Does being a Federal Special agent help?

[Beth/ Paris Heart 2]

I am a federal agent and am compiling the K-1 Visa for my babe in Thailand. Does it pay to be a federal agent? She has lived in England and is completely bi-lingual. I guess what i am asking is do I need an immigration attorney for this or does the fact that i have top secret clearance grant me some leeway?

NOPE!!!!!!!!!!!!! TRUST ME, NOPE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[chuckandkim 0]

OK, I'm have brain freeze. Plenty of folks here going through Thailand. Don't know why I had PI stuck in my head.

you did have a brainfreeze... put that icecream cone down!!!!!!!

[Nik+Heather 121]

The overwhelmingly vast majority of the time for this process involves your file sitting in queue waiting to be looked at. At every one of the numerous stops along the way, it spends most of its time gathering dust in a filing box. Sometimes it will get sent to other extra queues, called AP, sometimes called "security checks"...etc. These extra queues are a risk at every single step of the process. You might get into more than one, so, "settle in for a long wait" is the best advice we can give you at this point in the process.

The most common way to skip to the top of any of these queues is if you're in the military and about to be deployed to a war zone. We have heard of stories where someone's health issues might also grant similar expedite, but it has the air of urban legend (read: not frequently granted).

By way of explanation for some of the responses you get when you ask a question like yours (or at least the title for your topic) is that we seem to get a lot of these sorts of questions. Hang around for a few weeks, and you'll see others asking how they can get theirs to go faster than ours...it's like going to the grocery store with a cart full and trying to go straight to the register when 5 people are already in line...and doing it by asking the people who you'd put behind you the best way to go about it. You'll get a lot of glares!

Anyway, you seem like a serious kinda guy, and I'll assume that, government worker jokes aside, your job alone means you're meticulous and attentive. That should be about all you need to go through this process without a lawyer. VJ is a great resource. I used a lot of the material already sort of "officially" published in the guides, flowcharts, FAQ, time line statistics and embassy info pages to do all of the form filling and information gathering. I use the forums for moral support/distraction/obsession feeding.

No one likes to be separated from their loved ones, and it's an odd one who actually likes to wait patiently with zero information about progress, but that's one of the hazards of international love. We all here understand all of those feelings, but for the almost all of us, there's just no getting around this period. Good luck!

[daboyz 36]

The overwhelmingly vast majority of the time for this process involves your file sitting in queue waiting to be looked at. At every one of the numerous stops along the way, it spends most of its time gathering dust in a filing box. Sometimes it will get sent to other extra queues, called AP, sometimes called "security checks"...etc. These extra queues are a risk at every single step of the process. You might get into more than one, so, "settle in for a long wait" is the best advice we can give you at this point in the process.

The most common way to skip to the top of any of these queues is if you're in the military and about to be deployed to a war zone. We have heard of stories where someone's health issues might also grant similar expedite, but it has the air of urban legend (read: not frequently granted).

By way of explanation for some of the responses you get when you ask a question like yours (or at least the title for your topic) is that we seem to get a lot of these sorts of questions. Hang around for a few weeks, and you'll see others asking how they can get theirs to go faster than ours...it's like going to the grocery store with a cart full and trying to go straight to the register when 5 people are already in line...and doing it by asking the people who you'd put behind you the best way to go about it. You'll get a lot of glares!

Anyway, you seem like a serious kinda guy, and I'll assume that, government worker jokes aside, your job alone means you're meticulous and attentive. That should be about all you need to go through this process without a lawyer. VJ is a great resource. I used a lot of the material already sort of "officially" published in the guides, flowcharts, FAQ, time line statistics and embassy info pages to do all of the form filling and information gathering. I use the forums for moral support/distraction/obsession feeding.

No one likes to be separated from their loved ones, and it's an odd one who actually likes to wait patiently with zero information about progress, but that's one of the hazards of international love. We all here understand all of those feelings, but for the almost all of us, there's just no getting around this period. Good luck!

Well said.

[Dakine 26]

Bottomline is having top secret clearance may/will not necessarily speed up the process. At the same time it may help from slowing it down.

Anyone who meets the financial requirements easily, has a respectifull job and doesn't need a co sponsor is one up on those who are "squeaking" by with minimal requirements.

You may not be able to go in the interview but multiple visits are a plus. Having the CO knowing you're waiting outside surely is a plus also.

[Noble Time 0]

I am a federal agent and am compiling the K-1 Visa for my babe in Thailand. Does it pay to be a federal agent? She has lived in England and is completely bi-lingual. I guess what i am asking is do I need an immigration attorney for this or does the fact that i have top secret clearance grant me some leeway?

LOL my spouse has top secret clearance too and we're waiting six months for approval.

She has lived in England and is completely bi-lingual.

I'm complely multi-lingual( i know 5 languages) it hasn't really affected my case the slightest, all it matters is your spouse to be able to communicate. Good luck though!

Edited May 1, 2009 by Noble Time

[daboyz 36]

I am a federal agent and am compiling the K-1 Visa for my babe in Thailand. Does it pay to be a federal agent? She has lived in England and is completely bi-lingual. I guess what i am asking is do I need an immigration attorney for this or does the fact that i have top secret clearance grant me some leeway?

LOL my spouse has top secret clearance too and we're waiting six months for approval.

She has lived in England and is completely bi-lingual.

