Visa for Myanmar g/f in Thailand to come to U.S.A.

[Kondiao]

I know this is not a new topic but it is a new situation for me and I would like the latest information and insights available.

I have left Chiang Mai, Thailand and traveled back to the States - specifically Utah, where I have a piece of land I would like to build a house on; Arizona, where i have a DL; and California, where i have a motor home.

My g/f is in Chiang Mai, and we are both looking at the starting the process of applying for a visa for her to come to the U.S.

A spousal or marriage visa was not possible while i was living in Chiang Mai - because she is from Myanmar and their government has prohibited marriage of Burmese women to foreign men.

In looking into a tourist or Student visa I am finding that it seems it is not advisable to claim I will support her here or even that we intend to get married here and change her status - rather that it is necessary to show the U.S. officials that she is independent and has strong ties to the home country such as property, businesses - which she does not have - or even family ties, since most of her relatives are also in Thailand on Myanmar work visas.

Yet we could meet and fall in love when she is here and get married - that would be legal, i know - if we can get her here.

Does anyone think it would be better for Mwe to go back to Myanmar to apply for a visa to America ?

And, since I am here and it is legal for us to marry here, should I apply for a fiance visa for her from here instead?

Thanks for any advice

[thaitot]

Try Visajourneydotcom very informative I did the fiance visa 5 years ago and all is still good. I did it with no lawyer.

It is my understanding a tourist or student visa is near impossible.

They say converting a student or tourist visa to a fiance visa is a red flag.

Not to much help but try the site above.

Good luck.

[onthedarkside]

Moving this to the Visa to other country forum.

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Does she have a Burmese passport already?

What is her Thai status in Chiang Mai? Legal with what kind of paperwork?

Agree with another poster here, no Tourist Visa, won't work, Fiancee visa is the way to go:

http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/english/immigrate/types/family/fiance-k-1.html

Question then is where she should do it, however, you start the paperwork in the U.S. As recommended, to some research on www.visajourney.com

Research, or emails, to the various options for the K-1 visa:

http://chiangmai.usconsulate.gov/apply-for-a-visa.html

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

http://burma.usembassy.gov/nonimmigrant_visas.html

Mac

[bamboozled]

I recently met a lawyer from New York here in Chiang Mai. He was on vacation visiting his American daughter who is teaching here but we got to talking and it turns out most of his work is on immigration...getting folks visas and the like for the US. He has assisted Thai nationals but I believe he said most of the folks are Chinese and/or Latino, if I can remember correctly, just because well, there are a lot of those folks trying to get to the US. Anyhow, I really enjoyed chatting with him. He was very soft spoken and I liked his presence. I have nothing to do with him, just met him one day. However, he left a good impression on me and I took his card for future need. PM me if you would like his details. It doesn't hurt to shoot him an email with your questions.

Cheers...........

[Tony125]

You probably need to talk to an immigration lawyer back in the states. I am a US citizen now living in Thailand and can tell you even if your G/F was Thai and came over on a tourist or student visa she "could not" marry you while in US she would be deported. Cannot change a tourist or student visa to a marriage visa or will be allowed to marry on one. That is why they are strict on allowing someone to come over on a tourist visa thinking the person is just trying to circumvit the rules to come over then find someone to marry so they can stay here.

Even on a student visa they make them leave then reapply overseas for proper visa say married or fiancee'. Your just marrying her does not automatically make her a citizen and give her the right to stay in USA. Same as marrying a Thai girl legally in thailand the marriage itself does not give her the rights of citizenship. An apllication must be submitted and a visa issued before she can come over and apply for green card and social security card.and US Passport.

Don't know if this rule still exists but if abusing the system and marrying on a tourist visa the person could be deported and banned from entering the US for 10 years.

Edited November 16, 2014 by Tony125

[Kondiao]

Thanks for the input. I have just now gotten the visa application packet - for Fiance Visa - here in Phoenix, AZ. G/F is in Chiang Mai. I am discouraged and confused because every idea we come up with brings new problems. I will have to fax one set of papers to my lady in Chiang Mai - and then she will have to get help to understand the questions in English - and the fax the papers back to me. There is still the matter of the prohibition against Burmese women marrying foreigners - I have a hope that this will be ignored since the visa application process will be initiated from the U.S.A. I just don't know if the U.S. embassy people in Thailand will see it that way - or if anyone will tell me before hand that they will disregard the intent of the Burmese law. And the U.S. embassy people of course prefer that my G/F goes back to Myanmar to do the paperwork, but there they of course will forbid the marriage - they just take so much longer to do anything.

I know I will have to hire a lawyer - I just hoped I could take the process as far as I can first.

Again thanks for the input.

[khwaibah]

According to this thread it is double in Myanmar. You would have to return.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/625972-marrying-a-myanmar-woman-in-myanmar/