Visa & More: Frequently asked questions

As always, here are a few of our customers' questions, answered by our counselors. All of our counselors possess many years of experience with the American immigration law and have profound knowledge of visa regulations, kept up-to-date by constant further and advanced training.

Please note that the following answers, even if they seem to apply to your individual situation, do not necessarily have to be the correct answer for you.
Since each situation is different, no responsibility is taken for the correctness of this information. To get information and advice for your own individual situation, please only rely on personal counsel and assistance from our experts.

The American Dream GmbH is accredited as an emigration counseling center for the for travel to the US according to German "Auswandererschutzgesetz" (emigrant protection law) and is a member of the American Chamber of Commerce.

Please let us know how we can help you. If you need counseling or an appointment, please contact us and we will assist you flexibly and as soon as possible. Any questions concerning our services and prices can be asked online anytime.

YOUR QUESTION: My company wants to send me to Boston so I can learn English (Business English in one week). What do I need or what documents does the company need to apply for a visa. I heard that you need a visa if you have more than 17 hours of lessons.

OUR ANSWER: As long as you are eligible for the Visa Waiver Program and don't have more than 18 hours of lessons a week, you don't need a visa. For more than 18 hours a week, a B-2 visa is advisable, which you can apply for with a confirmation note of the language school in the US. The company should provide evidence that they are sending you there, that they pay for the course and that they continue to pay you your regular wage while you're there. These documents may also come in handy at border control, in case the border officials have any questions for you.

YOUR QUESTION: I am a flight attendant and I need a visa for the US that I can use for the next 5-10 years.

OUR ANSWER: You need a crewmember visa, also known as CD-1. It will be issued on the basis of your employment contract or a note describing the nature of your employment and your employment history with the company, as well as evidence that you work on flights to the US. The CD-1 visa usually have priority at the consulates.

YOUR QUESTION: We have just won the green card, and we also want to send our son to a US high school on the F-1 visa. Is it possible to apply for a visa and for immigration at the same time? Is it possible to enter the US with or without visa while the immigration application is pending without problems?

OUR ANSWER: In case your son is under 21, he won't need the F-1 visa. In that case he would also profit from the lower tuition fees for citizens. With the F-1 visa, you would have to pay the regular, usually higher fees. You can still apply for the F-1 visa, because the final decision on whether you will receive an immigrant visa - and thus a green card later - will only be made during the interview. In case your son is over 21, there won't be any problems with an assumed intent to immigrate, because no green card can be issued for your son.
You may also make use of the Visa Waiver Program, but in that case you should have documentation showing your ties to Germany (e.g. an employment contract). That only becomes more difficult as soon as the official immigration proceedings start.

YOUR QUESTION: I work for a German company and sometimes in the US and I would like to give my daughter the opportunity of getting a summer job for two months in our US branch after she gets her Abitur (German academic high school diploma). Our human resources department in the US explained to that this isn't possible this year, because she's not yet enrolled at university.

OUR ANSWER: Those two things aren't connected. Even as a student either in Germany or the US (combined with the F-1 visa for the US), your daughter wouldn't be allowed to work in the US. Your daughter could maybe obtain a work visa if she had the appropriate training to work in the US branch. Depending on what kind of status the company is using to send employees abroad, a minimum time of employment with the German company may be required in addition to that - similar to the L-1 visa.