Easiest Way To Get Wife To New York

[favre360]

Ok I have a few questions here about my situation. My girlfriend and I are not yet married but im going back to school in New York july of 2008 for two years and she is coming with me to take teaching courses in NY as well (she is an assistant at an international school). Its going to be too difficult to put together all of the paperworkneeded for a student visa and the program may be too expensive but either way she still wants to come with me so we've agreed to get married. Obviously we have seven months to put this all together so would it be easier to get married here first and then try to get her a visa, or get a fiance visa and get married in the states? Some friends have told me they may be reluctant to grant a visa because im 18 with no assets and shes 29 and lives with me only owning a car. Its easy to see they may assume shes using me to get to America or im taking her there for "illegal" work so whats the best way to show them we're legit? One more thing is if we do get married here do I need my marriage liscense from the states or is it easier than that. Thanks for the help ahead of time!

[DurianChips]

Ok I have a few questions here about my situation. My girlfriend and I are not yet married but im going back to school in New York july of 2008 for two years and she is coming with me to take teaching courses in NY as well (she is an assistant at an international school). Its going to be too difficult to put together all of the paperworkneeded for a student visa and the program may be too expensive but either way she still wants to come with me so we've agreed to get married. Obviously we have seven months to put this all together so would it be easier to get married here first and then try to get her a visa, or get a fiance visa and get married in the states? Some friends have told me they may be reluctant to grant a visa because im 18 with no assets and shes 29 and lives with me only owning a car. Its easy to see they may assume shes using me to get to America or im taking her there for "illegal" work so whats the best way to show them we're legit? One more thing is if we do get married here do I need my marriage liscense from the states or is it easier than that. Thanks for the help ahead of time!

Well, as I'm sure others will tell you, you have two choices: 1) Marry and apply for a spouse visa, or 2) Apply for a fiance visa. I don't know much about the spouse visa. The fiance visa does have means testing, so you will have to demonstrate income, assets, or some other form of support. Also, 7 months is really a very short timeline, and you probably won't be able to get either of these visas in that time (maybe the fiance visa... maybe). If she's really coming to take classes, the student visa might be a way to go.

(Of course you could also try to bring her in on a tourist visa, but that would of course be fraud).

[jetjock]

If you think it is too difficult to try to get her a student visa, just wait until you try to get a fiancee because your friends are absolutely correct in advising you that you will have to show that you have enough proven income to support her when she gets to the US. I know nothing about student visas or marrriage visas ( but suspect marrriage has an income requirement also) but do know that it would be next to impossible to get her here on a fiance visa since you apparently both have no assets and no proven income. Sorry but it does not sound like a match made in heaven to me. The student visa, if at all possible, would probably be the best way to go. IMHO it sounds to me like you still have a lot to learn and the easiest way to learn it is to stay single for a few more years.

[nick2k]

if you want to go to america, but you don't fulfill the qualifications to do so. ..you might consider going to canada. canada hasn't felt the first hand damaging effects of unlimited immigration. so, their laws are more relaxed for foreigners wishing to live there.

check out this website for more info..

http://www.soscanada2000.com/eBooks/freeoffer.html

once you get into canada, and live there for a while, it will be a piece of cake to migrate to the usa. ..if that is still what you want to do.

like I said, canada hasn't YET felt first hand the damaging effects of unlimited immigration. so, they are very naive on what's to come. get in while you still can.

it's the chance of a lifetime for many people looking for more opportunity.

canada.

[legag]

like I said, canada hasn't YET felt first hand the damaging effects of unlimited immigration. so, they are very naive on what's to come. get in while you still can.

Canadian embassy and whom may concern .. alert alert.

If you wanna do it, do it RIGHT! It takes time but at the end of the day you feel nothing on your back to be worried about. Apply for student visa is the way to go. I suggest. People who like to do a zig-zag way is the reason why they have never trust other Thais when they apply for any visa. Give them such a bad name.

[favre360]

Thanks for all the help guys it looks like student visa is the way to go and theres no way im going to canada because the whole point of me going back is so I can go to school in my hometown for two years. After that im coming back to Bangkok for sure but it sucks how much work you have to put in for this stuff. If only it was as easy to get a USA visa as it is to get a Thai one

[jstumbo]

Thanks for all the help guys it looks like student visa is the way to go and theres no way im going to canada because the whole point of me going back is so I can go to school in my hometown for two years. After that im coming back to Bangkok for sure but it sucks how much work you have to put in for this stuff. If only it was as easy to get a USA visa as it is to get a Thai one

If you have been living in Thailand for a long time (at least a year I think) on a visa besides tourist visas, and you get married in Thailand, you could file the I-130 for a spouse visa at the Bangkok office of the USCIS. This would probably take just a few months.

As for any means testing (financial), you can have a secondary person sign on. Maybe a family member in the US that will take the responsibility.

I don't know how long you have been in Thailand, but with your age (quite young) and the age difference, it might be hard to convince them that it is a valid marriage.

This way is quite expensive and probably not much different from the cost of the student visa. Also, if you do not plan to live in the US, it would probably be better to go the student visa route.

Edited November 26, 2007 by jstumbo