**long post ahead
Background:
Last week, the CDC issued a ban on dogs from at-risk countries from entering the US, starting on July 14.
I’m a guide dog handler from one of these at-risk countries who will be traveling to the US in August to continue graduate school, so this ban affects me directly. The only way I can bring my dog with me into the country after the ban is to apply for a permit; however, there are many requirements, at least one of which is impossible for me to fulfill given my circumstance.
Another option is to try to avoid this ban completely by trying to enter the US before this ban goes into effect on July 14. However, my student visa only allows me to enter the country no more than 30 days before classes start (my classes start on August 30), so I also cannot enter the country on my student visa.
Yet another option is to apply for a B2 tourist/ prospective student visa, traveling to the US, then apply for an adjustment of status to F1. However, this option also fell through as the period of processing time would most likely mean I would not be able to start my classes this year.
Long story short, after exploring all the possibilities my parents and I can come up with, we came up with this plan, and this is what I want to ask you guys about:
Current situation:
My plan is, I will apply for a B2 tourist visa, enter the country with my guide dog before July 14, spend some time in the US traveling and spending time with friends, then return to my home country, leaving my guide dog there with my friend. I will then return to the US perhaps a few weeks later, this time on my F1 student visa which I’ve already applied and received last month.
Although it is perhaps not the simplest, this option turns out to be one of the cheapest and one we feel most comfortable with that we can think of. However, I don’t know if there might be any potential challenge with this option: will an embassy official approve my tourist visa if he sees I’m already planning to travel to study there in a few months? Might there be any difficulty or legal concern we have not accounted for?
It’s been quite a stressful week trying to figure this problem out, so I would appreciate any thought, feedback, and advice you might have for me
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source https://www.reddit.com/r/immigration/comments/o4x7cv/help_with_complicated_visa_situation/