expat Posted August 13, 2008 Report Share Posted August 13, 2008 Congratulations on finally getting it all done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dean Posted August 13, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 13, 2008 Thanks, I appreciate it. I can imagine that few Thai360 members would need to read this, let alone think that it is interesting. My main reason for doing it was to describe the process in detail, while it was still fresh in my mind. Now, when the occasional U.S.citizen has some questions about the process, they can be directed to one of my threads on the matter. I can guarentee that, in a couple of years, I won't be looking fondly back on this period. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dean Posted August 22, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 22, 2008 This process is really getting stretched out. I thought that the visas would take 4-5 days to obtain. As of now, its been almost 2 weeks (it will be two weeks this coming Monday) and my lawyer has been to the Embassy on Wednesday to check the status. It turns out that, since the Embassy people don't answer phones or e-mails and don't work except on Mondays, the only time you can ask questions is on Mondays, between 1:00-3:00 P.M. Frome everything that I have read, it is automatic thats the visas are issued once they take the passports. My lawyer's theory is that, with four visas being issued to one family, they are being very careful before signing off on their approval, becasue it is their ass if anything should go wrong after the visas are issued. So, I guess I have to wait until Monday to find out anything. What a pain in the ass!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dean Posted August 26, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 26, 2008 In my determination to give up to the minute information concerning the visa issue, my lawyer went yesterday at 1:00 PM and asked what the hold up was. They brought the paperwork from the desk of a supervisor and the lawyer saaw that all the passports had visas in them. They were just awaiting the signiture of the head honcho at the embassy. They gave no reason for this delay (a one minute process of signing one's name four times) but my lawyer thought that, because of the time of year, the embassy was understaffed and that, along with my other comment about putting one's ass on the line in signing it (if anythng goes wrong), probably accounts for the delay from 3-4 days to 2.5 weeks. The people at the embasy thought that the person would sign them by Wednesday or Thursday, after which they would call the lawyer and my wife and the lawyer can pick them up after 3:00 PM on the day of the call. I have no problem with the delay but they could have told my lawyer when he dropped off the passports that it wasn't going to be 3-4 days (again going back to the communication problems at the embassy). Of course, I'll keep everyone posted on further developments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dean Posted August 28, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 28, 2008 As of 3:00 P.M. yesterday, my lawyer took possession of the 4 passports/visas by picking them up at the U.S. Embassy, two weeks and two days after being told that the visas would take 3-4 days. By the way, the Embassy called my wife around 11:00 A.M. yesterday to concirm that the visas were finished and ready to pick up. My lawyer has some concerns either mailing or sending the visas by courier, so I will pick them up from him when I'm in Bangkok the first week of October. By the way, included with the passports/visas are four large envelopes that are not to be opened until one goes through U.S. immigration on entering the U.S. I had hoped to get back the original documents (as I had included copies of everything). I may need the children's and wifes birth certificates and english translations to get social security numbers. Would these envelops have the needed documents or should I go by the embassy on Monday, October 6 between 1-3:00 P.M. (the only time that they take questions, as they don't answer phones, e-mails, etc.) and ask them what happened to my documents? My lawyer's limited power of attorney only included the visas and not other documents and Embassy officials may not have wanted to give them to him. Anyway, officially, its all over! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.. Posted August 28, 2008 Report Share Posted August 28, 2008 Inside the envelope is all your paperwork plus some. I forget if we got our originals back from the embassy or at the port of entry after the verified the stuff in the envelope. Sorry, but that was a few years ago I did that for a niece who was never going to live with us. Do budget a few (5-6) hours when you get to America for your connections. The queue at the immigrant visa counter can be long and very slow moving. And yes, it is a special queue, not one of the regular ones. Cheers, SD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSTEACH Posted August 28, 2008 Report Share Posted August 28, 2008 Congrats Dean!! BTW, what port of entry are you and the clan coming through in the US? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dean Posted August 29, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 29, 2008 It should be interesting coming back. I fly out of bangkok on October 13 on Northwest airlines and will probaby pay $780 to bring our golden retreiver with me (if I can find a way to get him from C.M. to BKK). The wife and four children leave on Thursday, October 16 on China airline, from C.M. to Taiwan to LA, so she is going to have to face the immigration people by herself. The lawyer thought that would be no big deal. I will fly to LA and be on the other side of baggage. I have a nephew that lives in LA that we will stay with and then take southwest airlines non-stop to KC on saturday afternoon. We were going to disneyland but I gave the wife and children a choice; either give the dog to the parents of a friend of my wife (they really wanted the dog) or take the dog to the U.S. and forgo disneyland for now and they chose the dog. Now, I have to find accommodations in KC that would be big enough for 6 persons and one large dog. Anything in LA, other than disneyland or any other amusement park, that they would like to see on Friday? I thought we could go to ThaiTown for a while but haven't planned anything else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dean Posted August 29, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 29, 2008 I'll have her ask one of the immigration guides which line she should get in. If in doubt, I'll tell her to get in the line for U.S. citizens, since my son is a U.S. citizen and I believe that P.R. visas are handled in the same line (not the line for foreigners). Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.. Posted August 29, 2008 Report Share Posted August 29, 2008 NOT handled in the same line as US citizens. 100% sure of that. If she waits in the citizen queue, then she'll get booted out and told to go stand in the other, adding an hour at least to the wait. Don't bother asking me how I know this LOL ! In LA, the immigrant line is at the far end of the hall...far right if you stand looking at the counters. There is only one line/counter servicing this group and it is unique. No other queue will do it. Cheers, SD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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