Moving My Girlfriend And I To The U.s. ...chances?

[skettios]

I've been living abroad for about 4 years and would like to return to the U.S. with my Thai girlfriend. She is working here and has some money in the bank. My job is here, but I am pretty well qualified, so I should be able to find work in the U.S.

I want to start the K1 process for her, but someone told me that it had to be done from the U.S. Is this true?

Can I apply for a different type of Visa here, and stay with her while she goes through the process? I know at some point I will be asked to show that I can support her, but my parents have already agreed to sponsor her in that regard if my savings and job prospects aren't enough at that point.

Has anyone been able to do this successfully? What are my chances. I've been cruising around visa journey a bit, will look there some more tonight, just thought I should see how the Thai Visa crowd would do it.

Thanks,

Dan

[thaihome]

Fastest way for you as you live in Thailand is to go ahead and get married here and submit the I-130 petition for the spousal visa at the Bangkok USCIS office. You will still need to submit the proof of support documents, which it sounds like you will need your parent to provide.

Look in the DCF section of visa journey.

TH

[skettios]

Fastest way for you as you live in Thailand is to go ahead and get married here and submit the I-130 petition for the spousal visa at the Bangkok USCIS office. You will still need to submit the proof of support documents, which it sounds like you will need your parent to provide.

Look in the DCF section of visa journey.

TH

Everyone tells me the K1 is the best way to bring a fiance to the united states. I don't really want to get married in Thailand, is there another way to get this done? Can I just use my home address to send the paperwork in? I've heard the I-30 can take up to two years to get approved.

Thanks

[britmaveric]

I would think you would need to find a job in yankland prior to any move for her. Since your income will be in question when applying for a visa.

[IMChris]

Fastest way for you as you live in Thailand is to go ahead and get married here and submit the I-130 petition for the spousal visa at the Bangkok USCIS office. You will still need to submit the proof of support documents, which it sounds like you will need your parent to provide.

Look in the DCF section of visa journey.

TH

Everyone tells me the K1 is the best way to bring a fiance to the united states. I don't really want to get married in Thailand, is there another way to get this done? Can I just use my home address to send the paperwork in? I've heard the I-30 can take up to two years to get approved.

Thanks

Im curious as to why you don't want to marry her in her own country. I think a Thai wedding outshines any wedding I ever saw in the USA. Also it shows some respect to the parents and her culture, or it is just the women you want.

[skettios]

Britmaveric, I think you're right, I'm curious to see if someone has found another way around it though. I do plan on working in the states, but my parents will sponsor, so that could be okay.

IMChris, what is that supposed to mean? Don't assume you know anything about us, that's so obnoxious.

She doesn't want to get married in Thailand either.

anyone out there actually know something about visas to the u.s.? Thanks.

Edited February 5, 2008 by skettios

[Khun ?]

Im curious as to why you don't want to marry her in her own country. I think a Thai wedding outshines any wedding I ever saw in the USA. Also it shows some respect to the parents and her culture, or it is just the women you want.

This has to be one of the most stupid things said on this board in recent decades.

[thaihome]

To get married in Thailand there is no need to actually have a ceremony, you can just register the marriage.

I reiterate, the fastest way to get an immigrant visa is to be resident in Thailand (and be able to prove it) and file the I-130 with USCIS Bangkok office. I have personal knowledge of a couple that did this last August. Registered marriage at amphur (no ceremony), filed the I-130 3 days later, which was approved in less then a week, interview at consulate 6 weeks later and visa issued. Total time from marriage registration to visa was slightly over 2 months, most of which was waiting for interview. Note, he was an expat on full package, owned property in the US, and had job waiting for him. He actually went back to US a week after filing I-130 and was not present for the interview.

TH

[skettios]

To get married in Thailand there is no need to actually have a ceremony, you can just register the marriage.

I reiterate, the fastest way to get an immigrant visa is to be resident in Thailand (and be able to prove it) and file the I-130 with USCIS Bangkok office. I have personal knowledge of a couple that did this last August. Registered marriage at amphur (no ceremony), filed the I-130 3 days later, which was approved in less then a week, interview at consulate 6 weeks later and visa issued. Total time from marriage registration to visa was slightly over 2 months, most of which was waiting for interview. Note, he was an expat on full package, owned property in the US, and had job waiting for him. He actually went back to US a week after filing I-130 and was not present for the interview.

TH

Okay, thanks Thaihome, I will consider this as an option. Sorry if it sounds like I'm doubting what you're saying. I guess it would be possible to get married here and have the ceremony at home. Not the story book ending we were looking for, but probably okay in the end. I'm going to keep looking around a bit, but may end up going this route.

Khun ?,

Thanks. I completely agree with you.

[donx]

My experience, which was several years ago, was that getting a fiancee visa took about 4 months. I was living in the US at the time though and I was able to sponsor my wife-to-be myself.

The fiancee visa is not considered an immigration visa. It is valid for 90 days and you either have to get married or your fiancee must return home. Because it isn't an immigration visa I would assume it takes less time to obtain than getting a visa based upon marriage since that visa would be an immigration visa.

Obviously, the fact that you currently don't live and work in the US may make a big difference in which visa would take less time to obtain.

[tavarich]

]

Okay, thanks Thaihome, I will consider this as an option. Sorry if it sounds like I'm doubting what you're saying. I guess it would be possible to get married here and have the ceremony at home. Not the story book ending we were looking for, but probably okay in the end. I'm going to keep looking around a bit, but may end up going this route.

Khun ?,

Thanks. I completely agree with you

We were married here in Thailand a few years ago, Then after we got her a visa to the states we were married there too. It was no big deal to do that the only odd thing was that she had already changed her name to mine and it showed that on our marriage application. Now we have two documents to prove that we were married and that comes in handy sometimes,

Edited February 6, 2008 by tavarich

[jstumbo]

We were married here in Thailand a few years ago, Then after we got her a visa to the states we were married there too. It was no big deal to do that the only odd thing was that she had already changed her name to mine and it showed that on our marriage application. Now we have two documents to prove that we were married and that comes in handy sometimes,

If you registered the marriage in Thailand then technically the marriage certificate in the US is not valid. You were already married, cannot get married a second time without divorcing first. You can have another ceremony, but not a second marriage.

[thaihome]

We were married here in Thailand a few years ago, Then after we got her a visa to the states we were married there too. It was no big deal to do that the only odd thing was that she had already changed her name to mine and it showed that on our marriage application. Now we have two documents to prove that we were married and that comes in handy sometimes,

If you registered the marriage in Thailand then technically the marriage certificate in the US is not valid. You were already married, cannot get married a second time without divorcing first. You can have another ceremony, but not a second marriage.

Not really, it is very common in the US for people to "remarry" and get another marriage license which is completely valid. Suppose to be something to "revitalize" the relationship.

bigamy

Etymology: Middle English bigamie, from Medieval Latin bigamia, from Latin bi- + Late Latin -gamia -gamy

Date: 13th century

: the act of entering into a marriage with one person while still legally married to another

— big·a·mist \-mist\ noun

TH

[jstumbo]

Not really, it is very common in the US for people to "remarry" and get another marriage license which is completely valid. Suppose to be something to "revitalize" the relationship.

I know several people in the US that have "renewed" their wedding vows and while they involved a ceremony, non involved an official marriage license.