Process for getting Thai Daughter a USA Passport and SS Card

[Mama Noodle]

My wife is getting ready to give birth to our daughter late next month and we are planning a re-location back to the USA at the earliest possible time once this COVID <deleted> is over with and I can get back to work. 

 

Im just thinking through everything and want to make sure I know/understand the process. 

 

Right now the only plan in place is that they baby will be born here in Thailand, me and the wife are legally married and I will obviously be the father on the birth certificate. The baby will have a western first name, my last name, and a middle name that my wife wants her to have. My wife also took my last name on the marriage paperwork and there is an official amphur document supporting it and all her ID's and Passport reflect the same. 

 

Anyone done this process and care to share? Anything I should know or anything you'd have done differently? 

[ubonjoe]

The first step will be to report your child's birth at the US embassy in Bangkok or the consulate in Chiang Mai.

See: https://th.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/child-family-matters/

The passport application and SSN will be done at the same time the birth is reported.

[bwpage3]

Does your wife have a US Passport and Green Card?

Edited June 22, 2020 by bwpage3

[Mama Noodle]

3 minutes ago, bwpage3 said:

Does you wife have a US Passport and Green Card?

No, just a 10 year tourist visa. We were in the process for the IR1 (Or CR1, can't remember) but life happened and it all expired so we would have to start again. 

 

[ubonjoe]

8 minutes ago, bwpage3 said:

Does you wife have a US Passport and Green Card?

That is not relevant for the report of birth. He only needs to prove he is a US citizen.

[dsj]

I don't know about the USA but for Canada, when I registered my daughters birth, I am married to a Thai, we got married in Canada, I just took her birth certificate (I got Bumrungrad to give us a Thai and a Translated into English birth certificate) and mine to the Canadian embassy, got her registered and also got her Social Insurance Number (SS in the US) and her citizenship card and Canadian passport at the same time but that was 10 years ago. Depending on how busy they are it could take up to 6 months to get all the documents.

[VMOMMO]

The USA took about 2 weeks to generate the "Report of Birth Abroad" which is the document that proves your child's US Citizenship. I think we applied for SSN at same time and maybe the passport, passport might have been after we had that document. There was an application form and they require certain documents but pretty straightforward if you bring the paperwork they require.
Getting your wife residency will probably take around 24 months so you will have plenty of time. During that time they may or may not admit her on her tourist visa as you have shown your intent to immigrate by filing for a green card. It is good to hire a lawyer for the Green Card as any mistakes can make for delays or denial. 

[tpthai2]

Worst case scenario:  May or may not be required.

 

At the discretion of the the Consulate a DNA test may be required.

This is an expensive and time consuming procedure as it must be done

at an embassy approved facility in the US.  The "chain of custody" applied

is as follows:  Samples are collected at the Consulate by an approved

Thai hospital staff and witnessed by the Consul General and staff.

The approved Thai Hospital sends them to the approved US testing facility.

(You choose the approved US testing facility from a provided list or link.)

After testing the US testing facility sends the report directly to the

US Consulate where the samples were taken.  The Consulate will inform you

of the results.  Hope you do not have to do this.  Best of luck.

  

 

[uffe123]

Sorry to say that with covid-19 the American embassy is closed. Waiting for my son to be issued a visa. My wife has a visa but unable  to travel because of airport closed and no visa for my son yet. big problem and a major headache. 

Don't know what to do at this time but wait. Wifes visa expire in end of July.

Wish you the best.

[AgMech Cowboy]

On 6/22/2020 at 6:33 AM, Mama Noodle said:

The baby will have a western first name, my last name, and a middle name that my wife wants her to have.

All well and good (maybe)... This was 17 years ago, but we were told if we wanted our son to also have Thai citizenship his first name had to be Thai (yes my wife is Thai). That was the 'rule' given to us by the lady doing the birth certificate (just to let you know). My wife pulled a Thai name out of her 'thoughts' (she said she had been thinking about the name a long time), the Western name went in the middle and we were good to go.

 

The US Embassy procedures were a snap. Really easy. Just follow the guide.

[86Tiger]

I got 5 yo, 3 yo and 2 yo, all born in Thailand.  We completed this process for all 3 within 2 weeks of birth.

 

The embassy website has a checklist of documents required including application for both birth abroad report and passport.  Follow the directions exactly and when you are ready set an appointment on line with the consular office.  Dad, Mom and baby are required at appointment.  On my 3 we arrived at appropriate date/time, submitted the paper work package upon arrival through the window and waited maybe 15 - 20 minutes.  We were called up for the interview with a consular officer that took about 20 minutes for the first one and maybe 5 minutes for the last one.  All the paper work was in order so no issues.  Interview was nothing in depth.  They do ask wife if she understands this passport will allow you to take the child out of thailand without her permission and both must raise the right hand and attest all information is true. Certificates and passports were mailed to home address in about 10 days or so. There is post office inside embassy so you pay and get self addressed envelope after consular says ok.

 

Couple observations/suggestions made it easier for me: 

1)Book night at Indigo Hotel few hundred yards north of the embassy.  Easy walk carrying baby, no worry for parking, or caught in traffic to make me late for early morning appointment.  

2)If you have reasonable idea of birth date (mine were scheduled by mom and doctor) allow week or so for official birth certificate arrival and make the appointment way early. Appointments can fill up quickly and you can be locked out for month or longer if they are booked.  I was working outside Thailand so time was important for me.

3)Request hospital, and pay the extra fee, to get english translation with the original thai language certificate.  It will already be stamped official and no further certification is required.

4)Marriage license will need translation certified by MFA.  We use local translator in Udon, she never lets us down on quick turn around.

5)You must have some means to document your physical presence in USA for minimum 5 years after you were 12 yo IIRC.  I used college transcript, I think this was most obscure, not obvious requirement.  And discriminatory as females only need prove 1 year presence in USA.

6)First 2 we were offered application for SSN at time of approval by consular.  Last one were informed now must apply directly at SS office in Philippines.  But I opted to apply next time in USA, 15 minutes at local SS Office and all they needed was passport.

 

I am type I study the paper work ad nauseam to be sure it is correct, basically 2 sets of everything just in case something is lost or damaged.  But actually, it was very easy and everyone at embassy very helpful and patient.  But I did see one or 2 get turned away because they were missing something that came in hoping they could wing it.

 

 

Good luck.

[JohnB1945]

"All well and good (maybe)... This was 17 years ago, but we were told if we wanted our son to also have Thai citizenship his first name had to be Thai (yes my wife is Thai). ". 

 

I don't think that this is correct. My two children have Thai passports as well as UK, and they both have western first names. My son has a Thai middle name, all my daughters names are western. 

[JohnB1945]

Both were born in UK

[dsj]

On 6/23/2020 at 10:52 AM, AgMech Cowboy said:

All well and good (maybe)... This was 17 years ago, but we were told if we wanted our son to also have Thai citizenship his first name had to be Thai (yes my wife is Thai). That was the 'rule' given to us by the lady doing the birth certificate (just to let you know). My wife pulled a Thai name out of her 'thoughts' (she said she had been thinking about the name a long time), the Western name went in the middle and we were good to go.

 

The US Embassy procedures were a snap. Really easy. Just follow the guide.

When my daughter was born 10 years ago, we gave her a Western first name, and there was no problems with as she has both a Thai and Canadian citizenship.

[mike787]

Contact US embassy they will take care of everything.

Edited July 1, 2020 by mike787