bostonboy

i went to the Embassy to get my affidavit of not being married

when I walked there was a bunch of visa services pitching their services at the gate

i blew them of but then decided to listen to this one guy, they had a real nice office across the street

for 4k baht, they took care of everything and we were literally married in 5 hours

where they saved major time was we did not have to go to any of the offices except for the Amphur. They took care of all the other office visits

And at the Amphur we were given a special desk to go to and not have to wait in line

totally worth the 4k baht

i forgot their name but i am sure there are many you can find that offer this service

Congratulations. Now some advice and suggestions. Despite having a visa, she can be denied entry by the immigration officer. Making it crystal clear to the officer that everything in the visa application is true AND she is planning to return to Thailand is her best bet for entry. We have a friend whose brother (Thai) had a visa to attend a wedding. The immigration officer asked him if he would like to study in the US. He said yes and might look around. He was denied entry and put on the next flight back to Thailand. Once again, congratulations and good luck.

the 1st time we went to the US it was just an over the border shopping trip from Vancouver to Washington State

i was prepared for a bunch of questioning

the officer at the booth asked where we lived and where we were going

we had to go inside to have her passport stamped and get her 6month paper stapled into her passport

that is the officer who makes the decision and he didn't ask her 1 question!

actually, we have been to the US 4 times now, and besides the normal question they ask when driving over the border, she has never been asked a question personally. i am quite surprised.

she also says that she used to get questioned a lot when dealing with Canada passport control but the last few times, not at all

i think that is due to her coming and going so much the last 4 years

If you go the direct consular filing route, that is for an immigrant visa, meaning she will be required to live in the U.S. She will be able to travel back and forth to Thailand, but keep in mind long stays of 6-12 months outside of the U.S. MAY be considered abandoning U.S. residency. A stay outside of the U.S. for 1 year or more without a re-entry permit will be considered abandonment of her U.S. permanent resident status.

The point is, don't try to use the resident visa as a way to live in Thailand and travel to the U.S. on a regular basis. It is for living in the U.S. permanently.

This is exactly why my wife got a series of 3 different tourist visas. First we lived in Thailand, then in Japan. People kept asking why don't we get her a green card instead of this steady succession of tourist visas? The answer, of course, was that we would have had to give up the expat life once her immigrant visa was approved, and we weren't ready for that.

Now we are, and my understanding is that she can apply for U.S. citizenship 3 years after she enters as a permanent resident. The 3 years will go quickly, then we can travel worldwide much easier, she'll keep her Thai passport and we can live in either country as the spirit moves us. At least, that's the plan.

we are similar to you guys

i am a US expat in Canada, we both live here on work permits( she gets one under mine) and applying for PR in Canada

she also has a 10yr multiple entry tourist visa

i think all that is fine for us to travel

with her Thai passports and current visas she can travel visa free to most Asian countries, US of course, a good portion of Latin America

we went to Japan Consulate in Vancouver and they gave us a pretty positive feedback on her getting a tourist visa to Japan when we want to visit

only place we'd have to look into is Europe but i am thinking with her previous/travel, work commitments in Canada, she would get a visa

Actually, it can hurt. No one, including ConOffs, really appreciate pressure brought from On High. Such might just make the interviewing ConOff look more carefully at a questionable case and if there's a flaw that might have skated by, notice it and result in a visa denial.

I reckon the pressure is better brought to bare in case of a denial.

