How Long For Us Visa For New Wife?

[dchi2031]

I was told about 180 days, the problem is I'm being laid off from my job here in Thailand and I will loose my work permit soon. I must return to the US soon for a new job starting in Oct. Is there any way to speed up this proccess? Would it be better for me to stay in Thailand the whole time until the proccess is approved even though I will be unemployed? It will be difficult for me to travel in and out of the country so much extending my visa for the next 6 months.

Facts:

I have lived and worked in thailand since Nov 06.

I just married with thai wife this month.

My last day at work will be Aug 15. My work visa will expire Sept. 15

My wife has a college degree and speaks fluent english and is 24 years old.

Please let me know if I left out some important information.

[SoCal]

Unsure if the length of your marriage will be an issue, but generaly the fastest route for those living in Thailand is to file form I-30 with department of homeland security in BKK.

My friend did it in Saigon, and took him about 6 weeks to get her visa.

[wasabi]

How are you able to complete the process so fast? I was married to a Thai woman and I had to wait nearly 9 months before her visa was issued.

[SaigonDaze]

I have a friend who submitted his I-130 in December 07 in BKK and his wife had her Visa in early March (just over 3 months). Took 6 months for my VN wife to get her Visa in Saigon.

[siamamerican]

I was told about 180 days, the problem is I'm being laid off from my job here in Thailand and I will loose my work permit soon. I must return to the US soon for a new job starting in Oct. Is there any way to speed up this proccess? Would it be better for me to stay in Thailand the whole time until the proccess is approved even though I will be unemployed? It will be difficult for me to travel in and out of the country so much extending my visa for the next 6 months.

Facts:

I have lived and worked in thailand since Nov 06.

I just married with thai wife this month.

My last day at work will be Aug 15. My work visa will expire Sept. 15

My wife has a college degree and speaks fluent english and is 24 years old.

Please let me know if I left out some important information.

This is a difficult question to answer. There are so many variables. From my personal experience with the emabassy and immigration is that they overstate the processing times. The college education and English will help, but the most important factor will her financial well being. If she has a home and money in the bank, the process will be smoother. If she doesn't, she is going to need a sponsor and the application process is a little more difficult.

I was in your position 6 years ago and other than me prograstinating at the beginning of the app process, it was done in about 3 months. My only advice is to not delay and start tomorrow.

[dchi2031]

Thanks for all the information.

[thaihome]

You only need to be in Thailand to submitt the I-130 to the Bangkok USCIS office. Once they agree to process it you can leave and the wife can do the rest of the paperwork and you do not have to be present for the interview.

If you pay attention to the paperwork, should take about 3 months. Most of that is waiting for the interview.

There are several threads here on doing this in Thailand as opposed to using a US Service Center. Do a search

TH

[Galong]

Would you have to have a job lined up in the US before they'd consider letting you bring your wife back?

What is considered 'married' by the US Government? I mean, would you have to register your marriage with the US Embassy in Bangkok for it to be recognized? Is a Buddhist wedding considered a real marriage to the US Gov?

Does a common law marriage carry any benefits? I've been with my wife (I consider her my wife) for more than 14 years, but we never bothered getting that piece of paper.

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Would you have to have a job lined up in the US before they'd consider letting you bring your wife back?

What is considered 'married' by the US Government? I mean, would you have to register your marriage with the US Embassy in Bangkok for it to be recognized? Is a Buddhist wedding considered a real marriage to the US Gov?

Does a common law marriage carry any benefits? I've been with my wife (I consider her my wife) for more than 14 years, but we never bothered getting that piece of paper.

A Buddhist "ceremony" is not a marriage in Thai law, thus won't be a marriage in U.S. law either.  Needs to be REGISTERED at the local amphur.  NO need, and really no way to do it, to register at the U.S. Embassy, they don't care.  "Common law association here in Thailand doesn't count either.

Regarding having a job or not, if not it does raise a Q as to how you plan to support her.  Part of the applicaiton for an IV (Immigrant Visa) is an Affidavit of Support, form I-134.  You should visit the CIS www site and look at the forms and process required.

www.uscis.gov

Lots of information via the U.S. Embassy's www site:  http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/immigrant_visas.html

Mac

] I-134, Affidavit of Support InstructionsFile Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTML

Form I-134 (Rev. 07/14/06)Y Page 2. V. Information and USCIS Forms. For information on immigration laws, regulations and. procedures or to order USCIS forms ...

www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-134.pdf

[PuaSai]

I just got married in June 2008 in Bangkok and it was quite simple. Went to the Embassy site and made an appointment for notary service before I left Iraq. Its best to do this because they were changing over to this type system. The American Citizen Services was VERY helpful in emailing me the forms I would need to fill out. I also had to have a copy of my divorce decree from my last marriage (which was an American woman by the way). With the forms filled out, you go to the waiting room and turn right to the window. Hand your documents in and they will give you a fee slip. Turn around and walk to the cashier to pay. CASH only in Thai Baht or USD. Make sure you get your receipt. Go back to the window and I believe I handed them my passport with the receipt. Then wait until your name is called. If you have been previosuly married you have to fill out another form they will give you and they just look at the divorce decree verifying you have it. When they call your name, they have you swear that the information is correct and then you sign, they witness and notorize.

