How difficult is it to obtain a US visa for my Thai girlfriend

[Nana Cowboy]

The key is does she own land,or A business?It's not about you,it's about her.Maybe try A fiancé visa might be A better way to go.

A fiance visa is only viable if they plan on getting married within a specified amount of time.

If she names him as the person she is traveling and staying with then it is about him. He has to show stability, physical and economic ties to Thailand. This is a key reason for her to return to Thailand.

Yes exactly and thru this entire thread I see impoertant info missing, straight away, cheers.

how old is the OP, has he lived in thailand long? how and when did he meet his gf? this kind of info is important. he calls himself a lazy american't. so does he work in the usa and simply vacation here? I'm confused about him because he is important as this visa appears to be based on his situation as much as anyone else

oh straight away and cheers btw. answers to these questions will help greatly with answers to your questions

[NeverSure]

Sorry if this is a hijack, but I'm getting confused. At what point does the Thai woman need an American to get a visa? Does the American's non-status in Thailand matter if she is solid for returning?

Say she owns a home and a car and has a master's degree and a very good job in a government school, and has family living very close by and absolutely has to return to Thailand?

Where does the need for the American come in and if it does, what does his ties to Thailand matter, or do they?

I'm just trying to get a summary here please...

[Nana Cowboy]

Good questions NS. I think it's just a matter of how she presents her itinerary to the embassy. thaiburymac far more of an expert than me on this. So she most certainly can go on her own merits with what she has right now but I would leave himout of the mix in that case and vice verse. I'm not sure which is best but both worked for many and these immi guys are pretty astute.

[NeverSure]

Good questions NS. I think it's just a matter of how she presents her itinerary to the embassy. thaiburymac far more of an expert than me on this. So she most certainly can go on her own merits with what she has right now but I would leave himout of the mix in that case and vice verse. I'm not sure which is best but both worked for many and these immi guys are pretty astute.

Thank you. How does a Thai woman explain an itinerary then, or does she have to? Point being, if the itinerary is to spend a month traveling the US to its most famous places with a farang and he will greet her at the airport or maybe fly over with her, what else is there she could say that makes any sense?

"Oh, I'm just going to stay in the San Francisco Terminal for a month to see how it feels" Isn't as likely as "I'm going to see the USA in the farang's Chevrolet" haha.

(I hope I'm a little on topic here because I honestly couldn't follow it to these answers.)

[elzach]

Sorry if this is a hijack, but I'm getting confused. At what point does the Thai woman need an American to get a visa? Does the American's non-status in Thailand matter if she is solid for returning?

Say she owns a home and a car and has a master's degree and a very good job in a government school, and has family living very close by and absolutely has to return to Thailand?

Where does the need for the American come in and if it does, what does his ties to Thailand matter, or do they?

I'm just trying to get a summary here please...

Yes, good questions. Don't know if it has been hinted in the earlier posts, but if we could get a guy/gal from the Embassy, they would tell you that there is no such thing as the case "being judged on its own merits". There is already a "line", a "policy" that they follow, regarding each country's nationals in general. But of course they can't really say that. In practical terms what that means is that Thai nationals are scrutinized more that other nationals and certain assumptions are made even before she shows up.

I'll give you an example, before 2008, I had some Chinese friends (ages 25-30) who had tried for years to get a tourist visa to the US, unsuccessfully. They had tried 2-3 different Consulates. They had told me it was like "summary rejections". Come 2011-2012, almost any Chinese and their dog gets now a US tourist visa. Sure they still ask questions, but now it's more of "summary approvals". I'm sure you can figure out what happened.

[bill1369]

Hello - Looking thru 3 pages of Q's & A's here there is some good information on US tourist visas.

I have a somewhat unusual question. I have lived continuously in Thailand for 6 years on a retirement visa. I have not been to the US in 3 years. For the past year+ I have had a Thai gf who is 47. She and I would like to tour the US for about a month then return to Thailand.

Here is the unusual part - she and her husband have been separated for about 5 years. They have never been divorced. They have 4 children (aged 11 to 19) and my gf raises them, living in her ex's old home with the kids. So that is my question - how will Embassy look at her trying to get a tourist visa with me if she is legally married to a Thai guy? Or will they even ask? I also suppose, if there is a question about her marital status on visa application, she could check divorced and Embassy would not know the difference.

