Will The American Embassy In Bangkok

[wants2no]

I am a stateside American man. I'm trying to figure out how to help my Thai friend get a tourist visa to visit me. She cannot afford the trip alone. I am willing to sponsor her.

Will the American Embassy in Bangkok even consider an I-134 "Affidavit of Support", if I fill it out and send it from the U.S. thru the proper channels? I was under the impression that the I-134 is only useful for employees or family members. If the embassy will not consider the I-134, will they consider my financial documents showing I have the means to support my visiting friend?

All I'm trying to do is show significant finances for my Thai friend to visit me as a tourist in the U.S. on a B-2 tourist visa. She has a big family and good job in Thailand. I heard that the American Embassy officer will neither look at an invitation letter from me, nor consider my financials as the sponsoring American. Is this true? I would think that I could sponsor a friend to visit me in the U.S.

If I were in Thailand, could I even get the opportunity to speak to the embassy officer? I would consider coming there to personally meet with the embassy to help my friend get the visa. Please advise. Thanks a million.

Edited February 7, 2008 by pblakelippi

[londonthai]

if she has a good job, property and would be coming back to thailand she has a chance for a visa.

do send her invitation and show you financial status, pictures together, record of phone calls.

if you were in bangkok submitting an application you would have chance to talk to the officer - but not in the case the interview was needed

[thaihome]

The US has no vehicle for someone to "sponsor" a tourist visa. Imagine the administration of such a program with the millions of visitors to the US each year.

Unfortunately, you being in the US with significant finances is probably more of a detriment then help. The consulate will think that she is getting the tourist visa in order to bypass the immigration process since you are rich can easily afford a smart lawyer to get her status changed once he arrives in the US.

Best she applies on her own showing her ties and reasons to return to Thailand. Your input generally just confuses the issue.

TH

[jstumbo]

The US has no vehicle for someone to "sponsor" a tourist visa. Imagine the administration of such a program with the millions of visitors to the US each year.

Unfortunately, you being in the US with significant finances is probably more of a detriment then help. The consulate will think that she is getting the tourist visa in order to bypass the immigration process since you are rich can easily afford a smart lawyer to get her status changed once he arrives in the US.

Best she applies on her own showing her ties and reasons to return to Thailand. Your input generally just confuses the issue.

TH

I second what TH says here. It does not even take a smart lawyer. You can do it yourself as a friend of mine did. His now wife came on a tourist visa, they got married and adjusted status and that has been over 4 years now.

You sponsoring her with money and showing a close relationship just makes it more likely that she will stay in the US and would probably hurt her chances even more.

[Bluejay]

Agreed with TH. Best she applies on her own showing her ties and reasons to return to Thailand. The most important thing is, she has to be able to convince the interviwer that she will return home. Good luck.

BJ

[Tinkelbell]

The OP should heed all the advice the had been posted above. Those are excellent answer.

If your lady friend has good job and owns some property (as you stated), she should apply for a tourist visa, with her qualifications, she is certainly granted a visa in no time.

From my experience, most my former collegues came to visit me in the U.S. through this route. When they gone to the Embassy, they had all the required important documents: letter from the boss along with pay stubs ( the last six months paid), bank accounts (the balance was at least in high six figures), the land ownership ( chanot). A couple of my friends received a 10-year visa on the same day when they applied.

There should be any problem if your lady meets all the requirements.

[vinny]

See also Visa Denials

[jimmym40]

Everything said above is true. If the A.Embassy personnel has any inclination that she is going to "visit" a gentleman, chances are the visa will be refused.

I would recommend also that she go this route: Let her pretend she just wants to "see" the USA. Book a trip (14 day) with a travel agency that sponsors group travel. This will look more "real" that she is just going on a short visit. I'm not exactly sure, but I've seen first hand people that have done this normally get a visa good for at least six months, so she would probably be good to stay and "visit" with you for a longer period than just the 14 day tour group. Let the travel agent do all the paperwork also, increase chances of approval. Oh, just to make myself a bit more clear, after she books the trip with a travel agency to "wherever", maybe LA, SF and Vegas, once she gets in the US (LA more than likely), she could just leave the group and go on her own. Also recommend she inform the tour leader that she would prefer to do the "sites" on her own so they don't get alarmed.

Hope things work out.

Good Luck.

[Tinkelbell]

Everything said above is true. If the A.Embassy personnel has any inclination that she is going to "visit" a gentleman, chances are the visa will be refused.

I would recommend also that she go this route: Let her pretend she just wants to "see" the USA. Book a trip (14 day) with a travel agency that sponsors group travel. This will look more "real" that she is just going on a short visit. I'm not exactly sure, but I've seen first hand people that have done this normally get a visa good for at least six months, so she would probably be good to stay and "visit" with you for a longer period than just the 14 day tour group. Let the travel agent do all the paperwork also, increase chances of approval. Oh, just to make myself a bit more clear, after she books the trip with a travel agency to "wherever", maybe LA, SF and Vegas, once she gets in the US (LA more than likely), she could just leave the group and go on her own. Also recommend she inform the tour leader that she would prefer to do the "sites" on her own so they don't get alarmed.

Hope things work out.

Good Luck.

Whatever you had described above, Thais call " Tour-yeam-yat" = Visiting relatives tour.

It used to be very popular arrangement in the early '80s. Tour companies in BKK arranged several flights a week from BKK to L.A. After arriving in the U.S., these Thai tourists would be taken to tour all the landmarks, stayed at the same accommodation, meals,..etc, for a few days, all these were part of inclusived package at the time they bought the tickets.

