Expert: Ken Rapoza Cruz - 11/17/2008

Question
Well...I'm a US citizen and something happened that I wasn't planning for on a recent trip to Rio de Janeiro.  I met a beautiful Brazilian woman who speaks English and we both fell in love hard.  My heart is racing just thinking about her.

That was in July.  Since then we have gotten her a passport and we are now working on a tourist visa for her to the USA.

She is NOT a "street girl" or a visa seeking Brazilian.  She actually wants me to move to Brazil but would move here for me if i asked her to.  I want her to.  If she were to move here and enjoy American life, we will probably get married....if she doesn't, I will move to Brazil to be with her.

What is the best way for her to get a tourist visa to the USA?  What should she say to the US Consulate in RIO and what shouldn't she say?

She may only have 1 or 2 chances at an appointment and I want her to get it!!!

HELP ME...I LOVE THIS WOMAN WITH ALL MY HEART AND WE HAVE TALKED EVERY DAY AND SPENT A WEEK IN COSTA RICA SINCE...WE BOTH ARE IN REAL LOVE....

Answer
It will be very hard for a single girl to get a tourist visa to the US, unfortunately. She can try, but dont get your hopes up. One way is for her to apply as a student at an English speaking program for a semester or 10 weeks, for instance. She has to have somethign to do. Although we live in a post-Iraq War world now, when it comes to visas, the consulate still has a post-Sept 11 mindset. Visas for single immigrants will be hard, but not impossible. Maybe you can help her get into some schools. Lets say you live in Boston, you can set her up to take English classes at  Harvard Extension School....easily...and she can show the consulate that she intends to do that, meet some friends, and return. She also needs to show the US consulate in Rio that she has a job here. Hopefully its a job that the consulate considers a keeper. If shes a waitress or a student or working in retail, she will be red-flagged, sorry to say.

She will have to show the consulate her job info. If she goes the school route, she would need the application materials and the LETTER from teh school telling her she has been accepted. No one gets rejected from an extension school program. They are a dime a dozen.

If you are both single, the worst case scenario is you both moving to Brazil, or, hey, Costa Rica.

k