Family Holiday To Usa - Visa For Thai Citizen

[GuestHouse]

Can anyone help with this query.

We are planning a family holiday to the US (New York) this coming August.

My wife (Thai) obviously needs to apply for a Vacation Visitor Visa (actual Visa designation I haven't checked yet).

Does anyone have any recent experience of the application process they can share.

--

For the record we are both resident and employed in Thailand - Our planned Vacation is for a period of around 3 weeks. We plan to stay with family.

My wife has a 'solid' visa record with residence visas for UK, Italy and Singapore... long standing marriage and all the usual boxes ticked, I therefore expect a relatively straightforward application since there is no suggestion of wanting to stay on, work etc. A simple family holiday application.

I'm interested in hearing experience of:

• Using the Online Application Process
  
• Was an interview required
  
• How long did it take to get the interview
  
• How long did the whole process take
  
• Any hitches or tips you can give advise on
  

Edited May 1, 2009 by GuestHouse

[PFV]

I'm not sure about the process in Bangkok, but the following information applies to Chiang Mai:

1) The online application is easy to use to schedule an appointment, but that is where it ends.

2) You need to go to the post office (in Chiang Mai it is only at the main branch near the Ping river) to purchase a "Visa envelope" which includes the visa fee and the return envelope for your Wife's passport. The cost for this, a little over a year ago, was about 4K baht. You can also book the appointment at the post office, but it is slightly more expensive than doing it yourself online (if I remeber correcty it is 300 plus baht at the post office versus 200 and some baht on line).

3) An interview is required and only the visa applicant can attend, you will not be allowed to take part in the interview, however you may write a letter to the consul and it will be read.

4) You schedule the interview when you make the appointment, so allow yourself enough time to collect all the evidence, such as papers from work, bank statements etc. and fill out the 2 forms you will need.

5) The interview takes about a half hour, plus a long wait on the day of the interview, and if granted, the passport is returned within 3/4 days by mail using the pre-purchased envelope.

6) Tips:

a) I highly recommend using a visa processing service because it is easy to forget something important and be sent home on a technicality (such as a bad photo) . In Chiang Mai, I used the shop on the same road as the US Consulate and never had another problem.

There are two forms to fill out, which is not immediately obvious from the information online.

c) They are looking for good reasons to return to Thailand, such as a job, family, etc. and for financial resources to pay for the stay in the US (bank statements, US income tax form, etc., copy of Thai bank passbook, or anything you may have depending on your situation)

d) The first visa is usually granted for a limited amount of time/single entry, if the Consul has some lingering doubts, but subsequently it is easy to get a 10-year multiple-entry visa, if you ask for it

That's all that I can think of now; we went through this a little over a year ago and, all considered, it was much easier than a long-term Schengen visa.

[GuestHouse]

Thanks for a great reply.

Only one question, how long did it take to actually get the interview?

[Svenn]

d) The first visa is usually granted for a limited amount of time/single entry, if the Consul has some lingering doubts, but subsequently it is easy to get a 10-year multiple-entry visa, if you ask for it

You mean once you return from the US you have to apply again for the 10-year one or you can transform your first single-entry one into one somehow?

[ubonjoe]

All applicants must have an interview, The appointment for the visa application can vary but average from what I understand is about 2 weeks. When you go through the online process you can choose the date.

Lots of info here: http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/non-immigrant_visas.html

Also this checklist you can find on website also: http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/root/pdfs/nivchecklist.pdf

Your wife should have no problem getting a visa with her history and the fact both of you are resident here and working.

They will probably give her the 10 year visa.

[PFV]

The time required for an appointment varies and depends on the season, in CM between a few days and a couple of weeks, but it is easy to check online.

If the first visa is single entry, then you need to reapply before your next trip.

[meme]

When my husband(Thai) went for the interview at the US embassy in BKK I was not permitted in the building at all. He was interviewed by a farang who spoke Thai. He was asked three questions: Where are you going? Why are you going? How long will you stay? and then told he would be given the visa. When my husband got his passport back in the mail they gave him a 10 year visa. He only asked to go for one week. I am Canadian and have never lived or worked in the US. We were both employed in Thailand and could show that we had to return for work etc. He also had 3 Canadian tourist visas in his passport. We brought a huge binder of all of our visa documentation that we use at the Canadian embassy, all they wanted was the letter from his employer.

[sbk]

I'd include copies of all your documentation too, GH, to show that you also live here. But otherwise, given your wife's track record, it shouldn't be too difficult.

