International Student Forum/ Message Board

Hi

I plan on entering the US to study on a M or F Visa for students, but i do plan on living with my boyfriend (US citizen) . Is that a reason for a denial for the immigration officer?

A key consideration in deciding to issue an F-1 student visa is whether the applicant has proven nonmmigrant intent. If the applicant informs the Consular Officer that she has a boyfriend in the U.S. and she will live with him, some officers may worry that the applicant may wish to marry her boyfriend and not return to her home country after completing her studies, and thus deny the visa application for this reason.

Keep in mind that officers consider a totality of the applicants' ties to home country in determining whether to issue the visa. This consideration includes the applicants' financial, social, professional, and family ties to home country. Having a U.S. boyfriend may be considered one negative factor. But whether this fact alone will cause denial of visa depends on how strong are the applicant's overall ties to her home country.

Note that it is very important to provide truthful information to the officer. However, it is not prudent to volunteer information such as a U.S. boyfriend when the officer does not ask.