Visa "agents" In Thailand

[david96]

What services a Thai visa "agent" can do and what they cannot do for an applicant. These generally apply to an application for a visitors visa/financee visa/ spouse visa to countries such as the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

They can fill in the forms under instruction from the applicant.

They can translate and photocopy documents pertaining to the visa application.

They are not able to:

Obtain Police certificates.

Obtain Medical Certificates or X-rays.

Guarantee a visa application.

Influence an outcome of a visa application.

Attend an interview with an applicant.

If they advise or quote an all up fee for a particular visa they must be able to justify their charges. Visa application fees and costs for Medical examinations,for instance, are these included in the quotation.

They are not legally liable for information supplied by the applicant if a visa application were to be refused.

The applicant and or sponsor/ guarantor are responsible for what they sign for.

The applicant may have to undergo an interview at an Embassy so it is in the applicants own interest to know what is in the documentation.

On the other hand you could use a licenced migration agent or their equivilent in your own country ( if you are a sponsor or guarantor.They should know the immigration requirements). May be advisable if the application is complex or legal problems are envisaged.

From personal experience if you can read and write English the filling in of the forms is the simplest part of the exercise.

Do not be afraid to ask questions, do not take the statement "no problem" for an answer.

A lot of questions can be answered by checking your own countries Immigration website

in the first instance. The applicant must be able to meet the criteria for the type of visa applied for.

( Note: The information contained in this post does not refer to any particular "agent" in Thailand ).

[DirectorIntegrityLegal]

Although I agree with the bulk of your post, there are some discrepancies with regard to what a US attorney can do in a US Immigration case.

Our office routinely assists in Police Clearance obtainment, but the applicant must physically present themselves at the Police Headquarters to apply for the Clearance Certificate. The same goes for the medical examination, but someone from our office goes to get our clients' exam started at the Embassy approved hospital (if nothing else, we try to make certain that the hospital is using the most up-to-date exam forms provided by the Embassy).

For the record, the US does not have anything analogous to "Registered Migration Agents." Certain volunteer organizations such as the Red Cross or the UN can represent individuals before USCIS, but they are not entitled to charge any type of fee beyond something nominal. Only a licensed American attorney is entitled charge a fee to represent clients before USCIS, CBP, ICE, or the Department of Homeland Security in general. Although the US Embassy in Bangkok precludes attorney (or husband/fiance) presence at the visa interview, under the current rules they will correspond with licensed US attorneys with regard to a pending case in the visa unit. This being said, to anyone who is seeking advice regarding US Immigration, no matter who you opt to retain, make certain that they have proper credentials. This can be evidenced by an American Bar Association Membership Card, US State Supreme Court License to practice law (or its territorial equivalent), or a US Federal License to Practice law.

No ethical attorney can guarantee any type of outcome in a given case as all cases are unique and require adjudication by Consular Officers. No ethical attorney should claim any type of "special influence," at the US Embassy. Consular Officers adjudicate cases fairly and impartially, they are not influenced by anything other than the facts of the case and the relevant law.

For those interested in US Immigration or hiring an Immigration attorney: DO NOT BE AFRAID TO ASK QUESTIONS. "No Problem," is not a sufficient answer, ask "why no problem," a competent attorney should be able to explain the process and issues involved in an individual's case. These are major decisions and they should not be made based upon misinformation or half-truths.

I hope this was helpful.

All the Best!

Ben Hart

US Immigration Attorney

Integrity Legal

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Very helpful Ben. Thanks.

[khundon]

The service they excel in the most, is taking your money.

Do it yourself.

If your not capable of filling in a few forms, you won't last 5 minutes here.

Good luck.