Thai Girlfriend Visa To Us, Tourist, Business Or Fiance?

[heiko]

My thai girlfriend and I have been dating for over a year and I live with her when I am in Thailand. We have travelled all over Asia together and now I would like her to meet my parents and visit the US (my country) because I think she might be the one. She has had many different jobs but now she is assisting me in starting a manufacturing company in Thailand and she has become invaluable to me in this capacity. Our thai company is in the process of getting set up and I have been supporting her for the last several months ( she has no verifiable income or job!). I also own and operate a business in the US.

My question: What is the easiest way for me to get my girlfriend over to America just for a freakin 3 week holiday? Should I pursue the tourist visa? Or should I just offer her employment from my company in the US and get her a business visa for "training". Or will the fiancee visa be the easiest way?

Oh yeah and since I am new to this post how do you farang men deal with the stigma of having a thai girlfriend or wife? I am quickly losing my patience with stupid questions from fellow Americans who automatically assume my girlfriend was a working girl. It is really too bad that is all people know about Thailand.

Edited August 11, 2007 by heiko

[Krub]

My thai girlfriend and I have been dating for over a year and I live with her when I am in Thailand. We have travelled all over Asia together and now I would like her to meet my parents and visit the US (my country) because I think she might be the one. She has had many different jobs but now she is assisting me in starting a manufacturing company in Thailand and she has become invaluable to me in this capacity. Our thai company is in the process of getting set up and I have been supporting her for the last several months ( she has no verifiable income or job!). I also own and operate a business in the US.

My question: What is the easiest way for me to get my girlfriend over to America just for a freakin 3 week holiday? Should I pursue the tourist visa? Or should I just offer her employment from my company in the US and get her a business visa for "training". Or will the fiancee visa be the easiest way?

Oh yeah and since I am new to this post how do you farang men deal with the stigma of having a thai girlfriend or wife? I am quickly losing my patience with stupid questions from fellow Americans who automatically assume my girlfriend was a working girl. It is really too bad that is all people know about Thailand.

I have no first had experience with the US Embassy but I feel that you had better go the tourist visa application.

You can also in your cover letter be 100% honest and present the facts as they are. (stating your relationship history, involvement in your business, future plans(personnaland business wise in Thailand).

Submit as much as possible evidence of your relationship which will look good in relation to your letter of guarantee for the cost of accomodation and travel for the holidays.

I would also submit documents showing that you both are involved in the start-up business which will look good for a return to Thailand.

Also join an invitation letter from your parents stating they would be delighted to host you and to meet your gf as you feel serious about her.

if you try 'other' ways and need to aplly later for a finacee or wife visa it might look bad

Also if there is an interview or request for extra documents and you have 'made up something' it might be difficult to keep on down the line

The truth should enable you to get a visa for your gf with the info you are giving above

Just my 2 baht

One way people react orcomment on your partner's nationality/origin, take it as a compliment. Enjoy your relationship and cut ties with the ones who hurt her.

I know how it feels when you say : I have a partner in Thailand whereI spend as much time as I can.......

Good luck

Edited August 11, 2007 by Krub

[tuffy]

A friend of ours has asked if we could help with the paperwork getting his Thai gf a tourist visa to the US as well. He has been dating her for over a year and lives with her here in Thailand. She doesn't have a job as he fully supports her.

Will a letter of Guarantee from him be enough to get her a visa? I have heard it is very difficult for unmarried ladies from Thailand to get tourist visa's to the US.

Does anyone have any experience with this kind of situation?

What are the process steps / paperwork needed?

Would hiring a Thai lawyer improve the chances at all?

How long does the process take?

[steelepulse]

A friend of ours has asked if we could help with the paperwork getting his Thai gf a tourist visa to the US as well. He has been dating her for over a year and lives with her here in Thailand. She doesn't have a job as he fully supports her.

Will a letter of Guarantee from him be enough to get her a visa? I have heard it is very difficult for unmarried ladies from Thailand to get tourist visa's to the US.

Does anyone have any experience with this kind of situation?

What are the process steps / paperwork needed?

Would hiring a Thai lawyer improve the chances at all?

How long does the process take?

The embassy really wants to see as many reasons as possible as to why she will come back to Thailand.  Does she own a house?  Does she have a decent amount of cash in the bank she could put up as a bond if need be? If the answer to these questions is yes, she stands a chance.  

I seem to hear a lot of stories about people who hire their gf's as their business partner/assistant, and I'm sure the US embassy has too. I really haven't heard of anyone getting a visa due to business partner standing, but you never know.

[thaihome]

The US does not have any sort of letter of Guarantee or bond to get a visa. The applicant must, on their own establish proof they will return. Having a BF living and having an established business in the US will actually be a minus as it would lead one to conclude the intent is to use the tourist visa to enter the country and get married. Only thing to do is fill out the application, pay the fee and give them as much paperwork showing her ties to Thailand. Emphasize the new business and her role in it.

TH

[Carmine6]

My thai girlfriend and I have been dating for over a year and I live with her when I am in Thailand. We have travelled all over Asia together and now I would like her to meet my parents and visit the US (my country) because I think she might be the one. She has had many different jobs but now she is assisting me in starting a manufacturing company in Thailand and she has become invaluable to me in this capacity. Our thai company is in the process of getting set up and I have been supporting her for the last several months ( she has no verifiable income or job!). I also own and operate a business in the US.

My question: What is the easiest way for me to get my girlfriend over to America just for a freakin 3 week holiday? Should I pursue the tourist visa? Or should I just offer her employment from my company in the US and get her a business visa for "training". Or will the fiancee visa be the easiest way?

Oh yeah and since I am new to this post how do you farang men deal with the stigma of having a thai girlfriend or wife? I am quickly losing my patience with stupid questions from fellow Americans who automatically assume my girlfriend was a working girl. It is really too bad that is all people know about Thailand.

Go through some of the older threads here. Everything I've ever heard about US tourist visas is that it requires significant evidence that the applicant will return to their home country. I even paid for some time with an immigration lawyer in Bangkok to discuss. The US government's website says specifically that the person has to qualify on their own.

Ways to do this are a large amount of cash in the bank (for months and not just today), a long term or high paying job (preferably with a large well known company and even better if a western multinational), real estate that they live in (ie not just farmland that they own but do not live on). Basically you have to prove you're financially successful enough at home that you can pay for the trip and that you're going to return. Even having children is not evidence of a reason to return on its own since many people overstay and work in order to send money back. Unless your girlfriend's family is really well off, it doesn't sound like she'll qualify.

A fiancee visa is likely going to be easier to get in your situation because then she does not have to prove that she's going to return, and then doesn't have to financially qualify. Although perversely I think somone in a similar situation was asked why they weren't applying for the tourist visa since they lived in Thailand. My brother had no problem getting a fiancee visa for his girlfriend (not Thai though) and I guarantee she would never have had a shot at a tourist visa.