Visa For People Who Live In Thailand For 40 Years Without Visa

[khaowong1]

After living in Thailand for 40 years without a visa, there's no way in hel_l of ever getting a visa to visit the U.S.

It's not going to happen. If he has kids here, he should probably get his marriage authorized and then maybe he can stay here on a father of a thai kid visa.. a thai attorney "might" know what to do. But please, don't do something stupid thinking you can get your father to the U.S.

When the U.S. immigration sees what he has done here, they won't even consider to give him a visa to visit the U.S.

[mango66]

This is a rare situation. My dad who came from Taiwan 40 years ago.

His Taiwanese visa has expired and Thai work permit has expired long time ago.

He has 2 kids and live with my mom without legally married.

He doesn't own anything in Thailand.

He never met his family ever since.

He now found out that some of his family live in USA and he wants to visit them.

Here come the questions:

1. How can he travel? get visa of cause but how?

2. What is the best way to get a visa? Should he re-do his Taiwan visa from Thailand? or can he get Thai Visa?

3. I am trying to help him by trying to get a US citizenship (I have a greencard now), is that going to help?

The reason why he let this go for so long and didn't take an action legally is because he needs to work to pay 2 kids tuitions, he afraid if he deal with legal and if police found out he might not be able to live in Thailand with me and my mom. He does wants to come back to Thailand to continue living to the rest of his life after he visit his family in USA.

Someone who has experience or know how to make this work please contact me Edit: PM member

This is a life time issue my dad is 78 now and he wants to see his family for the last time of his life.

Thank you for your time.

Tara

Hi Tara !

As others already mention,

to get USA Visa will be difficult,

and get Visa for to live in Thai again would be difficult or expensive;

How you can stay 40 years without documents -

or he were looking similar to some relatives -

smilin on pic for thai docs ?

good luck,

take care if you want live with your dad !

frank

[Dap]

Every comments make sense and valuable for my dad case. We will take our time and re-think.

If in the end he couldn't visit his relative. It would be his destiny.

Just one thing for you guys to know. He wears yellow every Monday.

Thanks for every comments.

Honestly, my heart goes out to you and your father. The most expediant manner to go forward, IMO is to consult an experienced attorney who is knowledgable with this type of scenario. ThaiVisa can give you an endless array of possibilities, but not the end-line professional information you need. Good Luck

Edited June 14, 2009 by Dap

[Dap]

Every comments make sense and valuable for my dad case. We will take our time and re-think.

If in the end he couldn't visit his relative. It would be his destiny.

Just one thing for you guys to know. He wears yellow every Monday.

Thanks for every comments.

I think he has been very fortunate these 40 years. Good for him. As it seems he cannot visit his long lost relatives, I suggest getting him a SKYPE or MagicJack phone, maybe a video phone. Then they can all get together and chat it up for hours and hours at little cost. Maybe try www.good2call.com for reasonably priced phone cards to/from Thailand. Much cheaper than a plane ticket. Besides, not likely he will get into the U.S. easily.

EDIT: Just thinking about it, I wonder if he might be eligible for Thai citizenship after this long, or by some old law that may apply from the past? I would suggest speaking to a lawyer as well, before giving up. Who knows, maybe he can get a Thai passport?

Worth a try.

Great post and excellent call on the SKYPE possibilities. Cheers on THAT one!

[phil2]

Every comments make sense and valuable for my dad case. We will take our time and re-think.

If in the end he couldn't visit his relative. It would be his destiny.

Just one thing for you guys to know. He wears yellow every Monday.

Thanks for every comments.

Wearing yellow every Monday actually means nothing here. A friend is doing 4yrs for a visa offence, even though he used to wear yellow every Monday, and he wore yellow to the immigration office the day he was invited over together with his wife and kids.

Just let the sleeping dog lie like you've been told.

Good luck.

[lounger]

to get USA Visa will be difficult,

Getting a history will be difficult. History implies reliability. Reliability comes from provable history..

