Help For U.s. Visitors Visa

[billrussell]

Hello everybody - My Thai wife (47) and myself (65 & U.S. Passport) are living in Jomtien Beach and are happy as a clam... except that our apartment has a long wait for DSL and I am limited to dial up - Bummer...

While I plan to stay here indefinitely, I would like to get her a visitors Visa to the U.S. for the usual reasons - Funerals, weddings etc. and also just to visit Friends. She was a widow, and has never been a bar girl and has always lived in Ubon and owns a farm there. She also has a son in College here.

I have tried to look up the information on this forum, but the Dial up simply is too slow to find anything! -

Can anybody tell me how to go about this? DO I need a service, etc.

Thanx,

Bill

[lopburi3]

Go to the US Embassy non immigrant visa page and read the information. Believe they have a new online application process available. The important thing is your plans to remain in Thailand so they do not believe it may be a visa to let you both go to the US and remain without the normal immigrant visa process. So length of marriage and your length of time in Thailand will be considered. Having an extension of stay for your visa I am sure would be helpful.

There is no need for any visa service.

[Ken]

Lopburi has given a good link and that is where I started the process a couple of weeks ago for my Thai wife. As you go thru the "on-line" process which includes paying a 400 Baht fee to use it, there is a step by step procedure as well as the making of an appointment. When I made my wife's appointment on-line last week, the first appointments available were mid-march....so plan accordingly.

But all in all, other than my somewhat slow internet connection in the boonies of Korat, it has been a pretty painless process.....so far.

[Smokin Joe]

I just went with my GF of 3 years, (2 years living together) and was turned down for a tourist visa. I intend to post all the useful info after I think I can do it without threats.

A wife will be much easier than a GF anyway, but a quick word about the appt system. We did the new on-line system and it has some SERIOUS problems. The appointment is not a real one to begin with. The couple of people we talked to all had the same time as us 2:00 PM, with a 1:00 PM showtime. Turns out all the appt does is put you in the afternoon group. They open at 1:00 PM after lunch at start letting people in.

Go straight to the Post Office window, buy an envelope for mailing passport back if approved, go to next set of windows to turn in application (no other docs accepted from us, only DS-156/157). They will give you a number so it MIGHT help to be quick to get in the Post Office line. the window was closed when we first walked in and lots of folks were milling about rather than queing at the PO.

In our case it didn't matter. Out of over 100 people there were only 3 Thais that had farangs with them. We were all skipped as numbers were called roughly in order (more than one number sequence). All three couples were among the last 5 interviews called up. We finally had our number called at 4:50 PM and were already being pushed out of the waiting area by the cleaning staff. The interviewer would not accept the sets of neatly organizerd info packets we had prepared. He only wanted to be handed specific items that he asked for. Bottom line was that he looked at her passport, bankbook, and he took the packet with the docs (lease, rent/utility receipts) for my GF's small salon that she has had for a year. He did not look at any of the salon info but asked her verbally how much it made every month (50-70k Baht/month)

Total time looking at docs was less than 90 seconds, no exaggeration. The whole interview was about ten minutes. He disapproved her in 3 and spent the next 7 explaining to her in Thai, then me in English, why. Of course it was a non-explanation, no reason given.

The old system let you submit your documents in advance so they had time to look at them, if they wanted to.

Afterwards, while talking with the GF, it came out that he never found out she has a kid. A pretty big reason to return to Thailand. She also owns one house with land, two motorbikes, and we have a small house under construction in Nong Khai. She has been to Singapore, HK, Cambodia and Laos with me. All the stuff mentioned was well documented w/photos and well organized.

If we had not been denied a legitimate interview/document review I think she would have been approved.

Seems like her two bankbooks with only 105k Baht was all that he cared about. She has a net worth of at least one million baht but not the cash and I didn't want to deposit a large amount into her account as I thought it would hurt, not help.

He did say, after the disapproval, that it did not matter that the whole trip would be paid for by me as she had to qualify on her own. I had my financial info also to show a net worth of 45 million Baht. We knew that since not married yet that was the case but I thought the fact that I live here would help as we have a three year documented history.

I'm not going to review this for typos etc as I'm getting tempted to say some really bad things, it's hard to hold back whenever the interview comes up.

Edited February 14, 2006 by Smokin Joe

[Smokin Joe]

I only intended to give a couple of details about the procedures, but as you can see I got a little carried away. I probably should have just made a new thread.

Gotta stop again, bad words are trying to come out!

