How to Prove Strong Ties for a B-1/B-2 Travel Visa

July 18th, 2023 at 01:41 am

How to Prove Strong Ties for a B-1/B-2 Travel Visa

B-1/B-2 travel visas require “strong ties” to your home country. Because USCIS wants to be sure you’ll return home after your tourist visa expires.

What are Strong Ties?

A “strong tie” is anything that can show the consular officer that you are going to go back to your home country. This could be a house you own, a great job, or even a business you run. Having a spouse, kids, and other family members is a strong tie.

Basically, all you have to do is show the consular officer that you plan to go back home and that you have things back there that you need to get. That’s what a strong tie really is.

According to U.S. immigration law, a consular officer may reject a B-category visa applicant if they cannot demonstrate strong ties to their home country and a plan to return home before their travel visa expires. However, applicants’ backgrounds will determine what proof is acceptable.

This guide covers common examples of strong ties and the types of evidence you can use in your travel visa application and tourist visa interview to prove your connection to home.

• Business/Professional Links
• Investments/Real Estate
• Family/Social Ties
• Community Ties

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Strong ties, and the evidence you can use in your visa application

1. Business/Professional Ties

If you have a job or own a business, this could be proof that you have strong ties to the area. You can use the following to show that your professional roots are in your home country:

• Statement from your employer that says what you do at work, how long you’ve been there, and how much you get paid.
• The employer writes you a letter letting you know that you can take paid time off.
  Pay stubs or other proof of how much money you make.
• If you run a business, you need income statements.
• Documents, like articles of incorporation, that you use to start your business.

Keep in mind that these are just a few examples. If you can think of any other proof that you are working in your home country, you can use that.

2. Financial Assets/Real Estate Ties

If you own property or have a lot of money in your home country, this could be used to show that you have a strong connection to your home. Some examples of proof are:

• Property deeds.
• The agreement you signed when you bought your house.
• Mortgage payment or property tax receipts.
• Insurance for your home that is in your name.
• Bank statements with big amounts of money.
• Investment papers.

This list doesn’t have everything. You can show your financial ties to the country you live in by giving other kinds of proof. Don’t forget that you can never be too careful.

3. Family/Social Ties

It’s possible that your family or other close friends are your strongest ties to your home country. If this is the case, you might be able to prove it with things like:

• Birth certificates for your spouse and any kids you have.
• Marriage certificate.
• Photos that show how close you are to your family and friends.
• Finally, Signed letters from family and friends that show how close they are to the person.

If you can prove when the photos were taken, that would be great. The proof is better if it can be seen or touched.

4. Community Ties

You may also have strong ties to your local community through school, volunteer work, religious ties, or political beliefs. To show this, you can use any of the following:

• Any proof that you are an important part of the organization.
• Members of the group write letters about how important they are to the community.
• Official papers that show you are a political figure in the community right now.
• Lastly, If you are a student, you need a student ID.

Because helping out in the community is less formal, it may be harder to show concrete proof, so you want to be as thorough as possible.

Other ways to demonstrate strong social ties

First, the applicant must show that he or she has a permanent residence of origin in the country and has no plans to leave. This includes having a Thai address and owning a condo or other property. Proving this gives the applicant an edge. Foreigners can prove their permanent residency in Thailand with a visa, work permit, or rental agreement..

A stable job is another strong reason that would make it easy to show proof of return. Give an employment letter with the starting date, current position, and monthly salary. If you’re self-employed, you can prove your earnings and explain how. Business owners need only registration and permits.

Travel history is also a part of strong social ties. The consular officer will ask the applicant if he or she has been to other countries before. This shows that the person is able to travel. The US Embassy is very strict about people who overstay their visas. Also, it’s a red flag if the applicant goes to certain countries a lot. You should be ready to talk about the history of your trips.

No pending immigrant petition. If an applicant already has an immigrant petition, it is not unusual for a US Tourist Visa to be turned down. It’s because you plan to stay in the US for good at some point in the future. You have to wait until your immigrant visa is issued and can’t come to the US until your immigrant visa is approved.

You have a better chance of getting the B1/B2 (US Tourist Visa) if you show as many social ties as you can.

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