I can imagine the US immigration when they get the application. Their first question will be how sure can they be that the subject will actually leave US at the end of term... the track record smells a bit.

Dont rock the boat.

[skettios]

I agree with some opinions expressed before. Let the sleeping dogs rest. Do not go anywhere. If the man lived for 40 years illegally here and didn't see his family for that long, he can safely keep on keeping on. It will be much less trouble for him at this stage of his life.

I am quite sympathetic to his predicament. If he were a Thai murderer, he would be probably subject to some leniency, pardon or statut limitations... but not a farang. Sometime I think Thai legal system is absolutely and unjustifiably beastly towards all farang.

Sorry for him, but he should accept the reality and stay put.

He's not Farang. He's Taiwanese. That's an important difference. Taiwan is a regional trading partner and there has been a lot of work done on their relationship in the last 10 years.

Tara, I would start this with someone as high up in the Taiwanese embassy. The country is small enough that someone would probably help you. I would hope that they would then contact someone high up at Thai Immigration. I'm sure they will work out something to allow everyone to save face.

Getting a US visa after establishing Taiwan citizenship is no problem. I believe that Taiwanese have a 90 day landing visa.

Edited June 14, 2009 by skettios

[spirit47]

Sorry Spirit, but your English is not too good. Are you sugegsting that a person who has stayed illegaly in the country can get Thai nationality?

That seems higly unlikely, given the Thai nationality law.

Thank you Mario, sorry for my bad english, I'am from Germany.

So if you able to tell me the meaning of:" sugegsting", I accept you as teacher

I know that Thai-law is very restrictive in becoming Thai-nation. And for unregistered people normaly not possible. My friend tell me that in this case many other people will be involved. They must contact Taiwan embassy for make sure the person exist and a lot of other things.

I offer my help for check the situation, but must say, the risk is too high. Most people of this section of gouverment very helpful if they can help. But sometimes have a stupid one and make problems a lot.

So if she can get a USA Visa,

I hope the old man can meet his family, but it would be much easier they come to visit him...

Have a nice day

[PoorSucker]

I agree with some opinions expressed before. Let the sleeping dogs rest. Do not go anywhere. If the man lived for 40 years illegally here and didn't see his family for that long, he can safely keep on keeping on. It will be much less trouble for him at this stage of his life.

I am quite sympathetic to his predicament. If he were a Thai murderer, he would be probably subject to some leniency, pardon or statut limitations... but not a farang. Sometime I think Thai legal system is absolutely and unjustifiably beastly towards all farang.

Sorry for him, but he should accept the reality and stay put.

He's not Farang. He's Taiwanese. That's an important difference. Taiwan is a regional trading partner and there has been a lot of work done on their relationship in the last 10 years.

Tara, I would start this with someone as high up in the Taiwanese embassy. The country is small enough that someone would probably help you. I would hope that they would then contact someone high up at Thai Immigration. I'm sure they will work out something to allow everyone to save face.

Getting a US visa after establishing Taiwan citizenship is no problem. I believe that Taiwanese have a 90 day landing visa.

But only 15 days to Thailand. (VAO)

For the OP, this link is for working without WP : Ministry of labour

Edited June 14, 2009 by PoorSucker

[sabaijai]

Lots of illegal Chinese immigrants from 40 or more years ago have been granted Thai citizenship. As someone pointed out, MHS if full of such cases.

However if he wants a US visa, he should get a Taiwanese passport. Then he can get a longterm visa for Thailand based on family relations (assuming his kids have Thai nationality).

He could also apply for Thai and Taiwanese citizenship simultaneously and hold a passport for each country, using the Taiwan document for travel to the US, and the Thai document for staying in Thailand.

[andrisdg]

Every comments make sense and valuable for my dad case. We will take our time and re-think.

If in the end he couldn't visit his relative. It would be his destiny.

