SAWASDEE 3 (2009 Thai thread restarted)

[scandal 951]

5 K1s. 4 denied. 4/5. 80% Denial rate. Wow. wow. wow. Oh.My.Fri**cking.Gawd. Excuse my language. Do we even stand a chance??

Technically, none of these could be denials. They probably asked most of them to return with more and/or proper evidence and/or documents. From my experience here in VisaJourney, many people are not entirely prepared, in spite of the abundance of resources; they simply neglect, misunderstand, and forget forms, evidence, etc.

Even if the consulate decides that the relationship is not bona fide, they do not reject it. Rather they send it back to USCIS where it dies a slow painful death.

One last thought is that if you prepare everything the best you can, you are in a bona fide relationship, and you still are 'rejected,' then you pick yourself up and move on. Nothing in life is worth worrying about.

Yeah, I'm really trying hard not to think of the worst case alternatives.

As in: what do you do if it is sent back to USCIS?

I suppose my options would be: (a) go to Thailand, marry her, and start all over again with K3 or CR1 (B) sell my house, quit my job, move back to Canada, buy a house and get a job in Toronto, and start a Canadian immigration process for Thanti. That was always plan B during our initial stages, before I got my job in Chicago. I was applying for some jobs in Toronto simultaneously and figured that whichever came in first would guide the immigration process as well. Is there a VJ for Canadian immigration? LOL!! I have a feeling it's a much more streamlined process, without all the ####### of the US bureaucracy.

Anyway, all that is the worst case stuff. Of course I'm hopeful we'll get our interview, and quick visa approval, or at most just need to bring back some docs. It's happened to Aaron, daboys, birchbeer, and others, so I'm prepared for that to happen to us too.

[Danno2 0]

at most just need to bring back some docs. It's happened to Aaron, daboys, birchbeer, and others, so I'm prepared for that to happen to us too.

I think everyone should expect that now. Seems like SOP. My question is we are bring ALL of the proof of relationship to the interview. I'm wodering what the h*ll to do if he wants more.

[bill13060 0]

at most just need to bring back some docs. It's happened to Aaron, daboys, birchbeer, and others, so I'm prepared for that to happen to us too.

I think everyone should expect that now. Seems like SOP. My question is we are bring ALL of the proof of relationship to the interview. I'm wodering what the h*ll to do if he wants more.

I'm in the same boat and the only thing i can think of is to have our families write statements asserting that our relationship is bonafide.

[Danno2 0]

OMG I called NVC today to get our number, They informed me the case was not there and would not be.

Because they already shipped to BKK on 4/15/09!

VSC-NVC->BKK = 7 days

WOW,WOW,WOW!!!

Edited April 17, 2009 by Danny and Chada

[scandal 951]

OMG I called NVC today to get our number, They informed me the case was not there and would not be.

Because they already shipped to BKK on 4/15/09!

VSC-NVC->BKK = 7 days

WOW,WOW,WOW!!!

WOW! That's fabulous Danny. :thumbs: Scratch NVC off your list of worries!!

Hope you get your Packet 3 quickly now.

At this rate, you guys will lap us and get to the finish line before us!

Edited April 17, 2009 by uscandual

[daboyz 36]

5 K1s. 4 denied. 4/5. 80% Denial rate. Wow. wow. wow. Oh.My.Fri**cking.Gawd. Excuse my language. Do we even stand a chance??

Technically, none of these could be denials. They probably asked most of them to return with more and/or proper evidence and/or documents. From my experience here in VisaJourney, many people are not entirely prepared, in spite of the abundance of resources; they simply neglect, misunderstand, and forget forms, evidence, etc.

Even if the consulate decides that the relationship is not bona fide, they do not reject it. Rather they send it back to USCIS where it dies a slow painful death.

One last thought is that if you prepare everything the best you can, you are in a bona fide relationship, and you still are 'rejected,' then you pick yourself up and move on. Nothing in life is worth worrying about.

I would agree with that. I personally think they use 221g as a way to prove a bona fide relationship. Meaning if you are really serious, you will jump through their hoops. Those 4 denials will probably be approved once they bring back what they ask for. Hard to tell though.

[daboyz 36]

5 K1s. 4 denied. 4/5. 80% Denial rate. Wow. wow. wow. Oh.My.Fri**cking.Gawd. Excuse my language. Do we even stand a chance??