[hellohello]

Hi GH,

We are in the process now. After I bought our PIN. We chose the interview date. The wait was about 6 weeks to get an available date. We go up to BKK in 10 days.. fingers crossed!

[gorshar]

In our case it was 2006, but the process was as previously described. Except the interview was closer to 30 seconds rather than 30 minutes and the result was a 10-year multi entry. I was allowed in the building, I can't see how the previous poster, being a US citizen, was not allowed in. US Citizen Services is in the same area and though on the outside visa apps and US Citizen Services have separate doors, they all reconnect again on the inside.

I know someone who works in US consulates and had once been stationed in Laos. I asked why the interview was so short. He said, that based on the information provided in the application she was already approved and the interviewer needed only to see that the person standing at the window resembled the person described on paper.

We're now going through the immigrant visa process. So far so good... A couple of potholes but no major bumps in the road... yet.

[ubonjoe]

From recent reports they will not let you into the consular section compound if you arrive together.

My suggestion in a topic about this was to enter separately and tell them you needed to get some information from citizen services. As you said it is separate doors. But you would need to be a US citizen to do it this way.

[featography]

In our case it was 2006, but the process was as previously described. Except the interview was closer to 30 seconds rather than 30 minutes and the result was a 10-year multi entry. I was allowed in the building, I can't see how the previous poster, being a US citizen, was not allowed in. US Citizen Services is in the same area and though on the outside visa apps and US Citizen Services have separate doors, they all reconnect again on the inside.

I know someone who works in US consulates and had once been stationed in Laos. I asked why the interview was so short. He said, that based on the information provided in the application she was already approved and the interviewer needed only to see that the person standing at the window resembled the person described on paper.

We're now going through the immigrant visa process. So far so good... A couple of potholes but no major bumps in the road... yet.

The reason being, they changed their little rule to not allow spouses to accompany them for the interview. Several US citizens have posted that they were not even allowed in the building, the last several months. I personally have contacted two senators in my home state and filed formal complaints. I am waiting for that process to unfold. I shared with the Senators that, I a US citizen should not be banned from entering the consulate for any reason, and I am waiting to hear if they agree.

[GuestHouse]

Thanks for the responses guys, and thanks hellohello, exactly what I wanted to know.

[ubonjoe]

GH

You might want to get started now by setting up the appointment date. I think you can schedule them well in advance.

[CWMcMurray]

The reason being, they changed their little rule to not allow spouses to accompany them for the interview. Several US citizens have posted that they were not even allowed in the building, the last several months. I personally have contacted two senators in my home state and filed formal complaints. I am waiting for that process to unfold. I shared with the Senators that, I a US citizen should not be banned from entering the consulate for any reason, and I am waiting to hear if they agree.

Well this does seem a bit ridiculous, I was planning on heading in with my wife and taking care of some stuff at Citizen services. I wanted to send in application for Social Security number for my daughter and Tax ID number for my wife.

I wonder if I had the forms and a good reason to go in-side if they would let me or if we should go in separately. It seemed like a good idea to care of everything on the same day????

Guest House-

First tourist visa my wife received everything went very smoothly (we only received single entry, but we were both studying at the time and we also told her that we were considering moving back to the US after we finished our studies).

Given the info that you have advised, I don't think your wife should have any problems proving that she will be coming back

[ubonjoe]

Well this does seem a bit ridiculous, I was planning on heading in with my wife and taking care of some stuff at Citizen services. I wanted to send in application for Social Security number for my daughter and Tax ID number for my wife.

I wonder if I had the forms and a good reason to go in-side if they would let me or if we should go in separately. It seemed like a good idea to care of everything on the same day????

Guest House-

First tourist visa my wife received everything went very smoothly (we only received single entry, but we were both studying at the time and we also told her that we were considering moving back to the US after we finished our studies).

Given the info that you have advised, I don't think your wife should have any problems proving that she will be coming back

You could go in separately. Also so you would have no problem make an appointment for citizen services for about the same time.

Link to appointment page: http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/acsappointment.html

[CWMcMurray]

Thanks for the reminder, I had forgot that they now have appointment scheduler online.

I guess if I also had an appointment slip they couldn't keep me out.

[Texpat]

When my husband(Thai) went for the interview at the US embassy in BKK I was not permitted in the building at all. He was interviewed by a farang who spoke Thai. He was asked three questions: Where are you going? Why are you going? How long will you stay? and then told he would be given the visa. When my husband got his passport back in the mail they gave him a 10 year visa. He only asked to go for one week. I am Canadian and have never lived or worked in the US. We were both employed in Thailand and could show that we had to return for work etc. He also had 3 Canadian tourist visas in his passport. We brought a huge binder of all of our visa documentation that we use at the Canadian embassy, all they wanted was the letter from his employer.

