B-2(tourism pleasure) or F-1(student) visa help?

[FadedSunrise]

As a rough sketch of closing the distance, if we choose to go this way, is that my SO's decided he eventually wants to come here to America and get a Masters degree. But the other thing he's always equally wanted to do with his life is open his own business, which can happen already in China. So thus, I've suggested he come visit where I live on a tourist visa first, and see if he even likes the country. He says he detests China's summer weather, and maybe if he finds summer better here, he'll have another reason to stay long term. I don't want the only reason he chooses to abandon life over there and stay in America to be me, because it'll be too much of a learning curve as he learns to like it.

He's agreed to do something like that.

So I guess my question is....what experience does anyone here have with getting a B-2 tourism visa or, for later reference, an F-1 student visa? I know many countries don't have visa requirements for touring the US, so hopefully, there are some here with international SO's that do come from countries with such requirements?(Off the top of my head, not sure if I know any of you like that?...).

I read through it all, and I'm just so confused, mostly on the B2 that I'm first focusing on. @_@ How much is considered enough documentation to prove strong ties to the home country? If I help him, do I have to say that I'm just a friend, not a girlfriend(I think so?). This is thinking far too ahead of time, but as for my future marriage if I were to marry this SO, I'd really rather not do it on a K-1 visa. I'm fairly traditional in my definition of marriage, and marrying for visa purposes does not fit into it.

[mllebamako]

My SO is from one of those *high risk* countries that struggle to get visas into the US. We will never even attempt the B-2 because there is no way they would give it to him. He has no consistent job, no bank account, no savings, and he has a lot of his immediate family in the US so no strong family ties in his home country.

I would suggest you look at visajourney.com and search for B2 in the search box. I think that "strong ties" is usually: employment, property, bank accounts, family in the home country. And if he has proof that he has travelled before and returned home without violating any other visa regulations, thats a good sign too.

But go to visajourney, they'll have much more specific info for you.

[13000km]

The B2 can last for up to 6 months, but it depends on who is applying. Proof of return is one thing they will look for when he enters the US using that visa. So a plane ticket back home or some other ticket to another country and he will have no issue getting into the country. If he's planning to be in the US for an extended period of time this option is not advisable because he is not allowed to get a job under any circumstance.

F1 is the one I will be getting. There is no need for proof of return for that, as you can stay in the country for as long as you are studying. That visa process should be fairly easy because you will get the necessary forms from the school that he is admitted into, and fill in another form that asks about family and friends and previous work and other stuff about the home country to make sure you have ties there. A few hundred dollars in visa fees later, you get a visa interview and just wait.

Hope this was useful. (: