Fiancée Visa Help Needed

[paulgfox]

I am a firefighter who has been traveling to Thailand for over 5 years now, helping out the local Fire Departments. Last year I was introduced to a Catholic English School Teacher (Thai). To make a long story short, we are in love and want to get married. I have a firefighter friend in California that married a Thai. He told me that I have to apply to the US Immigration here in Hawaii first. Send them all the paperwork and then they will forward it to the US Embassy in Thailand. Then they will contact me about an appointment. I don't what to do that. I want to apply directly at the US Embassy in Thailand. Is there a way to do this? My Fiancée or I can't find a way to contact the US Embassy there to find out anything from them. Is there any one out there that can help us with some information? I would appreciate any advice you could give us. I can be reach at [email protected] or by phone at 808-538-2733 (in Hawaii).

Aloha & Chuk Di Kup,

Paul "Dang" Fox

Asst. Chief of Training

Changpuak Fire Dept.

[JRinger]

I am a firefighter who has been traveling to Thailand for over 5 years now, helping out the local Fire Departments. Last year I was introduced to a Catholic English School Teacher (Thai). To make a long story short, we are in love and want to get married. I have a firefighter friend in California that married a Thai. He told me that I have to apply to the US Immigration here in Hawaii first. Send them all the paperwork and then they will forward it to the US Embassy in Thailand. Then they will contact me about an appointment. I don't what to do that. I want to apply directly at the US Embassy in Thailand. Is there a way to do this? My Fiancée or I can't find a way to contact the US Embassy there to find out anything from them. Is there any one out there that can help us with some information? I would appreciate any advice you could give us. I can be reach at [email protected] or by phone at 808-538-2733 (in Hawaii).

Aloha & Chuk Di Kup,

Paul "Dang" Fox

Asst. Chief of Training

Changpuak Fire Dept.

Unfortunately, your friend is correct. Those are the rules.

You must file in the states then the Embassy in Bangkok will send a packet of forms to your girlfriend who then sends them back within a specified time and an appointment will be scheduled for her, you need not be there for the interview.

good luck...

[lopburi3]

This is in the wrong forum and will be moved.

But the Embassy does not get involved until after approval of a fianacee partition. That you file either with the district office (CSIS or whatever they are called now - used to be INS). But there is an office in Bangkok that can be used by those who prove residence here (believe one year is criteria).

There is nothing preventing you from getting married in Thailand at any time - takes a couple days for paperwork but is fully legal everywhere. The downside is that if you plan to move/live in USA the spouse visa process can take even longer than the fiancee type. If you plan to have your home/wife here in Thailand this method would be my recommendation.

[DrDave]

I'm currently living in Thailand (but have been here full-time less than 1 year), and my fiancee and I are in the middle of the US Visa process.

Here's how it has worked out so far:

While here in Thailand, I filled out the I-129F Petition paperwork and mailed the package to the USCIS California Service Center on February 6. I wrongly sent this by EMS (instead of Airmail), which caused a delay with the US Post Office because a signature was required.

I was having the mail for my US home forwarded to a PO box since I was living in Thailand, and having a friend check the PO box periodically for anything important. After 1 month, I still hadn't received a receipt for the I-129F package I mailed in. I called the USCIS service center and talked to a very helpful agent, who informed my that any documents mailed by USCIS are not to be forwarded, and thus my receipt had been returned as "undeliverable". He was able to give me the Case Number for my petition. (Anyone filing a petition from outside the US needs to keep in mind that the PO will not forward anything sent to you from the USCIS).

According to the USCIS website, it was taking about 5-6 months to process the I-129F Petition, so we were prepared for a long wait. I created an account on the USCIS website (using the Case Number) so that I would be notified via email of status changes as they occur.

On about May 10, I received an email from USCIS telling me my petition had been approved, and that I should follow the instructions on the approval form that had been mailed that day. I just happened to be in the US that week, so I immediately cancelled my mail forwarding for the next week (until I returned to Thailand). No approval notice showed up in my mail. After about 2 weeks, I checked my account on the USCIS website, and discovered that the approval notice had been returned as "undeliverable". The approval notice had obviously not been mailed at the time the email had said it was mailed.

On about June 10, a package arrived at my fiancee's home (as listed on the I-129F petition) from the US Embassy in Bangkok. This package seems to have all of the forms that are required to be completed and brought to the interview. There is also a checklist of all documents (medical certificates, police reports, evidence of financial support, visa application, etc) that need to be obtained and completed prior to scheduling an interview. This packet includes some very sketchy info on how to get a police certificate (in Bangkok), as well as good info on where to get the medical certificates (in Bangkok). The cover letter for this package contains a new case number for the visa application.

Right now, we're planning on travelling to Bangkok next week to get the Medical Certificates, and initiate the process for the police certificate. I'm still trying to figure out how to get the required documentation for financial support from my bank/broker in the US (a web-based financial services company). The requirement is for a notarized letter on company letterhead documenting account balances, opening dates, etc. This seems to be an archaic requirement in this age of internet based financial services. Seems more geared to brick and mortar local banks where you can actually walk in, sit down, and talk with a banker (who could write the letter and get it notarized). Wondering how others have dealt with this requirement?

Looking at the Bangkok Embassy's website, you can see the interview appointments that have been scheduled for the next month or so. It looks like there isn't too much of a delay, as there are interviews scheduled in the next few days for case numbers very close to ours.

BTW - my "fiancee" and I have already had a Thai wedding ceremony, but we did not register the marriage because we want to continue down the "fiancee" visa path, as opposed to the "spouse" visa path, which I've heard takes longer.