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I would like to have my Russian girlfriend come visit me in San Francisco on a B-2 visa. She is currently working in Beijing, China as an English teacher. However, she received her employment through some type of agency (that basically finds internationals jobs in China and takes a cut of their paycheck in return) and the agency did not get her a work visa. Instead, she is on a business visa, being paid "under the table" it seems (they do a direct deposit onto her Chinese credit card - she doesn't get a pay slip).

When the officials at the U.S. embassy ask her about what will make her return to China after being in the U.S., is it safe for her to bring up her job, even though she is technically working illegally in the country? Further, would proof of being paid be enough to show employment? She doubts the company will give her an official letter of employment since that could get them in trouble.

(On a side note: would she do better going back to Russia and applying for a visa there? The problem I see with that is that while she has family in Russia, she has no job there.)

Karlson
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Matthew Herbst
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1 Answers1

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Long story short you basically have red flag on red flag here, even though weirder things have been known to happen, I would have to say that it is more likely for her to get denied a visa.

Now just to review the red flags:

  1. Your girlfriend, presumably single with no kids, is visiting a single man.
  2. Her job is unofficial so her status in China is temporary.
  3. Even though her status in China is temporary she's been in country for quite some time, so she doesn't seem to have any intention to return back home.

So in order for her to obtain a visa at least these will need to be overcome for her to have a more reasonable chance to get a Visitor's visa to the US. So if she brings up her job with no reasonable proof of it's existence she's even more likely to get denied.

Karlson
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