter too. That lowers the chances even more. What mother wouldn't want her child to be educated and raised in the USA instead of Cambodia? If she had left the daughter in Cambodia and said she just wanted to vacation in the USA without you, her chances would have gone up. The daughter in Cambodia would have helped her to show strong ties to Cambodia. By asking to take the daughter with her to see your daughter and family, it raises the suspicion that she wants to immigrate.
Again, this isn't due to her "ethnicity." If you moved your wife to the UK, and she had the right to reside there, her chances of getting a US visa would be much, much higher, even though her ethnicity would still be the same. Because it wouldn't be presumed that she's itching to move to the USA if she already has UK residency rights.
So they didn't refuse "without any reason." They refused it because your wife and stepdaughter didn't meet the high burden of convincing the U.S. government that they'll return to Cambodia.
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We've never had an issue, in any country, with any visa.Dallow Spicer wrote: ↑Mon Jun 24, 2019 3:44 pmA UK citizen trying to get a Cambodian wife into a third country, the US? Come on. It was never going to happen. It's hard enough to get your spouse into your own country, let alone a third country.
...although the law degree probably helped.
Haha - my money’s on Playboy
The stepdaughter was certainly a major element in the decision.
@ PH
Same here, in my case (for s Schengen visa) they also looked at the wife's previous travel history and at the husband's ties to Cambodia.
If you work locally as an executive, run your own business and/or own property in your name those ties make you more likely to come back as well.
@ PH
Same here, in my case (for s Schengen visa) they also looked at the wife's previous travel history and at the husband's ties to Cambodia.
If you work locally as an executive, run your own business and/or own property in your name those ties make you more likely to come back as well.
Last edited by logos on Tue Jun 25, 2019 3:04 am, edited 1 time in total.
They reject many of these visas. I couldn't get a tourist visa for my fiance. Her being the fiance of a USC made it even more like to be rejected, they assume we are just going and planning to stay.
They would like to see significant ties to come back to Cambodia, such as showing ownership of a business, a home, land, money in your accounts, great employment.
I just said screw it and we went to holiday in Hong Kong instead.
They would like to see significant ties to come back to Cambodia, such as showing ownership of a business, a home, land, money in your accounts, great employment.
I just said screw it and we went to holiday in Hong Kong instead.
"Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach. Those who can't teach, teach English."
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I was let through no issue, but my wife was the one who was denied.
Basically she had her visa in hand, but the immigration officer wouldn't stamp her passport and told her to go home. After some (angry) arguing on my part (which probably didn't help), we were told to take a hike and that the decision was final.
Only thing I can think of is that the immigration officer was in a very bad mood at the time as my wife has land, a business in her name and a healthy bank account balance. She also has been to the U.S. multiple times before so, I'll just chalk the last time we tried to go due to bad luck.
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