Mac

pretty valid point Mac

but i was more confident with her going in with that support letter being in her documents than not

the letter was more about my family history in the community so i guess more about me than her

again, i think it helped in our case and maybe an idea for some

but your point is a good one to think about also

when i 1st met my wife. both her parents were early 40's, capable and not working in the village

i slowly shown my wife this is not how things should work

she slowly made them stop demanding money and both went back to BKK and got jobs

the dad still works( but he is an evil human being) and the mom takes care of our stepson now after cancer scare a few years ago

the brothers were useless also but now all hard working

so all in all, they are decent

they still take advantage of my wife when she goes home from Canada

expecting her to pay for everything

but beyond that, we get no stress from them and my wife and her mom are like sisters really

extremely close

I knew my wife for 5 years before we got married

she was married before and had a 7 year old son

to be honest, she knew me well enough to not even consider mentioning sin sot

but after 9 years together she realizes that we are doing it the right way

-no show house in village. we will buy a proper house in an area we really want to live in

-her son and mom have 1st class health insurance that all the show off girls in the village never bother to worry about

-her son goes to an upper middle class school that teaches proper enlish

-anything that her son needs ( sport fees, etc..) is a non question, she knows it will be provided. He's a great kid that appreciates everything we give him

as someone else said

you are in control of what you want to provide

you don't have to be a miser but just lay it all out what you are willing to do and what you are not willing to do

my wife knows i adore her and love and she knows i'd walk away tomorrow if i felt she wasn't in the marriage for the right reasons or didn't appreciate what i do for her and our overall relationship( i appreciate what she adds to the relationship)

I have been married to my Thai wife for 12 years next month and she never bothered to change her family name to mine. Oddly enough our son has my family name but he can change it iff he wants to and it won't bother me.

why wouldn't you change it?

i think it has nothing but advantages for her to take your western name

wether we want to believe it or not, people are biased

she hands over her passport with a name someone can't pronounce, they are going to have some sort of pre-concieved notions

it is just natural

when we were flying to Canada this last time, my wife only had a one way ticket and the check-in at Cathay was giving us a hard time

they called over a manager and all he asked was what her name was on passport

my wife says she gets treated infinitely better with her western name now when checking into hotels, airlines, etc....

i just see it as an advantage

he asked what was the name on the passport

If she wants only spending money.

Let her go back to work and earn it.

Same as most other peple have to do.

but the thing is, depending on her education

a job in Thailand might be a waste for both of you

we live in Canada, my wife works 2 jobs and makes about 75k baht/mo

i am a big proponent of wife's working more so they get out of the house and have their own life and money

but if we move to Thailand and she can only get a job making 15k baht/mo and has to work 6 days a week, it is pointless to have her work

Yes I too have the same mentality as you.

Not always appreciated or understood but the family are beginning to understand and accept that I set the rules in my house.

Out of curiosity ... wouldn't the statement above be more like ... "but the my family are beginning to understand and accept that I set the rules in my our house" ... or is the family really a 3rd party in the social arrangement and it truly your house and your family are simply guests in it?

I understand the concept of wishing to be the alpha male and rule the roost ... but I would prefer to be an inclusive father rather then an exclusive one. Just seems to work better in Thailand ... less conflict and all that.

Often here if your not the alpha male your all walked over. It of course depends on the family how they are. In some cases you really have to be tough. I was Mr Nice always, believe me it does not help. Better to set rules and stick by them else your setting yourself up for grief.

David, you have never really lived here for a prolonged period or have you ?. I think those who just visit for a while never really see these problems as they usually come later.

All my wive her friends know that i just walk if they are more then half an hour too late (unless there is a real valid excuse). Now i seldom have to wait anymore for people showing up and canceling appointments. Saves me a lot of grief, maybe not as bad if your on a holiday and have all the time int he world and just sometimes encounter the problem. Same with other stuff, you come here for a bit and leave its just not the same.

Then again different people handle situations different I have learned not to let people walk all over me and use culture as an excuse.

I am 100% the same as you

i think i am extremely nice to my wife's family and friends but they know i don't put up with any shit

she said to me once "my family fear you"

and i don't think she meant it in a bad way

they see all these other farangs get walked over by girls in the village and they just know it won't fly with me

in turn, my wife has grown a much bigger back bone also from living outside of Thailand

Down the road, i may look to work in Asia( most likely Sing or HK) or possibly India

Has anyone lived/worked in any of those countries and had your wife recieve a visa to live there with you?

