Could anyone who has heard ANYTHING about the effect a U.S. tourist visa rejection has on future applications for that same visa please post? My gf has a relatively weak case but I'm thinking of just going for it and trying this summer anyway while I'm employed in Phnom Penh, but I don't want to do it if it will make future attempts viewed with more suspicion rather than tenacity. (I know it doesn't have an effect on the K-1/3). Officially, the US Embassy says you "may" apply again "if circumstances change", which sounds benign I guess...

Thanks,

Other Questions:

1.) Will the interviewer and reviewer of the "sufficient ties" packet be the same person, and will he/she be bilingual? Does the 'sufficient ties' packet have to be in Thai as well as English?

2.) On the DS-156 form it asks "What is the purpose of your trip" and "Who will pay for your trip", ...are there generally accepted no-no's to answering these questions? Is it ok to write that I will pay for the trip?

3.) The embassy website states: "While an applicant needs to show he has enough money to make the trip, an individual does not need to be rich to get a visa. It is more useful to show the consular officer a steady banking history, with regular deposits and withdrawals, than a letter stating simply that the applicant has lots of money in the bank." Her banking history is going to show 3 big deposits over the last year and a half since we knew eachother, should one try to hide or avoid the fact that it came from the bf or just admit orally or in the paperwork?

4.) It is better to be unmarried than married for the tourist visa right? especially if I'm living in the US? Should anything about marriage be mentioned at all in the 'sufficient ties' packet?

My wife was rejected for a US tourist visa several years ago (before we met) but she recently got a visa to go there with me next month. I can't help much with your other questions but I can attest that it is possible to get a visa, even having been refused one before.

Could anyone who has heard ANYTHING about the effect a U.S. tourist visa rejection has on future applications for that same visa please post? My gf has a relatively weak case but I'm thinking of just going for it and trying this summer anyway while I'm employed in Phnom Penh, but I don't want to do it if it will make future attempts viewed with more suspicion rather than tenacity. (I know it doesn't have an effect on the K-1/3). Officially, the US Embassy says you "may" apply again "if circumstances change", which sounds benign I guess...

Thanks,

Other Questions:

1.) Will the interviewer and reviewer of the "sufficient ties" packet be the same person, and will he/she be bilingual? Does the 'sufficient ties' packet have to be in Thai as well as English?

2.) On the DS-156 form it asks "What is the purpose of your trip" and "Who will pay for your trip", ...are there generally accepted no-no's to answering these questions? Is it ok to write that I will pay for the trip?

3.) The embassy website states: "While an applicant needs to show he has enough money to make the trip, an individual does not need to be rich to get a visa. It is more useful to show the consular officer a steady banking history, with regular deposits and withdrawals, than a letter stating simply that the applicant has lots of money in the bank." Her banking history is going to show 3 big deposits over the last year and a half since we knew eachother, should one try to hide or avoid the fact that it came from the bf or just admit orally or in the paperwork?

4.) It is better to be unmarried than married for the tourist visa right? especially if I'm living in the US? Should anything about marriage be mentioned at all in the 'sufficient ties' packet?

The Thai g/f of a friend of mine was rejected two years ago for a U.S. tourist visa.  He got her a Canadian visa, which surprised me in view of the U.S. rejection, and applied again for her in Vancouver, B.C., rejected again, this last summer. He was back here for his annual 6-month stint a few months back and reapplied, approved and she'll be going this summer for a couple of months.

He's known her for 3-4 years now and they do spend their time together when he's here.  

So, yes, there's hope.  BTW, I don't think she has anyappreciable assets but I'm not sure of that.  

As to your Qs:

#1, the U.S. ConOff won't be "bilingual" by definition, but will be able to speak and probably read Thai.  When my  wife got her tourist visa we had documents in both languages, none translated from one to another.

#2, Sure, be explicit, you'll pay for the trip.  Perhaps have a copy of your bank statement available, even a 1040.  They might not be looked at, but ....  

#3,My wife has no "banking history," and she didn't before we got married when she got two short-term visas then her first 10-year visa.  If the Q does come up, she should tell the ConOff that you provided the funds.

#4, Interesting Q.  Are you planning to get married in the U.S. if she gets the tourist visa?  If married prior to application, you'd have to establish that YOU are returning to Thailand, otherwise the ConOff should reject the tourist visa and tell you to apply for an Immigrant visa.  

Mac

Gracias Mac. So your friend ended up never getting a US tourist visa after that initial rejection, only Canadian ones?

#1, the U.S. ConOff won't be "bilingual" by definition, but will be able to speak and probably read Thai. When my wife got her tourist visa we had documents in both languages, none translated from one to another.

I'm a law student and was hoping to use some of my skills to make a really persuasive 'sufficient ties' packet, but are you saying that the ConOff might just read the translated Thai one or wouldn't understand my advanced english? Does that mean I have to pay someone big bucks to translate my english version into Thai (don't really trust the gf to be persuasive if she wrote in her isaan dialect )?

#4, Interesting Q. Are you planning to get married in the U.S. if she gets the tourist visa? If married prior to application, you'd have to establish that YOU are returning to Thailand, otherwise the ConOff should reject the tourist visa and tell you to apply for an Immigrant visa.

Not at all planning on getting married if she gets to the US, but if getting married in Thailand before the application would help, we might do it. I'll be at a job in the summer in Phnom Penh from June-August, maybe we should get married in June and apply for a one week trip at the end of July, showing that I at least would have to return to Thailand? Don't really want to get married just for a visa, but if she got one of those 10 year multiple entrance ones it would be worth it, and we could have a 'real' marriage in the future.

Also, do we need to pay for a plane ticket to get the application considered?

Gracias Mac. So your friend ended up never getting a US tourist visa after that initial rejection, only Canadian ones?

I believe he said that she finally did get one, after a couple of rejections.

Not at all planning on getting married if she gets to the US, but if getting married in Thailand before the application would help, we might do it. I'll be at a job in the summer in Phnom Penh from June-August, maybe we should get married in June and apply for a one week trip at the end of July, showing that I at least would have to return to Thailand? Don't really want to get married just for a visa, but if she got one of those 10 year multiple entrance ones it would be worth it, and we could have a 'real' marriage in the future.

Problem with getting married prior to trying to get a visa is that you would have to show your connections to Thailand. You would need to show why you are returning to Thailand and her reason for returning to Thailand would be because you will be there. If you got married first and were residing in the US, then they would probably deny it on the basis that they would expect her to remain in the US to be with you. They would want you to get a spousal visa at that point, which would be 6-12 months to get.

Someone mentioned that a girl might get 'blacklisted' if she applies too many times. Is that true? I'm looking at only 2 or 3 applications max, and only when circumstances change for her situation. hopefully before that time i'd have finished school and could be employed to satisfy the fiance/immigration visas, which I can't now.