US Visa for Wife as Caregiver - Queue time? Does it make a difference?

[connda]

Hypothetically, if I need to repatriate to the United States for medical reasons, especially if those reasons may result in a terminal condition if not treated, does the US have a visa that will allow my wife to remain with me as a caregiver... Or will she be force into a multiple month queue for visa processing, by which time I'd probably be dead. I'm trying to make life/death decisions to either leave my wife in order to get treatment in the US that may save my life, or accept a death sentence*** and stay in Thailand to remain with my family.

^***By saying accept a death sentence, the assumption is that I plan to have a budgeted amount of money for health care and still leave enough money for my wife to live on reasonably at her home here in Thailand, and that money will never be used for paying for hospitals, doctors, or medications.

Edited June 9, 2014 by connda

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Connda

Sorry to hear about your situation.

Timeline for your wife's Immigrant Visa processing would be shortened considerably since you live here, therefore you will most likely be eligible for Direct Consular Filing with the USCIS office in Bangkok. This considerably shortens the entire process.

http://www.uscis.gov/about-us/find-uscis-office/international-offices/thailand-bangkok-field-office

Assuming that your petition is approved by them, they'll forward it to the Embassy for further processing.

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

Further steps in the process here: http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/immigrant_visas.html

There is a fair amount of paperwork involved and the process, even with the Direct Consular Filing, might well take 3-5 months.

This www site has been highly recommended as being quite helpful in wading through the process;

www.visajourney.com

Mac

[craigt3365]

I would start the paperwork now. visajourney.com is a fantastic website. It was my "bible" when I was doing this several years ago. I could not do the direct consular filing, but got a fiance visa in about 5 months. Lots of paperwork, as mentioned above, but relatively easy. Just make sure you do everything exactly as specified. Don't take any shortcuts.

[JLCrab]

FYI from http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/english/general/customer-service-statement.html

Furthermore, if you are a:

• Medical and humanitarian emergency traveler, we will expedite processing for those dealing with life threatening emergencies.

[Thanyaburi Mac]

JLCrab

Good find, that page, and the reference, I'd not seen that page before, now bookmarked.

Thx.

Mac