USA Tourist Visa(B1/B2) for Thai Wife and Single Girl

[likethemthin]

I have learned many things from other members and wanted to relate my wife’s experience in obtaining a tourist visa to USA:

My wife and her sister applied for USA tourist visas.

We applied online as is required and scheduled the visa interviews once the fe was paid, although it seemed to take longer for payment to be recorded in the system than the 1 day mentioned.

You only have a choice of morning interview slots, so trying to do this in one day without staying overnight in Bangkok is probably not feaseable.

The girls dressed smartly in business suits.

I agree with another poster that if a Thai wife is applying, what the husband is doing in Thailand in terms of probably staying in Thailand is weighted maybe 50% in my opinion. In our case, I have been on a retirement Visa long time and we have been married a long time, well over 5 years.

The second thing was that copies of anything are not going to fly. Originals are needed and my wife took my passport in with her.

Case 1: Thai wife seeking tourist visa: Asked mostly about relationship with husband. My wife had two packs ready to go. As soon as I was mentioned in any capacity, she handed my passport, which was reviewed and handed back. Second package was original bank accounts and original chanote deeds for any question relating to finances, which came up such as; How do I know you will return? My wife immediately grabbed and handed over 4 bank accounts and chanotes and explained how she just paid x million baht to build a new house. In this package was also a picture of the house and question was how many bedrooms? I was surprised that photo was looked at, but it was stuck into the folded chanote. Asked what will you do on your vacation. What is your husband doing? Where will the money come from for the trip?

At the end, wife was approved. I am sure each interviewer has a different style.

Also of note is that the old days of “choosing” to be interviewed by Thai or Foreigner officer are over, all officers (which were farang) are fluent in English and Thai and will speak to you in whichever you prefer.

Wait time in front of embassy was 1/2 hour, inside was 1 1/2 hour.

Case 2: Wife’s sister with about 175,000 baht in bank of long duration; works as clerk and makes 15000 baht/month salary; cover letter from me introducing her; papers listed my friend in US as Contact Person (possibly a mistake). Denied immediately, did not look at anything. The way I see it she matched all 4 criteria for denial: (1) Single; (2) female; (3) low income; (4) male contact person in US.

Hope this story helps someone as I have been helped by others.

[NanLaew]

... Case 2: Wife’s sister with about 175,000 baht in bank of long duration; works as clerk and makes 15000 baht/month salary; cover letter from me introducing her; papers listed my friend in US as Contact Person (possibly a mistake). Denied immediately, did not look at anything. The way I see it she matched all 4 criteria for denial: (1) Single; (2) female; (3) low income; (4) male contact person in US. ...

A letter from employer acknowledging the vacation plans and stating she has a job when she returns may have had more clout than the OP's letter of introduction and the US friends contact details. Those items could have been in any subsequent submissions as the interview progressed.

[likethemthin]

Very good advice for the next time, maybe in 1 year. I think she did not want to involve employer because she would "lose face" if application denied.

[Snoozy]

My wife and I made the drive from Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai for her visa interview on 29-02-2016. We were married in Dec 2015, but didn't legally register it until Feb 1st, which I know is the only one that counts. I have to say, I didn't know if I should be positive or apprehensive after reading so much about this. I figured, and rightly so, it could go either way. Her appointment was for 08:15 in the morning, we got there at 7:45... which was a little early since they didn't allow entry into the building until 08:00 anyway.

We tried to cover all bases. She was armed with her work contract, a signed leave of absence from the college director, her blue book, her bank book, my bank book, statements from my bank in the U.S., wedding certificate, wedding pictures, proof that we have known each other for a couple of years, and a letter written by me addressed to the consulate stating why we/she wanted to visit the U.S. for the month of April, who were were going to visit, and who was going to pay for it. It also had a blurb about her/our plans when she/we return to Thailand at the end of the visit.