Thanks

I am new to forum and i thought i'd give a little helpful suggestion that i think helped tremendously in my wife getting her 10yr US B1/B2 visa

we contacted my local congressman and they wrote a letter of support on US Congress letterhead.

they actually send the letter directly to the Consulate General and give you a copy to bring with you to the interview

My wife said that the interviewed spent some time reading the support letter.

Just a thought people might want to try for themselves. it can't hurt, that is for sure

it is weird how different consulates/embassies give different type of lengths

my wife received her US visitors visa at US Consulate in Vancouver and she got a 10yr multi-entry

and it seems that is all they give out because that is what all her thai friends in Vancouver have received from there also

I would guess that Thais who live in Thailand are treated differently than Thais who live elsewhere around the world. As I mentioned earlier in my post, having a record of international travel goes a long way with the U.S. immigration. Even more so for a Thai who has been granted legal residence in another country. There is little reason to fear that they would go "underground" illegally in the States when they can already live legally in Canada.

In my wife's case, she had not been overseas anywhere at that point. Young, sweet & innocent; just the type of lady that the U.S. tries to keep outside their borders.

it is weird how different consulates/embassies give different type of lengths

my wife received her US visitors visa at US Consulate in Vancouver and she got a 10yr multi-entry

and it seems that is all they give out because that is what all her thai friends in Vancouver have received from there also

I would guess that Thais who live in Thailand are treated differently than Thais who live elsewhere around the world. As I mentioned earlier in my post, having a record of international travel goes a long way with the U.S. immigration. Even more so for a Thai who has been granted legal residence in another country. There is little reason to fear that they would go "underground" illegally in the States when they can already live legally in Canada.

In my wife's case, she had not been overseas anywhere at that point. Young, sweet & innocent; just the type of lady that the U.S. tries to keep outside their borders.

in my wife's case she was denied a b1/b2 when she was just on a tourist visa to Canada

she was granted a b1/b2 once she was here on a work permit

funny enough, she said the interviewer seemed to be a Thai enthusiast and tried to conduct her interview in Thai

but since his Thai was awful, my wife politely asked if they could conduct the interview in English 555

but my point was it almost seems they only issue 10yr multiples out of Vancouver

when we applied, we stated it was to visit Boston for 2 weeks for upcoming Xmas and she got the 10yr, as all her friends have

My wife had a 10 year multiple entry but I must say I never heard of a 1 year multiple entry.Usually the first time I believe is a one time entry and for 6 months. I could be wrong as I went through this 20 years ago.

It's quite clear on her visa:

It says:

Entries M

Issue Date: 03APR2013

Expiration Date: 01APR2014

Anyway, that has nothing to do with my question.

My wife had a 10 year multiple entry but I must say I never heard of a 1 year multiple entry.Usually the first time I believe is a one time entry and for 6 months. I could be wrong as I went through this 20 years ago.

It's quite clear on her visa:

It says:

Entries M

Issue Date: 03APR2013

Expiration Date: 01APR2014

Anyway, that has nothing to do with my question.

she has the Multiple Entry visa good for a year, entry on a 10yr is good for 6 months at a time, i don't know if their is time limits on a 1year, but i don't think she will have a problem at all

actually, my wife has been to the US now 4 times on her 10yr visa and they have been downright pleasant towards her each and everytime

i generally date adults, i would have little in common with someone unable to board plane unassisted.

What a ridiculous statement not everyone understands English or even airports all that well my sisters are from US, approaching 50yrs old, and would be scared stiff to fly alone to another country.

My wife has flown alone through Hong Kong and Taiwan to get to Canada but the 1st time she flew alone was through Hong Kong and we requested that Cathay Pacific meet her at gate and bring her to the next gate.

Now, she will fly anywhere in the world alone, 3 short years later.

I would agree the B1/B2 is the best choice. Also suggest you get married as soon as possible. Applying for her tourist visa just weeks after getting married would raise a red flag (i.e., "marriage of convenience" for the sake of getting to the states.)

