Scam or No Scam?

[dia1]

I recently met a friend here in Thailand who told me that she will be going to the American Embassy to get a Visa to America. Naturally, as an American I was intrigued on how she was planning on getting into America. She told me that she will be going through an "Agency" and they are handling everything for her, job, housing, etc.

I had never heard of a young thai girl getting into America via some agency, so this through up some red flags for me. I thought it was a lot harder to get into America than just signing up to some Agency.

She sent me a link to the agency's site:

http://american-learning.com/

Everything about this site threw up red flags for me.

a.) I cannot find any mention of the agency on American websites, althought they list affiliation with several well known companies.

b.) Several pages are "under construction" including the "About us" page...

c.) The youtube video is for another company

d.) The video is registered to a Thai person in Chatuchak rather than an American who would have access to these companies in the US.

So is this a scam? Has anyone heard of this company or something like it? She is totally not worried and thinks everything is legitamte simply because they have a website domain (how naive). She told me that she is paying over 100,000 baht for this whole thing, but I am especially worried that she may be traffiked or something given that she is a pretty young girl who predators like to target. Maybe she will lose all of her money, but I want to prevent her from doing something that will ruin her life.

Thoughts?

Scam or no scam?

[Jay Sata]

As you say it all looks pretty fishy and the site is incomplete.

[Farma]

Has anyone heard of this company or something like it?

I can't comment on the website you linked but know there are organisations/websites offering similar visas for the US.

A daughter of my wifes colleague is currently in Arkansas attending college.

She organised it all herself through one of these websites. Families in the US act as host families and sponsor their stay. She headed over for the start of the 2013 school year and apart from a couple of weeks homesick has really settled in well and it enjoying her time. I think her mother mentioned she contributes 120k Baht per year.

I was wary when I first heard about it but for her its worked out well. I would advise lots of caution.

[A1Str8]

You should tell your friend that as the above poster said, it can be done but not trough some shitty probably fake company with a half ass website with impossible background check. Tell her not to give up or forget her dreams but forget this agency and look for another one. Just keep looking until she finds a good well established one with good reputation and a background that can be checked.

Agencies/companies that cannot be checked should not be touched!

[dia1]

Has anyone heard of this company or something like it?

I can't comment on the website you linked but know there are organisations/websites offering similar visas for the US.

A daughter of my wifes colleague is currently in Arkansas attending college.

She organised it all herself through one of these websites. Families in the US act as host families and sponsor their stay. She headed over for the start of the 2013 school year and apart from a couple of weeks homesick has really settled in well and it enjoying her time. I think her mother mentioned she contributes 120k Baht per year.

I was wary when I first heard about it but for her its worked out well. I would advise lots of caution.

Thanks for the feedback so far. Farma, do you happen to have the name of the company that your wife's colleague's daughter is using? Maybe if I can show her what a reputable company looks like she will understand why I'm worried.

[7by7]

Have a read of this post

In the US, only a licensed attorney is entitled to charge fees for assisting in US Immigration matters pursuant Federal Regulations. There is nothing analogous to "Registered Migration Agents" or "Registered Immigration Consultants" in the US. One is either a licensed US attorney in at least one state, territory, district, or possession or they are not; and if not then they should not be charging a fee for consultation regarding US Immigration. USCIS is quite clear on this and there are memos which categorically state that even telling a client which form that they should use constitutes "consultation," and therefore the unlicensed practice of US Immigration law. This is true even outside of the USA as USCIS will only interact with a licensed attorney or a representative licensed by the Board of Immigration Appeals (basically, representatives of non-profits such as Catholic Charities). The US Embassy in Bangkok, pursuant to regulations in the Foreign Affairs Manual, has made the decision not to allow anyone into the applicant's interview other than the applicant themself. That being said, licensed US attorneys are currently allowed to directly deal with matters such as 221g denials and correspondence.

To anyone looking for assistance with a US Immigration matter: no matter who you use, make certain that they are licensed to practice law in at least one state, possession, territory, or district of the USA. Proof of this can be shown by producing a license from at least one US State Supreme Court, Bar Association, or a US Federal Court License. A reputable attorney should willingly provide a copy of such documentation to a prospective clients.

(My emphasis)

[alfalfa19]

For what it's worth, I have known 2 thai girls in California who arranged their visit through some agency. I don'w know what agency, nor do I know how much they paid. All I know is that they were in California. On the other hand, I have encountered miserable failures twice when trying to bring 2 other girls to the US, by doing all the things I was supposed to do, supplying copious documentation, etc, etc. These occurred at different times, and one of the girls was quite wealthy, she was turned down with no explanation.,

[momtaz]

It's looks like a scam trick especially some pages still under construction and such,

I have experienced similar sites,

I advise you to advise your friend, she's going to be a sweet hot cake victim,

[CPT]

The programs offered come under the J-1 (exchange visitor) visa program. Participants gain their visa with through a designated sponsor organization regulated by the US Department of State. Sponsors are required. A list of sponsor organizations can be found on the US Department of State website here. 7by7's post is really not applicable to the matter at hand.

[Soutpeel]

Instead of asking on here, why don't you ask the US embassy if these people are legitimate or not ?..., as all your going to get on TV on this question is opinion

[alyx]

Instead of asking on here, why don't you ask the US embassy if these people are legitimate or not ?..., as all your going to get on TV on this question is opinion

Maybe, because it is an administration, and, as such,would not take the risk to evaluate the situation as it is none of their concern.

Furthermore it is a well known fact that no agencies can guarantee a successful application whether they are committed to their engagement or not, one can only assume that the agencies will do their upmost to prepare the best dossier possible, given the situation of the appliquant and will be honest enough to decline the up-taking when all the required conditions are not fulfilled.

Of course, there are certainly ways to get a visa, better than other that is, but none can bet on the outcome

On the other hand, the answer one would get from the visa section would be plain simple: there are no agencies of the kind ( otherwise everyone would go though them)

Edited December 22, 2013 by alyx

[theoldgit]

Flame removed, if you don't know the answer please don't post just for the sake of flaming another member.

[thailandbeachisland]

Of course it is a scam as it seems that Thai love it...

[GrantSmith]

The website has a contact number no? Suggest if the OP is as concerned as they appear that they should give that number a call and ask a couple of questions.

You'll get an idea if it's fake or not.

[Jay Sata]

If it is anything like some of the so called 'legal experts' publicised elsewhere I'd steer clear.

There are so many expat sharks out there looking to pick of the minnows.

[mmushr00m]

Probably a scam.

There are a lot of agencies that offer education visas. Those usually involves enrolling the applicant in a language school. Thru the schools the applicants will get work visas/permits. The jobs are not guaranteed as the applicants will need to look for work themselves but they will be legally allowed to work (usually until they overstay and become "robin hood").

[Mrjlh]

The program is legit. What they are not telling her are her "true" expenses once she arrives in the USA. Companies that hire her are paying bottom wage which is $8-9 hr depending on the state she is in. And they work them hard. At that wage, assuming a 40 hour work week, she'll be getting $320 a week but after taxes and deductions maybe around $240 a week or about $1000 a month. She'll be paying her room and board at $400-500 or even more a month. Doesn't included electric and water bill. How about food? How about clothing? Laundry? Transplantation costs too. It all adds up. She can do if in fact she shares with others in the program.

She better have a source of income from family if she needs it. It's a great way to learn but she will make many sacrifices along the way. Not a easy path but is doable.