Marrying Foreigner With Kids

[Skunky]

I am marrying a Chinese girl that has a couple of kids from a former marriage. I am a US citizen with a retirement visa for Thailand. Can my wife and kids live with me in Thailand? Also, does anyone know the US rules for taking her kids to the US? I believe I can adopt the kids because the father abandoned them about 10 years ago and can't be located, he left the country. I would appreciate any insight into these two areas.

[soundman]

I am marrying a Chinese girl that has a couple of kids from a former marriage. I am a US citizen with a retirement visa for Thailand. Can my wife and kids live with me in Thailand? Also, does anyone know the US rules for taking her kids to the US? I believe I can adopt the kids because the father abandoned them about 10 years ago and can't be located, he left the country. I would appreciate any insight into these two areas.

Moved to Visa section for answers to the first of your questions.

[ubonjoe]

I am marrying a Chinese girl that has a couple of kids from a former marriage. I am a US citizen with a retirement visa for Thailand. Can my wife and kids live with me in Thailand? Also, does anyone know the US rules for taking her kids to the US? I believe I can adopt the kids because the father abandoned them about 10 years ago and can't be located, he left the country. I would appreciate any insight into these two areas.

Do you have a visa or extension of stay that you got from immigration. If it is an extension of stay you can get an extensions for them as your dependents. You should first go to the Thai embassy or any consulate in China and get them single entry non immigrant O visas as your dependents. You will need marriage certificate and the childrens birth certificates to apply the visas plus a copy of your extension page of your passport. Then go to immigration and apply for their extensionsw during the last 30 days of their 90 day entry. You will need to have the certificates translated to Thai and the translation certified by the ministry of foreign affairs in Bangkok.

The 2nd question is one better posted on the other visa forum. But I can tell you that you can get resident visas for all of them as your dependents but it will take a long time and the cost will be high.

The adoption question would need to be answered by a lawyer in China because that is where it would have to be done.

[Lite Beer]

If you have a 12 month extension of stay from Immigration your Wife can get an extension as your dependant.

As for the kids? They should be able to get the same extension. They should also be at school and able to get education extensions of stay.

Here are the extension rules. Have a look at 2.20