Getting the tourist visa is quick; the longest part is learning the rules & collecting whatever evidence you want to submit. You will probably find out the result the day of her embassy visit, and get the visa stamped in her passport a few days later by mail.

Other suggestions... If she does not already have a record of international travel, plan on taking a few trips abroad before applying for the U.S. visa. Having a few stamps in her passport from other countries carries weight with U.S. immigration authorities. Suggestions: Singapore, Maldives, Korea, Philippines, Hong Kong (none of them require visa for a Thai citizen and can be done cheaply if you find a good discount.) I'm not sure if Laos and other neighboring countries would carry the same weight.

In our case, my wife applied for her first tourist visa about 6 months after we got married. I was working in Thailand as a missionary, so we included in our evidence letters from our church & support organizations of our ongoing work in Thailand. The adjudicating official expressed some hesitation, but said he would grant a 60-day tourist visa "this time" and would give her a longer one the next time she applied.

When we got to the States, the immigration official saw the 60-day visa, said "That's ridiculous" and gave her approval for a 6-month stay. Don't forget, the immigration agent at your point of entry can make any decision they want: Longer stay, shorter stay, or deny entry completely. In our case, he granted a longer stay.

Despite that, we limited our first visit to 50 days to show our spirit of complying with the rules. Her 2nd tourist visa, she was granted a one-year, multiple entry visa which she used twice. One of those stays was nearly 6 months, which you should not exceed.

Now she has a 5-year multi-entry visa and we're finally working on her immigrant visa as I no longer work abroad. She should be getting her interview at the U.S. embassy in Bangkok in a few weeks.

it is weird how different consulates/embassies give different type of lengths

my wife received her US visitors visa at US Consulate in Vancouver and she got a 10yr multi-entry

and it seems that is all they give out because that is what all her thai friends in Vancouver have received from there also

Specifically I'm looking at "plexes" in Toronto yield 8+ %

Toronto has had the most condos built over the last 3 years than any city in the world

Prices are coming down in Canada, the unemployment #'s were bad yesterday

I live in Vancouver, unfortunately i didn't buy 7 years ago when i moved here and now afraid that i see a big correction in Vancouver coming

i guess it depends is your GF or wife is an ex bargirl or not, right .........

and if she is out with other ex-bargirls that all married "well" ...

i know one of those, and he is in a divorce now ... house 5 million + mansion 16 million + land in huahin 3 million + car 1 million + minivan 1 million ...

guess who it all belongs to ... not him anymore or ever

thanks to thai law of making it available for no education women to ripp off men till they are pennyless

i've known countless guys that decided they wanted a "good thai girl" and ended up getting cheating on

actually, if i think about it........i probably know more guys who got screwed over by "good thai girls" than ex-bg's

my wife is ex-bg

her best friend is ex-bg who lives in Malaysia. my wife went solo to visit her friend

sounded like one of the most boring holidays one could do!

they basically ate and went to parks

I am looking into applying for a TRV for my Thai girlfriend of 18 mths. She is in Rawaii, I am now in Canada.

We have travel together to Malaysia & Bali together. I would like her to visit Canada

I have a few questions if any1 can help?

- is a trip to BKK required for application/approval?

- any info on if they ask for interview?

she speaks really good english but soso read & write

- is return ticket a requirement on application? what is waiting period / how do they decide length of TRV?

I would like 6 months/ yr & she could visit 2 times, 1 summer 1 winter!

i might be a bit different because I am an American living in Canada

my wife now has a work permit but she came to Canada on 3 seperate tourist visas, all were 6 months long and single entry

also, i see that it is very easy for Canadian citizens to get their wife PR once they actually living in Canada

sorry didn't know i posted 3 times!

Any answer will always be specualtion because her admittance is at the discretion of the border officer

and i gurantee you that they would not look kindly on her leaving the country and coming back a few days later

it is not the "spirit" of the visa

she is there as a visitor and what you propse is her basically living there

they may allow it once( i am skeptical they would)

I'm not sure of the exact amount of time to be outside of the country between visits, but 1-2 days seems a bit too short, the USA isn't Thailand where you can just exit and re-enter at will. Not only that, she'd have to leave not just the USA but Canada, Mexico and nearby Caribbean islands can't be used - she'd need to travel to South America, Europe or back to Thailand etc. before re-entering.