Technically, none of these could be denials. They probably asked most of them to return with more and/or proper evidence and/or documents. From my experience here in VisaJourney, many people are not entirely prepared, in spite of the abundance of resources; they simply neglect, misunderstand, and forget forms, evidence, etc.

Even if the consulate decides that the relationship is not bona fide, they do not reject it. Rather they send it back to USCIS where it dies a slow painful death.

One last thought is that if you prepare everything the best you can, you are in a bona fide relationship, and you still are 'rejected,' then you pick yourself up and move on. Nothing in life is worth worrying about.

Yeah, I'm really trying hard not to think of the worst case alternatives.

As in: what do you do if it is sent back to USCIS?

I suppose my options would be: (a) go to Thailand, marry her, and start all over again with K3 or CR1 (B) sell my house, quit my job, move back to Canada, buy a house and get a job in Toronto, and start a Canadian immigration process for Thanti. That was always plan B during our initial stages, before I got my job in Chicago. I was applying for some jobs in Toronto simultaneously and figured that whichever came in first would guide the immigration process as well. Is there a VJ for Canadian immigration? LOL!! I have a feeling it's a much more streamlined process, without all the ####### of the US bureaucracy.

Anyway, all that is the worst case stuff. Of course I'm hopeful we'll get our interview, and quick visa approval, or at most just need to bring back some docs. It's happened to Aaron, daboys, birchbeer, and others, so I'm prepared for that to happen to us too.

Yeah the 4 trips we made to the Embassy really didn't delay our plans at all. I planned to arrive in BKK four days after her first interview, which looking back on it, I think was a pretty good move. It allowed us to get all the photos etc. they wanted and submit them to the Embassy.

[scandal 951]

I would agree with that. I personally think they use 221g as a way to prove a bona fide relationship. Meaning if you are really serious, you will jump through their hoops. Those 4 denials will probably be approved once they bring back what they ask for. Hard to tell though.

You're probably right. I'm eager to hear an update from birchbeer, as to whether his rejection also fits this pattern of "routine" relationship-testing.

On the other hand, what sane person pays the money and waits the ~6-8 months through USCIS, NVC and all the paperwork, just to get to the interview stage, and then cop out at the end due to a rejection slip? Of COURSE we're bloody serious!! And yes, we'll jump through their damned hoops.

This entire process is ridiculous! But of course, that's the reason VJ exists in the first place, right?

Yeah the 4 trips we made to the Embassy really didn't delay our plans at all. I planned to arrive in BKK four days after her first interview, which looking back on it, I think was a pretty good move. It allowed us to get all the photos etc. they wanted and submit them to the Embassy.

It may not have delayed your eventual plans, but I remember at the time how worried you were. They were demanding additional tax documentation from you due to your IRS settlement, and you were pretty freaked out at the time (as I recall it). I'm sure that now in hindsight you're more relaxed but of course I still have the "ante" , not the "post" perspective. So you'll forgive my antsyness.

[dvddvd 0]

Well said, Ron.

I wish you would post the same over in the new Thailand Thread, especially about the laws regarding disrespectful speech regarding the King. I guess that's why I get so up in arms when someone says anything bad about the Royal family, because I respect those laws. American's forget that our "freedom of speech" is not upheld worldwide! Even my wife, when I had her read some of the posts was shocked, and worried that "someone" would track the IP address' and go after anyone saying anything negative towards the King!

My wife and I spent the good part of a Saturday morning trying to track down President Bush last summer. We didn't have any luck, though we basically knew where he was. About an hour after we gave up, the police started blocking off the street in front of the gas station that we had stopped at. I told my wife to get out of the car and come watch his motorcade come by. She wouldn't budge. I couldn't believe it .... I explained that she might not ever get another chance to see this ... blah blah ... It was like pulling teeth to get her out of the car and I got really frustrated with her.

Turned out there was a guy standing a few yards away who was shooting the bird and waving it high while waiting on the President to pass and my wife did not want to get involved with the police when they came over to beat the you know what out of that guy. She didn't want police to lump her in with him when they came to get him ... etc.

We saw the motorcade and it wasn't until afterwards that I learned that my wife was scared to death the entire time.