Here came an interesting part

After the tour ended, they were allowed to do their own things, some chose to fly to other states to see relatives or visit friends. But everyone supposed to meet up at the L.A. airport at certain spot on the certain date on the plane tickets so to fly back to BKK.

You could guess it, every plane loaded of Thai tourists, less than 30% showed up and flew back to TL. The rest just disappeared in the vast land of Uncle Sam.

Even among Thais living in the U.S. at that time have the names for these tourist Thais who chose to go underground - 'Robinhood'.

So now you know why it's so hard to get a U.S. visa.

[thaihome]

Meet a waiter in a famous SF seafood resturant when my wife and I visited a few years ago that addmitted this was how he had come into the US over 20 years ago and had never gone back.

TH

[gunnyd]

The "typical" person that is given a travel visa at the US embassy, unless they are from the 27 countries on the exempted list, is over 40, married, and has substantial assets and properties in the country they are visiting from. People from SEA will usually get refused a travel visa, unless as others have stated in this thread, they can make a convincing case to the embassy official that they will return to their home country. The US State Department considers all applicants immigrants unless they can prove otherwise.

[Tinkelbell]

Meet a waiter in a famous SF seafood resturant when my wife and I visited a few years ago that addmitted this was how he had come into the US over 20 years ago and had never gone back.

TH

If you have done quite a bit of traveling to tourist cities around the States. You would spot them every where.

I myself have met many of those so called 'Robinhood'. Usually happened after they heard me talking in Thai, then they became quite talkative. I had listened so many stories about their (not so happy) lives. May be they expect you give them big tips.

And I must say I didn't disappointed them. This is my way of 'Tam Boon'.

Most 'Robinhood' found jobs in service industry: taxi driver, cleaning crew, in hotels and casino, in construction business, some pick fruits and vegis in the field, in Thai restaurants, of course, selling fresh produces at flea market stalls..etc.

[bikerlou47]

I am a stateside American man. I'm trying to figure out how to help my Thai friend get a tourist visa to visit me. She cannot afford the trip alone. I am willing to sponsor her.

Will the American Embassy in Bangkok even consider an I-134 "Affidavit of Support", if I fill it out and send it from the U.S. thru the proper channels? I was under the impression that the I-134 is only useful for employees or family members. If the embassy will not consider the I-134, will they consider my financial documents showing I have the means to support my visiting friend?

All I'm trying to do is show significant finances for my Thai friend to visit me as a tourist in the U.S. on a B-2 tourist visa. She has a big family and good job in Thailand. I heard that the American Embassy officer will neither look at an invitation letter from me, nor consider my financials as the sponsoring American. Is this true? I would think that I could sponsor a friend to visit me in the U.S.

If I were in Thailand, could I even get the opportunity to speak to the embassy officer? I would consider coming there to personally meet with the embassy to help my friend get the visa. Please advise. Thanks a million.

If the following are true you have very little chance:

1) Your GF has never traveled outside Thailand

2) Your GF does not have a government job such as teacher or nurse or office worker

3) You live in the U.S.

[b74l]

Absolutely xcellent forum.

I have read a ton of info on what it takes for Thai woman to get US tourist visa. It seems that there is a mixed bag of opinions on whether or not a "sponsor letter", or at least some informative letter from me, just stating some info about who she will be with here in USA--and some say a sponsor letter for tourist visa is not good. In my mind now, I am beginning to believe that a letter from me, with our 3 year contact history info, pix, cell calls (fm my phone), is not going to be a good idea-----and generally, it is up to her to obtain that visa...and she will have to provide convincing evidence (whatever that is supposed to mean) that she will return to Thailand.

That is all fair and good..and best to avoid much topic about me/guy friend in USA. However---how does she get around the question "who do you know and who will you be staying with in the USA". How can that question be answered without knowledge of myself in this puzzle? i mean, cmon, what person, genererally speaking, will just go to another country, expect a tourist visa, and be expected to stay at Marriott hotels for 30/60/90 days--whatever the length of the visa? The interview personnal at the embassy will have to know, and i wud think wud certatinly ask, who she is going to stay wth in the USA. Is the idea that she has "some reason" to return to thailand really hold that much weight?

I have to say that, at least be ready to present, a sponsor letter from me....maybe just hold it just in case. Everyone's different experience here on this forum really makes this a good challenge, if not a very interesting procedure.

perhaps this info helps -- my G/F is about to finish a 9 month staff job on international cruise line (in OCT)..and she spend 3 weeks in USA when she first arrive---so she already has some sort of US visa ..and for sure, able to prove at least she somewhat responsible person..i suggested to her to have cruise write letter/recommendation about her .. to bring to interview to prove she work there.

At any rate -- best regards to everyone, and thx ..

[j0hnga1t]

The sponsor letter WILL NOT HELP.  I just tried it.  My gf had an interview at the US Embassy on July 22.  She doesn't have much money in the bank (coz she sends it to her parents), She has a letter from her employer stating that she makes 20,000 baht per month.  She has a letter from Mahidol University in Bangkok saying that she is attending a degree program. AND a letter from me.  The person at the embassy said (and gave her a form listing various reasons for declination including what he stated) that by US statute, a US Citizen cannot sponsor a foreigner for a "tourist visa" AND that she must be able to demonstrate ON HER OWN that she has close connections/ties outside of the US (in this case Thailand).  Obviously she couldn't do that.....DENIED!

I should have researched here before paying the fee, but then again my gf didn't believe me when I told her it was difficult to get a tourist visa for the US.

[steelepulse]

Hey Op.  How did things turn out for you( 6 months since original post)?  Did she get her visa, did you come to Thailand?