My Thai wife's US travel visa declined

[Bangkok or bust]

I'm married and wanted to take my wife and our 11 month old son to see my parents. They have never met their new grandson. The immigration officer said that because my wife has never traveled outside of Asia to any Western countries, and she has only been at her new job for 4 months, she is ineligible. <deleted>!

 

Anyone have any advice?

[Olmate]

Perhaps an agent

[Bangkok or bust]

36 minutes ago, Olmate said:

Perhaps an agent

Yeah, next step I guess. 

[WalkingOrders]

No  but I am a fellow American, and I find this to be disgusting. There is a US attorney who handles immigration here in Thailand. Hes on youtube. Maybe you can get help from him, or another Atty. God bless! Hope you find a way.

[Bangkok or bust]

37 minutes ago, WalkingOrders said:

No  but I am a fellow American, and I find this to be disgusting. There is a US attorney who handles immigration here in Thailand. Hes on youtube. Maybe you can get help from him, or another Atty. God bless! Hope you find a way.

Thank you, what is his name?

[lopburi3]

What is your status in Thailand?  It might help if you can show strong tie.  As it appears to immigration you are trying to bypass normal immigrant clearance procedure and may ask for change of status once she is in USA.  As said if no strong ties to Thailand can be shown an immigrant visa process is likely the only alternative (although you could have family make congressional appeal).  Once that visa is approved there is no commitment to stay if you want to return to Thailand and future tourist visas should be possible.    

[Bangkok or bust]

6 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

What is your status in Thailand?  It might help if you can show strong tie.  As it appears to immigration you are trying to bypass normal immigrant clearance procedure and may ask for change of status once she is in USA.  As said if no strong ties to Thailand can be shown an immigrant visa process is likely the only alternative (although you could have family make congressional appeal).  Once that visa is approved there is no commitment to stay if you want to return to Thailand and future tourist visas should be possible.    

My wife has an 8 year career,2 houses and a lot of money in the bank. The officer only looked at her passport and saw no travel stamps and that her job was new. He didn't ask to see any other documents that would have easily proven her ties. At his discretion that was all he needed to know. 

[WalkingOrders]

1 hour ago, Bangkok or bust said:

Thank you, what is his name?

His youtube channel is named : Integrity Legal Thailand

[spidermike007]

I got a good tip before my wife applied. Have her bring my original passport. They barely looked at hers and did not look at any of the bank statements, land deeds or anything else. They studied my passport and after five minutes he told her it was more than likely she would be approved. She got a 10 year multiple entry visa to the US. 

 

It probably helped that I travel back there at least twice a year and have a retirement visa here. History of coming and going. 

[HomeinThailand]

I am about to start the process for a US visa for my wife.  How long of a process is it to get a visa?

[lopburi3]

1 minute ago, HomeinThailand said:

I am about to start the process for a US visa for my wife.  How long of a process is it to get a visa?

What kind of visa?  Immigrant requires a lot of paperwork and can take months, or more.  If you live here there has been an office locally that can be used but not sure if closing or not - which often make it faster than using the US office for the area of the country you are from.  A tourist visa should not take very long once interview scheduled.

[Shot]

30 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

I got a good tip before my wife applied. Have her bring my original passport. They barely looked at hers and did not look at any of the bank statements, land deeds or anything else. They studied my passport and after five minutes he told her it was more than likely she would be approved. She got a 10 year multiple entry visa to the US. 

 

It probably helped that I travel back there at least twice a year and have a retirement visa here. History of coming and going. 

This is absolutely correct and it worked for me too. And, she was just my GF.

 

Flag all pages in YOUR passport that have extensions of stay, WP, visa, etc. That, should be the first thing your wife hands the IO.

 

All an agent can do is make sure the have the proper documents and that they are filled out correctly. A waste of time and money in my opinion.

