VISA to come to the USA to Take Part I...need help please!

[Jessicasmiles]

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Hi Everyone,

I have a friend who is planning on taking part I in July from Thailand. How should he plan on entering the USA? What type of VISA does he need? Does he need a letter of any sort explaining why he needs to visit the USA to take the exam?

Has anyone been in this situation before?

Can you please help me give him some advice?

Thanks a lot!
Jessica

 

[Meggs]

Did he tried contacting the local US Embassy or Consulate?

 

[organic]

a tourist visa would be fine, at least, that was how many people I know did.

I don't see any reason you can't visit the country as a tourist while taking a little extra time to take an exam.

It'd be more helpful to show that he/ she is actually visiting someone, like a friend, which gives him/ her a better ground of visiting US

or
you could go to www.about.com
look for the topic on " immigration and visa" there is a forum there, you could ask people about this question

 

[ivorinedust]

organic says:

<a tourist visa would be fine, at least, that was how many people I know did. >

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I agree, but do remember that the INS/BCIS assumes that anyone who enters the US has the intention of immigrating, unless he/she demonstrates that the purpose of entry is only for a visit or a temporary stay. So they will scrutinize your person, your purpose for the visit and your visa itself before granting entry. A visa does not guarantee that you will be granted entry into the US.

This means that if you admit at the port of entry that you are entering for purposes other than what is allowed on your visa (as in taking a US board exam using a visitor's visa ) you may be denied entry, because you have the intention of staying longer than what is allowed. In the case of someone who would to take the Part 1, the intent of studying and/or working here is clearly established.

So you if you admit that the purpose of your visit is to take the US National boards, you might be denied entry and put on the next flight back to your country of origin.

Ivorinedust

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Apolonia, relieve me of my toothache!

 

[Meggs]

Originally posted by ivorinedust
So you if you admit that the purpose of your visit is to take the US National boards, you might be denied entry and put on the next flight back to your country of origin.

Maybe it's because I'm wayy to cute or something 😛 , but I sure wasn't denied entry when I admitted what was it that I was doing. I admited it twice: in JFK when taking board 1 and in Miami when interviewing. In both cases the inmigration officers congratulated me and wished me good luck!!!

Is worst if you lie to those people. And you're just acknowleding the fact that in the future you wish to pursue studies in the US, but that doesn't mean that you're going to stay right now here.

Also, the fact that you're going to a US school, doesn't mean you plan on working here. I know in dentistry that's really likely to, but in other careers isn't like that. And inmigration officers don't know about dental school and dental license issues!!!

Jessica, if he's able to get a tourist visa then he's ok. The real trick is to actually get that visa. Does he has Thai citizenship? The citizen of some countries can enjoy what's called the US Visa Waiver program. But I doubt Thailand belongs to that group.

 

[ivorinedust]

Hi Meggs and everyone:

Yes, cuteness does help🙂 But I assume that you are here on a student visa? I am quite sure that after 9/11, you will get in trouble if you say you are going to school with a visitor visa. The INS was revamped and changed into the BCIS because some of the the 9/11 terrorists were tourists who were granted student visas.

A friend of mine is not as cute, unfortunately and this is his story:

He had a pending relative petition, but was granted a multiple entry tourist visa anyway(this rarely happens, unless by oversight or he just got lucky). He used that visa once to take the part 1--no problem with the immigration agents. Sadly, he flunked the exam, so he had to return to the US and take it again.

That was when went things went really bad. The immigration inspector asked why he had to return only a few months after the first visit. He said he was going to take the National boards. He was then asked why he was planning on taking the exams when he had a very good and lucrative practice going in his home country. He fumbled.

Somehow his reaction raised a red flag. He was intending to work here, the inspector thought. On a tourist visa. So he was grilled for quite some time. He said it was terrifying to say the least. And the prospect of deportation was dangling on top of his head.

Fortunately, he was allowed in and everything went fine. He reasoned out that since he had a pending relative petition, he wanted to take part 1 to make a headstart, claiming that California is closing its doors to foreign dentists, and that he might be disqualified from taking the CA state boards before his family based petition is granted. He finally convinced the immigration inspector and was reluctantly let in again.

<And inmigration officers don't know about dental school and dental license issues!!!>

I agree Meggs. If they did, my friend would not have been subjected to such a humiliating experience, would he?


So, my advise is...don't lie. But don't volunteer or admit information if you are not asked for it, either. If you are thinking of taking the boards, don't mention anything about it unless you are asked SPECIFICALLY about it. My friend could have said that he was not really able to go around the States the first time he visited, which was absolutely true because he was too busy studying for the boards. He might not have had a difficult time if he'd done that.

Remember, our host country is jittery nowadays. The sowers of terrorism were mostly people who violated immigration law. You can't blame the immigration bureau if they assume a high level of paranoia. It is for the protection of everyone who is physically present here, including foreigners such as us.

Ivorinedust
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Apolonia, relieve me of my toothache!

 

[Meggs]

It seems like cuteness does play a role 😀 , 'cause I came in using a tourist visa.

I think the problem with your friend is the fact that he had an inmigrant petition going on for him, so officers assume he was just using a shortcut to get to the US.

 

[ivorinedust]

<I think the problem with your friend is the fact that he had an inmigrant petition going on for him, so officers assume he was just using a shortcut to get to the US.>

No meggs...the inspectors did not know he had a pending family petition until my friend told them so. In fact, that is what cleared things up for him and he was allowed to enter the US.

It is surprising that you can attend dental school using a visitor visa. Most people need a student visa. Hmmm....

During these troubled times, I think we'd need more than cuteness😛 ...Hey! I'm cute too. That's what my Mom said...or did she say "Acute"????



Ivorinedust

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Apolonia, relieve me of my toothache!

 

[Meggs]

 

[Ann 03]

hey jessicasmiles,ur friend might try coming to canada and writing the exam thr.i did tht last yr.its not difficult getting a canadian visa(thts what i have heard).i didnt hav a problem.i didnt mention abt the exam coz they didnt ask me abt it. if ur friend has some relatives or friends here he can giv that as a genuine reason.
one of my friends was refused US tourist visa.i dont know for wht reason though.he too wanted to come to the US to give the exam.
but i really dont know how things r now

 

[cooldent]

well depends on ur consulate .. do tehy issue tourist visa with less restrictions.... and does ur frnd have a sound family/financial background of returning bac.. if no than getting tourist visa is dificult.. well he can try getting into kaplan course and thru that come into usa....lots iof my frnds i know have come thru .. kaplan....