Anyone have any advice on how to handle this?

Thanks in advance.

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Bill

Definitely, do NOT lie about marital status, she just should be prepared to explain it. Separated is a valid response.

And, yes, I'd mention your status here in a short cover note and she should have your passport, not a copy, with her for the interview with the retirement extensions flagged.

Do you have anything here in your name? Bills for cell phone service, car, motorcycle, magazine subscriptions, Social Security forms, IRS 1040s, etc? She should take these to the interview, too, and have them just under your passport.

As I've said before, all this indicates the probability that you will return to Thailand after the visit, and that your GF most likely will, too.

BTW, if your GF is still friends with her semi-ex, why not trot down to the local amphur and get a divorce by mutual consent, pretty quick and easy.

Mac

[bill1369]

Hi Mac,

Thanks for the info. All very useful. I understand what you say about lying - so I'll tell her to be up front about it. I have plenty of the documentation you suggest for me so I'll make sure that is all included with gf's submission. Except for her bank books and car, gf doesn't have all that much Embassy may look for. When married, they had 3 homes - now she lives in 1, her ex stays in another and the 3rd a rental - but they are all in her ex's name. She won't divorce the ex anytime soon - it is an issue for the kids who seem to think if there is no divorce there's still the possibility of reconciliation. We will take yours and other folks' information and put together everything suggested and hope for the best.

Thanks again for the advice.

Bill

[spidermike007]

I was told in no uncertain terms by both the state department in Washington, and the American Embassy in Bangkok, that unless she was wealthy, there was zero percentage chance of her getting a tourist visa. I asked them to clarify, and they suggested a minimum of 20 million baht in a bank account in her name. Plus land, businesses, etc. In other words, the top 1%. They implication was that the US stopped issuing tourist visas to anyone from the third world, who was not wealthy, after 9/11.

I was also told the fiancé visa process was difficult, and the level of financial scrutiny of me, by the American govt. was intense. Is this the case? Anyone with experience with this? Tax audits, etc?

[spidermike007]

15k USD (450,000 baht) in her name, in a Thai bank should do it. Like an above poster said --they want to see FINANCIAL ties to Thailand. That pretty much guarantees a person will go back or their money. The old trick was that if a poor village girl wanted to go to the States, then the whole village would chip in and deposit money in her account--then take it back out later.

Look forward to loads of paperwork. Although Los Angeles has the largest Thai diaspora outside of Thailand--it is still a long wait to get a visa. That's why most of the Thais in the USA are of middle to upper class background. Not many former tuk tuk drivers in LA.

Apply now, and maybe in 10 months to a year she will get a visa. A 2 year wait is not uncommon either.

You have no idea what you are talking about. I have a friend that has over 5 million baht in his account, but he has no job. His family is rich so he dont work.

He was denied a visa.

Wrong info. Not for a tourist visa. 20 million baht, minimum in the bank.

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Spiderman

Sure would like to know who you talked to at State and the Embassy here. Absolute BS, I think.

Go back through a number of the postings here and look for "GF" visas, Girl Friends. I think you'll find that many to most of them got their visas with minimal funds in the bank. The ConOff's approval was often to usually based on the status of the AmCit Boy Friend, and his status here in Thailand. If on Retirement extensions of a Non-O visa, I'd bet that most of the GFs were approved for a U.S. Tourist Visa.

However, if the BF was in the U.S. and applying for a visa for his Thai GF, much more difficult as the presumption could be that she was going to the U.S., then they'd get married, and he'd apply for Adjustment of Status for her. Which, by the way, might or might not be approved by USCIS.

So, you'd have to be much more specific about an individual application before a decent comment could be made.

FYI, my now wife's last 10-year tourist visa was approved Post 9/11, and she had no where near baht 20 million in assets. Neither do I! But, I've been here on a good string of Retirement extensions, and it was MY passport that that the interviewing ConOff really looked at for making his decision.

Mac

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Not Thailand related comment removed.

Mac

[jimky]

My wife is not very well spoken (likely the issue) and has had no luck getting a tourist visa to the US.

We've tried 3 times. 1 million baht in bank savings, owns 7 rai of land, a small house, and a 2011 car all this free and clear and has a steady income. She also had the documents that she has sole custody of her 14-year old son, and brought a photo album with 100 photos taken in different locations on different days showing us with him as family and he wasn't coming and this is why she'll return.

