dean Posted July 24, 2008 Report Share Posted July 24, 2008 I went Monday morning to U.S. embassy in Bangkok for the interview. After sitting for 4 hours, they interviewed wife and 3 kids (wife: "How long have you been married?" oldest child: "Do you plan on getting married in the near future?"). They then gave my wife a letter, denying the application on two points. First, the kids had had their last name changed from their father to their mother's maiden name. They wanted the document from Amphur showing this (and english translation). I had a letter of concent from kids father, allowing kids to leave country. No good enough. They want a document from Amphur, showing that the mother has full custody and, in same document, permission from father for children to leave Thailand. I certainly understand the government's logic in being strict on this point and not wanting to be in the middle of a charge by the father of kidnapping by the mother (and me). Yesterday, my wife got the first document and took it for translation. The father has agreed to come from Bangkok next friday and to go th the Chiang Mai amphur. Once I have both documents and the translation, I will send them to my Bangkok immigration lawyer, who can present them to the embassy, with the passports, and, within a few days, the passports will be returned with the visa stamp (the lawyer noticed that the paperwork had already been stamped approved while he was talking to the interviewer). I don't want to go through the whole interview process but I will make a few notes. One, it says on your appointment letter the date of the interview and the time. All interviews for R.P. visas are done on Mondays, between 8 and noon. Show up at 7:00, as they start taking the documents then and it is first come, first served. Second, if you are doing multiple visas, don't assume, as I did on the assets form I-864, that since it is essentially the same for family all applicants, that they only want one form. They want all forms for all applicants, no exceptions. I spent 30 minutes filling out 3 more I-864 forms. Third, even tough they ask you to mail in the two photos and the DS230, part 2, in advance assume that they will lose those items (and anything else that you mail it) and make copies (or fill out duplicates) and bring them to the interview. I spent 20 minutes filling out 4 DS230, part 2 forms because they didn't have the ones that I had mailed in, as requested. Finally, assume that the management people at the embassy (the ones that do the interview and presumably go over your document/paperwork) will be of no help in answering questions. By the time that I saw the letter denying the visa application, the interviewer had left for lunch. I needed someone to explain why the letter of concent that I had from the children's father was not enough. I waited from 12:15 until 1:30, when they re-opened after lunch, to ask a Thai lady (the one that had originally took my documents at 7:45A.M.) what the government wanted. She spent 10 minutes explaining it to me, and my lawyer, in detail. I ran across the same thing with Homeland when they denied my first application for being incomplete, but not telling me why it was incomplete. I had to call Homeland and talk to "dragonlady" to find out what I needed to do. Finally, if you don't have a year to go through this process on your own, I can recommend the lawyer that helped me, Ben Hart, who just happens to be from my hometown, Wichita, Kansas. Besides handling immigration law, he and his Thai lawyer associate can help with just about any business, government or personal issue that an american would need legal help while in LOS. After practicing through a well known firm, he is setting up his own practice and is a certified lawyer from a U.S. law school. I'll post his phone number later, as I don't have his card with me now. I'm just glad that this process is coming to an end and hope that I never have to go through something like this again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bangkoktraveler Posted July 24, 2008 Report Share Posted July 24, 2008 If I read right, you are almost thru the process, but not done. If so, I wish you the best and I hope everybody gets what you have asked for. The USA makes a task that should be easy a friggin nightmanre. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dean Posted July 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2008 I am through with the part that says you have enough assets to support the applicants. This gave me the most nightmares. I also have a clear desk for the first time since November. Its pretty much hand in the 2 documents requested and wait for the visa stamped passport to be sent back (and I don't have to deal with any of that; my wife gets the documents and the lawyer takes it to the embassy). For me, ITS OVER!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bangkoktraveler Posted July 24, 2008 Report Share Posted July 24, 2008 I have a business that is incorporated. I get almost no money from the business so it looks like I am a poor person. So when I had to do the the financials, I crossed my toes hoping the shit would pass. It passed - they didn't look at it. Our interview for permanent residency didn't last 5 mintes. They asked her where she was born, what is her Mother's name and what is her Father's name. That was it. Figure it out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSTEACH Posted July 24, 2008 Report Share Posted July 24, 2008 Congrats Dean!! Now three years from now you can go through the naturalization process. A bit easier than the LPR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dean Posted July 25, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2008 I did want to post the lawyer's specifics; Ben Hart; 193 Empire Tower, 47th floor, River Wing East, Unit 4703-4704, 4709-4710, Soouth Sathorn Road, Yanawa, Sathorn, Bangkok 10120. The phone number is 02-686-3447. The name of his firm is Integrity Legal Co., Ltd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dean Posted August 2, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 2, 2008 I can add another thing to watch for at the interview; legal advise given by embassy employees. My wife had no problem getting the fist document, showing the name changes for the 3 children. She and her ex-husband went Thursday to Amphur to switch custody of children from him to her, as suggested by an employee at embassy. Guess what; the amphur wouldn't do it! They told my wife that she had to hire a lawyer and get the court to change it and then take the court paper to amphur to get the document that we need. This could be done by October 2. The problem is, their airline tickets have them leaving on October 16, which leave 14 days to get the embassy to issue the visas and get their passports back to them. My lawyer is going to the embassy on Monday to see if there is any other way of satisfying the embassy's desire to have a clear cut message that the children have complete permission by their father to leave Thailand for U.S. If nothing can be done, I will go to the travel agency and have the tickets changed. Rather than end this possting with many explectatives toward the U.S, Embassy and Thai government, I'll just say I'll keep everyone posted on what happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSTEACH Posted August 2, 2008 Report Share Posted August 2, 2008 Passports are returned with visas attached at 2 PM the day after the interview. If there are problems, they will tell you the day of the interview. If they keep the passports following the interview, the visa is approved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dean Posted August 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2008 I should have said that I have already had the interview (2 weeks ago) and they wanted documentation on the 3 kids name change from their father to their mother's last name (I have that, now) and they wanted something more than the letter, signed by the father, that he is allowing the children to leave Thailand. The Thai lady that sorted the documents during the interview process said that the father and mother could go to the Chiang Mai amphur and change the original document, which gave custody to the father, to have the mother the sole custodian. It turns out, you have to go to court to do this. Another lawyer that we contacted maybe has found a way out without having to go to court. She is drafting a contract between the mother and father that gives ablsolute power of attorney to the mother, concerning the children. Another contract would allow the children to leave Thailand and go to U.S. We should be albe to present these contracts to the embassy a week from tomarrow. I'll report on whether they accept these or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dean Posted August 12, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 12, 2008 I can make it official now! Yesterday, my lawyer went to the embassy to present the necessary/asked for documents on the children's name change (last name) and the custody issue. No problem with the custody documents but the Thai lady at the Embassy window had a problem witsht he name change documents. My lawyer explains what the documents prove and gets her supervisor and he agrees that tshere is no problem. The lawyer will pick up the passports with the visas next Monday and Fed Ex them to me, with any returned documents (I included copies so I should get everything back). Now, after spending all this money on visas, I have to see if I can afford to spend another $1,000 to take my 18 month golden retreiver to the U.S. If anyone is looking for one, let me know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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