08:00 rolls around and she goes in. After checking in she was directed to wait until she was called. About 10 minutes, maybe less, she is called to a window where a Thai woman asks her a few preliminary questions, but doesn't ask to see any paperwork. She was then told to sit down again until her name is called. A couple minutes later, her name is called and was directed to go into room #2 where she meets the consulate guy who was sitting behind a glass partition. He asks her if she can speak English, she says a little, but would prefer Thai. The guy switches to Thai but yet still uses some English, so she did too, lol. He asked her where she was going to stay, who my brother was (staying at his house), and why she wanted to come to the U.S. He asked her if I can speak Thai, what I did for a living (retired teacher), and where I taught. He wanted to know how old I was... then when she told him, he asked her what my birthday was. He wanted to know the name of the school I taught at... which she didn't know... BUT it was written on that letter I wrote, so she handed it to him, which he then read. Then all of the sudden, he said okay, you are finished. She was a little confused... and didn't know if she could go home, but he reiterated and told her she was finished.

While outside, I was talking to a gentleman who asked me why I was there. So I told him my wife was applying for a tourist visa. He said she won't get it as it took his wife 4 tries. His wife was a professional, held a gov't job for 15 years at the time of their first application, they were married five years the first time they applied... married 9 years by the 4th time she applied. As I talked to him, out comes my wife at 08:30 with a big smile. The consulate guy never said she passed, never said she was denied... he just said they were finished,. But since they verified our address, and kept her passport, I am assuming all is well, and that we will be getting it in the mail shortly.

This whole thing was pretty stressful, I almost think more for me than her. But what advice I can give would be this: Make sure you take the time with your wife/girlfriend/partner to go over that DS-160 application form. And when you fill it out initially, make sure you fess up when they ask on the application if anyone helped them prepare it. He asked her a lot of questions that were already answered on her application...I believe it was to see if she would answer questions differently in person vs what was stated on the app. I think if my wife would have appeared to get tripped up, she would have been rejected. Rehearse with your person... why he/she wants to go, who and what they want to see, where they will stay, how long they want to stay. Make sure they don't deviate from any information provided on the application. With regard to all the supporting documentation, I would still recommend that it be taken... even if it wasn't looked at in our case. In her case, they didn't ask about finances or who was going to pay for it (but then, it was already stated on the DS-160 that I was paying for the trip...and they knew that). I would also recommend you write a letter addressed to them that includes a very brief history of yourself, how you met your significant other, what your plans are for the trip, and why you will come back. Like one of the above posts, it seemed as if the interviewer was more interested about our relationship, and making sure we weren't a "marriage of convenience".

One last thing, everyone I know that has interviewed in BKK has been denied a visa on their first interview. So far that has been three people, while everyone I know who has applied in Chiang Mai has gotten approved. Maybe there is something to that. But with that said, I really think it boils down to the application, how you present yourself, and not getting tripped up on the questions. My wife was in and out of the building within a half an hour.

[bobrussell]

Very good advice for the next time, maybe in 1 year. I think she did not want to involve employer because she would "lose face" if application denied.

Genuine question from someone who has never had to deal with the US authorities:

Why wait a year? If there were gaps in the application, why not just reapply and explain the situation and include better evidence of reasons to return? A years wait will not necessarily change someones circumstances.

I would have thought the US staff would look again.

Are the US authorities that different to UK ones?

Edited March 1, 2016 by bobrussell

[Snoozy]

Very good advice for the next time, maybe in 1 year. I think she did not want to involve employer because she would "lose face" if application denied.

Why wait a year? If there were gaps in the application, why not just reapply and explain the situation and include better evidence of reasons to return? A years wait will not necessarily change someones circumstances.

I don't know why you would wait a year. I have a friend in Alaska whose gf got rejected in BKK. Applied a few months latter and was approved. Although the way I understand it, she was about to get denied when she lost her temper and yelled at the guy.... saying something to the effect that she has already been denied once, came back with more evidence, and if they were going to deny her again, they could shove it... she went on to say whatever she brings they won't believe, so why bother. Either she made a good point, or the guy was afraid for his life having a pissed off Thai woman yelling at him... it was at that point he said approved, lol.

The whole problem with our interview procedure is that they will not tell you why you were not approved... so there is no way to fix whatever the issue is. I realize why they don't give reasons though, as it could actually help the people they don't want in, get in. But for those hard working Thais who just want to vacation and then come back, if they are denied, I think they should be told why... after all, it could be something as simple as a misunderstanding to a question.

