My Thai GF Got US Travel Visa Yesterday

[buck99]

About 2 months ago I asked the TV student body for advice in getting a US travel visa for my Thail GF. Yesterday we went to the US Embassy in BKK and my GF was successful in getting the travel visa. To assist others, I will briefly state the process I went through to get it.

First of all, I thought for ease and expediency, I would go to a visa facilitator. I interviewed 2 companies and ended up with a firm located here in Pattaya. The fee was 24,000 baht and I felt that it was money well spent if they got the travel Visa. I paid 1/2 upfront. I made the foolish mistake in thinking that a Thai company would be both knowledgable and professional. How wrong I was. After several visits and many questions later, I realized they knew far less than me and I had gathered my information second hand. They were completly worthless.

Next I researched the Internet for information concerning US Visas for foreigners and it was quite helpful. It told of the do's and don'ts and started my on my way.

1. I went on the US Embassy Bangkok website http://bangkok.usembassy.gov and filled out a DS-160 form. You need a very clear passport type photo and need to be detailed in how you answer the questions. Print out the form on completion and review it carefully with your wife/gf.

2. Log on to the Website and register your email and password. This will give you feed back on the progress of your application.

3. After the DS-160 application is completed and approved, you get back an Electronic Funds Transfer Cash Deposit Instructions, go to Bank of Ayudhya and pay the fee (5280 baht)

Caution: One of the steps shown on the website process has been discontinued. YOU DO NOT NEED TO GET A PIN! It would have saved me 4 frustrating days had I known this information.

4. Next call 021054110, talk to a live operator and get a Visa interview. We got the interview within 3 days of making the appointment.

5. Show up about 45 minutes early to line up for the interview. They take the aplicants in order of the interview times.

Notes:

I had prepared 2 each three ring binders with all information concerning my GF and myself. They were neatly indexed so she could retreave the information quickly if needed. This included letter from me to the Embassy, copies of passports, banking info, 3 yrs tax returns, afidavit of support,

her Medical insurance, Business license, her daughters birth certificate, Thai ID, college ID, Condo ownership papers, Car ownership papers, Pic of Condo, pics of family,pics of daughter and letters of reference from US citizens.

I drilled my GF on the interview process. Each question was gone over so there would be no hesitation or incorrecct answers. I told her not to answer with just a "yes" or "no but with a complete sentence. Question "do you have a daughter?" Answer "Yes, I have a 19 year old daughter who is a student at the University of Bangkok"

The GF said the interviewer kept his eyes locked on the computer screen during the interview. I believe he was asking question based on the DS-160 form I had filled out prior. She carefully and quickly answered the questions as I had filled them out on the form.

He asked for no other documentation and the interview ended in about 5-6 minutes. He then just said "Go! have nice trip".

She said she entered the interview area with about 30 other people and saw from the body language and tears most were denied visas and the others she could not tell what their outcome was.

In retrospect, I think my gf was successful because of her age (44) and both the DS-160 application and her answers coincided. Also her demeanor and confidence during the interview was a big factor.

We wont know if its a one year or a ten year visa until it arrives in about 10 days.

I hope this helps others in quest of a travel visa. Im not an expert but would give you my experence if you want to PM me.

[thrilled]

My fiance,then girlfriend,owned land,businesses etc.She was given A 10 year visa to go to the U.S.I had heard that if A person

Don't have ties to Thailand then the U.S. might believe you won't come back.

[buck99]

The whole point of the interview is for the applicant to prove his/her intention to return to their native country. It states in the US State Dept website that the interviewer assumes the position that the applicant will not return to his/her country and it is up to the applicant to convince the interviewer otherwise. Job, money, land, family,stability and obligations are what the interviewers are looking for.

[mikebell]

My experience was both similar and different to the above.

I questioned a visa agency in Pattaya only to find they would 'look at' my papers for 10,000 baht. There was no guarantee they would proceed any further after pocketing my money. I decided to do-it-myself. This was a few years back and from the above it seems things have moved on.

The DS-160 kept crashing part way through. It took two Post Office visits to pay, then get a pin number. It took many days of looking for a vacant interview slot achieved eventually by logging on at 5am on a series of mornings. The interview time given was a farce, accurate only to the nearest 4 hours. The interview was a formality given in pigeon Thai by a farang. My wife was over 40 and granted a ten year visa.

