Tourist Visa To Usa For Girlfriend

[johndpoole]

Can somebody please tell me what mistakes not to make while applying for a US Tourist Visa for my Thia GF. If this has been gone over in other forums please direct me to them.

[ThaiVisaExpress]

Have you tried Integrity Legal maybe they can help you ?

[johndpoole]

Have you tried Integrity Legal maybe they can help you ?

I am open to seeking legal help but am wondering if it is really worth it? I mean it is not like they can change the facts/answers on application ... though I am sure they can make them sound better.

I appreciate the referal, it is helpful but am wondering if anyone has any real world experiences with and without legal help.

Thanks

[johndpoole]

Have you tried Integrity Legal maybe they can help you ?

I am open to seeking legal help but am wondering if it is really worth it? I mean it is not like they can change the facts/answers on application ... though I am sure they can make them sound better.

I appreciate the referal, it is helpful but am wondering if anyone has any real world experiences with and without legal help.

Thanks

PS. Any guest-estimate on what hiring an attorney or specialist would cost?

[ericthai]

John,

Not sure about a tourist visa as I applied for a K1, I did it myself. You are correct all the law firms really do is complete the forms, Im sure they can provide some help hints but the cost is high. I checked with one place they wanted 60,000. Have heard of some others wanting more than this. I'm in the middle of the K1 process. The application has been approved in the USA, now waiting on Bangkok embassy interview and approval.

For a tourist visa a few of my friends have gotten them, but they all owned their own companies. One of my friends got a visa for his girlfriend. the big thing is to show she has ties to Thailand and is going to need to return. If you are working here and have a work permit this will help as it will show you need to return to work. If she is working that is a big plus.

You might want to surf the forum for other posts.

[DirectorIntegrityLegal]

John,

Not sure about a tourist visa as I applied for a K1, I did it myself. You are correct all the law firms really do is complete the forms, Im sure they can provide some help hints but the cost is high. I checked with one place they wanted 60,000. Have heard of some others wanting more than this. I'm in the middle of the K1 process. The application has been approved in the USA, now waiting on Bangkok embassy interview and approval.

For a tourist visa a few of my friends have gotten them, but they all owned their own companies. One of my friends got a visa for his girlfriend. the big thing is to show she has ties to Thailand and is going to need to return. If you are working here and have a work permit this will help as it will show you need to return to work. If she is working that is a big plus.

You might want to surf the forum for other posts.

Law Firms specializing in United States Immigration do not simply "fill in forms." I do not mean to single anyone out, but this is a notion that is not only incorrect, but also somewhat negligent as it implies that professional advice is not needed for serious Immigration issues.

I liken US Immigration practice in the legal profession to dermatology in the medical profession. Much like dermatologists, the routine cases we handle can be straightforward. Meanwhile, much like skin cancer or other serious skin illnesses, serious Immigration matters can be HIGHLY complex and require specialized knowledge. This is due to the fact that US Immigration is mostly statute driven and it requires a narrow as well as deep understanding of the relevant rules and regulations. Many people opt to hire an attorney for family immigration because they want convenience and also to keep a major legal problem from coming up (the advice of a US Immigration attorney can help forestall the issuance of an RFE or a 221g, further having an attorney on hand can be a great benefit should one of these be issued).

The idea that one hires an Immigration firm to "fill in forms" oversimplifies the nature of the practice. Yes, so called "visa companies" (who have no right to practice immigration law before USCIS, if they are not licensed to practice law) simply fill in forms. However, an actual law firm headed by a licensed attorney can advise clients of strategies and methods to speed up the process or assist in presenting evidence in the most favorable light. Unlike some "visa agents," a reputable licensed lawyer will act as an advocate, but never advise the use of dishonesty.

Many people opt to pursue their immigration objectives on their own. We do not begrudge these endeavors and wish everyone luck in reaching their immigration goals. That being said, I try to provide assistance in the form of general information on this forum for those filing for US Immigration benefits on their own. In point of fact, there is really not a great deal that a US Immigration attorney can do in assisting with tourist visa applications. In my practice, I find that I turn down a large number of Tourist visa cases as I do not believe they are likely to receive approval. Those who hire an attorney for a B2 application, mostly do so for convenience.

In the OP's situation, the fact that he refers to his Thai girlfriend already brings up problems under 214b of the US Immigration and Nationality Act, as this can be construed as a possible strong tie to the US and a bond that would weaken her ties to Thailand. That being said, this negative factor could be mitigated by showing the US Citizen's ties to Thailand (work permit, long term visa, etc.) or the Thai national's strong ties to the Kingdom(property that must be maintained, job, family ties, social ties, etc).

This Thread is fairly explanatory for a worst case scenario. Although all of my dealing with US Embassy staff have been cordial, the current officers in the non-immigrant visa section seem to be "no-nonsense," most likely due to the large caseload they have to deal with in that section. My best advice for those seeking a tourist visa through this post would be: present all of the best evidence you have, make sure it is well organized, dress well for the interview, and tell the truth.