[lopburi3]

Thanks for the report and know how hard it may be to keep cool. The unspoken reason for refusal, other than the fact she probably could not qualify on her own, was the boyfriend and the very real likelihood they would decide to remain in the US and apply for a change of status. A boyfriend is a very strong reason for non return.

As for the old system allowing a review of documents do not believe it was done; other than by the Thai who accepted them. We may have believed they were busy reading up on our applications and felt better about it but in fact they were in the file waiting for the interview.

[otherstuff1957]

When my wife and I applied for a visitors Visa we had a stack of paperwork about an inch thick. The interviewer ignored most of it, the only things he really wanted to see were our marriage certificate (both the original and the English translation), her bank book and our passports. We had been married for over a year before making the trip and I think that had a lot to do with our getting approved.

I don't know if it makes a difference, but our interviewer was American, not Thai and he obviously made up his mind about giving us the visa almost immediately. I read somewhere, that if you are legally married, they cannot deny her entrance to the US. They can, however, make it very difficult if they want to.

One really screwy part of the process was paying for the application. You have to pay 4000 baht ($100US) at a Post Office and then take the receipt to the cashier at the Embassy.

We probably spent less than ten minutes at the interview window, with a majority of the time used by the FSO warning us that, although the Embassy could issue Visas, the Dept of Homeland Security controls the borders and they may or may not admit her even if she has a Visa. He recommended that she have a short letter with her explaining that we were travelling together and that I could answer any questions they had, as we would be seperated when we went through US Customs.

As it turned out, it was the easiest border crossing I've had, in recent years, with the security guys being surprisingly polite!

Good Luck.

[Smokin Joe]

Thanks for the report and know how hard it may be to keep cool. The unspoken reason for refusal, other than the fact she probably could not qualify on her own, was the boyfriend and the very real likelihood they would decide to remain in the US and apply for a change of status. A boyfriend is a very strong reason for non return.

As for the old system allowing a review of documents do not believe it was done; other than by the Thai who accepted them. We may have believed they were busy reading up on our applications and felt better about it but in fact they were in the file waiting for the interview.

I agree about the BF actor, but since I actually have been living here two years with Non-O visa, own condo, have bills in both our names I thought it might help. Nope. Not at all.

You're probably right about document review too. Just our naive thought that they would do a review before calling you up.

I really wasn't so PO'd about the refusal as the lack of a proper interview. I was advised by someone else to urge her to do the interview in English since I could be there, but she took the easy way out and did it in Thai.

The only good thing I could say about the ###### that did the interview was that he spoke excellent Thai. I could only follow maybe 20% or I might have been able to get her to say more.

[Ken]

Smokin Joe, sorry about the "refusal", but thankyou for your report. I kinda figured that the appointment thing was a bit "too good to be true". I just can't wait till next month when I get to go through this.

You mention getting in the "Post Office" window first before the window to submit the documents. Where is the "Post Office" window. And actually, I may have missed it but what was the reason you felt it best to go to the "Post Office" window first?

[lopburi3]

Payment for a visa at the US Embassy for the last few years has had to be made at a Thai Post Office prior to application. You take that receipt and present it to the Embassy. Believe it or not the post offices do seem to know how to do this and have the forms. But it is a pain as there are often long lines and they/you may not get it right the first time. In my opinion this is the worst part of getting a visa at the US Embassy. The other hurdles you expect - not having to pay before at another location.

[Smokin Joe]

The post office at the embassy is not for paying the $100 (Baht 4000) application fee, that already should be done by the time you get there. You are required to have a self addressed postage paid envelope to mail your visa to you a few days after the interview. They don't issue the visa on the spot.

The postage paid envelope is what you are getting at the small post office window and you pretty much are herded directly to it. Just stay left and queu up right away if the window is closed right as you get in.

You need the envelope from them to turn in your application at the next set of windows, so the quicker you get in the first line , the quicker you move to the next where you turn in your application (with your freshly bought envelope) and get a number. They do not call all numbers in order, but overall they generally did.

The number of post offices that accept the 4000 Baht application fee has been expanded also. We paid at Nong Khai and were the very first one they had done. Great service, the guy had all the info and forms but had not used them yet.

Chonburi and Rayong are now available but Pattaya/Banglamung/Jomtien POs. The website has the complete list.

[tavarich]

I can't believe the hoops they make us jump through. I am thinking about teaching her to swim and then getting her to Mexico. There she can swim the river cross the barb wire and jump the tank traps. Sounds alot easier and she then will be eligible for social security payments and medicare and all the other perks that illegal aliens have.

[Ken]

Well, I should probably start a new topic, but too disgusted to bother and it kind of fits in with "smokin joe". And I apologize in advance for the below rant.