Don't get me started on the chaos of LA Immigration.

[buck99]

My GF just got her passport back from the US Embassy 15 minutes ago. She applied on Tuesday and had the passport returned on Thursday. She got a 10 yr multi entry visa! That will allow her to stay up to 6 months at a time. I didn't expect that and am very happy with the outcome.

[bangmai]

Did you have to prove she will have health insurance the moment she enters the US?

[buck99]

No it wasn't necessary to prove it, but I plan to buy her travel health insurance while in the US. She now has health insurance for everywhere in the world except the USA through AXA. The premium including the USA was way high and I thought the chances of taking her to the U.S. were very slim.

[alaskaseeker]

Hello again, my G/F is talking about marriage, we have been engaged for a while, was wondering how this would affect her trying for a visa to the US..... Thank you for your thoughts on this.  George

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I'm not sure that circumstance helps in terms of applying for a tourist visa.

 

One of the things the U.S. government/Immigration worries about in those kinds of situations in Thai women who will go to the U.S. on a tourist visa and then, once there, get married and then apply there to stay based on marriage.

 

In that kind of situation, they would see the risk that the woman is applying for the tourist visa under false pretenses -- not really planning to visit the U.S. briefly and return to Thailand, but instead, to go there, get married to you and plan to stay.

 

 

 

 

[alaskaseeker]

At some point she wants to visit the US, she has a job teaching, has a home in Nonthaburi and is just finishing her Masters... She is a great person.  Was just curious...

[OMGImInPattaya]

Congrats on the visa...but as an aside, a 10 multi-entry seems a little too generous to me. For a tourist visa, a one year multi-entry visa seems (what Americans can get from Thailand) seems more appropriate.  Allot could change in her situation in 10 years and a travel visa to America could be inappropriate for her in those circumstances.

[thaihome]

6 hours ago, OMGImInPattaya said:

Congrats on the visa...but as an aside, a 10 multi-entry seems a little too generous to me. For a tourist visa, a one year multi-entry visa seems (what Americans can get from Thailand) seems more appropriate.  Allot could change in her situation in 10 years and a travel visa to America could be inappropriate for her in those circumstances.

 

The State Dept started issuing 10 year visas when they started requiring an interview every time. Prior to that, you got a one year multi entry visa,  sometimes without even any interview,  it was fairly routine to get another each year.  You did not even have to go to consulate, it could be done with a messenger.

 

This is one of many travel fall outs from 9/11. Once an interview was required, it was too costly to have to interview the same person every year or so they therefore started issuing 10 or 5 tear visas.

TH8

[spidermike007]

My Thai wife just got a 10 year, multiple entry tourist visa for the US. Same process as stated above, except we got the interview booked online. She as interviewed, and they seemed to spend alot of time looking at MY original passport, which I was advised to give to her to present. It seemed to make a big difference. They asked for very little documentation other than that, though we were very prepared. I think the fact that they saw that I travel to the US twice annually for a month or so each time might have helped too. 

 

We have been together for 11 years, and married for the past two years. 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I had a prior application with a past GF several years ago where the tourist visa was denied, and according to the ex, the interviewing officer couldn't find the photocopies of all my passport stamps/Thai visa extensions in our binder (even though they were there, and for whatever reason the ex didn't help the officer find), and then wanted my original passport, which the GF didn't have with her there. So she was denied.

 

Of course, I wasn't allowed to be there for the interview or even inside the consulate at the same time. And at the time, since the photocopies of all my passport pages were in our binder, I didn't think having the original passport was necessary/helpful. But apparently, in retrospect, it is.

 

So I would second the above advice: give the wife or GF your original passport to present to the interviewing officer in addition to any photocopies, since that does seem to be an important factor. Presumably, because it helps them establish that you're an ongoing, long-term resident in Thailand, and not planning to move back to the U.S. if the tourist visa is issued.

 

 

.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Just an update on my Thai wife's tourist visa application: she went this morning for her Consulate interview, was in and out in less than a half hour, and was granted a now standard 10-year tourist visa.