I think the USA authorities would start to crack down on visitors that spent more time in the country than is considered what they think is "usual" or "normal" for a visitor's visa. It's hard to give an exact amount of time to stay outside the country between visits since I don't think the US government even has a minimum requirement, but if she came back to Thailand for a month and then returned, that should work at least 1-2 more times. However, after a couple of visits, the intervals between coming to the USA might need to become longer, say 2-3 months before re-entering otherwise she may be refused entry. I have heard of cases of this happening - use your discretion.

Tom Tom,

I appreciate your input. But you are purely speclating. I also speculate, which does me no good, but I need good real facts and experiences and rules to give me some ideas of which way to go.

I have yet to come across any rules regarding how long a departure from the USA must be.

There may not be any time limit that a Visa holder must be gone from the USA before re-entering.

The US is not thailand and usually all aspects that apply are made abundently clear.

This is why I ask if anyone knows for sure.

And as for Canada, Caribbean, Mexico etc. They are seperate Countries from the USA. So any amount of time in those Countries is also Not counted as being in the USA

As an example: UdonJoe gave me info on extending a Tourist Visa 6 month stay by applying with USCIS (Immigration).

but it will always be speculation because it always up to the discretion of the border officer

and i guarantee you that they would not look kindly on a thai girl staying in the US for 6 months, leaving for a day and coming back for anotherr 6 months

that is not the "spirit" of the visa

she is basically living in the US if she does what you would intend and her visa is not a visa that she can live in the US on

I'm not sure of the exact amount of time to be outside of the country between visits, but 1-2 days seems a bit too short, the USA isn't Thailand where you can just exit and re-enter at will. Not only that, she'd have to leave not just the USA but Canada, Mexico and nearby Caribbean islands can't be used - she'd need to travel to South America, Europe or back to Thailand etc. before re-entering.

I think the USA authorities would start to crack down on visitors that spent more time in the country than is considered what they think is "usual" or "normal" for a visitor's visa. It's hard to give an exact amount of time to stay outside the country between visits since I don't think the US government even has a minimum requirement, but if she came back to Thailand for a month and then returned, that should work at least 1-2 more times. However, after a couple of visits, the intervals between coming to the USA might need to become longer, say 2-3 months before re-entering otherwise she may be refused entry. I have heard of cases of this happening - use your discretion.

Tom Tom,

I appreciate your input. But you are purely speclating. I also speculate, which does me no good, but I need good real facts and experiences and rules to give me some ideas of which way to go.

I have yet to come across any rules regarding how long a departure from the USA must be.

There may not be any time limit that a Visa holder must be gone from the USA before re-entering.

The US is not thailand and usually all aspects that apply are made abundently clear.

This is why I ask if anyone knows for sure.

And as for Canada, Caribbean, Mexico etc. They are seperate Countries from the USA. So any amount of time in those Countries is also Not counted as being in the USA

As an example: UdonJoe gave me info on extending a Tourist Visa 6 month stay by applying with USCIS (Immigration).

but it will always be speculation because it always up to the discretion of the border officer

and i guarantee you that they would not look kindly on a thai girl staying in the US for 6 months, leaving for a day and coming back for anotherr 6 months

that is not the "spirit" of the visa

she is basically living in the US if she does what you would intend and her visa is not a visa that she can live in the US on

I wouldn't be with someone i couldn't trust and have been with her for 9 years now, married for almost 5 years

actually, i still have to tell her she doesn't need to aks me if she wants to go out with her friends

which happens maybe once a month although i encourage her to go out more with friends

we live in Canada

she is heading back home to Thailand for all of April

we will exchange texts every day and talk every few days.

i miss her, but she sees me everyday, so let her have her time with her family/friends. i don't need to talk to her everyday