[helloagain]

The other side to a story like this........ Around 13 years ago i applied to usa embassy for a 6 month visa for my wife going to disney with me i have a uk passport, no problem. So 10 years ago i wanted to show her las vegas, grand canyon, yoesimite etc so applied for a 2 or 3 year visa i forget but on return of passport she got 10 year visa. This visa expires in 1 weeks time so we enjoyed our last trip to the sierra mountain range and around in may and saw lots of snow and new places we not see before. Thank you America. 

Edited August 15, 2019 by helloagain
Spelling

[sencelebi]

She should reapply for the visa. You are a US citizen and you have right to take your family with you. There is no set requirements for foreign spouses to get visa. It all depends on the visa agent at the embassy. But again you have right to take your spouse and child with you to visit US.

[rumak]

11 minutes ago, sencelebi said:

But again you have right to take your spouse and child with you to visit US.

Uh, sorry,  but I think there is no "right"  as determined by the person making the call at the Embassy.

They can be just as all-powerful as any immig officer in Thailand.   

I was "only" 37 a long time ago when I wanted to bring my wife for a visit.  Almost within a few minutes the answer was going to be no until he permitted me (now I am not sure one can do that) to show my documentation and plead our case.   The fact I had plenty of funds in a Thai bank is probably what helped.

She got her visa...barely

[lopburi3]

12 minutes ago, sencelebi said:

There is no set requirements for foreign spouses to get visa.

There are requirements for immigrant visa (and it seems there may be more soon) - for tourist visa Consulate is charged with not approving those applications that they suspect are made to avoid immigrant visa check.  This leaves a lot of honest people in limbo as very difficult to prove otherwise.

[midzo]

24 minutes ago, sencelebi said:

She should reapply for the visa. You are a US citizen and you have right to take your family with you. There is no set requirements for foreign spouses to get visa. It all depends on the visa agent at the embassy. But again you have right to take your spouse and child with you to visit US.

American married to a Thai here. 

 

We Americans have absolutely NO legal right to bring our spouses to the US, either for short-term or long-term stays. Being married makes getting a tourist visa even more difficult for a Thai spouse. 

 

Your spouse may have a better chance getting a visa to attend a professional conference or to join an organized tour. 

 

Your children, if they are US citizens, have a constitutional right to go to the US and cannot be barred entry. No so for your spouse. 

 

 

[moe666]

1 hour ago, HomeinThailand said:

I am about to start the process for a US visa for my wife.  How long of a process is it to get a visa?

about 90 days, you can gather all the info you want letters from your wifes employer but they will probably not look at it. Approval or disapproval is all based on the form 162 you fill out on the computer. they asked my wife what we would be doing in the states and we had been over that alot so she nailed that part. Be sure she knows all about you all of your pass history. 

[moe666]

26 minutes ago, rumak said:

Uh, sorry,  but I think there is no "right"  as determined by the person making the call at the Embassy.

They can be just as all-powerful as any immig officer in Thailand.   

I was "only" 37 a long time ago when I wanted to bring my wife for a visit.  Almost within a few minutes the answer was going to be no until he permitted me (now I am not sure one can do that) to show my documentation and plead our case.   The fact I had plenty of funds in a Thai bank is probably what helped.

She got her visa...barely

Your wife will do the interview on her own now you are not allowed to be with her.

 

[ChipButty]

About time all these countries started knocking back Thai visa applications and give them only what we Farangs get here, Grief!

[kevin612]

Yep, it is very difficult to get a tourist visa for Thai, because many people from third world countries overstayed.

[TGIR]

6 hours ago, FredGallaher said:

Probably easier to apply for an immigrant visa even though you don't plan to stay. Younger women have an especially hard time getting visitor visas to the US (and they don't tell you why).

I'll tell you why.   They are afraid, rightly so, that the people being granted visits will like it so much they don't want to leave, or want to emigrate.  I tried to get a two week visa for my sister-in-law about 28 years ago.   Guaranteed that we (31 yr old Thai wife via Fiance Visa) would support her and that she would be sent home  in two weeks.  She was a young hospital worker, not a nurse, never married.  No deal, period.  It is no different today because America is still more desirable to Thailand for young people......Chinese call it the "Gold Mountain".  