 

Because I'd had an unsuccessful attempt once before many years back with a former GF, this time, I way over-prepared and spent hours checking in advance on what my wife of several years could expect, getting all her/our documents gathered together and organized, and then, equally importantly, PREPARING her on what to expect, what she likely would be asked, and making sure she could clearly answer everything.

 

The wife had never applied for a U.S. tourist visa before or even been to the U.S. Consulate in BKK, and had never before traveled to any foreign country. So she pretty much had no idea what to expect going in, except from what she'd heard along the way, as we prepared, from some of her work colleagues.

 

As it turned out, from the wife's account, the actual interview with an English-speaking farang consular officer  lasted only about 5+ minutes, and was preceded by a document check with a Thai officer, who took my wife's fingerprints, wanted to see copies of my passport pages, and asked for and looked at the invitation letter that I submitted from my father in the U.S. (whom we're going to visit), along with a copy of his driver's license as ID.

 

The wife went in armed with about a half dozen different folders containing our/her documents organized into topics: my passport/visa copies, my financial support evidence for the trip, her work letters and documents, our marriage certificate documents, her bank and related statements, etc.

 

According to the wife, the consulate staff wanted to see NONE of that with the exception of my passport/visa stamp photocopies and the invitation letter from my father. That was it.

 

According to the wife, she wasn't asked a single question that we hadn't anticipated beforehand:

 

--Why do you want to go to the U.S.

--What are you going to do there?

--re my father, what's his name, where he lives, what does he do, had she ever met him in person before.

--re me, how long we're married, what I do in Thailand, when was I last in the U.S.

--re her, where she works and what she does for her job.

 

--Did you ever go to the U.S. before

--Did you ever apply for a U.S. visa before

--Do you know any people in the U.S.

 

The wife also mentioned, the whole time she was inside at the consulate, there was no time for sitting down: first queue with the Thai officer, then immediately go to queue for the interview officer standing at the counter, and then done.

 

She also mentioned two other things:

1. all during the short interview, the wife said the consular officer was staring intently at her face/eyes as she answered.

2. they seemed to like/appreciate her having a formal invitation letter from a relative of mine in the U.S. I don't know the result would have been any different if I had simply written the letter as her husband. But having the letter from my father certainly seemed to help.

 

PS - If we ever have to do it again in the future for another visa, I'd probably prepare all the same documents again -- just because you never quite know just what they might ask for on any given day with any given officer.

 

But at least next time, I'll be a lot less stressed about it.

 

PPS - I also tend to think that the process likely tends to go smoother when the couple have an established marriage as opposed to simply being a BF-GF couple.

 

 

 

Edited September 28, 2016 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[moe666]

On ‎12‎/‎17‎/‎2014 at 3:29 PM, buck99 said:

The whole point of the interview is for the applicant to prove his/her intention to return to their native country. It states in the US State Dept website that the interviewer assumes the position that the applicant will not return to his/her country and it is up to the applicant to convince the interviewer otherwise. Job, money, land, family,stability and obligations are what the interviewers are looking for.

Hey congradulations, my girlfriend was turned down by Chiang Mai consulate, even though we have been togetherfor 6years and I live now in Thailand permantly. We had all of the letters and bank statements never even got looked at. When the farang interviewing her asked if we were married and she said no the whole atmosphere  of the interview changed girlfriend said his face even changed. Ten minutes later sorry no visa

[MathewM]

Does being married and having submitted application for marriage visa affect tourist via outcome?

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

1 hour ago, MathewM said:

Does being married and having submitted application for marriage visa affect tourist via outcome?

 

When it comes to tourist visas, having a Thai woman who's married to an American who is well-settled in Thailand is normally a good thing vs having an unmarried GF apply.

 

However, the main thing the Consulate is looking at when a Thai woman applies is the certainty that she's return to Thailand AFTER going to the U.S. on the tourist visa and is not trying to stay there.

 

I'm just guessing here, but a Thai woman who's already the subject of a U.S. marriage visa application has pretty well already signaled that she DOES want/intend to move to the U.S. and isn't looking to stay in Thailand. So I could see where a tourist visa app might be problematic.

