USA Tourist Visa for Thai Wife

[GinBoy2]

8 hours ago, SeaMike01 said:

Just a follow-up regarding one point: I've been checking the U.S. embassy site almost daily because the appointment wait time (according to the web site) is down to two days. Having been declined twice for a B-2 visitor visa, my wife doesn't feel confident about preparing the documents and answering questions again. So she contacted a Thai visa agent who told her "there are no appointments available until next year". My gut reaction was that she's trying to "get the money! get the money!" as quickly as possible, hoping that the client doesn't realize that the wait time is low. For a moment I thought "maybe she knows something that I don't know".  I tried to post a question about it on a USA visa for Thais forum (owned by an agency) and they wouldn't post my question. So, what do you think? More visa agent B.S.? Has anyone had a positive result using an agent? I wonder if they're just declining so many applicants that the wait time has dwindled down to almost nothing.

I have no personal experience of an agent for a tourist visa, but I'll say this.

 

They peddle the notion that they have some special in at the embassy. 

 

Total nonsense, the US Embassy is not like Thai immigration where everything can be greased for the appropriate 'fee'

Also there is nothing more they can do with the DS-160 than you can.

 

The only time I would ever recommend using a 'reputable' agent is for immigrant visas, where there is a lot of supporting documentation, and given that they take a long time to process you don't want to slip up and have to start all over again

 

So any one that tells they can guarantee or speed up a B1/B2  application.......... RUN!

Edited September 11, 2022 by GinBoy2

[SeaMike01]

Here's a follow-up to my original post: This morning my wife had her embassy interview for the B-2 tourist visa and was denied yet again. The feedback from the agent was that my job and her job in Thailand were not sufficient to convince them that we would return. She was asked about 20 questions and the agent seemed to be receptive to the situation, but denied her anyway. She's not the only one. She estimated that out of the 20 people in the room, 1 family and 2 other applicants were approved for a visa (passports kept), and the rest denied.

[dhupverg]

On 9/30/2022 at 3:05 PM, SeaMike01 said:

Here's a follow-up to my original post: This morning my wife had her embassy interview for the B-2 tourist visa and was denied yet again. The feedback from the agent was that my job and her job in Thailand were not sufficient to convince them that we would return. She was asked about 20 questions and the agent seemed to be receptive to the situation, but denied her anyway. She's not the only one. She estimated that out of the 20 people in the room, 1 family and 2 other applicants were approved for a visa (passports kept), and the rest denied.

That's too bad, sorry to hear this.  

 

How long was the actual wait time for your appointment?  Was it two days like the website says, or was it a few weeks?

[GinBoy2]

On 9/30/2022 at 2:05 AM, SeaMike01 said:

Here's a follow-up to my original post: This morning my wife had her embassy interview for the B-2 tourist visa and was denied yet again. The feedback from the agent was that my job and her job in Thailand were not sufficient to convince them that we would return. She was asked about 20 questions and the agent seemed to be receptive to the situation, but denied her anyway. She's not the only one. She estimated that out of the 20 people in the room, 1 family and 2 other applicants were approved for a visa (passports kept), and the rest denied.

Well that just sucks.

 

But, to put this in the perspective of the CO.

 

Here in little old Rapid City SD, my wife has many Thai friends,

 

She along with one other entered the US as a legal immigrant, The rest tourist visa overstays, Some have subsequently married and got legal status, the rest just skate along.

 

I feel your pain and I also get the dilemma of the CO trying to determine if the applicant will return

[Maha Sarakham]

In the Thai Facebook visa groups, many Thais recommend cheating the system to get to the US or Korea with tourist/visitor Visas instead of using the proper methods. This has contributed to a big crackdown on Thais going abroad as tourists. The most important thing that you have to demonstrate is your wife's ties to Thailand, preferably through a stable job that she WILL return to, in this instance, the PTO approval from the employer sounded like a good proposition and any other documentation that shows you two have traveled internationally before and returned to Thailand on time each time.

 

Good luck, the bad apples have ruined it for the rest of the population unfortunately, always seems to go that way. Guilty until you can prove yourself innocent.