Pal must show ties to Cameroon to get visa
QHow can I help my best friend in Cameroon get a visa to visit the United States? I am a U.S. citizen.
AWhether your friend can get a visitor’s visa depends mainly on her ties to Cameroon. Her chances are better if she has a good job there, has children who will stay behind, is enrolled in school or owns a home or business. People in developing countries like Cameroon often have a hard time getting a visitor’s visa because the applicant must prove that he or she will return. An invitation explaining what you and your friend will do while she is here will help. Send her an affidavit of support, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services form I-134, with your bank records and/or income tax return attached. A consular officer may look more favorably on an application if the applicant is coming for a verifiable event, like a wedding or graduation. But if ties to the home country are strong, the reason for the trip becomes less important. I read that President Trump is ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Will he end other Obamaera programs as well? Is my provisional stateside processing waiver still valid?
QAYour waiver is still valid, at least for now. As for other Obama-era programs, we’ll have to wait and see. The provisional stateside waiver is needed by people who must travel abroad for their immigrant visa interview. It benefits those who have been in the United States unlawfully more than 180 days. Without the waiver, they would be barred from returning for at least three years, more often 10 years. They can apply for the “unlawful presence” waiver and get USCIS to grant it before leaving for their consular interview. Stateside waivers are available to applicants for permanent residence who can prove that a U.S. citizen or permanent resident spouse or parent will suffer extreme hardship if the family is separated.
USCIS calls the waiver “provisional” because getting the waiver does not guarantee you will get a visa. A consular officer may deny you an immigrant visa on grounds other than unlawful presence, for instance, because of a criminal record.