Help getting my Thai girlfriend to the US to work.

[ArtxVandelay]

The US by the way.

Last year my girlfriend worked here (Maryland) for the summer. This year she wants to come back, but doesn't want to have to go through an agency again. The place she worked last year said they would hire her again, but we don't know any of the paper-work are even what kind of visa she should get. She's finishing college in May, is 21, and would be coming from late may to mid-june. She would stay as long as she could get a visa for. Thanks.

Edited April 5, 2015 by ArtxVandelay

[AaronLV]

She needs to find a company that will hire her, and file the paperwork to get her a visa. She can't file the paperwork.

[ArtxVandelay]

I have no idea what the paper work is, or where to get the paper work. She has a place that will hire her.

[AaronLV]

The business does the paperwork not you. If she is coming over on a J1 visa the business needs to be approved to be a J1 sponsor through the J1 program. The J1 seems to be the most common ones that the agencies use as they match workers with businesses that already have been approved.

If the company is not on the J1 list then then the options are limited depending on the job.

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Some info on the J1 here: http://j1visa.state.gov/

More here: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/forum/142-student-exchange-visitor-visas/

Perhaps here, too: http://www.visajourney.com/content/temporary-worker-guide

I think you need to ask your g/f to look in her passport to see what kind of visa she had last year.

Mac

[ArtxVandelay]

She came over with a J1, and the place that will hire her this year is the same place the agency got her a job at last year, so I assume they're J1 approved.

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Well, then, time for you to read through the links in the earlier email.

Such as: http://j1visa.state.gov/participants/

Which starts off with: http://j1visa.state.gov/participants/how-to-apply/

FYI, I have zero experience with the J! visa so you have some research to do. You might start off with contacting the place she went to last year and asking them the Qs.

Mac

[AaronLV]

She came over with a J1, and the place that will hire her this year is the same place the agency got her a job at last year, so I assume they're J1 approved.

There are a lot of rules and stipulations with the J1, and I believe she cannot do the same business under the previous J1 visa. It is an exchange visa, and depending on who sponsored the first one she might also be required to stay in Thailand for 2 years prior to getting another J1 visa.

With all the rules this is why most people use an agency to navigate the paperwork, I doubt you will be successful doing it on your own.

[JMWPACIFIC]

Why not give her a job in your architect office?

[BKKdreaming]

how many months is a J1 visa good for ?

[AaronLV]

how many months is a J1 visa good for ?

Varies depending on the job. Most of the J1's are Summer/Work Travel which are 3 to 4 months. Au pair is can extend to 2 years.

http://j1visa.state.gov/programs

This site has a good list of how long most are good for depending on the program:

http://www.hooyou.com/j-1/j1_duration.html

We get about 10 requests a month for Summer J1 work travel (mainly Eastern European), we looked into doing it for our restaurant as there are some tax incentives, however the cost out weighed the benefit.

My wife had some friends that did the Au Pair program, and the sponsoring US families were paying about 8K + expenses to an agency to get Au Pairs from Thailand. The girls were treated very well, and enjoyed their time. Room, food, and medical was paid for and they earned minimum wage while they were there, and only worked 5 days a week. Seemed like a good program.

[BKKdreaming]

does getting a J1 visa help or hurt if they apply later for a Tourist visa ?

this is assuming they follow all the J1 rules

[AaronLV]

They girls we know that had J1's followed the rules, they applied for tourist visa's between 3 & 8 months after they were back, and both got turned down for tourist visa's. No idea if the J1 hurt, but it certainly didn't help.

[ArtxVandelay]

Alright. So my girlfriend is going to getting a tourist visa (hopefully). She has everything she needs, the only thing we're not certain about is how long it takes to get the visa, and how much money she has to have in the bank for her bank statement.

Also, she's been to the US once, with a J1, she returned to Thailand in July of 2014. Will telling them she has a boyfriend, and will be living with me hurt or improve her chances of being accepted?

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Boyfriend in the U.S.? Well, that'll be a sure doomer, I'd think, but if asked, she should not hide that information. In addition, isn't there a place on the application for "reason for travel"? What is she going to enter there?

FYI, funds in the bank are not a large factor in considering a tourist visa. They can be withdrawn the day after. She's got to show very good reasons for return to Thailand, of which an ongoing job could well be one.

Mac

[ArtxVandelay]

She came here before, so she has friends other than me. Tourism seems like a pretty easy answer to why she wants a tourist visa lol.

Also when I got a thai visa to go there, they were super strict when it came to how much money I had.

[BKKdreaming]

I would think boyfriend would not help , and not hurt as much if you are around 30 years old , but hurt badly if you are over 40 ,

They want to make sure she goes back to Thailand ,

so a job , house payments , family that she needs to take care of , etc is what they are looking for

Ask others what kind of letter she needs to get from work , that she is a trusted worker and her job will be there when she returns,

Good Luck , and let us know how it goes

[ArtxVandelay]

Well she does have her graduation in December. Could she just tell them that. Also I'm 23 and she's 22.

Edited May 31, 2015 by ArtxVandelay

[TerryLH]

"Also when I got a thai visa to go there, they were super strict when it came to how much money I had. "

Can you explain that? I don't understand what you mean.

Thanks

Terry

[BKKdreaming]

if you are the person at the Embassy asking your girlfriend questions do you see any reason that she has to return to Thailand ?

And you being 23 is another reason why she would NOT return , true love and all

We all know its crazy since there are 10-20 million "illegal" aliens in the USA , most crossed our southern border but also many had student and tourist visas and never left ,

and the last thing they will worry about is human trafficing since it is so much in the news now......

I wish her luck , can she travel with her mother ?????? That would make it easier if her Mother had property etc

[ArtxVandelay]

When I was saving money to go there, I kept my money out of the bank, because I save better if I can just put it away. When it came time to get my visa, I deposited just 700$, since that's how much I needed in the bank. When I went there they said that it wasn't enough. I argued that the site only said I needed 700$. I ended up showing them that I had 200$ on me in cash, and showed them how much my father had in the bank.

Also my girlfriend does have her college papers saying she still needs 1 credit before she graduates, which is just attending her graduation, which is in December.

[coulson]

Check some of the links you've already been furnished with, you'll find most of your answers.

The J1 has some small print, unless it's changed in 10 years.......I had to sign a waiver on application confirming I would not extend my stay further. Im not sure if similar applies to a Thai citizen.

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Note, too, your subject line on this thread re "WORK" which is quite illegal if entering the U.S. on a tourist visa

Mac

[ArtxVandelay]

sorry. we decided to do a tourist instead of work visa

[wooloomooloo]

sorry. we decided to do a tourist instead of work visa

Really? Just as long as you both remember that if caught a very long ban, even indefinite, could well befall your girlfriend.

I strongly suspect you're stringing us along. Up to you.

[BKKdreaming]

do you think single tourist will be easier ?

Maybe going as a group from school might get thru....

like I said before , what reason does she have to return to Thailand ?

I do not think one class to get a degree is not going to be good enough

I hope it works for her....