Visa For Thai Mother Of Us Citizen?

[greg67]

Our five year old daughter is a US citizen after completing very lenghty process that took almost three years... Later this year I'll be traveling to US for a nine-week training and I'd like my daughter and her mother (my girlfriend) to accompany me in the US. Since we are not technically married can my girlfriend apply for a US visa based on having an american child?

[vinny]

See if there are any special types of non-immigrant visas relating to parent of a US Citizen.

However, from Immigration Classifications and Visa Categories: Immigrants

Note: A USC must be over the age of 21 to petition for his/her parent

[wolfmanjack]

Our five year old daughter is a US citizen after completing very lenghty process that took almost three years... Later this year I'll be traveling to US for a nine-week training and I'd like my daughter and her mother (my girlfriend) to accompany me in the US. Since we are not technically married can my girlfriend apply for a US visa based on having an american child?

You might be able to get her a tourist visa if she can prove she has acompelling reason to come back to thailand.

[thaihome]

I you have strong ties to Thailand and can your GF can prove strong ties to you, and child certainly helps, it should be no problem.

I do wonder if the 3 years to get your child a US passport says something about your ability to negotiate a bureaucracy.

TH

Edited March 15, 2007 by thaihome

[greg67]

I you have strong ties to Thailand and can your GF can prove strong ties to you, and child certainly helps, it should be no problem.

I do wonder if the 3 years to get your child a US passport says something about your ability to negotiate a bureaucracy.

TH

Maybe it does, maybe it doesn't. I don't know how familiar you are with the application process but after initial application everything is done by appointment only. You don't get to schedule any appointment dates. Embassy does. Initial application is only valid for 90 days and if the process is not completed in this timeframe you have to start over again. Because of the nature of my job I'm in and out of the country quite often, sometimes for extended periods of time. Embassy doesn't take this into consideration and when you miss the appointment you are basically back to square one. The waiting time for an appointment was about three to four months. I was never given any specific date that far in advance, I was just told to be ready in about three months and then wait for the phone call. One time I received a call after three PM informing me to be in BKK the very next day at 10 AM... I should add that at one point the Embassy missplaced my paperwork for several months, and it took a strong letter to Department of State in DC for my paperwork to reappear again... I hope that this will give you some perspective on the whole application process and my "ability to negotiate a bureaucracy"

[thaihome]

I you have strong ties to Thailand and can your GF can prove strong ties to you, and child certainly helps, it should be no problem.

I do wonder if the 3 years to get your child a US passport says something about your ability to negotiate a bureaucracy.

TH

Maybe it does, maybe it doesn't. I don't know how familiar you are with the application process but after initial application everything is done by appointment only. You don't get to schedule any appointment dates. Embassy does. Initial application is only valid for 90 days and if the process is not completed in this timeframe you have to start over again. Because of the nature of my job I'm in and out of the country quite often, sometimes for extended periods of time. Embassy doesn't take this into consideration and when you miss the appointment you are basically back to square one. The waiting time for an appointment was about three to four months. I was never given any specific date that far in advance, I was just told to be ready in about three months and then wait for the phone call. One time I received a call after three PM informing me to be in BKK the very next day at 10 AM... I should add that at one point the Embassy missplaced my paperwork for several months, and it took a strong letter to Department of State in DC for my paperwork to reappear again... I hope that this will give you some perspective on the whole application process and my "ability to negotiate a bureaucracy"

Traveling does make it difficult to be available on short notice. I have several friends that have got the Consular Report of Birth Abroad and a U.S. passport for their newborns in Bangkok without much trouble, usualy in a few months. It just seemed strange it took almost 3 years for you.

Good luck on the visa and let us know how it goes.

TH