When you leave the Embassy, turn right and walk down the sidewalk a block or two and there are signs for translation services available. One of the firms had someone outside asking if you needed service. They did the translation from English to Thai for the Embassy documents. Then they took them to the Thai Ministry of Interior for us and got them officially stamped. The next day we met and they accompanied us to the Amphur in Bangrak. Worth it because they know the people there and it went smoothly. We were given a Marriage Book with two certificates in it, both in Thai. The same service gave us an English translation for me to take back to Iraq so I could add my wife to my records. It worked fine. I would suggest though that you pay the extra fee for them to take the "Certified True Translation" to the Ministry of Interior for the Official Stamps just in case. Now we have to travel to where my wife was born to the Amphur there so she can legally change her last name. All in all a painless process and per the U.S. Embassy, this is a recognized marriage for the United States. Now comes the fun part and that is starting the immigration process.

The I-130 has to be filed and there is a $335.00 USD filing fee. You can get that on the immigration site mentioned in this string. Thats as far as I have gotten so far, still have to fill it out. Someone gave me a website for "mythaivisa.com" which states it is a legal service that walks your Thai wife through all the paperwork and police check, medicalexam, Embassy interview etc.. I believe the fee is $1695.00 USD. Is anyone familiar with this "law firm" or have any suggestions of a firm who did what they feel was a great job for them? I am going to be in Iraq at least one more year, so thats why I am doing this now.

Thanks so much and hope the above information helps.

Would you have to have a job lined up in the US before they'd consider letting you bring your wife back?

What is considered 'married' by the US Government? I mean, would you have to register your marriage with the US Embassy in Bangkok for it to be recognized? Is a Buddhist wedding considered a real marriage to the US Gov?

Does a common law marriage carry any benefits? I've been with my wife (I consider her my wife) for more than 14 years, but we never bothered getting that piece of paper.

A Buddhist "ceremony" is not a marriage in Thai law, thus won't be a marriage in U.S. law either.  Needs to be REGISTERED at the local amphur.  NO need, and really no way to do it, to register at the U.S. Embassy, they don't care.  "Common law association here in Thailand doesn't count either.

Regarding having a job or not, if not it does raise a Q as to how you plan to support her.  Part of the applicaiton for an IV (Immigrant Visa) is an Affidavit of Support, form I-134.  You should visit the CIS www site and look at the forms and process required.

www.uscis.gov

Lots of information via the U.S. Embassy's www site:  http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/immigrant_visas.html

Mac

] I-134, Affidavit of Support InstructionsFile Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTML

Form I-134 (Rev. 07/14/06)Y Page 2. V. Information and USCIS Forms. For information on immigration laws, regulations and. procedures or to order USCIS forms ...

www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-134.pdf

Edited July 26, 2008 by PuaSai

[SaigonDaze]

I just got married in June 2008 in Bangkok and it was quite simple. Went to the Embassy site and made an appointment for notary service before I left Iraq. Its best to do this because they were changing over to this type system. The American Citizen Services was VERY helpful in emailing me the forms I would need to fill out. I also had to have a copy of my divorce decree from my last marriage (which was an American woman by the way). With the forms filled out, you go to the waiting room and turn right to the window. Hand your documents in and they will give you a fee slip. Turn around and walk to the cashier to pay. CASH only in Thai Baht or USD. Make sure you get your receipt. Go back to the window and I believe I handed them my passport with the receipt. Then wait until your name is called. If you have been previosuly married you have to fill out another form they will give you and they just look at the divorce decree verifying you have it. When they call your name, they have you swear that the information is correct and then you sign, they witness and notorize.

When you leave the Embassy, turn right and walk down the sidewalk a block or two and there are signs for translation services available. One of the firms had someone outside asking if you needed service. They did the translation from English to Thai for the Embassy documents. Then they took them to the Thai Ministry of Interior for us and got them officially stamped. The next day we met and they accompanied us to the Amphur in Bangrak. Worth it because they know the people there and it went smoothly. We were given a Marriage Book with two certificates in it, both in Thai. The same service gave us an English translation for me to take back to Iraq so I could add my wife to my records. It worked fine. I would suggest though that you pay the extra fee for them to take the "Certified True Translation" to the Ministry of Interior for the Official Stamps just in case. Now we have to travel to where my wife was born to the Amphur there so she can legally change her last name. All in all a painless process and per the U.S. Embassy, this is a recognized marriage for the United States. Now comes the fun part and that is starting the immigration process.

The I-130 has to be filed and there is a $335.00 USD filing fee. You can get that on the immigration site mentioned in this string. Thats as far as I have gotten so far, still have to fill it out. Someone gave me a website for "mythaivisa.com" which states it is a legal service that walks your Thai wife through all the paperwork and police check, medicalexam, Embassy interview etc.. I believe the fee is $1695.00 USD. Is anyone familiar with this "law firm" or have any suggestions of a firm who did what they feel was a great job for them? I am going to be in Iraq at least one more year, so thats why I am doing this now.

Thanks so much and hope the above information helps.

I wouldn't waste your money on one of these services. All the information you need is available via the USCIS website to fill out/gather all the documents you need. The process is time consuming, but it's not difficult to do by yourself. Save your $$ for the honeymoon

[shawndoc]

Check out visajourney.com. Its a community for K1/K3 visa applicants, and contains all sorts of useful information and a really active forum filled with people going through the same process.

[EricZ]

Buy the book, "Fiance & Marriage Visas, A couples guide to US Immigration", published by Nolo Books. Its a good step by step insturction on how to fill out each form, timming, what to expect etc.

[Thaicowboy]

My Thai fiancee just got here in LA July 23, 2008. I filed for the K1 visa on Nov 5, 2007. I heard a K1 is faster than a K3. I did not use a legal firm I think it would be a waste of money. There's lot's to do but I found visa journey very helpful http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...e=k1guide#proof It's a hurry up and wait process. You will need a job for the affidavite of support. Ours took an extra month because my tgf lived previously in Hong Kong and needed a CNCC. Good luck.