I hope this has been helpful.

Best of Luck to the OP!

Benjamin Hart

US Immigration Attorney

Integrity Legal

[Pakboong]

It is extremely helpful that she is in a position to take a vacation to the US without your assistance. She must have the funds and a serious set of reasons to return to Thailand. Your putting funds in her bank account will not fool anyone. If she pays taxes, her tax receipts are clear evidence as to her ability to travel and maintain herself internationally. Your relationship with her is of little or no value in this process.

[johndpoole]

It is extremely helpful that she is in a position to take a vacation to the US without your assistance. She must have the funds and a serious set of reasons to return to Thailand. Your putting funds in her bank account will not fool anyone. If she pays taxes, her tax receipts are clear evidence as to her ability to travel and maintain herself internationally. Your relationship with her is of little or no value in this process.

Thanks for the help. I have read a bit on this too and that is why I am concerned. She own a house in BKK, has strong family ties including a daughter in college. However, work wise she has never paid taxes but does pretty consistently show montly income going into the bank from her job. Years ago she owned a store but the last 4 years there isn't much verifiable.

I am on a 1-yr Education Visa here and the idea was to go back for the holidays.

One thing I am confused about is how long a Tourist Visa to the US is good for. I have read conflicting things. If she asks for two weeks is that all she will be allowed? I read something that said they are good for 6-months at a time and are reusable but no stay can be over 6-months.

[DirectorIntegrityLegal]

The duration of the tourist visa and the proposed entrant's stay in the USA is dependent upon both the Consular Officer and the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Agent at the port of entry in the USA. The Consular Officer has discretion to issue a visa with a long validity period. For instance, the Consular Officer could grant a 10 year tourist visa to an applicant. That being said, the CBP officer at the port of entry makes the determination as to how long the entrant will be allowed to remain in lawful status in the USA. Before 9/11, it was common for entrants to be stamped in for 90 days or 6 months upon entry. In more recent years, it has been common practice for them to stamp entrants in for the duration of the proposed stay or for relatively shorter periods such as 30 days.

Consular Officers often grant a 1 year tourist visa initially as a sort of "probationary" visa. If the entrant obeys the rules and shows that they are not an intending immigrant, Consular Officers have been known to grant 10 year visas in later applications.

I hope this was helpful and best of luck!

Benjamin Hart

US Immigration Attorney

Integrity Legal

[shawndoc]

You're just going to need to convince the CO at the embassy that she has ties to Thailand and is going to return when she gets back. So the more evidence of this you can provide, the better. So bring whatever documents you can to show she owns property, several months of bank statements to show she has a normal flow of money in/out of the bank, and any proof of family links in Thailand.

Since she is your girlfriend, they will probably be suspicious that she if flying to America to marry you on the wrong visa (tourist vs K1). So just make sure she doesn't say anything that would imply there's a chance she'll get married while visiting you.

Also helps if she knows something of US history and can show a definite interest in seeing America/learning more about it. She should be able to say exactly what she's planning to do/see while in America.

[CWMcMurray]

When my wife went back to the US to visit my family with me, we did it ourselves and the process was pretty painless.

We filled out all of the forms and submitted proof of ties to Thailand... at the time we were both going to school here in Thailand and both had letter from the schools showing our status and copy of the semester break schedules.

Interview took about 2 min and she received a single entry visa (I think it was valid for 3 mo, but we were only planning on staying in the US for a week). I was really surprised how simple the interview went.

The embassy officer asked me why I looked surprised and I told her the truth.... you hear all of the nightmare stories about how difficult it is to get a tourist visa to the US.

Her reply was... It's easy to see that you will both be coming back to Thailand and thats all we are really looking for.

[DirectorIntegrityLegal]

It's easy to see that you will both be coming back to Thailand and thats all we are really looking for.

That pretty much sums up how one overcomes the presumption of immigrant intent

[CWMcMurray]

Have you tried Integrity Legal maybe they can help you ?

I am open to seeking legal help but am wondering if it is really worth it? I mean it is not like they can change the facts/answers on application ... though I am sure they can make them sound better.

I appreciate the referal, it is helpful but am wondering if anyone has any real world experiences with and without legal help.

Thanks

They can't change the facts but whether or not to hire a lawyer to help is very much based upon your personal circumstances...

If you can put together a compelling case (with supporting Documentation) that your GF will return to Thailand then most likely you will not need to.

If you are unsure about what that standard means and would like advice or if you are not comfortable with filling out government forms then it may be worth it.

They can not of course manufacture any proof, they would most likely only ask questions to dermine your situation to see if there may be other possible ways to prove she will be coming back that you may not have thought of and advise what types of documentation will be needed to support your application.

Also if you are in the US and your GF will be applying alone and she would be more comfortable with someone helping, then it may be worth it.

At the end of the day they are providing a service ... only you can "weigh the scales" based upon your personal situation and decide if it is worth it for you.

Edited October 22, 2009 by CWMcMurray