[Shot]

My wife and I made the drive from Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai for her visa interview on 29-02-2016. We were married in Dec 2015, but didn't legally register it until Feb 1st, which I know is the only one that counts. I have to say, I didn't know if I should be positive or apprehensive after reading so much about this. I figured, and rightly so, it could go either way. Her appointment was for 08:15 in the morning, we got there at 7:45... which was a little early since they didn't allow entry into the building until 08:00 anyway.

We tried to cover all bases. She was armed with her work contract, a signed leave of absence from the college director, her blue book, her bank book, my bank book, statements from my bank in the U.S., wedding certificate, wedding pictures, proof that we have known each other for a couple of years, and a letter written by me addressed to the consulate stating why we/she wanted to visit the U.S. for the month of April, who were were going to visit, and who was going to pay for it. It also had a blurb about her/our plans when she/we return to Thailand at the end of the visit.

08:00 rolls around and she goes in. After checking in she was directed to wait until she was called. About 10 minutes, maybe less, she is called to a window where a Thai woman asks her a few preliminary questions, but doesn't ask to see any paperwork. She was then told to sit down again until her name is called. A couple minutes later, her name is called and was directed to go into room #2 where she meets the consulate guy who was sitting behind a glass partition. He asks her if she can speak English, she says a little, but would prefer Thai. The guy switches to Thai but yet still uses some English, so she did too, lol. He asked her where she was going to stay, who my brother was (staying at his house), and why she wanted to come to the U.S. He asked her if I can speak Thai, what I did for a living (retired teacher), and where I taught. He wanted to know how old I was... then when she told him, he asked her what my birthday was. He wanted to know the name of the school I taught at... which she didn't know... BUT it was written on that letter I wrote, so she handed it to him, which he then read. Then all of the sudden, he said okay, you are finished. She was a little confused... and didn't know if she could go home, but he reiterated and told her she was finished.

While outside, I was talking to a gentleman who asked me why I was there. So I told him my wife was applying for a tourist visa. He said she won't get it as it took his wife 4 tries. His wife was a professional, held a gov't job for 15 years at the time of their first application, they were married five years the first time they applied... married 9 years by the 4th time she applied. As I talked to him, out comes my wife at 08:30 with a big smile. The consulate guy never said she passed, never said she was denied... he just said they were finished,. But since they verified our address, and kept her passport, I am assuming all is well, and that we will be getting it in the mail shortly.

This whole thing was pretty stressful, I almost think more for me than her. But what advice I can give would be this: Make sure you take the time with your wife/girlfriend/partner to go over that DS-160 application form. And when you fill it out initially, make sure you fess up when they ask on the application if anyone helped them prepare it. He asked her a lot of questions that were already answered on her application...I believe it was to see if she would answer questions differently in person vs what was stated on the app. I think if my wife would have appeared to get tripped up, she would have been rejected. Rehearse with your person... why he/she wants to go, who and what they want to see, where they will stay, how long they want to stay. Make sure they don't deviate from any information provided on the application. With regard to all the supporting documentation, I would still recommend that it be taken... even if it wasn't looked at in our case. In her case, they didn't ask about finances or who was going to pay for it (but then, it was already stated on the DS-160 that I was paying for the trip...and they knew that). I would also recommend you write a letter addressed to them that includes a very brief history of yourself, how you met your significant other, what your plans are for the trip, and why you will come back. Like one of the above posts, it seemed as if the interviewer was more interested about our relationship, and making sure we weren't a "marriage of convenience".

One last thing, everyone I know that has interviewed in BKK has been denied a visa on their first interview. So far that has been three people, while everyone I know who has applied in Chiang Mai has gotten approved. Maybe there is something to that. But with that said, I really think it boils down to the application, how you present yourself, and not getting tripped up on the questions. My wife was in and out of the building within a half an hour.

Great post, especially the part about going over the DS-160 together.

"I think if my wife would have appeared to get tripped up, she would have been rejected."

I couldn't agree more. This is why it is important to be 100% honest in all aspects of the application process. Stuffing bank accounts and fudging (even a bit) on answers will get you a rejection, and it's probably why many (not all) are.

[yosithezet]

My wife and I made the drive from Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai for her visa interview on 29-02-2016.

Thanks for the great post. My gf is from the north but currently living with me in Singapore where she is studying. We are setting up an interview in Chiang Mai but will need her to get her passport back in order to return to Singapore. With that in mind, how long did it take for your wife to get her passport back after the approval?

