Thai Girlfriend/us Citizen Baby Traveling To Us Questions

[ericsin]

Hiya -

My thai girlfriend got a tourist visa to visit the US. We have a 1 year old baby and the baby has a US passport. I live in thailand, but I'm currently in the US, and they're traveling alone to meet me here. I have several questions:

1. her visa is valid for a year, but she didn't see anywhere about single or multiple entries. anybody know? how long will they give on her visa? 2 weeks? a month?

2. she's going to be arriving in honolulu. anyone have any experience with immigration there, will there be people to help her? and any idea how long the process will take (trying to figure out when to schedule her flight from honolulu to maui).

3. the baby has a US passport, so will they handle that too, or will she have to go wait in another line?

4. I've read about the immigration interview, and I don't think she'll have any trouble with it. she's flying into hawaii for under 2 weeks and flying out. she knows not to imply she wants to stay in the US (and she doesn't, it's just a vacation). anything else?

5. it's the first time the baby's passport has been used, are there any problems with that at the airport?

6. this is a sticky one. she wasn't able to get a thai passport for the baby without me being there to sign for it, so when she returns I guess the baby will have to get a tourist visa? she called immigration and they told her she could do that and then when I'm back, we can get her thai passport and the baby will have to go on a visa run and then switch to the thai passport?

7. this is off-topic for this forum, but any tips about long plane trips with a 1 year old baby? will they take her stroller as a carry-on on the plane?

Here's some information about our experiences with the visa process, in case it helps anyone else.

Through the advice and information in this forum, we pieced together the requirements and good tips about how to proceed. My biggest concern was showing proof that she'll return, as she doesn't work, we're not married, and I don't have a work permit. She does have a college degree, we bought a house recently, I've been in thailand for 3 years, and her name is on our apartment lease, which goes through this year. She had very little money in the bank. On the I-156 form, the baby's grandmother is listed at the person she'll be visiting in the states, and the person who's paying for the trip. To make a long story short, she showed up with a big pile of documents and information, and the interviewer looked at nothing but the forms, asked who the baby's grandmother is, asked about me, went off to check on my passport, and gave her a visa. The whole interview process a few minutes.

The big snag along the way was with the embassy website and the system for getting an interview appointment The embassy website said there's a 1 day wait for appointments, and it turned out to be more like 2 or 3 weeks, which was significant to us, because we started the whole process maybe 5 or 6 weeks before the trip. The dates for the trip are set because it's a family get together in hawaii. The whole pin process of making an interview appointment is a bad one. There's no way to get information about interview dates without paying for a pin, and that system and what they said on the embassy website were very different (even though it says on the embassy website it's updated weekly). I didn't pay a lot of attention to this part of it because I believed what the embassy website said and that almost killed the whole thing. We got the interview about 10 days before the trip, so it worked out. Get your appointment early.

There was some strangeness where the interviewer said she'd have to travel with me. She asked me why he said that or what it meant, and I said I didn't know, but I thought the visa was for her and not really associated with me. A day or two after her appointment, someone from the embassy called and asked her if she'd be traveling with me. She said no because I wasn't there and she'd be traveling with our daughter, and the lady said it was good she called. The visa arrived today and it says she'll be traveling with our daughter. I don't really get the point of that.

At the end of it all, while I don't doubt we were fortunate to get the visa, I can't help wondering if some of the horror stories in this forum are overdone. Stories about people getting turned down lots of times, even though they had so many good qualifications and reasons to return. I guess I wonder if they're giving the whole stories here. They certainly didn't help me, because it just made me nervous and worry more, and frankly I didn't think we'd be able to get one.

If anybody has any questions, I'll answer them, and thanks for any answers to my questions.

Eric

[Thanyaburi Mac]

FYI, suggest you do a Google for copies of sample I-94 Arrival form and U.S. Customs form, fill out each and snail mail, or perhaps scan and email, to your girlfriend. This way she'll know exactly what to put on the forms when handed out on the airplane.

If you can't find them, send me a PM with an email address and I'll send to you as attachments.

Mac

[tripplejjj]

1. her visa is valid for a year, but she didn't see anywhere about single or multiple entries. anybody know? how long will they give on her visa? 2 weeks? a month?

2. she's going to be arriving in honolulu. anyone have any experience with immigration there, will there be people to help her? and any idea how long the process will take (trying to figure out when to schedule her flight from honolulu to maui).

3. the baby has a US passport, so will they handle that too, or will she have to go wait in another line?

4. I've read about the immigration interview, and I don't think she'll have any trouble with it. she's flying into hawaii for under 2 weeks and flying out. she knows not to imply she wants to stay in the US (and she doesn't, it's just a vacation). anything else?

5. it's the first time the baby's passport has been used, are there any problems with that at the airport?

6. this is a sticky one. she wasn't able to get a thai passport for the baby without me being there to sign for it, so when she returns I guess the baby will have to get a tourist visa? she called immigration and they told her she could do that and then when I'm back, we can get her thai passport and the baby will have to go on a visa run and then switch to the thai passport?

7. this is off-topic for this forum, but any tips about long plane trips with a 1 year old baby? will they take her stroller as a carry-on on the plane?

1. If you don't see it, then it is most likely a single entry. (It should be annotated under "Entries".) The length of stay is determined by the immigration in Honolulu. They will most likely use the date on her return ticket.

