Usa Visa

[wally1k]

Hi

Well I have accumulated much information regarding getting a tourist visa for a visit to the USA for myself and my thai girlfriend. She understands and speaks English moderately well. She is employed in a family business..

In talking with my embassy in Chiang Mai the feeling is that it all depends on proving that she will return to Thailand. A job, family, land ownership, loans, mortgages, education, a bank account in her name with regular deposits and withdrawals.... and so on. Anything and everything that would convince the embassy that she will be returning to Thailand after

I am retired and living in Thailand. Perhaps even this would be useful??

I am told by a reliable source that nearly 80% of those that apply for tourist visas are accepted. Still I just met a couple that were married with a child and were refused a tourist visa on two occasions.

Anyway I think I have done a pretty good job researching this... If anyone out there has additional comments of suggestions I would like to hear them.

Also I hope this information might be valuable to others.....

Peace

Walt

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Hi

Well I have accumulated much information regarding getting a tourist visa for a visit to the USA for myself and my thai girlfriend. She understands and speaks English moderately well. She is employed in a family business..

In talking with my embassy in Chiang Mai the feeling is that it all depends on proving that she will return to Thailand. A job, family, land ownership, loans, mortgages, education, a bank account in her name with regular deposits and withdrawals.... and so on. Anything and everything that would convince the embassy that she will be returning to Thailand after

I am retired and living in Thailand. Perhaps even this would be useful??

I am told by a reliable source that nearly 80% of those that apply for tourist visas are accepted. Still I just met a couple that were married with a child and were refused a tourist visa on two occasions.

Anyway I think I have done a pretty good job researching this... If anyone out there has additional comments of suggestions I would like to hear them.

Also I hope this information might be valuable to others.....

Peace

Walt

]Mac says: Above perhaps the most important, just be able to establish that YOU are really established here. Bank account, car, house/apartment lease, "retirement" extensions in your passport, magazine subscriptions, IRS letters, Social Security mailings, etc. Worked for my now wife several times, first two short term visas, #3 a 10-year. The ConOff didn't even bother to talk to her, just me and my paperwork.

Regarding the married couple, the ConOff might have thought they were trying to jump the normal Immigrant Visa queue by getting a tourist visa then adjusting status in the U.S. That's a fairly common ploy, unfortunately. Makes it more difficult for married folks to get a tourist visa. Indeed, my wife got a new 10-year visa a couple years ago, but again, based primarily on her 6-7 round trips to the U.S. and my continued status retired in Thailand. Again, the ConOff didn't ask her anything, mainly looked at my paperwork.

Mac

[DirectorIntegrityLegal]

Wally,

I don't mean to sound overly pessimistic, but it has been my experience that the vast majority of Tourist Visas are rejected. That being said, you and your girlfriend sound more qualified than others to obtain this visa. The major problem with the tourist visa is the fact that it is so subjective, you could have all of the documentation in the world and still be rejected based upon little more than the interviewing officer's gut reaction. More than anything, the biggest factor will be proving you have ties to Thailand and you both intend to return. Otherwise its very probable that the Consular Official will view you as attempting to circumvent the specified visa route. Please feel free to contact me if you need any assistance.

Best of Luck,

Ben Hart

Managing Director

Integrity Legal

WWW.INTEGRITY-LEGAL.COM

[thaihome]

Wally,

I don't mean to sound overly pessimistic, but it has been my experience that the vast majority of Tourist Visas are rejected. ...

I highly doubt that the vast majority of applications are rejected. Your experience is undoubtedly skewed by your cliental. It is my experience that most tourist visa applications are by normal middle class Thais that actually go to the US on vacations and have little trouble getting them approved.

This is in addition to the many more that go on business visas.

I do agree the most important thing is the OP’s ties to Thailand.

TH

[RPETER65]

I have gone through the process with my wifes sister and brother inlaw. In our case it was very simple, downloade the application form off the U.S. embassy website, filled it out, made an appointment on line with the embassy, had an approval in less than an hour, and most of that time was waiting to be called.You should gather as much data as you can to show that she has strong ties ti Thailand, as a previous poster suggested. In our case I also wrote a letter to the embassy stating that I would be supporting them while they were in the U.S.. The official at the embassy seemed quite interested as to qualify the applicant needs to show means of support while they are in Thailand.