B-2 VISA APPROVAL FOR LOW INCOME FARMERS

• Nationality: Philippines
• Case: B-2 Visa
• Processing Time: Less than 1 month
• Challenges:
  1. No affiliations or any organizational ties
  2. Past Travel History: Never been out of the Philippines
  3. Elderly couple
  4. Family ties in the United States
  5. Very little savings in the Philippines

BACKGROUND

Applicants Mr. and Mrs. Wong* are a husband and wife couple hoping to visit their daughter and son-in-law in Iowa on a B-2 tourist visa. However as evidenced above, they have very little savings and income, such that USCIS may be concerned that the couple would abandon their citizenship in the Philippines and stay in the U.S. or that they may be unable to support themselves while in the U.S.

KEYS TO SUCCESS

Initially, we believed that Mr. and Mrs. Wong’s case would be difficult to prove, as they had demonstrated family ties to the U.S. and had very little savings in the Philippines. Typically, it is extremely difficult for older individuals in the Philippines who have never traveled outside the Philippines to obtain approval. There is a 75% denial rate for individuals traveling from the Philippines, making this case to be quite challenging.

However, by helping Mr. and Mrs. Wong in providing documentation of all of their assets, we were able to demonstrate that the couple had multiple properties in the Philippines, and planned to further develop their property to include a beachfront resort, showing their connection to their home country. Owning property in a foreign country helps prove not only financial stability but also strong ties abroad. Furthermore, we assisted the couple in documenting their extensive extended family members in the Philippines, which helped to establish their connections overseas. In all, we spent 8 months collecting documentation on the couple’s farmland and other property. This process was critical, as once one is denied, it is extremely difficult to gain approval later on. Once all the documentation was discovered, the application was submitted.

OUTCOME

Our client’s B-2 application was accepted and approved in less than one month.

*Name has been changed to protect client identity