2. What kind of help does she need? I went through Honolulu many times and had no problem. The length of time is dependent on how many people are in front of her waiting in line. Also do what Thanyaburi Mac suggested above.

3. She only need to go to the line for foreigners with the baby. They will process both. There is no need to go wait in another line.

4. Make sure she remember the return date and the date is the same as on her return ticket.

5. No. But they may inquire to make sure the baby is not stolen.

7. The airline will take her stroller as a carry-on as long as the stroller is a reasonable size. Liquid baby food at the security check point. Security will only allow so much. You will be better off with powder and the airline will provide water on the plane. Diapers! It is one thing for a baby to cry. It is another for the baby to stink up to entire plane. I am assuming that the baby will be sitting on the girlfriend's lap the whole time so you don't have to buy a plane ticket for the baby. If this is the case, then she will truly know. (This is a long trip, it might be best to buy a seat for the baby.) Lastly, keep the baby, the passports, and money on her at all times. Trust no one with the baby, not even the authority. Don't let any one hold the baby or leave the baby alone with any one while traveling.

Edited March 10, 2010 by tripplejjj

[thaihome]

The baby not having a Thai passport is going to be a problem both leaving Thailand and coming back. I have no idea what Thai Immigration is going to do when presented with an unstamped US passport when trying to leave. I don't think they charge for overstay for infants, but technically she could be 1 year overstay. Could be interesting.

When coming back to Thailand, the baby will get a 30 visa exempt stamp and once that expires will be on overstay again.

As far as US immigration, there will be no real interview as she is coming on a tourist visa. They will ask a few questions to make sure she is not intending to stay, and will probably give her a 6 month stamp. You do need to check the visa to make sure it does not say you will be accompanying her. My wife’s first US visa (given in 2004) had the words “accompanied by USC Husband “ with my name and passport number.

TH

[blue eyes]

You may want to fill out the attached fourm.The wife has only been asked for it once.But better safe then sorry.Also as long as she speaks english well she can go through the USA line because of her daughter,I would think.When we travel the wife always comes with me through the USA line.In Thailand I go through the Thai line with her.

Minor_Consent_Letter.pdf

[PattayaXpat]

2) When they arrive in the states have her go to the visitors line and yes the baby can go with her.

[wharvey]

1. her visa is valid for a year, but she didn't see anywhere about single or multiple entries. anybody know? how long will they give on her visa? 2 weeks? a month?

2. she's going to be arriving in honolulu. anyone have any experience with immigration there, will there be people to help her? and any idea how long the process will take (trying to figure out when to schedule her flight from honolulu to maui).

3. the baby has a US passport, so will they handle that too, or will she have to go wait in another line?

4. I've read about the immigration interview, and I don't think she'll have any trouble with it. she's flying into hawaii for under 2 weeks and flying out. she knows not to imply she wants to stay in the US (and she doesn't, it's just a vacation). anything else?

5. it's the first time the baby's passport has been used, are there any problems with that at the airport?

6. this is a sticky one. she wasn't able to get a thai passport for the baby without me being there to sign for it, so when she returns I guess the baby will have to get a tourist visa? she called immigration and they told her she could do that and then when I'm back, we can get her thai passport and the baby will have to go on a visa run and then switch to the thai passport?

7. this is off-topic for this forum, but any tips about long plane trips with a 1 year old baby? will they take her stroller as a carry-on on the plane?

1. If you don't see it, then it is most likely a single entry. (It should be annotated under "Entries".) The length of stay is determined by the immigration in Honolulu. They will most likely use the date on her return ticket.

2. What kind of help does she need? I went through Honolulu many times and had no problem. The length of time is dependent on how many people are in front of her waiting in line. Also do what Thanyaburi Mac suggested above.

3. She only need to go to the line for foreigners with the baby. They will process both. There is no need to go wait in another line.

4. Make sure she remember the return date and the date is the same as on her return ticket.

5. No. But they may inquire to make sure the baby is not stolen.

7. The airline will take her stroller as a carry-on as long as the stroller is a reasonable size. Liquid baby food at the security check point. Security will only allow so much. You will be better off with powder and the airline will provide water on the plane. Diapers! It is one thing for a baby to cry. It is another for the baby to stink up to entire plane. I am assuming that the baby will be sitting on the girlfriend's lap the whole time so you don't have to buy a plane ticket for the baby. If this is the case, then she will truly know. (This is a long trip, it might be best to buy a seat for the baby.) Lastly, keep the baby, the passports, and money on her at all times. Trust no one with the baby, not even the authority. Don't let any one hold the baby or leave the baby alone with any one while traveling.

I used to live in Honolulu and go through the customs often, easy for white USA citizens, but they can be quite nasty with 4 hour interviews for foreigners (one of my ex wives who had a green card), even arriving on tourist visas. There have been a couple of people (one a child) die while immigration forced them to wait an extended period of time in Honolulu during the past few years.

But I would totally agree, do NOT allow yourself to be separated from your baby at any time. You could end up on a plane back to Thailand and your baby could end up in a foster home. All that said, when my step daughter came over on an immigration visa (14 year old from Beijing), they were very polite and everything took no more than 5 minutes. She had her permanent green card within 2 weeks.