[AAArdvark]

12 minutes ago, FredGallaher said:

As you can see, US immigration is much like Thai immigration. However, US immigration might be harder and they don't explain why. Yet some knock Thai immigration constantly. Why?

Because once they are granted a visa, either immigrant or short stay, they are pretty much done.  With the immigrant visa, as long as you didn't commit fraud, you are pretty much done except for two years into a green card.  Otherwise, if on a time limited visa, you leave before your permitted stay and you are good to go.  The US does not have any TM28s, TM30s or TM47s.  Many years ago there was a simple mail in card that would have to be sent in for immigrants but that is long since gone.  Becoming a US citizen, once there on an immigrant visa, is pretty straight forward.

The difference is that a Thai visa is initially much easier than a US one.

[gmmarvin]

I had no problem taking my wife to visit the U.S.  We were married over two years.  She was in and out of her interview in ten minutes.  At that time, 2017, the length of time you had been married counted.

[OffshoreMig]

Reapply and address clearly the issues raised in the refusal HIGH light the fact that she is you wife and include your passport and marriage certfiicate details. Try contacting the embassy/consulate

 

[Number 6]

I think at face value it looks like she's going to try to readjust her visa status and stay on. As a family you'd all be in US intact.

 

A letter of guarantee from her job would help but I think she was bounced for above reason.

 

Everybody thinks stuff and money matter. IMO they don't. My wife was approved for a visa when we were dating six months. At the time she had nothing. She had though been to the US once on cultural exchange and a few other countries. She had a guarantee from her job. I was visiting family, she was tagging along.

 

Money can be transferred in a flash, homes can be sold or rented to relatives. They need to have high confidence you'll be back.

 

After 5 trios to US they practically wave us thru immigration especially with the new machines.

 

[Curt1591]

2 hours ago, sencelebi said:

She should reapply for the visa. You are a US citizen and you have right to take your family with you. There is no set requirements for foreign spouses to get visa. It all depends on the visa agent at the embassy. But again you have right to take your spouse and child with you to visit US.

There are all sorts of requirements for foreign spouses.

[JimmyTheMook]

3 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

I got a good tip before my wife applied. Have her bring my original passport. They barely looked at hers and did not look at any of the bank statements, land deeds or anything else. They studied my passport and after five minutes he told her it was more than likely she would be approved. She got a 10 year multiple entry visa to the US. 

 

It probably helped that I travel back there at least twice a year and have a retirement visa here. History of coming and going. 

 

Absolute BS post - they could care less about the stamps in your passport.

 

To the OP - write or email to your local congressman back home and send a copy of the email to the bottom feeding scum at visa counter services dept.

 

 

[Shot]

 

 

 

Edited August 15, 2019 by Shot

[newnative]

7 hours ago, Bangkok or bust said:

My wife has an 8 year career,2 houses and a lot of money in the bank. The officer only looked at her passport and saw no travel stamps and that her job was new. He didn't ask to see any other documents that would have easily proven her ties. At his discretion that was all he needed to know. 

    The same thing happened with my Thai spouse earlier this year. 2 condos owned, lots of money in the bank, travel history to other Asia countries and Australia, good job but self-employed, family ties here including his aged mother whom he helps support.  We spent so much time gathering together all the documents we could think of to support our application but the immigration officer didn't even look at them.  And, of course, I wasn't allowed to even be in the building to help support or case. 

    I think Trump has put the word out to reject as many applications as possible.  In our case, the IO said we had not provided a strong enough case that my spouse would return to Thailand if granted a travel visa.  Pretty hard to provide it if they don't even look at the documents!  Might also have been rejected as a gay married couple but you don't want to bring that up and get them mad--have to try to stay on their good side for the next attempt.