Visa To Usa For My Thai Wife. (What Is Needed?)

[westbounder]

I am an American on dissability, which I recieve $914. per month.

I have $10,000 in a US Bank account and 1,000,000 in a Thai bank account.

I now live in Thailand but would like to take my wife to visit America for about 1 or 2 months.

Could someone please tell me exactly what is required and what I need to do.

Is it any easy process?

Thank You

[USNret]

The process itself is easy & fairly quick. You will get your answer the day she visits the embassy, and the visa (if approved) a few days later in the mail.

Preparing for it is more time-consuming. Basically, you have to convince the immigration officials that your wife has sufficient ties to Thailand to ensure she will return to Thailand before her visa is up. The burden of proof is on you. Couple of questions... How old is she? Does she have kids or a business? How long have the two of you been married?

[ubonjoe]

Actually since you are married and living here the proof that she will return is your current status here.

If you are on a 1 year extension of stay from immigration she should have no problem getting the visa. Just include copies of your passport and extension of stay with application and give her your passport when she goes for the interview. And of course marriage certificate.

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Here's the starting point for the application for a NIV (Non-Immigrant Visa):

http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/non-immigrant_visas.html

Also, take look at the attachment, this same Q came up last week on ThaiVisa.

Mac

NIV Thread from TV, 28 April 2013.txt

[dighambara]

Actually since you are married and living here the proof that she will return is your current status here.

If you are on a 1 year extension of stay from immigration she should have no problem getting the visa. Just include copies of your passport and extension of stay with application and give her your passport when she goes for the interview. And of course marriage certificate.

As an American married to a Thai, I have pondered this problem. When I inquired a few years back, I was told a visa would take 6 months, so did not persue. What is puzzling is why a wife must go thru so much folderol. She will live where I live...

[Thanyaburi Mac]

dighambara

"take 6 months"??? Who, pray tell, told you that?

The only possible delay is getting an appointment which, depending on the time of year, sometimes might be a month or so on. But, there's often cancellations so possible to stay up all night and track the appointment www site to watch for one.

If an appointment is available for an NIV, the filling out of the paperwork goes quickly.

????

Mac

[ubonjoe]

Actually since you are married and living here the proof that she will return is your current status here.

If you are on a 1 year extension of stay from immigration she should have no problem getting the visa. Just include copies of your passport and extension of stay with application and give her your passport when she goes for the interview. And of course marriage certificate.

As an American married to a Thai, I have pondered this problem. When I inquired a few years back, I was told a visa would take 6 months, so did not persue. What is puzzling is why a wife must go thru so much folderol. She will live where I live...

That was probably for permanent residency not a visitors visa which takes hardly any time at all to get.

[Nowhereman60]

You follow the procedures given to you already in that website. As long as she can show she has reasons to return to Thailand and not overstay in the US you will nave no problems, I got my wife a visa twice now, the second one is good for 10 years.

[HeijoshinCool]

Actually since you are married and living here the proof that she will return is your current status here.

If you are on a 1 year extension of stay from immigration she should have no problem getting the visa. Just include copies of your passport and extension of stay with application and give her your passport when she goes for the interview. And of course marriage certificate.

Okay, that thread from last week was mine. Now I am totally confused. Not that I don't believe you, Ubon, but so much conflicting info. Yours does make logical sense, but since when does logic have anything to do with it nowadays?

One says, no don't get married, she won't get a tourist visa. Another says if you're married, and you live in LOS, she will get the TOURIST visa. Another says, even so, my living here on ongoing retirement extensions does not help. She still needs to prove return by other means.

*sigh*

[ubonjoe]

If you are not living here full time it would be very difficult for a wife to get a visitors visa. She would have to prove ties to Thailand for herself which normally requires a good paying job or business ownership.

My wife was refused two times several years ago when a I was not here full time.

If you are here and are on an extension of stay this will be proof of a reason for your wife to return. Since you are showing proof of your ties to Thailand as it is your current residence. Meaning your wife would return to be with you.

If not married and not living here full time getting married would not help for a visitors visa.

Edited May 8, 2013 by ubonjoe