She had my plane ticket with her that was 2-week return, and if she gets a visa she'll be purchasing the same flight.

Perhaps the issue is that neither she nor I have traditional employment. We each have separate forms of purely passive business income (not active; we don't work) and are thus not tied to a location (though we've lived together 5-years and are very established here). She was declined each time with checked reason about failing to overcome the assumption that her intent is not to illegally immigrate.Of course I'm not allowed to go in with her, and she is very bad at interviews so who knows what she said (she'll guess yes or no and respond even when doesn't understand, and has difficulty even in Thai in the city sometimes due to speaking local dialect) but seems to be on auto-decline now. We're going to keep trying once a year, but very heartbreaking how difficult it is.

[bonobo]

Someone above mentioned a fiance visa. That is not what you want, that is for those wanting to bring the GF to the states to get married.

Ya, I forgot to mention that detail... Think you're probably correct. As I recall, there are a couple of different fiance or spouse visas or such. But the assumption for all is that the woman intends to live in the USA, and because of that, I suppose, such visas then to take a long time to acquire. Like a year and a half, or two, last time I looked into such.

My wife received her immigrant visa in less than 3 months start-to-finish. It could have been quicker except for the time it took to get her THai police check.

As far as a tourist visa, when she was my g/f, she had no problem getting a visa. She had no property, was 29, but had a job. I was on a Thai work visa. I showed my US bank account, and we explained why we were going. She got the visa. After two more one-year visas, they gave her a ten-year visa. When she received her immigrant visa, the officer actually thanked her for "having good visas." I think she meant trips that feel within guidelines.

[Docno]

Well, this all makes for a depressing read. I have a Thai gf of 4 years who I would like to take to Australia (where my active passport is from) for a holiday at some point. But she's basically a farm girl (yeah, she has land in her name, but that's it) and I haven't lived in Oz for decades. Seems like we should give up on that idea.... stick to holidays in developing countries.

[sabaii69]

My experience with the Orlando imm folks was horrible. My gf, and later wife, was discriminated against heavily even though she had proof of a proper job making TVs. The woman at imm hated the thought of my being happy and drove me to manic distraction. I got the girl to Orlando and we married there. Hope the Montana folks are not idiots.

[HerbalEd]

American ? But uses British , such as straight away. Something fishy here.

Ha ha, I was born and raised in Choteau, Montana USA and have been in Thailand for just over 2 years. Whether or not this is a strictly "British" statement, I have no idea but I also don't talk strictly "American" either. I just like the phrase.

There must be a large degree of dishonesty here on this forum due to the doubt of my character but I really am from the states, not something everyone wants to brag about now a days! ha ha! I also use the predominantly Canadian "eh" because I grew up so close to the boarder and would often cross it to fish as well as having many Canadian friends eh! Not because I'm Canadian but because I think it sounds better than the American "huh?"

Cheers

OP ... regarding your statement that "There must be a large degree of dishonesty here on this forum due to the doubt of my character."

It not so much dishonesty here on tv.com. It's more that there are so many rude and cynical posters who seem to get a perverted pleasure in making trouble.

[hellohello123]

Only on thai visa!!!

Where someone needs to mention how pretty their girl is for a question about a visa

[HerbalEd]

15k USD (450,000 baht) in her name, in a Thai bank should do it. Like an above poster said --they want to see FINANCIAL ties to Thailand. That pretty much guarantees a person will go back or their money. The old trick was that if a poor village girl wanted to go to the States, then the whole village would chip in and deposit money in her account--then take it back out later.

Look forward to loads of paperwork. Although Los Angeles has the largest Thai diaspora outside of Thailand--it is still a long wait to get a visa. That's why most of the Thais in the USA are of middle to upper class background. Not many former tuk tuk drivers in LA.

Apply now, and maybe in 10 months to a year she will get a visa. A 2 year wait is not uncommon either.

You have no idea what you are talking about. I have a friend that has over 5 million baht in his account, but he has no job. His family is rich so he dont work.

He was denied a visa.

Ummmm...yeah...well, that's just like your opinion man--The Dude.

Did you mean he "doesn't work"? Is Engrish yer furst language?

What opinion? He is simply stating a fact about his friend.

