Guest Posted September 2, 2004 Report Share Posted September 2, 2004 Hello. I want to get a visa for my girlfriend so we can go to visit my parents over Christmas. I have heard many stories of how hard it is so I would like some advice. Should we try for the fiancee visa or the tourist visa? How much trouble will it likely be? Are agencies any help (I cannot believe they have "100% success")? Should we take a short trip to some close by country first? Etc, etc? Some background info: We are in our early 30's, live in Pattaya, met at a restaurant, share an apartment for the past 5 or 6 months, think we will get married but don't know when (i.e. not necessarily on this trip). She speaks English but not very well, I speak Thai but understand very little when spoken to. She is poor (and so is her family), currently works as a maid in a hotel and has previously worked in factories and has never worked in a bar, doesn't visit her family very often but sends money to her mother. She's never travelled outside of Thailand and her passport is brand new. I've been travelling around for the last 2 years living off my savings, not working and not planning on working anytime soon, staying mostly in Thailand the past 10 months but I don't have a decent visa (just 30-day stamps and a couple of tourist visas plus extensions). I think the people at the embassy will think we are going to go to the USA and stay. But really we're not. Any (good) advice appreciated. Thanks in advance! BTW, does anyone think these wait times are accurate? http://travel.state.gov/visa/tempvisitors_wait_result.php?post=BNK&x=107&y=17 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSTEACH Posted September 2, 2004 Report Share Posted September 2, 2004 I wouldn't get my hopes up of taking her home for Christmas as her chances of getting a B2 (visitor's ) visa are slim to none. She does not qualify as she has no compelling reason to return to Thailand.. that in the eyes of the consular officers at the US Embassy in BKK. Timeline on getting K-1 ..fiance visa ...depend on your state of residence in the US. Minimum length would be about 6 months if you lived in the NE section of the US. Maximum length approaching a year. As far as the link you provided, the wait times are incorrect. My wife was given an appointment time in November after requesting an interview, and that was two weeks ago. I think maybe you need to forget about taking your main squeeze home for this Christmas. Maybe next year if you applied for a K-1, but be reminded you will have to provide an affidavid of support if you go the K-1 route. This is a financial guarantee she will not become a public charge when she enters the US. This means if she for any reason receives any public assistance for 10 years, YOU pay the government back. Good luck...HSTEACH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grabii Posted September 3, 2004 Report Share Posted September 3, 2004 khunem, khunem said:Hello. I want to get a visa for my girlfriend so we can go to visit my parents over Christmas. I have heard many stories of how hard it is so I would like some advice. Should we try for the fiancee visa or the tourist visa? Based on what you've written in this post, the B2 visa is the appropriate one for your situation. And if you were intending to marry in the US and remain there, which is the purpose of a K1 (fiance(e)) visa, there is no way that she could get the visa by Christmas. khunem said:How much trouble will it likely be? Not much, the application process is quite simple. khunem said:Are agencies any help (I cannot believe they have "100% success")? I've no experience with agencies, but I also can't believe that any would have 100% success or even close to it. (Unless they only accept well qualified candidates as clients.) khunem said:Should we take a short trip to some close by country first? Etc, etc? If you want to visit the country, sure. But it won't be of any value for getting a US visa. khunem said:Some background info: We are in our early 30's, live in Pattaya, met at a restaurant, share an apartment for the past 5 or 6 months, think we will get married but don't know when (i.e. not necessarily on this trip). She speaks English but not very well, I speak Thai but understand very little when spoken to. She is poor (and so is her family), currently works as a maid in a hotel and has previously worked in factories and has never worked in a bar, doesn't visit her family very often but sends money to her mother. She's never travelled outside of Thailand and her passport is brand new. I've been travelling around for the last 2 years living off my savings, not working and not planning on working anytime soon, staying mostly in Thailand the past 10 months but I don't have a decent visa (just 30-day stamps and a couple of tourist visas plus extensions). I think the people at the embassy will think we are going to go to the USA and stay. But really we're not. You're right, the people at the consulate will think that your girlfriend will stay in the US. US immigration law says that is what they are required to think, unless you can convince them otherwise. Your facts are weak, but presentation is half the battle. Try to put together a good, internally consistent itinerary for the trip (don't claim a 2-week stay with activities that will take 2 months