Yes, it's a 10-year visa, meme, but there are still limits on the period of stays.

In other words, the visa is valid for 10 years, but he may not go and stay for 10 years.

It's much like the Thai embassy in LA giving me a 1-year visa to Thailand -- but I have to leave every three months.

[ubonjoe]

I would think that they could not turn you away.

Setting up an appointment is exactly what I would do. If you really didn't have anything to do there make an appointment print out the slip and then cancel it later. They just look at the slip when you go through security so no check to see if it's still good.

[meme]

When my husband(Thai) went for the interview at the US embassy in BKK I was not permitted in the building at all. He was interviewed by a farang who spoke Thai. He was asked three questions: Where are you going? Why are you going? How long will you stay? and then told he would be given the visa. When my husband got his passport back in the mail they gave him a 10 year visa. He only asked to go for one week. I am Canadian and have never lived or worked in the US. We were both employed in Thailand and could show that we had to return for work etc. He also had 3 Canadian tourist visas in his passport. We brought a huge binder of all of our visa documentation that we use at the Canadian embassy, all they wanted was the letter from his employer.

Yes, it's a 10-year visa, meme, but there are still limits on the period of stays.

In other words, the visa is valid for 10 years, but he may not go and stay for 10 years.

It's much like the Thai embassy in LA giving me a 1-year visa to Thailand -- but I have to leave every three months.

Yes, sorry I should have wrote multiple entry 10 year visa. My point was just that we only wanted to go for 5 days never asked for a mulitple entry visa but we got this anyway. It was such an easy process but I am assuming it is b/c, as I said, I have never lived there and he had recieved 3 Canadian tourist visas already which seemed to be similar to the OP's situation in that his wife also has a solid visa record and he does not live in the US.

[GuestHouse]

Thanks for the help everyone, my wife's passport came in the post today with a 10yr multiple entry visa.

The interviewer was more concerned about my own residence than that of my wife but made positive responses to my wife's previous visa record and the fact that we have shared bank accounts back home.

Anyway TV Visa section comes up trumps again.

[GuestHouse]

I'd better get saving for the Manhattan Shopping Trip.... either that or start praying that the $ continues its slide.

[ubonjoe]

Good news GH.

Now no worries for 10 years.

Except for expenses or course.

[egorm]

I'm not sure about the process in Bangkok, but the following information applies to Chiang Mai:

1) The online application is easy to use to schedule an appointment, but that is where it ends.

2) You need to go to the post office (in Chiang Mai it is only at the main branch near the Ping river) to purchase a "Visa envelope" which includes the visa fee and the return envelope for your Wife's passport. The cost for this, a little over a year ago, was about 4K baht. You can also book the appointment at the post office, but it is slightly more expensive than doing it yourself online (if I remeber correcty it is 300 plus baht at the post office versus 200 and some baht on line).

3) An interview is required and only the visa applicant can attend, you will not be allowed to take part in the interview, however you may write a letter to the consul and it will be read.

4) You schedule the interview when you make the appointment, so allow yourself enough time to collect all the evidence, such as papers from work, bank statements etc. and fill out the 2 forms you will need.

5) The interview takes about a half hour, plus a long wait on the day of the interview, and if granted, the passport is returned within 3/4 days by mail using the pre-purchased envelope.

6) Tips:

a) I highly recommend using a visa processing service because it is easy to forget something important and be sent home on a technicality (such as a bad photo) . In Chiang Mai, I used the shop on the same road as the US Consulate and never had another problem.

There are two forms to fill out, which is not immediately obvious from the information online.

c) They are looking for good reasons to return to Thailand, such as a job, family, etc. and for financial resources to pay for the stay in the US (bank statements, US income tax form, etc., copy of Thai bank passbook, or anything you may have depending on your situation)

d) The first visa is usually granted for a limited amount of time/single entry, if the Consul has some lingering doubts, but subsequently it is easy to get a 10-year multiple-entry visa, if you ask for it

That's all that I can think of now; we went through this a little over a year ago and, all considered, it was much easier than a long-term Schengen visa.

Hi PFV,

I was just wondering about your tip #6

I was hoping you could give me the name and address of the Agency on the same road as the consulate in Chaing Mia so I can look into it. I would really appreciate it. I think its a good idea to consult with someone who does this every day of the week and understands the stumbling blocks. ~ EG