flewis25200

Thank you to all of you who responded - even the ones with sarcastic comments.

I totally agree with you.  I am a lawyer by profession (in the United States) so I understand the need for a competent lawyer.  That is why I am seeing counsel from the forum members.  Thanks again

I am in the process of negotiating a contract to purchase a business on Sukhumvit.  The cost of the acquistion is THB 18,000,000.  I am plannig to acquire the company which holds the  business.  Any advice or recommendation for a lawyer is greatly appreciated.  I also would like to ask the forum members to let me know what is the approximate cost that I should expect for legal fees.  Thank you in advance for all who comment.

I agree with the above post. One must prove to the Consul's satisfaction that the applicant has non- immigrant intent. Of course one should have enough money in the bank to cover to costs of the trip. The higher the amount - the better it is. there is no guarantee of issuance even if she has a 100K in the account. The main issue is whether she has overcome the presumption of immigrant intent to the satisfaction of the Consul. Another thing that the Consul look at is how much previous travel she has done and whether she overstayed her visa to another European or North American country.

Is should take about 7 to 9 months - then you will need to appear for a K- visa interview through the National Visa Center and then then the visa is granted if everything is in order. The whole ordeal should take about a 11 to 12 months.

The Receipt of the I-751 should take two weeks to arrive by mail. The receipt will reauthorize her travel and work authorization for a one year period. If you submit copious amount of documentation about the authenticity of marriage, she may receive her permanent Green card with out another interview in a few month to a year (she should receive it before the end of the extension period - based on which office s adjudicating the application).

KikoMax:

I am a U.S.lawyer by profession and have an active law office in Virginia. My suggestion is to do an extension of stay BEFORE the expiration of the 180 days that has been granted at the time of her initial entry into the U.S. If she leaves the US to enter either Canada or Mexico, she will need a Visa to either country and there is a possibility that she can be refused admittance at the point of entry with the CPB Officer cancelling her visa. I have seen this happen and it becomes a major problem for future entries. The worst that would happen if she is denied her request for extension of stay is that she will have to return to Thailand but her multiple entry visa will not be affected. She will be authorized to stay in the US while her application is pending so long as USCIS received her application prior to the expiration of her authorized stay. I suggest using the services of an immigration lawyer. I am not trolling for additional business on this forum. i am just an American who loves Thailand and am planning to retire here. Best of luck.

The best will be to apply for a B1/B2 visa. This is a tourist visa and the application needs to be filed at the closest US consulate. She will have to prove that she has non- immigrant intent when she applies for the visa. Generally it shown by the fact that she has a job or business in Thailand and that she has property and other reasons why she will return to Thailand. If the Consul is satisfied that she is a non- immigrant to the U.S. she will be granted a visa. I have an immigration law office in the U.S. which deals complicated US Visa issues. What you describe is a basic B1/B2 visa and you should not need the help of a visa lawyer. Please note that your spouse should not lie on the visa application or during the interview and it will be hard and complicated to reverse the finding of a fraud determination.

I just purchased a Thai company which already has a virtual office and 4 employees. After purchase, I received invoice from the accounting service for 7000 THB per month to file monthly social security forms and keep monthly books (there are no books to keep as the company does not have any business). The virtual office is asking for $100 per month on a yearly contract and the month social security payments are 2800THB for 4 employees. Please advise if I am being overcharged and if yes, are there any recommended service providers. thanks for all your help. Currently the virtual office is located in Bangkok.

Dear Fellow Forum Members:

Thank you for your time and insights. They are very much appreciated. God bless you. Fitzgerald

Fellow forum members:

I have an ailing mother who suffers from congestive heart failure disease. Do to her disease she retains water in her body and requires hospitalization and nursing case to remove water from her body. She is placed in a nursing home, however, she does not like it and prefers to live with family. If she stays with us here in the U.S., the cost is prohibitive as she requires 24 hour supervision.

I was wondering if it is good option for me to take her to Chiang Mai, rent a house and hire three or four maids to take care of her at the house. I have just received a retirement visa to Thailand and was planning on living in BKK, however, due to my mother's situation, I am planning on moving to Chaing Mai as it is cheaper then BKK. I am hoping I can get a nurse and a doctor to visit her regularly. Of course I have to pay for it - which would be fine (if it is 3 to 4 thousand U.S. dollars a month). I am paying more than that here in the U.S.

She currently has medicare, which she would not have if she moves to Thailand.

Any ideas or opinions about what I am thinking of doing will be appreciated.

I worked as an immigration lawyer in the U.S. The replies to your questions are based on personal experiences and are not the law. Basically if a person returns to the U.S. within 6 months of their departure from the U.S., the law presumes they did not intend to abandon their residency. Anything more than that and you may have to prove to the satisfaction of the CBP officer that you intended to retain U.S. residency. If you what to be safe then you will need to file a application fro a Reentry Permit before your wife leaves the U.S. She will be called in for a biometrics appointment and she can leave after that. Please note that you need to give the address where you want the USCIS to forward her reentry permit.