Post bond for TG tourist visa to US ?

[HSTEACH]

As far as how much money is necessary, I don't have a clue. On a technical note, you said money required by the INS. The consular section of the Dept. of State is the agency responsible for issueing visas. The INS, in the case of the K-1 visa, only declares you the petitioner fit and that declaration allows the fiance, ie., the TG to be able to apply for the fiance visa. The State Department tho determines IF she actually gets the visa. The INS has nothing to do with the actual issuence of visas. It sounds confusing, but if you read it several times, you'll understand.

[Guest]

HSTEACH,

I was really havn't dug into the process yet. Just meant what do "they" consider to be a reason to return. I see that you have went through the K-1 yourself. Any idea what the time frame for the process is. I would have to go thru the Texas office as my primary residence is Florida.

[HSTEACH]

Sorry about posting the same message twice. In my old age, must have hit the button twice. Time line for the K-1 through the Texas Service Center. It would all depend on the efficiency of the TSC. If they're fast, maybe 3 months if you do all your homework. If they are extremely slow, add another couple of months to the total.The key though is organization on your and your fiance's part. Collection of the needed documents can take a long time, although that shouldn't be the case if you realy want to speed things up. An example, YOU have to provide a certified copy of your birth certificate. Order it NOW from the state where you were born. If you wait till all the I-129F forms reach you then you decide you need a certified copy, you've lost a week waiting for the BC to arrive. Same for your fiance. Tell her to go ahead a get a passport now if she doesn't already have one. Saves tine in the end. If you work for a company in the states, have them write a letter stating your job position, salary, and whether your job is permanent or temporary. Do it now instead of waitng for the forms to arrive. Saves time. Have your bank write a letter to the INS stating how much you deposited in you bank account in the last year and how long your account has been opened. Saves time. What I'm trying to say is this. You order and then receive the entire I-129F petition from the INS. All that paperwork to fill out an it can be rather intimidating. If you already have all the documents they require, you can send it back in a matter of days. If you have to collect them, that could take weeks. Saving a little time here and there makes a big difference in the final time line. Once you have sent the K-1 petition off to the TSC, have your fiance go to the US Embassy and ask for packet 3 for a K-1 visa. They will give her a bunch of papers she has to fill out and documents she will have to obtain. Go ahead and do this, get the physical, get the birth certificate from the Ampur. MAKE sure the birth date and place of birth match on the BC and her passport. When you are finally approved and your petition is forwarded to the embassy in BKK, have your fiance take the checklist she received in her packet 3 to the embassy. Do it in person. They will give her an interview date that day, usually about two weeks later. If all is in order and all documents correct, she will be approved for her visa at her interview and she can pick up her visa either that afternoon or the next day. Once she has the visa in hand, she is free to leave the counrty. Timeline.. 3 months-6 months. Maybe faster, maybe slower. It will all depend on the TSC. Hope I haven't made you confused with all this.

[Guest]

HSTEACH

No not confusing. I'm planning on getting the documents and starting the legwork soon. The same for my TG. I have quite a lot of personal data, banking, legal documents, etc. from having my own business. My TG already has a passport. I really do appreciate the advice. Mapper

[steffi]

It's not the INS you have to worry about, yet, it's the embassy in Bangkok that expects to see all that money in her account and they expect to have seen in there for quite a while in order to ascertain it's origin.

quote:

---

Originally posted by mapper:

HSTEACH,

Thanks for the info. I do want to bring her to the states with the intention of keeping her forever. Based on everything I have read on the board I get the impresion I have found a really great woman. I am most concerned about the possibility of it not working and what it would do to her. As far as her family it would not be a huge embarassment as she lives in Bangkok and they live somewhere I can't spell 300 miles north. She left to go to college when she was 19 and has been quite independant ever since. I do worry about her losing face with her friends though as she has been quite excited and telling everyone she knows about me and our relationship. She seems to be quite westernized in the ways she thinks about some things. Her family would be happy if she married an American as they have an Aunt who is in the states and very happily married. The family seems to be comfortable as far as money goes. Retired civil servant and soon to retire mother who is a school teacher.

I guess the reason I want the tourist visa is I can get it quicker. I beleive the fiancee visa is going to take 4-6 months. I want to wait to apply for that after spending a month with her in October. Just to be sure. Oh yes...any idea what would be considered a comfortable amount of money for her to have in her bank account from the INS point of view to obtain a tourist visa? Thanks

---

[Grabii]

quote:

---

Originally posted by mapper:

Hi All,

Thanks for the replies. I've been hearing on this board how difficult it can be to get a visa. While at the same time I have heard from some women that there girlfriends have been getting visas without too much difficulty. My girlfriend is 30 years old, has a four year degree, A sales manager for 5 years at a specialty retail store, and owns a small condo, and her own car. She told me she was worried about her checking account not having enough money in it. Anyone have an idea what the embassy considers a sufficient amount? Also she has never been married, is quite attractive but definately doesn't look like BG. She always appears in a suit and looks quite professional. She wants me to go to the embassy with her. Would this be a detriment? I am seriously considering a fiancee visa but would like her to visit me for a while in the USA first. Mapper

---

Mapper,

The following link is to the Notes section of the FAM with guidelines for processing B1 and B2 vistor visas. It has some interesting information that may be useful to increase

the odds of a Thai getting a B2 visa - if you know the guidelines the consular officials follow, you are in a better position to make a case that they can approve.

<http://foia.state.gov/masterdocs/09fam/0941031N.pdf>

Several points that struck me:

-- specific and realistic plans (I have previously posted that submitting a letter along these lines might be helpful. I gave my wife such a letter when she was my girlfriend and successfully applyied for a B2 two years ago.)

-- adequate funds and credibility of support

-- alien's understanding of the length of stay, consistent with the plans for the visit

-- interestingly, leaving a child (or husband) back in the home country is not considered a compelling reason for the visa applicant to return

One other thing in your case, mapper. Do not say or do anything to give the consular officer an indication that you may have an interest in marrying this girl. Having a look to see if she might want to live in the USA with you is not one of the reasons she wants to visit. One of their bigget fears is that the girl might get the the USA and you'll marry her there.

My wife's experience getting a B-2 visa when she was my girlfriend, in brief, draw your own conclusions:

- the first time, in May '98, I didn't even go into the waiting room with her (the sign said 'visa applicants only'). During the interview the consular official asked to speak with me, so she came outside and brought me back in (he wanted to question me about my job in Thailand; I take it this would not apply to you)

- The second time, in January '99, I sat in the waiting room with her but did not go to the interview window with her when she was called. Like the first time, I was called to the window for questions about my job.

- The last thing the second interviewer said to me at the end of the interview, as my girlfriend and I left the window, was "you're not going to marry her while you're over there, are you?"

- The first thing the INS agent at passport inspection said to me at the POE when we landed in the US was "you're not going to get married while you're here, are you?"

- I observe one other American who did go to the visa interview window at the embassy with his girlfriend and did all the talking. It was clear that the guy and the interviewer were not getting along. Bad move, I think. They want to interview the applicant.

Regards, JEff

[Guest]

JEff,

WOW! Great link. Thank you very much for the info. That is exactly the thing I needed as well as your personal experience. Mapper

[nkped]

There are legal provisions for maintenance of status bonds paid to the INS--you violate the terms of the visa, the bond is forfeited. Almost never used. To may knowledge, no provision for State (the embassy) to require one for issuing the visa. Perhaps one of the sanukers who works/worked for the embassy in Bangkok (we know there are some of you) would know.