[Snoozy]

My wife and I made the drive from Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai for her visa interview on 29-02-2016.

Thanks for the great post. My gf is from the north but currently living with me in Singapore where she is studying. We are setting up an interview in Chiang Mai but will need her to get her passport back in order to return to Singapore. With that in mind, how long did it take for your wife to get her passport back after the approval?

Her interview was on a Monday morning, she received her passport four days later on Thursday afternoon in the mail. They were pretty quick about it. I still think that DS 160 is probably the most important part of it all, please make sure the info is accurate and that she can answer everything that is stated on it. I honestly think if my wife couldn't tell the guy my birthday, what I did for a living when I was working, where we were going to go, or my brothers name (as already stated on the application), she would have failed. I read somewhere that the largest cause of denial is an improperly filled out application. I think that is where they don't even take the time to interview you, and just say denied. Best of luck to you with the process.

[yosithezet]

Thanks. The interview is on a Friday and she flies out on Wednesday. She will pick her passport up at the post office assuming all goes well. Still seems like we are cutting it too close.

Edited April 24, 2016 by Scott

[Snoozy]

*Edited posts removed*

If I remember right, there was an option to either have the PP mailed, or you could pick it up at the consulate. We opted to have it mailed since we couldn't stay in Chiang Mai, she had to go to work on Tuesday. But with that said, if your gf is granted a visa, maybe she can ask when she can pick up her PP at the consulate... it might be faster than mailing it.

[yosithezet]

Thanks for the great advice. Interview was Friday. 15 minutes. Lots of papers showing proof and plans were ready, nothing was shown. After 15 minutes she was told that everything is ok and the passport would be delivered to the post office. She mentioned that she was flying today which meant Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday... they said it should be fine. Today she intercepted the passport at the post office where the embassy sends from, before it was sent to the post office where it should be picked up. 10 year visa and made her plane. I'm in shock as all the tales of woe say that nothing about her situation should have enabled her to get approved at all. But here she is approved for a 10 year visa on the first shot.

Thanks for all the great advice!

[Snoozy]

Thanks for the great advice. Interview was Friday. 15 minutes. Lots of papers showing proof and plans were ready, nothing was shown. After 15 minutes she was told that everything is ok and the passport would be delivered to the post office. She mentioned that she was flying today which meant Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday... they said it should be fine. Today she intercepted the passport at the post office where the embassy sends from, before it was sent to the post office where it should be picked up. 10 year visa and made her plane. I'm in shock as all the tales of woe say that nothing about her situation should have enabled her to get approved at all. But here she is approved for a 10 year visa on the first shot.

Thanks for all the great advice!

Congratulations to you and your girlfriend! Yeah, that was our experience. We had everything we could think of, and nothing was looked at. I really think if the application is spot on, and she can answer questions about the information on it, it is a go. Well, that and not trying to bs your way through the interview. As stated somewhere on the gov't site, the main reason people are denied is because they screwed up on the application somehow, was improperly filled out, or had blank spaces.

What a relief to get that 10 year visa on the first try. I think it wore on my nerves more than it did my wife's, and you are right... there are way too many tales of woe. And although I can't back up this statement with irrefutable proof, I still think given the same application and interview process in BKK vs CM, more are approved in CM. BTW, we just came back from her first trip to the U.S., and although the wallet is significantly thinner, it was worth it. Amazing how quickly a month can go by.

Congrats again.

[Monkey Fish]

Just in case anybody is reading this to do research for their visa applications.

While many details and circumstances are going to vary between applicants, the document that seemed most determinative in my wife's interview was a "To whom it may concern" letter from MY employer which indicated that my employer knew about our travel plans and was in support of them, especially including the planned date of return and resumption of duties.

[LukKruengDam]

 

On 5/5/2016 at 3:52 AM, Monkey Fish said:

Just in case anybody is reading this to do research for their visa applications.

While many details and circumstances are going to vary between applicants, the document that seemed most determinative in my wife's interview was a "To whom it may concern" letter from MY employer which indicated that my employer knew about our travel plans and was in support of them, especially including the planned date of return and resumption of duties.

Three years late...but thanks for that tidbit of information.