It was an eye opening moment for me .... and my wife.

dvd

[daboyz 36]

I would agree with that. I personally think they use 221g as a way to prove a bona fide relationship. Meaning if you are really serious, you will jump through their hoops. Those 4 denials will probably be approved once they bring back what they ask for. Hard to tell though.

You're probably right. I'm eager to hear an update from birchbeer, as to whether his rejection also fits this pattern of "routine" relationship-testing.

On the other hand, what sane person pays the money and waits the ~6-8 months through USCIS, NVC and all the paperwork, just to get to the interview stage, and then cop out at the end due to a rejection slip? Of COURSE we're bloody serious!! And yes, we'll jump through their damned hoops.

This entire process is ridiculous! But of course, that's the reason VJ exists in the first place, right?

Yeah the 4 trips we made to the Embassy really didn't delay our plans at all. I planned to arrive in BKK four days after her first interview, which looking back on it, I think was a pretty good move. It allowed us to get all the photos etc. they wanted and submit them to the Embassy.

It may not have delayed your eventual plans, but I remember at the time how worried you were. They were demanding additional tax documentation from you due to your IRS settlement, and you were pretty freaked out at the time (as I recall it). I'm sure that now in hindsight you're more relaxed but of course I still have the "ante" , not the "post" perspective. So you'll forgive my antsyness.

Laugh. You're right about that. Before the interview I wasn't worried at all. Once the 221g was issued I was freaking the #### out. No doubt about it. That said, at that point this really didn't seem to be happening. Now it seems like some kind of standard procedure to issue 221g.

I guess what I am saying is, even if you get 221g (which I hope you don't) just give them what they want and you should be fine.

[*Robert* 2]

Turned out there was a guy standing a few yards away who was shooting the bird and waving it high while waiting on the President to pass and my wife did not want to get involved with the police when they came over to beat the you know what out of that guy. She didn't want police to lump her in with him when they came to get him ... etc.

We saw the motorcade and it wasn't until afterwards that I learned that my wife was scared to death the entire time.

It was an eye opening moment for me .... and my wife.

dvd

Just had to laugh when I read that, because I can picture it so well!

As for being scared, that's a shame, and I hope you were able to calm her fears.

[Kang Lang 7]

congrats joe & noi on your approval.

congrats danny and chada too. iirc after the embassy receives your pkg it felt like things went quickly...here's to hoping for a speedy interview/approval.

good luck to those still waiting.

[scandal 951]

Laugh. You're right about that. Before the interview I wasn't worried at all. Once the 221g was issued I was freaking the #### out. No doubt about it. That said, at that point this really didn't seem to be happening. Now it seems like some kind of standard procedure to issue 221g.

I guess what I am saying is, even if you get 221g (which I hope you don't) just give them what they want and you should be fine.

Glad to hear that!

Meaning, I can dump my plans to be a Vietnam-era draft dodger, and run for sanctuary in Canada??

We never did finish our discussion about the La Belle Province... I think the last word was yours, regarding Bernard Landry and Future Electronics and skinflint Shylocks (I'm allowed to use that word without being racist, being a MOTT - member of the tribe).

I bought many a stereo component at Future Electronics, back in the day.... Where did you live? Out on the West island? Dollard? Chomedey? At some point if you want to post (or PM me) with your full story, that would be cool. The only dots I have now are (i) currently living in Texas (ii) significant time spent in Thailand involving unsavory bar girls, knife fights, and jail time (iii) several years in Montreal resulting in a corrupted sense of Canadian politics which I'll be happy to correct for you . There seems to be the makings of an interesting story there.

A little connect-the-dots between these disjoint elements would be nice

Oh shoot! Now I realize I'm posting on the visa-only sawasdee3 thread, when I've drifted into material for the Thailand-society-politics thread, which was promptly co-opted into the Quebec separatism thread. This is all much too confoooozing for me to keep track of!

[scandal 951]

Its a Thai conspiracy cooked up for our girl to come to the same flight.

OK , I'm putting the crack pipe down now...

Danny, if I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times!!!

STOP smoking crack... it's bad for your health and will get your visa DENIED

[*Robert* 2]

Oh shoot! Now I realize I'm posting on the visa-only sawasdee3 thread, when I've drifted into material for the Thailand-society-politics thread, which was promptly co-opted into the Quebec separatism thread. This is all much too confoooozing for me to keep track of!

Damn Canuck!