Visa Information

Today we would like to publish some questions which we daily receive from our customers. These questions are answered by our counselors of the visa department. All our counselors have a long experience with immigration law and dispose of a great knowledge in the recent visa - regulations.

Please note that the given answers cannot automatically be referred to your own situation. The answers cannot replace a personal counseling and no responsibility is taken for the correctness of this information.

THE AMERICAN DREAM, a governmentally approved US immigration agency, has been operating since 1996 and gives professional advice and help regarding all USA visa applications and everything concerning the green card lottery. Furthermore, we are a member of the American Chamber of Commerce.

Please let us know how we can assist you. We will react to your personal counseling wishes as flexible as possible.

YOUR QUESTION:
I need additional information about a tourist visa for the USA (max. 30 days) for my wife, who has a Thai passport with a settlement permit for Germany. The residence is in Germany. My wife and I would like to visit our relatives in the USA.

OUR ANSWER:
Because of her citizenship, your wife needs a B-2 tourist visa. The application has to be done in person in your current country of residence. The location for your application is the country where you have the center of your life. On the internet you will often find the information that the location of your application is your home country, but this is not correct. If this was the case, your wife would have to apply for the visa in Thailand, but she can make the application in Germany (Berlin, Frankfurt am Main or Munich).
Please keep in mind: Besides the documents your wife has to bring for the application, she needs to provide evidence of strong professional and personal ties to her country of residence (not the US!) and her intention to return there at the conclusion of the stay. This is especially important, if your wife has not lived in Germany for a long time (less than 1 year) or if you just married a short time ago.
Proofs for your professional and personal ties could be the contract of employment, proof of your housing condition and personal (family) bindings. Please make sure to explain to the consular officer how your US stay will be financed. The main purpose is to show and explain to the consular officer that your wife intents to return to Germany after her stay in the USA.

YOUR QUESTION:
My great-uncle lives in the US. Would it be possible for me to receive a visa through him?

OUR ANSWER:
Unfortunately it is not possible for you to receive the green card through family reunion. In general, the application for a family reunion has to be made by the family member who lives in the US. Green cards within the "family-based" reunion are only for close relatives (parents, kids, siblings). Unfortunately other visa-methods do not apply for you as well.

YOUR QUESTION:
I might have a job as research assistant incl. PhD study and studentship at a university in the USA. I am preparing all the needed documents at the moment. What do I have to do next and which visa (F-1 or J-1) would be the right one for me? How much time do I need for the visa application, and is it realistic to start the study in May?

OUR ANSWER:
If you apply for a PhD studentship you will need a J-1 visa. Please check with your university if they can issue the form DS 2019 for you. All bigger universities in the USA will be able to provide that document for international students / PhD studentship.

The rest of the application should be more or less easy. If you would like to start your studies in May, you should schedule an appointment at the US consulate in Germany no later than April. If you go to the interview, you should bring the above mentioned form DS 2019 as well as other application forms and the proof of payment.

Please note that the consulate will keep your passport after the interview and will return it to you by mail after a processing time of approx. 1-2 weeks. As you can see, you still have some time to arrange it all.

YOUR QUESTION:
One employee of our company should receive a letter of assignment to work for our US office for 3 weeks. What do we have to keep in mind?

OUR ANSWER:
Your employee will definitely need a US working visa. There are different visa categories available, depending on the qualifications of the employee and the company. If your company is more or less a German company, you should definitely check the E-1 or E-2 status. These categories save - compared to other US working visa - a lot of time and money. Furthermore, the L-1 visa (Intra-company Transfer) or the H-1B visa could be an option.

You should apply for the visa early enough. Please note that the application for the visa could take up to 2-3 months.

YOUR QUESTION:
Our company sold an engine to a US company. This engine should be taken into action by one of our German employees. What kind of visa does he need?

OUR ANSWER:
Your employee will definitely need a visa. We recommend applying for a B-1 Business Visitor Visa. As a business traveler (B-1 Business Visitor) you are allowed to stay in the country for up to 180 days at a time or to enter the country multiple times during a year.

Please note that the B-1 Business Visitor Visa is not a working visa. The precondition is that you will be employed in the German company during your stay abroad and will receive your salary from there.
In general you apply for a visa to the US in your current country of residence. In Germany, for example, you can apply at the US consulate based in Frankfurt am Main, Berlin or Munich.

In addition to submitting the common application forms and paying the fee, applicants generally have to provide evidence of strong professional and personal ties to their country of residence (not the US!) and their intention to return there at the conclusion of the stay.

If you have some questions or would like to profit from our personal visa counseling you can easily contact us by clicking on the following link.
http://www.green-card.com/Visa-Services/request.html