Going To The U.s. -- The Other Way Around

[hellohello]

Hello TV,

We are planning our first trip to my home country next summer. We will apply for a US tourist visa for my Thai husband. I’m fairly confident that it will be granted as we can prove our ties to Thailand. A successful Thai business, houses, land and my permanent O visa. We've been together for over 7 years - legally married for over 3. He has a US tax ID number since we file my US taxes as a married couple. Hubby has traveled many times all over Asia, in the last few years and always returned to Thailand.

Here's my ?

With these amazing fares from KL to London we are considering going the other way- visiting friends in London perhaps going on to Europe for a week and then to the US.

What kind of visa will he need? What are our chances and costs? I would guess that if we were granted his US visa, a UK one would be easier.

Thoughts – comments? please

Thank you HH

[7by7]

Given your circumstances, a UK visit visa should be a formality.

See here for how to apply.

The UK is not part of the Shengen area, so a UK visa will not allow entry into other European states. If you want to travel in Europe as well you will need a Schengen visa as well for this, and should apply for this to the embassy of the first country you intend to visit. See Schengen Agreement

All applications should be made to the appropriate embassy in Bangkok before you leave Thailand.

Edited February 1, 2009 by 7by7

[Svenn]

I agree, if you're married the UK visa will be pretty much guaranteed, the least of your worries, since neither of you have connections there. Your chances also seem mostly good for the US Visa... only because you have the permanent O visa and NOT so much because he has returned from Asian countries (I personally don't think the US embassy cares about returns from other asian countries... most of the countries are visa-free or easily obtainable- i.e. without anything else, they'd still assume your trafficking him around for sex profit or whatever it is that's in the consular's head). I've seen lots of posts here and other lawyers seem to agree that 'proving attachments to Thailand' is a pretty perilous crapshoot- lots of stories on thaivisa of really rich thai-farangs couples being denied... the main things that DO work are 1. the farang having permanent residence in Thailand, and 2. the thai returning from other Western countries. If you have either one of those, I think the thai is pretty much guranteed the visa. These are my opinions at least.