An American friend, married to a Thai for 20 years, asked me how easy it was to get a visa for her to visit the States.
Not something that I have any knowledge of so I would appreciate advice from anyone who has experience of the process
If he/they have been married legally all that time I do not see her having any trouble getting a ten year tourist/marriage visa. If just for a visit should be easy enough.An American friend, married to a Thai for 20 years, asked me how easy it was to get a visa for her to visit the States.
Not something that I have any knowledge of so I would appreciate advice from anyone who has experience of the process
Not being married as yet, or even legally married for at least 2 years or more makes it much more difficult it seems from all I have heard from and read.My wife has a Thai friend who will marry her American fiancé very soon. He's using an American visa service to help her obtain a visa to live with him in Hawaii. The process has been followed by them both for several months so far, and the volume of evidence required by the US Immigration department is way more onerous than that imposed on farang here to obtain a marriage extension to our non-O visas!
SO far, I have seen a detailed questionnaire asking how and where they have met (every occasion) four witness statements to corroborate the responses given to the questionnaire, a declaration of intent to marry letter from the Thai lady, an income declaration from him with details of his property in Hawaii, where they will live if she is granted a visa, his future career intentions, information about any intent she may have to work in the US, their intentions regarding travel in the US, and also a visa application form.
This website: https://th.usembassy.gov/visas/nonimmigrant-visas/ provides a decent guide. It seems intended for those applying for a short-term visitors visa (max 6 months stay) As these two people intend to marry (either here before she travels to the US, or after arriving in the US) there is more than one type of visa involved, depending on the circumstances as advised by the visa agent in the US. She intends living permanently in the US too.
Those are complicating factors, but I can't help feeling that the agent is making a meal of the application. He has told them that their information package (which includes more than 20 captioned colour photos of them both in Thailand detailing locations, dates and occasions, including friends they met here, when her fiancée travelled here in late 2021) must be sent to him in California for vetting before being forwarded to USCIS in Lewisville TX.
Applying for the visa through the US Embassy in Bangkok might seem a simpler option for them.
I'm sure that several American SF members will have experienced the system for themselves, and their comments would be welcome.
An American friend, married to a Thai for 20 years, asked me how easy it was to get a visa for her to visit the States.
Not something that I have any knowledge of so I would appreciate advice from anyone who has experience of the process
As an American I always ask Brits questions about US Customs and Immigration regulations regarding visas and such.
I take it was for a "tourist visa", correct ?
(Seriously. Why ask a 'septic', eh.)
Like many Americans he is not very bright - so HE CAME TO WHAT HE SAW as a useful source of knowledge.
Quite right there. lol
At which end of the bar were you sitting ?![]()
On the floor.Usual seat.
Anyway Coffee, it is the weekend - what are you doing up so early at this unGodly hour.....
Usual seat.
Anyway Coffee, it is the weekend - what are you doing up so early at this unGodly hour.....
It sometimes depends where you try to get it, and who is behind the desk doing approvals. Bangkok isn't so easy from what I've been told by others over the years. Haven't done it myself, but will be doing so after the 1st of the year. Been waiting for the covid to calm the hell down in BKK and no need to do so quickly. .In 2007 my wife was intervied at the US Consultant in Chinage Mai on a Wednesday that Friday in the mail she recived her passport back with a 10 year multable visa. At that time we had only been married for about 6 months. I gave her my passport and my bank book which was looked at by an American that spoke perfect Thai.![]()
This the contact info for Star Visa by the new US Consult give them a call.It sometimes depends where you try to get it, and who is behind the desk doing approvals. Bangkok isn't so easy from what I've been told by others over the years. Haven't done it myself, but will be doing so after the 1st of the year. Been waiting for the covid to calm the hell down in BKK and no need to do so quickly. .
Bob takes his Thai wife back to the States regularly. I'll ask him tomorrow (if I remember).
I cannot compare 20 years ago to today. Generally, the older we get, the more we are inclined to think things are getting worse. And we may be right!I checked with Bob today. His wife has now had two ten year visas issued and the second was "easy". He is of the opinion that obtaining a spouse visa today is far easier that when they applied for her first one. Basically his initial application was some 15 - 20 years in the past and cannot equate to the rules/procedures in force today.