Should I requet assistance from a law firm in Bangkok

[redbeans 0]

I am going to visit my girlfriend again this Thursday. We are meeting in Bangkok. The only time I get to see her is when I fly over from the states. We love each other very much and want to get married so she can come see me in the states. I work full time and attend school full time so my schedule makes it hard for me to make time to see her. She has more time on her hands so it would be nice if she could come visit me in the states as freely as I can travel to see her. I plan on moving to Thailand to teach as soon as I finish up with school (about 1.5 to 2 years away). I am 31 and she is 38. She has been divorced for 5 years and has documentation to prove it. She has 2 daughters, one 14 and one 6. We do not want to bring the kids over at this point, we just want to make it more convenient for us to spend time together. She lives about 240km north of Bangkok and works for her sister and brother in law. Her english is a work in progress, and I just think that the paperwork and tasks required on her end could overwhelm her. I am considering requesting a consultation next week with a law firm in Bangkok to assist us. Can anyone give me some advice as to if it would be beneficial and if so maybe a reccomendation of a good firm or lawyer?

[redbeans 0]

Sorry I forgot to mention that we are considering applying for a K1 Visa.

[reeses16 8]

Hi! It seems like you just want her to come visit you as freely as you can visit her. Do you want her to visit you or live with you in the US? If you just want her to visit I don't think you should file for a K1. IF you file a K1 she can only enter the us once time, thats it. You have to marry within 90 days of her entering the US. And she can not leave the US until she has an approved travel document or her green card. At best it will take about 3 months to get her travel documents or green card after you've filed for them. At worst it could take up to a year or more.

I think a tourist visa might be a better fit.

[redbeans 0]

She might have a hard time getting a tourist visa as she does not have much money or anything to help prove that she does not intend on emigrating. I have heard a tourist visa in Thailand is hard to come by. We do love each other and we planned on getting married anyway. We just might marry sooner so we can see each other more frequently. As far as the children are concerned, I believe it would be better if they continued their education in Thailand because they may experience culture shock and be overwhelmed by trying to fit in at an all english speaking school.

[Joanna&Bobby 3]

Hi! It seems like you just want her to come visit you as freely as you can visit her. Do you want her to visit you or live with you in the US? If you just want her to visit I don't think you should file for a K1. IF you file a K1 she can only enter the us once time, thats it. You have to marry within 90 days of her entering the US. And she can not leave the US until she has an approved travel document or her green card. At best it will take about 3 months to get her travel documents or green card after you've filed for them. At worst it could take up to a year or more.

I think a tourist visa might be a better fit.

I agree. She can apply for a tourist visa, and if you want to get married file for K1. During the time that it takes for the USCIS to approve the petition and for her to get the K1 visa she will be able to visit you in the US.

You dont at all need help from a law firm to get her a tourist visa. She just needs to be able to prove ties to her home country (business, children, maybe she owns a house there). My parents have gotten their tourist (10 year) visas to come and visit me while I was living in the US, and they have done it without the help of an attorney. Many people do that.

I would't hire a law firm because you can do all that paperwork alone with the help of visajourney. They are just going to rob you of your money, and on top of that you will not see them do anythig. Good luck!

[redbeans 0]

Would her children be enough proof to prove that she is not planning on emigrating? She lives with her sister and brother in law and does not have much money in the bank.

Edited March 9, 2008 by redbeans

[Jamie76 0]

Getting married in Thailand is not going to make it any easier for her to come to the States as easily as you can fly to Thailand. You wouldn't apply for a K1 visa if it is your intent to move to Thailand as the K1 visa is for those individuals wanting to come to the US to marry their S.O.

A tourist visa is also very difficult for most Thai's to obtain. So...I think you need to decide what you want. If it's moving to Thailand then hold off on anything until you are ready to move, or if you want her to come there to live with you, apply for the K1 and marry her and then move back to Thailand at a later date.

Are you planning on teaching in a university? I'm sure you are aware that teaching positions for farangs in the LOS are not always the most lucrative positions unless you can get in with a university or international school. There have been a lot of changes just recently in how work visas are obtained by westerners there. I'm bringing this up because if you haven't already looked into salaries, the difficulties in obtaining solid work, and sometimes the difficulties in obtaining a work visa, it could help you determine if you want to move there, or have her move to the States.

If you haven't visited this site, I suggest you do: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showforum=46 You can learn a lot about teaching in Thailand.

[redbeans 0]

I believe that a tourist visa is what we should shoot for. I am just not sure she has enough evidence to show that she does not plan on emigrating. Will leaving her two kids behind be enough?

[sunandmoon 450]

I believe that a tourist visa is what we should shoot for. I am just not sure she has enough evidence to show that she does not plan on emigrating. Will leaving her two kids behind be enough?

probably not.