I just started to research the steps involved in getting a visa for a Thai woman I met in Bangkok. How difficult is it in getting a tourist visa versus a fiancee visa? Can someone describe the steps involved in bringing her to US soil? I'd like for her to come over on a tourist visa first. But from what I've read so far, it seems harder than just applying for a fiancee Visa with the appropriate documentation. Would an immigration attorney help me in anyway, or should we do this on our own?

It is pretty straight forward to get either one of the visas.

A tourist visa is pretty difficult for a single Thai woman. She will need to show why she will be returning to Thailand. This will require a very good job, probably need to own a business. She will need to own property. She will have to have close family ties. She will need to have a good amount of money in the bank.

A fiancee visa will take 8-12 months. My wife and I did her visa on our own. It is not really that difficult.

The tourist visa will be tough..unless she meets the above mentioned criteria.

If you are planning to try for a fiance visa, you will need evidence of your relationship. Pictures of you together, pictures with her family, phone bills, letters, e-mails, packages, receipts etc. Preferably over a long period of time.

She will need (or I should say will be asked to provide) work history going back 10 years, listing supervisors names and addresses.

She will be asked to show bank statements that show consistent deposits...as if from a weekly paycheck.

All this and much more.

There are many useful threads on this site, use the search function and you will have loads of info to assist you.

The U.S immigration website USCIS can really help as well.

And yes it can be done on your own.

Good Luck,

Eric

A friend just last week got a visa for a straight out bar girl to visit the US. It seems to be getting much easier to get visa's now.

A friend just last week got a visa for a straight out bar girl to visit the US. It seems to be getting much easier to get visa's now.

Was your friend living in Thailand? It is much easier if you are living in Thailand and can show a relationship between the two of you. That shows that she will probably return to Thailand to be with you. But if you are living in the US, then that is even more reason for them to overstay in the US.