www.CostaRicaTicas.com

I went through that process (at the US Embassy) twice, many years ago. One chica got approved, the other was denied. One time we arrived in Pavas around 7:00 in the morning, and there was already a line outside, on the street. We stood in line, in the hot sun for well over three hours. When we finally got inside the building around 10:30, I observed the chicas as they approached the 'windows'. I think there were three separate lines/windows. I watched the process for almost an hour, and it seemed as if most of the chicas in one line were getting approved, while most of the chicas in the next line were being denied. It seemed to be like a crap shoot...you were denied or approved mostly on which 'agent' was reviewing the applications. The average review time for each chica was not long, as Ilv4play stated...about 5 minutes. If you got in the 'wrong' line, you were not likely to be approved. As I stated, I observed the process for almost an hour, and it couldn't have been just a coincidence that perhaps 75% or 80% of the chicas in one line were getting approved, while 75% or 80% of the chicas in the next line were being denied. That was over 13 years ago, so maybe the process is different now.

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"In a nation ruled by swine, all pigs are upwardly mobile, and the rest of us are phucked until we can put our acts together; not necessarily to win, but mainly to keep from losing completely"...Hunter S. Thompson (RIP)

There are some guidelines they are supposed go by, but like you said, it's pretty much a crapshoot. I know CR hookers with Visas and professionals with college degrees and property who got denied.

Is there a plan B?

I had my fingers crossed for you and the student visa. Is the school suggesting anything that might help or are they just saying thanks for the tuition you aren't going to use.

There is a new process for visas and you have to fill out an application online and pay the 160.00 to get your appointment for the decline notice when you show up for a supposed interview. It is more of a revolving door than an interview though. It does piss me off to no end though, that if she walked across the border illegally, she would have an easier time getting to stay in the US. Trying to do things the right way and you get phucked. Anyhow the days of standing in line to get into the embassy if you are not a citizen are over, if you do not have an appointment you do not get in. We tried to get some info on the Ch**drens father of my fiancé and because I am a citizen they let us in but had she been alone they would not have let her talk to anyone without an appointment.

Don't feel bad BD...my wife got denied for a tourist visa after they ask her a total of 2 questions. Didn't even bother to read the 8 letters from people in the U.S. who vouched for her. It was a total BS process. If I ever decide to return to the States, I've already got it covered on how I get her in...and it won't be with a visa or any other legal way. Thanks to Obama, once she is in the U.S. she would never be deported anyway.

Why the hell anyone tries to do it legally and pay out the ass when you can just get a ticket to the Bahamas (or Mexico) then fast-boat (or walk across) is beyond me. Not like ANYONE short of a major crime figure is getting deported.

Latest cool thing is, (((((EDIT: I was wrong...it is NOT for Nicaragua)))) if you can get the girl in illegally then the U.S. government will fly the Ch*ldren up to the U.S. for free!! (((EDIT: ONLY)))) applies to El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala but not Costa Rica or Nicaragua.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/201 ... -children/

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The only thing that matters is happiness in all it forms...

If she is the wife of a US citizen (I am assuming your are PVT) why can't you go through the normal process of spousal claim. Is it because you don't live in the US? Or is it because you are trying to get her a tourist visa?

In either case…never heard of this issue for a married couple.

I am a U.S. citizen and could get her in with a spousal visa but that is thousands of dollars and months if not years of waiting not to mention the mountain of paperwork. Also think I must return to the U.S. and get a job first then I could sponsor her to come to the U.S. Getting a spouse a tourist visa is really tough because the immigration authorities just assume you want to get her into the U.S. on the cheap so they deny almost every tourist visa for the spouse of a U.S. citizen.

By making it so hard to immigrate LEGALLY and making it so easy to stay and work in the U.S. after having entered ILLEGALLY, no way I'd bother with the legal way.

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The only thing that matters is happiness in all it forms...

If I wanted to bring a chica into the U.S. from CR now, I'd probably use illegal methods as well. As PVT stated, once she was in the U.S. she would never be deported anyway, thanks to Obama

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"In a nation ruled by swine, all pigs are upwardly mobile, and the rest of us are phucked until we can put our acts together; not necessarily to win, but mainly to keep from losing completely"...Hunter S. Thompson (RIP)

Thanks for sharing your experience with this situation...guess you never stop learning the nuances of these crazy visa regulations and implementations.