Are you now the official grammar police?

[1FinickyOne]

I did get a tourist visa for my Gf many years ago - she did not meet any of the requirements that are commonly asked. One kind lady in the Embassy believed in our honesty and intent to not work and return to Thailand. She guided us through the process and the tourist visa was granted. This was at a time when it was not easily done.

The process has changed, but I would assume the concept is the same. They want to be sure that the Thai person does not become an illegal worker. You cannot really guarantee what another persons true intention might be. What makes it a bit more difficult is that she might earn more in a kitchen in USA than as a first year lawyer.

Ultimately, it is up to the person at the Embassy who will be interviewing and reviewing the application. I think the cost for the application is a non-refundable maybe $125?? not sure anymore. If you don't mind the minor expense, and the paperwork involved, you can take your chance.

[jimky]

Quick question for everyone saying we:

Did they used to let someone else be present? I read on their website I couldn't accompany her, then emailed citizen services to plea if I could be there to help her understand the questions, but completely a no go. They told me would could hire an attorney to represent her in the interview but I'm not allowed to assist her or be present for the interview.

[BradinAsia]

If she is not a celebrity or a major public figure (meaning millionaire) she has very little chance.

Based on my own experience attempting to get a U.S. visa for a gf, it would probably be easier

and cheaper to take her to the moon. No joking.

The interviewer was rather hostile.

He asked her if she has a house in her own name. She doesn't. Does she own her own car. She

doesn't. He asked her how much money she has in her bank account. She showed him her bank

statement with a balance of over 250,000 baht. The interviewer made an ugly face and said very

sarcastically, "That's not much."

He said, "There is no way I'm going to give you a visa." We got the impression that the U.S.

Government was deathly afraid that this one petite Asian girl might entirely destroy the most

powerful nation on earth.

After that we gave up on the U.S. visit, but I started calling her Super Girl since she evidently

embodies such an aura of supernatural power.

[KhnomKhnom]

Spooky, this is a super grumpy site, and unjustified insults are common.

I have gone the whole route, and feel all the characteristics of my situation still apply today.

To justify to the US Embassy to get a tourist visa for your unmarried unemployed girlfriend is not going to be easy. Her age is also against her, but the main problem is she does not have a full time job now and thus not a job to return to. Getting a job now will mean she should wait a while to show it is a real job, not just grabbed to pass this hurdle. Even then, a job is not automatic pass.

I assume she does not own Thai property and is not a part of a family biz, job or not. Thus, all taken together, she does not present a person with anything to lose in Thailand if she were to disappear into America forever.

That situation will be refused entry to USA for a minute or any time longer. You can not show that she is your employee and has to go as your assistant for biz and she is not your nurse for your bad health. So, there goes out two more potential justifications. She is not your fiancée, which is another category with its own hurdles.

She is not an employee of a legal Thai travel agency and is not going to be a legitimate student in USA. I guess you are not a US Senator nor other big wig.

I hope you see the problems are next to impossible to overcome. IN ANY CASE do not allow us embassy to stamp her passport as failing a visa application. Just insist that she is withdrawing her application to avoid that cursed stamp which will virtually guarantee never a visa for anything later.

I wish I am wrong for your sake. Good luck.

[KhnomKhnom]

You can start your research right here: http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/non-immigrant_visas.html

To a fairly large extent, success or failure will depend on YOUR status here in Thailand. Been here a long time? Working? Work Permit? Visa status? Rent? Got a lease in your name? Car, motorcycle?

Mac

Your status in Thailand needs to be much more than just owning things here or whatever is listed. The application is for HER, not you, and the us embassy interviewer has no way to know if you are just standing in for her today only...... so your chips you may have matter very little.

However, if you are a US Senator or equivalent, that may help a little, but not with an American Embassy worker who dislikes people getting passes based on clout.

[JSatGS]

Spooky - having read some of the posts and experienced differently, I'd state IMHO it's a long hard crap shoot. Brought my wife on a K-1. Took 8 1/2 months. Tried to bring sister for a 30 day visit. Denied. Sister is a professor at a University with stable job to return too. Tried to bring mom for a visit . Denied. Mom is a govt teacher with 20+ years in same job. Both own houses, cars and have good $$ in bank. It was tourist and visit. We don't even try now. We'll fly to Thailand each year.