I've been married over two years and am now on my 3rd support Thai Wife extension. I am retired and do not work. My wife is 40 and has been in the beauty salon business for about 18 years. The last 7 years of which she opened her own shop in her home village which is where we live now.

Got back last night from Bangkok. I got my 3rd visa extension (under consideration) from Thai immigration to stay in Thailand on Wednesday with no problem. However the next day for my wife's visitor visa for the US.....what a royal pain and in the end, REFUSED. I/she could not "PROVE" to the interviewing officer that she had strong enough ties to Thailand. What the ****! Guess it's to her disadvantage that she doesn't have any kids. Guess it's to her disadvantage that she is self employed in her own beauty salon. And if she was just a "farmer" I guess that would be a disadvantage also. And as stated earlier the Embassy in Thailand has a procedure now where you must make an appointment on the internet and fill out the forms electronically. Hey, all that sounded great and last month I did all of that and paid all the fees, including the $100 application fee. Made the appointment for 10 AM for the 16th of March (which was yesterday). We were supposed to arrive one hour early, so we arrived at 9 AM. Followed all the "rules". We got a queue number and sat down to wait our turn. Place was packed. 10 O'clock came and went. Then 11, then 12, then 1 PM, then 2 PM. Finally at 2:10 PM our number was called. Within 3 minutes the guy said we didn't prove to his satisfaction that she would come back to Thailand or that I would remain in Thailand. He said that because I was an American citizen that the "bar level of proof was greater than for a non-American citizen". So, nope, you cannot take her to the US for a holiday and to meet your family and friends. Case closed, no visa, no appeal. DONE. Gotta say, after this experience I didn't feel all that "proud" any more to be an American. What a shame that an American citizen cannot bring his "poor" Thai wife to the US for a family visit and Holiday.

Let's just say I'm disgusted and my wife is very disappointed.

[lopburi3]

Ken

Understand what a disappointment this must be and very sorry to see it happen. They do indeed hold us to higher standards as the suspicion is always that we are trying to avoid the immigrant visa process. Did you have a detailed itinerary plan and such or just a basic application form? Believe the more information on your and her status here, plans for travel, return the better. In my case I had previously applied for immigrant visa and the US portion had been approved. We then changed our minds and decided to live here. I noted that on application and that document was requested by interviewing officer (I had it with me) and once seen visa issue was approved. So if you do not have proof like that the next best thing would be letters from family, detailed itinerary and such. Also proof of your retirement/ability to live here would probably be useful. Each person has to find there own way and most information will not be read but the more available and the more detailed the better to satisfy the officer checking.

[Ken]

Ken

Understand what a disappointment this must be and very sorry to see it happen. They do indeed hold us to higher standards as the suspicion is always that we are trying to avoid the immigrant visa process. Did you have a detailed itinerary plan and such or just a basic application form?.....

Well, thanks for that Lop. I "understand" the problem, but I just have to wonder if there isn't a bit of overzealousness on the part of the Thailand based embassy staff in how they define someone trying to immigrate versus someone like myself, just wanting to take the wife on a short holiday to meet the family. I had in my hand my passport with the past two years of extension and a new 3rd year extension under consideration. Didn't matter. He did make a request for papers from an accountant showing my wife's business income, invoices, etc... My wife has a beauty salon in the small village where we live. Up to this point and over her last 18 years in the beauty salon business she never had an accountant and her bookkeeping is well....basically a joke. And the interviewer was not interested without these papers and in addition, even though during the setting up of the appointment and interview I requested the language be "Thai" not one word of Thai was spoken. My wife has some problems with the English language unless I'm speaking.

To answer your question, "did we have a set itinerary for the US visit". No. Our plan was to go for 3 weeks in September and I didn't see the sense in getting airline tickets, etc until I knew for sure that she could get a visa. This was explained to the officer....didn't care...didn't matter.

But hey, I'll get over it. And life goes on. I'll try and get some kind of book keeping and record keeping over the next year for her business and try again next year (only because she would like to go....I could care less at this point if I ever went back. Still upset, but time will fix that.

[lopburi3]

I would do as you say and try to have family visits and some kind of itinerary (even if dates not mentioned) so that it looks more like a visit rather than a potential move. Indeed you can meet the officer that feels he is the all important gate keeper and if someone slips through the world will come to an end (seems you may have met him) but do not understand the lack of Thai language - unless they are really hurting for people now that almost everyone has to be interviewed. In the past anyone doing interviews spoke quite good Thai.

In the meantime it appears you have adopted the Thai attitude and will not let it spoil the parade. Good for you.