Had an Mexican employee for many years. She is legal but her boyfriend from Guatamala is not. He regularly goes back to Guatamala to see his wife and K*ds and has no problem coming back. Seen it at least 3 times. I guess if you know how it's easy peasy.


As for our friend BD...

Time for him to reflect and think with the BIG head. Maybe he has a guardian angel looking out for him.

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Why settle for just one woman when you can enjoy them all?

With respect to the B-2 Holiday/Tourist visa issued by the US, I can say that I've been amazed how easily some applications have been approved, and also amazed how easily some applications have been denied. Some applicants, who I thought were "shoo-ins", were denied, and some applicants, with no skills (except for hooking), no job and no assets are approved. In the past, guys with wives could get tourist visas for their brides, but now married couples are being told to get spousal visas. There seems to be no consistent policy or criteria for granting visas at US consulates. The power to grant or deny is in the hands of capricious immigration officers who may grant or deny based on whether they are having a good day or not. The CR-1/IR-1 and K-1 spousal visas require a lot of legwork (gathering documentation, translations, notarizations, physicals, lab tests, travel and interviews)... and there is no guarantee that the visa will be granted... even if you are legally married. It can be very frustrating, indeed, to do things "the right way."

I'm not sure why anybody who would want to establish a life in the US with a foreigner would ever choose the illegal way. Yes, it may be more difficult, cost more, and require some effort to emigrate legally, but the immigrant can work legally, travel as they wish, and be eligible for citizenship after the required length of stay.

Also, I'm not sure where the idea that an illegal can't/won't be deported comes from. Illegals are deported daily. Will ICE go looking for illegals? NO, so in that sense, if an illegal alien can keep a low profile, stay out of trouble, they can presumably live in the US indefinitely. My next door neighbor came on a tourist visa in 1991, and been living here ever since, and has never had any issues. However, if they get caught working illegally in a raid or come in contact with law enforcement for any reason, then there is a high probability that they would be deported. If keeping your head down is the way you'd want to live, TEHO.

I would never choose the illegal way because after 1 year of illegal stay in the US, a 10 year ban from the US attaches, so if this is somebody you want to be with, this is something to consider.

PVT,

You may already know this info but I will share for the group.

Not sure if you and your wife have Ch*ldren or not. If you do, they are American Citizens as well as Costa Rica Citizens. This will make it much easier for your wife to get at least a green card. Ch*ldren must be registered at the Embassy. One of my Ch*ldren was born in Japan to a Philippine Citizen and they gave my Ch*ld a U.S. Certificate of birth from the embassy and issued a U.S. Passport (based on me being a U.S. Citizen). The hospital had to send the record of birth. I did not have to appear at the Embassy.
This was over 20 years ago but I am pretty sure it still applies.

I agree. I can't live my life looking over my shoulder wondering if every shifty-eyed stranger or late-night wrong number is the gov't coming to take away my wife. The only way is to use the proper visa channels, no matter how stupid and phucked up they are.

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bypassin' kinky, and usin' the whole chicken!!!

as to a "Plan B" ... the only options are marriage or fiancee. At this time we are not prepared to start either, so as PR suggests: time to reflect.

I am going down in May with my friends, and I plan to spend several days in Cartago with the family. Not sure what June or July hold yet.

I WILL keep you guys up to date on our plans. I am still analyzing the failed visa, and trying to discern the whats and whys. I respect the process to deny, and in fact my attorney stated several red flags in our documented case. This is why he suggested I save the legal fee and go it alone (it's a simple process regardless). *IF* we do proceed with any other visa work, I will only use him to prepare paperwork.

[EDIT] also, I wanted to point out that I am only out the $200 SEVIS fee (which can be reused if necessary), $100 school registration (ditto), and $160 visa tax. So it's not really that bad of a loss (about 1 day in the gulch). If we wanted to reapply for the F-1 by providing additional documents to make her case, it would only cost me the $160 visa tax again.

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bypassin' kinky, and usin' the whole chicken!!!