"DCF" in Bangkok

[e_b_d 0]

Hello all, I just went through the first step of DCF in Bangkok, Thailand, and I thought I would post for those who are interested. For Bangkok DCF, you don't actually apply to the Consulate, you file your I-130 petition at the US Citizen and Immigration Services office in Bangkok. USCIS only provides this service to American citizens who actually live in Thailand. It was pretty simple and fast, so I recommend it to anyone who does live here.

In order to apply there, you must have lived in Thailand 6 months (some people say) or 1 year (others say). I've lived here for 4 years so the difference didn't matter to me. (You can email or call them about this, they are accessible both ways.) I had to make copies of my current and previous one-year visa extensions in my passport to prove I had lived here long enough. While I was there I watched them turn away a man who was on a tourist visa and evidently did not do any research, because he was amazed and very angry that they would not allow him to apply.

The approval of the I-130 was actually not as fast as I hoped, since I had read that some people get it approved in 2 weeks or something. I applied on April 28, and the approval notice was dated May 28, arriving in the mail a few days later. I wondered how long I would have to wait for Packet 3 from the Embassy after that, but I didn't have to wonder for long... it came the very next day! Apparently, the approval went to the Embassy one day and they sent out Packet 3 the next. (The two offices are across the street from one another.)

One advantage to DCF (if you are eligible) is that you apply in person, so the officer can tell you right away if you are missing something. The lady at USCIS BKK did not want anything I turned in that was not the size of the other sheets of paper. So, she told me if I wanted to submit my picture albums or newspaper articles to go make copies of them onto regular paper. There was only one lady dealing with customers, she was Thai, and she was polite.

So now we're working on our papers to return to the Embassy. If anyone out there wants to know more about Bangkok DCF, send me a message.

[Thai family 0]

Thanks for sharing that information. It should be helpful to someone down the line.

Just a note, DCF is not allowed in Thailand for those who are there on a student visa, even for a couple of years.

Been there, looked into it.

[Kang Lang 7]

sounds like things are moving quickly e_b_d! good luck to a very speedy end of your journey!

[e_b_d 0]

A couple of things I forgot to mention. Here is a USCIS page with BKK office info including tel. number and email address:

https://egov.uscis.gov/crisgwi/go?action=of...r.statecode=abk

They accept credit/bank cards for payment of the $355 fee even though the website does not say this. I read this webpage, and was thinking I would have to pay in baht cash or by cashier's check, but I called them about something else and just happened to mention, "I can pay by cashier's check right?" and the officer said, "I don't know but most people use a credit card." I was really relieved. By the way if you pay in credit card or US cash it's cheaper for you. They send you to pay at the US Embassy across the street, and the Embassy exchange rate is not often updated. When I went to pay, they were using a 34 baht to 1 dollar rate, when the real exchange rate was about 31 or 32. So I would have paid a good bit more money if I had paid in baht.