Just one thing for you guys to know. He wears yellow every Monday.

Thanks for every comments.

to much reading in this posting ,but has any one asked the qu and determined in advance if he would be granted a us visa and under what circumstances . if it came to light in the us visa application that he had been a illegal for 40 years in t/land assuming he applied in tiawan my guess is that he would be deemed to be a entry risk and a visa would be denied

[RedBullHorn]

Sorry Spirit, but your English is not too good. Are you sugegsting that a person who has stayed illegaly in the country can get Thai nationality?

That seems higly unlikely, given the Thai nationality law.

Thank you Mario, sorry for my bad english, I'am from Germany.

So if you able to tell me the meaning of:" sugegsting", I accept you as teacher

I know that Thai-law is very restrictive in becoming Thai-nation. And for unregistered people normaly not possible. My friend tell me that in this case many other people will be involved. They must contact Taiwan embassy for make sure the person exist and a lot of other things.

I offer my help for check the situation, but must say, the risk is too high. Most people of this section of gouverment very helpful if they can help. But sometimes have a stupid one and make problems a lot.

So if she can get a USA Visa,

I hope the old man can meet his family, but it would be much easier they come to visit him...

Have a nice day

......."The kettle calling the pot black"....... ......

.....And for unregistered people nomaly not possible. My friend tell me that in this case many other people will be involved.....

My lawyer friend said this case will involve all level right up to the top and it's going to cost a "big gunny sack of Earl Grey Tea"

I imagine his hardship to put his children to school during that time, he knew how to weight his situation and what to choose as his priority back then.....

and to stay under the radar, it's hard to live and endure like that...like a witting mouse....40 years!....Man! He's bless!...

And you're all grown up now and you respect and would like to do the least and best for him.

Tried what others suggested--- Skype or some other video call first, talk it out with them on the other side and ask what they think,

talk about all related serious consequences and plans or options that may backfire.

Then secondly,only after your many video conference calls, decide if you should go and consult not one but a few reputable laywers and match their suggestions on the paper.

Baby steps....Don't rush...be cool and analyse each move. Good luck!

RBH

[Maizefarmer]

He's not going to be jailed, but deported (by himself) when he goes with a ticket and 20,000 baht to the immigration police, after he has a passport.

All indications are that he will be allowed to return to Thailand, there are no known cases of an overstay leading to being blacklisted.

But with an overstay for 40 years he might have difficulty entering the US.

Agreed - on the Thai side there never seems to be a prob: have passport pay fine, go - although it will probably take a bit of imaginative processing on the part of the customs' officer at the airport to get whatever needs to be entered into the computer, entered. Present your old passport - showing proof of your entrance in 1969!!

As for getting the visa to go to the US of A?????? - me thinks given the 40year "blank" the clearance officer handling the application at the American Embassy is going to take one look at it, shake his head in disbelief, then pull out his biggest red "DENIED" stamp!

... and I would think there is also going to be a lot of "processing" and verification having to be done to get the new Taiwanese passport issued - 40years on, looks change and without fingerprints (did the Taiwanese take finger prints 40 years ago), verification of ID could be fun.

Do keep the forum posted on how things pan out, will you - one of the longest overstays I have heard of

[norwayeagle]

Lots of illegal Chinese immigrants from 40 or more years ago have been granted Thai citizenship. As someone pointed out, MHS if full of such cases.

However if he wants a US visa, he should get a Taiwanese passport. Then he can get a longterm visa for Thailand based on family relations (assuming his kids have Thai nationality).

He could also apply for Thai and Taiwanese citizenship simultaneously and hold a passport for each country, using the Taiwan document for travel to the US, and the Thai document for staying in Thailand.

[RedBullHorn]

As for getting the visa to go to the US of A?????? - me thinks given the 40year "blank" the clearance officer handling the application at the American Embassy is going to take one look at it, shake his head in disbelief, then pull out his biggest red "DENIED" stamp!

True!......True!......