Someone said its case by case basis. That's correct. Thing is you are the petitioner sponsoring the visa - you're drug into it too. Everything is scrutinized and it is a mass paper chase to make jobs in govt. The timing is grossly mismanaged and very frustrating. Lastly, depending on the visa allotment you have better chances at different times of the year. Do your homework and become a student of USCIS so you know as much or more on the process than most of them do. Apply in the months that are lighter in apps.

Good luck. As an American we enjoy favorable status in many places. It's not returned very well for others.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[kerrysum]

America is not the easiest place to bring a wife into. Yep it is some what more tedious than it used to be. It is a bit of a process, but bringing them in on a Fiancee Visa is always easiest. don't know if you have documents of your marriage, or that it has been recorded, in Bangkok.... Where is she from and where are you living? How long have you been in Thailand? Many things have changed over the years, and now you have to deal with the DHS.... Do you have children together? You really didn't really give too much information.... My advice is to get a good attorney, that specializes in immigration.... Just a thought, and good luck!

kilosierra.....

[thailand49]

From my past experience it is very difficult to get a Visa to the States for your girlfriend. Without going into details your age and hers will come into play. Guys with huge age differences just raise a red flag for them since prior to the interview the application is already profiled whether you like it or not.

Your status will be in play, if Thailand is what they call your domcile or home? How she is supported etc.. is in play. Like some of the replies there must be a number of reason for her to return to Thailand that will determine whether she gets a tourist visa or not!

Good luck it is possible but your % is very slim?

[KhnomKhnom]

I'm sorry to see a lot of mis-information being given here, but then again every ones circumstance and experience may be different than mine as I stated earlier.

Financial ties and the such is nice but it truly is determined on a case by case basis which comes down to the interviewers feeling at that moment on that day. Perhaps he stubbed his toe getting out of bed or just is in a bad mood.. anyone can find a reason for denial for any reason..

My experience was a VISA approved in less than 2 months from application with no money, no job, no property ownership for a 23yo Thai national, who doesn't speak/write english well, physically disabled and just got his 1st passport 2 weeks before the application. Red flags? Many... but it all worked out

Best of luck

I think the Embassy personnel, like Thai immigration officers, are professional and comments like "stubbed toe" are just out of line. Much more often it is the officious, arrogant, demanding customer who acts like a real "stubbed toe." As an American, I have been in BKK USA Embassy Citizen Services dozens of times over years and never seen/heard any Embassy employee be anything but courteous and often go way out of the way to help. However, there I have seen way too many nasty demanding red-faced Ahole Americans demanding stuff as his god given right!!!

I think the physical disability turned the trick for this one example because one would have to ask how much employment possibilities would have a disabled person, not speaking English, in 'open minded' America? For typists here, it is best to advise based on overall categories rather than very unique personal examples.

[joshstiles]

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Thanks so much for the link, I'll check it out straight away!!

And, no its not a troll post but thanks for looking just past your advanced member wisdom to drop a comment like that on my first post. Maybe I should know what my adventure will run but thought I'd start here first. Why the unfriendly reply?

Doesn't really matter I guess, is there anyone else wondering if I'm just lonely enough to waste my time "troll" posting stupid questions? If so, rest assured that's not the case. I was just wondering if someone might have some insight. Maybe Thai Visa isn't the place for visa questions.

Once again, cheers

What the hell did he say wrong ????

I beileve it was a response to a troll post immediately removed by a moderator, not to the friendly advice of the first poster.

aaahh yes, the famous "troll accusation".......

[The Usual Suspect]

All of the "formulas for success" withstanding, I think it's all up to the luck of the draw. My Thai wife who, at the time was my girlfriend, tried for a U.S. tourist visa about five years ago to visit me. She had all her ducks in a row....... Excellent government job (with full benefits and retirement) for eighteen years running, 600,000 thb in the bank, owned her own condo in BKK and a lot of farmland back in Issan, brand new pick up truck in her name, close family ties, excellent references and absolutely NO interest in living in the U.S. She left the visa office in tears after being verbally brutalized by the embassy interviewer who flatly denied her without explanation. She vowed she would NEVER go through that again. Seriously, did the arrogant bastert actually think she would jump ship and give up the great life she has in Thailand to work at some monotonous, minimum wage job and live a life of poverty in the U.S.? What a joke.