Us Tourist Visa, How Long Valid Before Use?

[stevehaigh]

i'd like to take the missus to the US in november. if we apply now for a tourist visa and she gets it, how long is the typical validity before you have to travel? can they make it one year?

thx steve

[Dr. Burrito]

I think you would be best suited letting them know your travel dates, so they will be sure to issue a visa that covers that time frame. Given the slow process of getting a visa from there anyway, you certainly should get in line now.

best of luck

Dr. B

[jm49er1]

i'd like to take the missus to the US in november. if we apply now for a tourist visa and she gets it, how long is the typical validity before you have to travel? can they make it one year?

thx steve

The tourist visa is good for 10 years - we had our interview at the US Embassy in Bangkok on Monday and was approved - Her passport came back to us today with the 10 year Visa - PM me if you have any questions about the process

[thaihome]

Can confirm that virtually all tourist visa these days are 10 year, multi entry. This started a few years ago when they started making everyone have an interview, even if you previously had a visa. You do not have specify the dates of trip.

TH

[stevehaigh]

i'd like to take the missus to the US in november. if we apply now for a tourist visa and she gets it, how long is the typical validity before you have to travel? can they make it one year?

thx steve

The tourist visa is good for 10 years - we had our interview at the US Embassy in Bangkok on Monday and was approved - Her passport came back to us today with the 10 year Visa - PM me if you have any questions about the process

that's great news, and congrats to you.

do you feel there was one thing that clinched the deal? money in bank, length of marriage, land ownership, job?

thx steve

Edited June 6, 2007 by stevehaigh

[jm49er1]

i'd like to take the missus to the US in november. if we apply now for a tourist visa and she gets it, how long is the typical validity before you have to travel? can they make it one year?

thx steve

The tourist visa is good for 10 years - we had our interview at the US Embassy in Bangkok on Monday and was approved - Her passport came back to us today with the 10 year Visa - PM me if you have any questions about the process

that's great news, and congrats to you.

do you feel there was one thing that clinched the deal? money in bank, length of marriage, land ownership, job?

thx steve

well today was Monday and we had an appointment to meet with the Embassy this morning at 7:30 am for the interview. The web boards i read all stated that we needed to be able to prove "ties" to Thailand. So i had spent a lot of effort over the last couple of weeks getting everything together:

Chanods for Oy's land and my condo along with pictures of the inside of the condo and the land - the purchase agreement for the condo so they could determine valuation

the green book for the cycle and the blue book for the car along with pictures of both the car and cycle

bank books from my account and from both of Oy's accounts updated by making a trip to each of the banks on Friday so the figures were current

Our marriage certificate, and my final divorce papers from previous marriage

three years of tax records

two CD certificates along with updated balances from statements as of June 1

Updated statements showing current balances from all of my bank accounts in the US (4)

records for prepaid bills here in Thailand showing we have no intent of leaving - Condo association dues paid through April 2008. cable TV prepaid through May 2008

pictures our new grandchild so they could see why we were coming

about 50 pictures of Oy and i together starting with pics in October 2005 until current - each of the pics had text added to them from Photoshop with the date and location of the pic

passports for both Oy and myself along with the required forms DS157, DS 156 and a copy of the receipt for the application fee.

Parked across from the Embassy and was there at 7 AM - doors open at 7 so this was good but already 25-30 people ahead of us - no problem - stood in line and they checked the paperwork over at 3 different stations and then gave us a call number - we went into a waiting area and sat and waited - it was now about 7:45 AM - they started calling numbers at about 8:15 AM - Our number was called at 8:45 AM and we walked up to a window. I did not realize it but the interview was conducted there - a glass window and a microphone - Our interviewer was female maybe 35 years old

I had told Oy to request the interview in English as i wanted to participate also - The first thing the lady asked Oy was "How long have you been married" Now lets step back a little. I had gone over with Oy several questions that she might be asked so she would have an answer but this is one i did not prep her on - Shit, after all she is always testing me asking when did we meet, what day did we get married etc - all of the usual female junk

So she blurts out that we have been married for 2 years......... i tell her thats wrong ( we have known each other for 20 months but have only been married for 8 months) and look at the face of the interviewer as she again repeats 2 years - i tell Oy she is confused and i tell the interviewer that she does not properly understand the question in English - She makes a nasty face and says ok she will ask her in Thai - well her Thai is marginal but Oy finally gets the right answer with a little prompting from me - By that time, i am thinking that this is a lost case - no way she is going to believe me so i start to produce the marriage document - she cuts me off and bluntly tells me she did not ask for that - shit this is a lost cause - she then asks Oy in Thai how we met - Ok good Oy has the "story" down pat and this goes off without a hitch - theres hope. Then she asks Oy why she does not want to live with me in the US - this confuses Oy as the lady is implying to her that i currently live in the US and she is living here - OK this finally gets sorted out and she asks to see my passport

She asks me how long i have been in Thailand - October 2005 - when was the last time i was in the US - same answer - how long have we been married - correct answer - why do i not want to go back and live in the US - i like Thailand etc and she then states - Ok Approved!!!!

