Visa For Yank Married To Thai Woman?

[Robbess]

Hi all.....

I was wondering if anyone had any info, or be able to point me in right direction......I have Married a Thai Woman here in the USA, and it is where we are currently living....I have gone through the motions of getting her residency(green card) here in the US., and eventually I am thinking citizenship......She is legal here to come and go....

I would like to do the same for myself in Thailand....I am sure in the Future we would have extended stays in Thailand Perhaps up to a year...Would it be hard to get myself some level of permanent residency?

thanx

[powderpuff]

Incredibly difficult.

Year to year renewable "permit to stay" is about the best you can hope for.

[Mario2008]

It would require you working and residing in Thailand for at least 3 to 5 years, depending if you want to go for residency or Thai nationality.

On getting residency, there is a topic on this here:

But PR seems to be on hold at the moment.

A lot of people just stay in Thailand based on extensions of stay.

[garyh]

You can get 1 year multiple O visa based on marriage this will allow you to stay 90 days at a time so you would need to do visa runs. Check with your nearest Thai consulate to see what they require to issue the visa.

[TacoBoy]

Firstly, you and your Thai wife have gone thru a lot to get her Green Card and future citizenship.

Adhear to the time limits your wife may be allowed to be out of the US per US Customs and Immigration and Homeland Security.

I understand that a person with a Green Card will forefit their Green card if outside the states for 6 months or more.

Check with US authorities.

She and you can take trips within the guidelines of Alien with a Green Card. Don't go beyond the time limits or she may be denied re-entry into the usa..

You can always obtain a tourist visa. It is a tricky question if you are eligable for an O marriage visa while your wife has a green card to the usa.

In doing so, you could complicate matters of immigration to the usa for your wife prior to her obtaining permanant citizenship.

Remember it is not as easy to fool the us authorities. If they find a discrepincy she may be ineligable to return and be denied visa's in the future.

Might be easier to just get a single or multiple entry tourist visa for yourself if coming to Thailand.

Check with your local Thai Embassy or consulate for Visa details.

There is a consulate in Los Angeles, and think the Embassy is in DC.

[tombkk]

To sum it up: it was probably much easier for your wife to get the Green Card in the US than it wpuld be for you to get PR in Thailand. And unlike the Green Card, the PR does not automatically allow you to work.

But then, if you don't live here (Thailand), you don't need a PR.