to accomplish). Provide solid evidence that you can not only afford the trip but can also afford to continue living your vagabond lifestyle, and whatever evidence you can think of that you will continue to live your vagabond lifestyle back in Thailand. Your girlfriend should get a letter from the highest level possible at her job telling how long she's worked there (the longer the better), what period of time she's being given off from her job (which should be consistent with the trip itinerary), that her job is permanent and she's expected back on the job after the visit. Try to look at your package from the consular officer's point of view, not from your own - many things can be a 'double-edge sword' and have a different meaning to a third party than they do to you. You have to anticipate these things, recognize that different point of view, and address it. None of these things individually will make much of a difference, you need to put together a package of things that in aggregate will give the interviewer a good feeling. Then you need to be lucky enough to get a receptive interviewer who is having a good day. And in the end she may not be approved anyway. But the cost to apply is only $100, so let the consulate make the decision rather than making the decision yourself by not applying. Grabii Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grabii Posted September 3, 2004 Report Share Posted September 3, 2004 HST, HSTEACH said:I wouldn't get my hopes up of taking her home for Christmas as her chances of getting a B2 (visitor's ) visa are slim to none. Agreed, but failure is only guaranteed if one doesn't even try. HSTEACH said:As far as the link you provided, the wait times are incorrect. My wife was given an appointment time in November after requesting an interview, and that was two weeks ago. Not relevant. The link is waiting times for non-immigrant visas. The K visas may be non-immigrant visas, but they are processed by the immigrant visa unit as immigrant visas because immigration is the intent. The wait times for the other non-immigrant visas are much shorter than the wait times for the K visas, the times posted by the DoS are probably fairly accurate. Grabii Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pattaya127 Posted September 3, 2004 Report Share Posted September 3, 2004 I cannot believe they have "100% success -------------------------- They refer mostly about getting a visa for european countries, of which many make no fuss for tourist visas. Sure, try, but you may get that bitter taste of not having the freedom of bringing a friend to your own country, even though you guarantee her. A clear case of your (and mine) govnmt not working for you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grabii Posted September 4, 2004 Report Share Posted September 4, 2004 P127, You guarantee her? What is the guarantee you are providing? Even if you were to put up a bond and forfeit it if she does a runner on you, the government still has the problem of one more undocumented alien in the country. Realistically, one can't guarantee a vistor. Grabii pattaya127 said:... Sure, try, but you may get that bitter taste of not having the freedom of bringing a friend to your own country, even though you guarantee her. A clear case of your (and mine) govnmt not working for you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 6, 2004 Report Share Posted September 6, 2004 I took a Thai girl friend to the U.S. for Christmas last year (now-ex). Her bank account was modest and she was a student at Ramkhamhaeng (open university). She is also about 15 years younger than me, and very attractive. She had a partime job Starbucks. This will sound like an obvious common sense thing, but I found it helped to be very organized. Most of the people I saw at the Embassy were anything but organized. I also spent a great deal of time writing a short letter with the most compelling arguments I could think of to demonstrate that she would likely return (she did). This required no small amount of effort, but it paid off. She got a visa without any problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJsushi Posted September 6, 2004 Report Share Posted September 6, 2004 Do you think that your success was weighted toward your living and working in BKK? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 7, 2004 Report Share Posted September 7, 2004 <<<<<Do you think that your success was weighted toward your living and working in BKK?>>>> Good question. To my knowledge, need more than a nice letter written by you, as a sponser. Anything other than a reference to a current job, and that they (girl) have been allotted time to travel to US by such, is meaningless. You must prove why girl must return. Opinions and speculations mean squat. Anything other than a very compelling reason for return, will be rejected out of hand. HT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 9, 2004 Report Share Posted September 9, 2004 I've read that enlisting the aid of one's congress-person is of little help? Is that really the case? Also, is it easier/possible to go to some other country where she is more easily admitted (e.g. Singapore) and get the visa from the US embassy there? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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