<deleted> - did not look at one piece of documention i had put together but "APPROVED" - finished before 9AM

[stevehaigh]

really, no questions about money in the bank! i expected that and a job was the only thing they wanted to see.

oh well, we've been married over a year and have planty on money in wifes bank so i hope we are ok.

thanks, steve

well today was Monday and we had an appointment to meet with the Embassy this morning at 7:30 am for the interview. The web boards i read all stated that we needed to be able to prove "ties" to Thailand. So i had spent a lot of effort over the last couple of weeks getting everything together:

Chanods for Oy's land and my condo along with pictures of the inside of the condo and the land - the purchase agreement for the condo so they could determine valuation

the green book for the cycle and the blue book for the car along with pictures of both the car and cycle

bank books from my account and from both of Oy's accounts updated by making a trip to each of the banks on Friday so the figures were current

Our marriage certificate, and my final divorce papers from previous marriage

three years of tax records

two CD certificates along with updated balances from statements as of June 1

Updated statements showing current balances from all of my bank accounts in the US (4)

records for prepaid bills here in Thailand showing we have no intent of leaving - Condo association dues paid through April 2008. cable TV prepaid through May 2008

pictures our new grandchild so they could see why we were coming

about 50 pictures of Oy and i together starting with pics in October 2005 until current - each of the pics had text added to them from Photoshop with the date and location of the pic

passports for both Oy and myself along with the required forms DS157, DS 156 and a copy of the receipt for the application fee.

Parked across from the Embassy and was there at 7 AM - doors open at 7 so this was good but already 25-30 people ahead of us - no problem - stood in line and they checked the paperwork over at 3 different stations and then gave us a call number - we went into a waiting area and sat and waited - it was now about 7:45 AM - they started calling numbers at about 8:15 AM - Our number was called at 8:45 AM and we walked up to a window. I did not realize it but the interview was conducted there - a glass window and a microphone - Our interviewer was female maybe 35 years old

I had told Oy to request the interview in English as i wanted to participate also - The first thing the lady asked Oy was "How long have you been married" Now lets step back a little. I had gone over with Oy several questions that she might be asked so she would have an answer but this is one i did not prep her on - Shit, after all she is always testing me asking when did we meet, what day did we get married etc - all of the usual female junk

So she blurts out that we have been married for 2 years......... i tell her thats wrong ( we have known each other for 20 months but have only been married for 8 months) and look at the face of the interviewer as she again repeats 2 years - i tell Oy she is confused and i tell the interviewer that she does not properly understand the question in English - She makes a nasty face and says ok she will ask her in Thai - well her Thai is marginal but Oy finally gets the right answer with a little prompting from me - By that time, i am thinking that this is a lost case - no way she is going to believe me so i start to produce the marriage document - she cuts me off and bluntly tells me she did not ask for that - shit this is a lost cause - she then asks Oy in Thai how we met - Ok good Oy has the "story" down pat and this goes off without a hitch - theres hope. Then she asks Oy why she does not want to live with me in the US - this confuses Oy as the lady is implying to her that i currently live in the US and she is living here - OK this finally gets sorted out and she asks to see my passport

She asks me how long i have been in Thailand - October 2005 - when was the last time i was in the US - same answer - how long have we been married - correct answer - why do i not want to go back and live in the US - i like Thailand etc and she then states - Ok Approved!!!!

<deleted> - did not look at one piece of documention i had put together but "APPROVED" - finished before 9AM

[thaihome]

I think that for a married couple living in Thailand, they look mostly at the US citizen's ties to Thailand as the main reason to return. If you have a job, work permit, visa extension, etc, it will approved.

TH

[sbk]

Steve, my husband and I submitted the tabien bahn, the business license, recent tax receipts (all in his name), photocopies of my passport showing my one year extensions since 1992, photocopy of bank books (both our names) and our marriage license.

I agree with Thaihome's assessment, they are looking for your ties to Thailand as well as hers.

[stevehaigh]

Steve, my husband and I submitted the tabien bahn, the business license, recent tax receipts (all in his name), photocopies of my passport showing my one year extensions since 1992, photocopy of bank books (both our names) and our marriage license.

I agree with Thaihome's assessment, they are looking for your ties to Thailand as well as hers.

actually, we did try get a visa march last year and i showed them my work permit, co. tax, income from by businesses, etc. the interview said "i don't doubt you (me) are comming back to thailand but i'm not sure about your wife"! and refused her. we had been married only 1 month but had been together 3 years and had bank records to prove it.

anyhow, now we have more than 1 year married and money in her bank so i'm pretty confident.

steve

[sbk]

Could have been the short period of marriage, we'd been married 13 years at that point, so I guess they realized we both lived here and in a real marriage

Money in the bank and a longer married life should help, you can always appeal as well. Give it a shot now, then if there are problems it gives you the time to work it out before you wanted to fly. Good luck!