Need Advice On American 10-Yr Tourist Visa

[Shilo]

OK.... here goes.

I've been coming to Thailand for the past 10+ years. I retired at the beginning of 2008 and met my girlfriend in June of 2008... we have lived together since then so I guess that means that we have been together for about 2 1/2 years. I have a retirement visa that I have renewed once and will renew again next spring. I'm age 56, divorced with adult children and grandchildren in the states. My girlfriend is age 32 with two children that live with her mother where they go to school. We share a very nice two bedroom condo with a two year lease that runs to the spring of 2012. I don't work nor am I old enough for social security or a pension... but I have a sizable retirement account that keeps me comfortable, My girlfriend works full time in our condo building for a close friend who manages rental condos. She will have no problem getting time off from work next summer so we can make our trip but will also have her job waiting for her when she returns. Hopefully, this bit of info draws a picture of our current life together.

So, all I want to do is take her home to meet my friends and family. Plus I would love the chance to "force" her to live on a diet of falung food during our stay... it's only fair after years of eating her Thai cooking-

Can anyone either direct me to or give me a rough outline of the steps I'll need to complete in order to get a tourist visa for her? Is there value in going through an agency or is it just a matter of completing a few forms, paying the required fees, and waiting for the system to cycle through the process? I'm willing to pay for a service when there is value for the money.... but I have no problem with self-service. And what advice does anyone have for "stacking the deck" in our favor.... should we do a little traveling around Thailand and or surrounding countries, are pictures that important, would it help to have letters written by family or friends?

For what it's worth.... my girlfriend is a sweet lady with an above average command of the English language that comes from hours of watching American TV at my side, and has little or no interest in living anywhere except her beloved Thailand near her children, family and friends. If she thought that there was even a chance that leaving LOS meant that she couldn't come back.... I'd never get her on the plane. Heck, even with a visa in hand, the chances that she will actually get on the plane are 50/50 at best.

Almost forgot... additional tibbits: She has never attended a university, doesn't own any land, and has less then 50K baht in the bank. But she has never worked in the bar scene, doesn't have a criminal record, and though she has two children (ages 8 and 10) has never been married.

Thanks in advance

[VisasPlus]

Rule 1 for visa applications : Nobody, not even an agent, can guarantee you a visa. The decision rests solely with the visa officer. The information you have provided seems probably good enough for a visa to be issued, but US immigration law has a different emphasis from the immigration rules for UK and other countries. US law says that every applicant for a visitor visa is presumed to be an intending immigrant. In order to qualify for a visa the applicant must overcome that presumption. The applicant can do this by showing, amongst other things, that he/she has a reason to return to wherever he/she comes from, in this case, Thailand. You, as her partner here, can be part of the reasons to overturn the presumption, but every case will be different, as you can well imagine.

You don't need an agent to assist if you think that you can provide sufficient evidence to convince the visa officer that your partner has a reason to leave the USA and return to Thailand. If you think you would like assistance then look around for a good agent , or take advice on this forum. Please do not believe that any agent can "guarantee" a visa - there may be strings attached or small print to read before you go down that route.

You will, no doubt, receive other, and probably contradictory, advice here. You can, hopefully, sift out the useful info. Good luck with the application.

[ProThaiExpat]

Your questions suggest you haven't bothered to use Thaivisa research facilities to answer fundamental questions. Do your homework and then ask your questions and I am sure many, including myself, will be happy to help

[Scott]

This is the OP's first post. I would not expect him to know all the different sub-forums or functions available and no one is required to answer if you feel it is too far beneath you.

Welcome to Thaivisa and I hope you get the assistance that you need.

Visaplus has given you pretty good advice and since your situation is fairly stable, you have a better chance than some in getting a visa. It's still a crap shoot.

Your situation appears fairly stable, but do remember she is a girlfriend and not your wife, and that will play against you.

Again, welcome and best of luck.

[Thanyaburi Mac]

This is the OP's first post. I would not expect him to know all the different sub-forums or functions available and no one is required to answer if you feel it is too far beneath you.

Welcome to Thaivisa and I hope you get the assistance that you need.

Visaplus has given you pretty good advice and since your situation is fairly stable, you have a better chance than some in getting a visa. It's still a crap shoot.

Your situation appears fairly stable, but do remember she is a girlfriend and not your wife, and that will play against you.

Again, welcome and best of luck.

Actually, in some ways a girl friend's visa is sometimes easier than that of a wife. With the wife, the interviewing ConOff may think you're just trying to jump the sometimes long Immigrant Visa queue. At least that's how it seemed to me when my now wife got her last 10-year visa after two short-term and one 10-year "girl friend" tourist visas.

Back to the OP's Q.

Do a SHORT cover letter that she should hand over to the ConOff first off. In it. in a few short paras, explain:

-- that you've been living together for 2.5 years;

-- lease an apartment, and have done so for xxx years with xxx remaining on the lease (have the GF take a copy of the lease along with her in case it's requested, this was the case on my now wife's first GF visa, I had to bring it in the next morning);

-- you're on a "retirement" extension of your Non-O visa, currently on your 2nd/3rd such extension (your GF should take along your original passport in case it's requested, if lots of pages, put tags on the pages with your extensions);

-- briefly explain your financial situation, where's your $$$ coming from, include a document or three to show, if requested.

-- If you have a car, whose name is it in?

-- Mention her two kids? Sort of a toss-up, since they don't live with you.

Good luck

Mac

[Shilo]

Well, it seems that I may have put the cart before the horse by starting a thread before I took the time to research some of the older threads....

