Frontier

Just briefly my two cents, which is that I've met a few expats from the UK that got their Non-B for 1 year without the Work Permit (WP) as they are paid in the UK. They are still working for their company in the capacity where the work that they perform are based in the UK and nothing to do with Thailand. For example, if you are an engineer for your firm in Singapore and they want you to review designs and evaluate projects in Singapore and you can submit it online from anywhere (say Thailand) then they can pass muster without getting a WP for you. This is only from what I've seen and know from the people I've met and talked to personally. However, some of the replies above are correct, if you are working in Thailand then you do need a WP with the Non-B. Also, as an independent consultant, it's probably likely that the company may not provide you with the WP if they are based elsewhere.

Make sure you talk to a reputable law firm or attorney that is professional and he/she should be able to explain it to you Email me if you want a referral, and it's not for me so there's no conflict.

With regards,

Cathy Tran Reck

Try Los Angeles as I hear they are easier on the conditions, but only from a few people I know who have done it there.

Good luck!

With regards,

Cathy Tran Reck

The only immigration lawyers working at the Embassies are those that work FOR the Embassy and they do not represent or talk to applicants, who are people that are applying for visas. I think sometimes the applicants are confused with this rhetoric that there's some sort of "special relationship" or "influence" immigration lawyers may have with the Embassies, when in reality no one has any special influence with them. It's just fraud and visa agents trying to scam applicants that are desperate to be united with their loved ones.

With regards,

Cathy Tran Reck

Johan is correct in most part.

There's been very very few documented refugee cases from Thais, usually for Burmese or Laos nationals, but even then it was quite difficult to acquire refugee status from the UN and then approval by the US for resettlement.

Look at the statistics:

Every year millions of people around the world are displaced by war, famine, and civil and political unrest. The US considers persons for resettlement to the U.S. as refugees. Each year, the U.S. President consults with Congress and establishes the proposed ceilings for refugee admissions for the fiscal year. For the 1999 fiscal year, the total ceiling was set at 78,000 admissions and was allocated to five geographic regions:

• Africa (12,000 admissions),
  
• East Asia (9,000 admissions),
  
• Europe (48,000 admissions),
  
• Latin America/Caribbean (3,000 admissions),
  
• Near East/South Asia (4,000 admissions), and
  
• the Unallocated Reserve (2,000).
  

Also, look at how it's defined by the US government. A refugee is defined as a person outside of his or her country of nationality who is unable or unwilling to return because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinions.

Under U.S. law, a person who has committed acts of persecution, or has assisted in the commission of persecution in any way, on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion, is not eligible for classification as a refugee.

I don't think the red shirt demonstrations actually reached that level. Underscore here is the "well-founded fear of persecution" which sets the bar quite high.

With regards,

Cathy Reck

Hello,

Just a quick note that I know of a few people who did get their K1 Fiance Visas approved based on just one visit. It all comes down to the amount of time you spend together, and the quantity and QUALITY of evidence you submit with the application, in addition to the answers to the questions asked at the interview.

Multiple visits that are short and insubstantial may have a negative effect if there's any discrepancy in other areas, i.e. answers provided on the forms which do not match up to questions asked at the interview, prior marriages, and any indication of fraud.

In all fairness, your attorney should be able to provide you with this information as he/she would be closer to the details of your case.

I hope this helps.

With regards,

Cathy Reck

Just to add to this fantastic thread as it has such valuable information on immigration consultants, you can always ask the visa agent for their license number and call their local State Bar for verification. Through their local State Bar you can find out if this person has ever been disciplined, sanctioned, and even if they are indeed licensed in that state.

For instance, go to www.aila.org and find out if your US lawyer is a member as it's a free service and provides indispensable information on this very topic.

In fact, most of this information is already available online so you can save yourself a call. Finally, always get it in writing before you hand over the money.

Thanks, everyone!