 

That said, though, I don't see any particular harm that would occur from trying and applying. The worst thing that could happen is they'd say no and you'd be out the $160 application fee and some hours of your and her time. I wouldn't think a tourist visa application would have any impact on a pending marriage visa application.

 

 

Edited October 3, 2016 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[MathewM]

Thank you.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I must say, the recent disclosure and arrests in connection with a major sex worker trafficking ring from Thailand into the U.S. helped give me a greater understanding of why the U.S. Consular officers may sometimes (often?) deny tourist visas to ordinary Thai women not in established marriages to settled U.S. expats. It's unfortunate this kind of stuff makes it more difficult for ordinary Thai women who have legitimate reasons for wanting to visit the U.S.

 

http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2016/10/10/us-hoping-find-more-suspects-thailand-sex-trafficking-ring-case

 

Quote

 

They were brought to America under the promise that their travel debt would be paid off in a few years. Actually, the crime ring forced them to spend four or five years paying off that debt, some were never told that they had paid it off.

If the women tried to escape, they were told their families would be threatened.
 

The investigation so far states that hundreds of women traveled from Thailand to the U.S. since 2009 as part of this trafficking ring. They ended up in cities that included Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Minneapolis, Washington and Dallas. To pay off their supposed travel and living expenses forced to work off as, much as THB2 million each.

 

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

This is just a bit of a trip report regarding my mid-30s Thai wife's first visit to the U.S. on her first-time U.S. tourist visa.

 

We flew into LAX and I'd seen lots of complaints here re ICE processing in L.A.  We arrived early on a Sat morning and the only BAD thing about the experience was a ridiculous, up and down, and around walking process to get from the plane to the ICE checkpoint.

 

Once there at the entry to the ICE area, first thing was, they have entirely different/separate sections for U.S. citizens and green card holders vs. foreign residents. At first, I thought my wife and I would have to go to separate areas, me to the U.S. citizens section and her to the foreign residents section. But when we asked, one of the agents answered no, since my Thai wife was traveling with me, we both should go together to the U.S. citizens section. OK...

 

Once there, we encountered the now familiar passport scanning and automated questionnaire machines, which were confusing for us because I wasn't sure whether we were supposed to each do our own on separate machines. No clear guidance visible on that point. But one of the agents there told us no, I should do mine first on one machine and then by answering that I'm traveling with a wife, that I'd be asked to enter her info as part of my process.

 

Whatever we did, it didn't turn out right at the machine. So an agent had to come over and help us complete the process. So it was good they had a sufficient number of customer service agents standing nearby to help people who were having difficulty with the machines. And, despite the problems, the agent guy was very polite and helpful. And he did in fact help us complete the process at the machine and get the little printout sheet that you then take to wait for being checked by an ICE officer at their counters.

 

At that hour on a Sat morning, the queue in the U.S. citizens section wasn't that long. And after maybe a 5-10 minute wait in queue, the wife and I were called up to the ICE agent's counter and handed over our passports and such, which he then scanned and did whatever. I believe, in the short time we were at the counter, he asked only two questions, what was the purpose of our visit, and how long were we planning to stay. And I answered it was to visit my family and about a week. And that was it, no further questions and not a single question even directed specifically at my wife, who was standing there next to me.

 

Having read here in the past of problems with Thai residents upon arrival sometimes, we had brought along a bunch of supporting paperwork like the kinds we had prepared when the wife applied for the tourist visa at the U.S. Consulate/Embassy in BKK. But all that stayed packed in our carry on bags which we had with us, and on this instance (even with it being her first international travel under her current passport), we didn't need it at all.  Should note, if you ever want to bring any documents like that, you need to carry them with you or in your carry-on bags, because you don't get to pick up your checked luggage until AFTER you've cleared the ICE checkpoint counters.

 

So all in all, nothing much bad to say about the arrival process at LAX, except for the ridiculous, long, winding route from the planes to the ICE checkpoint area.  The passport scanning machine process was a bit confusing, especially since it was the first time for my wife and the first time for me traveling with a family member (as opposed to traveling alone). So next time, I think we'll have a better handle on that, as well as other things like knowing we're supposed to go thru the checkpoint together via the U.S. citizens queue.