I went back through a couple of dozen pages of threads and I come away with a few themes.

There are a lot more guys from the UK then the rest of us combined trying to work through the visa process.

There is little value in using an agent unless you are planning to marry and or move your lady to your home country. For a holiday trip it's a total crap shoot so you might as well fill out the forms yourself, pay the fee, and roll the dice.

And in the end... it doesn't seem to matter how much paperwork and details you supply... it's all secondary to the notion that you need to get lucky with the interviewer and convince him/her that your lady will come home to LOS when the trip ends.

In my case, it is going to be dam_n near impossible to make a strong case for my lady returning. Not because it isn't true... hel_l, my girl gets in a sour mood if I suggest a trip of more then a couple of weeks. A new life without Issan food... IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. But as I mentioned before, she didn't go to a university, doesn't own a business or property, and has less money in the bank then my grand daughter. The only thing she does have are two children that she dearly loves and would never walk away from. So if this is going to work then the angle that I'll have to use is that I personally have no interest in leaving LOS, this is my home, and I have every intention of returning (with my girl by my side) once the trip ends.

So here are a couple of questions that I still need some help with:

Is there a way to get help with just filling out the forms?

Any advice on moving the focus from my girl returning to the notion of me returning with her in tow?

And "assuming" that I get through the forms, process everything along with the fees, and she passes the interview.... how soon after the visa is granted do I have before it has to be used the first time. I get the idea that what is granted is a multi-use visa that is good for 10 years. So I am hoping that I can work though this whole process and then pocket the visa till we are ready to make a trip.

Thanks again

[Thanyaburi Mac]

But as I mentioned before, she didn't go to a university, doesn't own a business or property, and has less money in the bank then my grand daughter. The only thing she does have are two children that she dearly loves and would never walk away from. So if this is going to work then the angle that I'll have to use is that I personally have no interest in leaving LOS, this is my home, and I have every intention of returning (with my girl by my side) once the trip ends.

So here are a couple of questions that I still need some help with:

Is there a way to get help with just filling out the forms?

Any advice on moving the focus from my girl returning to the notion of me returning with her in tow?

And "assuming" that I get through the forms, process everything along with the fees, and she passes the interview.... how soon after the visa is granted do I have before it has to be used the first time. I get the idea that what is granted is a multi-use visa that is good for 10 years. So I am hoping that I can work though this whole process and then pocket the visa till we are ready to make a trip.

Thanks again

The forms are straight forward and don't ask all the gritty details about life history of the applicant or the sponsor. Sounds to me like it's easier than applying for a UK visa.

I reckon the focus will be on YOU , not on your GF, at least that's been my experience through my now wife's first three GF visas then one wife visa. Odds are/were that if I was returning to Thailand, she would, too, since we've established a relationship as a pair.

So, don't worry about no univ education, my wife doesn't have one either, job, same, big local bank account, same, car/house, same, at least didn't through the first three visa applications.

Her first two visas were short-termers, 6-months, third was a 10-year visa. Have a friend here whose GF was granted a 6-monther that the ConOff also stamped something like "only good for a 30-day stay in the U.S. and only if the AmCit boyfriend traveled along with her." This was in 2003, we were also along on that trip, and the U.S. Immigration guy stamped her in for six months anyway, saved having to reset his date stamp, I guess. They did come back to Thailand on schedule anyway, didn't want to stay for six months anyway.

FYI, last time she applied for a visa, 2006, I was able to accompany her up to the interview window and the ConOff just asked me the Qs during the short interview. Not the same these days, too bad.

Mac

[ProThaiExpat]

Shilo:

You sure did your homework and you have got it absolutely right. Better you learn to fish that have fish given to you is my motto. You called it a theme, I call it a story. After all, it is a sales job and the more flowers you can add to the bouquet the better. Even handing the interviewer a document entitled "Compelling Reasons to Return" is not too heavy handed as that is what the Department of State calls it. Reading their websites can also be helpful. A simple list of the compelling reasons to return rather than a lot of verbiage will be appreciated by the interviewer.

Returning to her children seems to me to be the most compelling reason and if you two could establish a live at home situation with the children until your ready to leave, it would certainly be more compelling that having others take care of her children.

You certainly want to emphasize that you are in a lifetime financially interdependent relationship of some duration and include photos of events spent together if possible. You can be paying all of the trip expense and should say so, then her financial condition is not in issue. You might attach some financial documents of yours to show you can afford the trip.

Your long stay commitment to Thailand as your home is vital and the fact that you are taking a home visit together to meet family and vacation is also important. Reservations with return booked, but not paid for, with itinerary provided by travel agent is good. Yes, Mom should be mentioned to take care of the children while you are gone.

Joint itinerary and bookings in the States make sense and an itinerary of your time in the US is good.

It will help if you coach your g/f with answers to anticipated questions for the interview in case she is actually questioned.

In my prep I coached one answer to a question "How do I know you won't overstay your visa" with "Why should I overstay my visa and have to work as a waitress in a Thai restaurant when I can return and live so nicely with my b/f" Of course that answer was for one without children.

I liked many things you wrote in your OP which were very convincing, such as "I couldn't live long stay in the US as I love Issan food too much" Real feelings and answers like that are what impress those who have heard every story ever told about getting a visa.

Be real, be honest and dress respectively and you will get your visa. For some reason I remember you have to travel within 90 days of getting your visa, but I may be wrong. Check the Dept of State web site that has such answers. Fortunately, it is much easier nowadays than previously, so my guess is that if you tell your story honestly and convincingly you will get your visa. Good luck.