I'm complely multi-lingual( i know 5 languages) it hasn't really affected my case the slightest, all it matters is your spouse to be able to communicate. Good luck though!

[*Robert* 2]

I am a federal agent and am compiling the K-1 Visa for my babe in Thailand. Does it pay to be a federal agent? She has lived in England and is completely bi-lingual. I guess what i am asking is do I need an immigration attorney for this or does the fact that i have top secret clearance grant me some leeway?

1. Welcome to VJ

2. Check out the "Thailand" and "Sawasdee 3" threads for Thai- specific discussions

3. The majority of us don't feel the need for an attorney since the paperwork is straightforward. Your non-need for an attorney has nothing to do with your occupation, only your ability to fill out forms.

4. If your top secret clearance gets you leeway, I'll be miffed. The rest of us are waiting in line patiently. Nobody is supposed to be special in this process. Not even Eliott Ness.

Believe me, i dont want to miff anyone, I was only asking if this would help in the trustworthyness issue???

I doubt it would hurt or help you. The only time your occupation comes in to play is at the interview when they ask her what you do for a living. Of course she should now.

I have read some stuff in other threads about people having a hard time getting a security clearance since they are married to a foreign national. Not sure how true that is.

Well believe me, it doesn't help. I am a federal employee with a TS as well, and it doesn't make a hill of beans. It's not your trustworthyness that will be an issue, it will be your GF/fiancee's.

Being married to a foreign national can cause problems, and of course I had to update my records to show I had married a foriegn national. Would have to update no matter what do to change in living conditions, but they also want to know her citizenship.

[andaloco4u 0]

I am a federal agent and am compiling the K-1 Visa for my babe in Thailand. Does it pay to be a federal agent? She has lived in England and is completely bi-lingual. I guess what i am asking is do I need an immigration attorney for this or does the fact that i have top secret clearance grant me some leeway?

Someone correct me if I am wrong, but I think if anything, your top secret clearance is going to make this process longer? Because your name will already be in the systems? I could be wrong though!

When I applied for the CIA several years ago, having a wife that was a non-US citizen was a deal-breaker. I had the background - Military Service, Speak 4 Languages fluently, & International MBA from Duke. They were ecstatic about my application until the moment they found out about my wife. They dropped me like a penny off the Empire State Building.

I don't know for which agency you are working. However, my guess is that once they find out about it, you are likely to run into a truckload of bureaucratic chicken S*%& on this one.

[childress_london 3]

I am a federal agent and am compiling the K-1 Visa for my babe in Thailand. Does it pay to be a federal agent? She has lived in England and is completely bi-lingual. I guess what i am asking is do I need an immigration attorney for this or does the fact that i have top secret clearance grant me some leeway?

Someone correct me if I am wrong, but I think if anything, your top secret clearance is going to make this process longer? Because your name will already be in the systems? I could be wrong though!

When I applied for the CIA several years ago, having a wife that was a non-US citizen was a deal-breaker. I had the background - Military Service, Speak 4 Languages fluently, & International MBA from Duke. They were ecstatic about my application until the moment they found out about my wife. They dropped me like a penny off the Empire State Building.

I don't know for which agency you are working. However, my guess is that once they find out about it, you are likely to run into a truckload of bureaucratic chicken S*%& on this one.

Just last year they passed a new regulation stating that you can get a waiver for foreign national spouse for clearances. Spouse no longer has to be a USC. So you might want to check into that and see if you can get a waiver this time. :-)

Edited May 1, 2009 by childress_london

[Ban Hammer 13,110]

Just last year they passed a new regulation stating that you can get a waiver for foreign national spouse for clearances. Spouse no longer has to be a USC. So you might want to check into that and see if you can get a waiver this time. :-)

correct, still holding my ts with sci.

[sjr09 155]

I am a federal agent and am compiling the K-1 Visa for my babe in Thailand. Does it pay to be a federal agent? She has lived in England and is completely bi-lingual. I guess what i am asking is do I need an immigration attorney for this or does the fact that i have top secret clearance grant me some leeway?

Some Leeway lol Thats our gov. for u!

[sjr09 155]

I am a federal agent and am compiling the K-1 Visa for my babe in Thailand. Does it pay to be a federal agent? She has lived in England and is completely bi-lingual. I guess what i am asking is do I need an immigration attorney for this or does the fact that i have top secret clearance grant me some leeway?

Some Leeway lol Thats our gov. for u!

Ohhh Yeah if anything they should check you out big time Cuz your "secret clearance"

[KikuyuLove 0]

I am a federal agent and am compiling the K-1 Visa for my babe in Thailand. Does it pay to be a federal agent? She has lived in England and is completely bi-lingual. I guess what i am asking is do I need an immigration attorney for this or does the fact that i have top secret clearance grant me some leeway?

Someone correct me if I am wrong, but I think if anything, your top secret clearance is going to make this process longer? Because your name will already be in the systems? I could be wrong though!

When I applied for the CIA several years ago, having a wife that was a non-US citizen was a deal-breaker. I had the background - Military Service, Speak 4 Languages fluently, & International MBA from Duke. They were ecstatic about my application until the moment they found out about my wife. They dropped me like a penny off the Empire State Building.

I don't know for which agency you are working. However, my guess is that once they find out about it, you are likely to run into a truckload of bureaucratic chicken S*%& on this one.

Yet they have thousands of FNs working all over the world with clearances on-site? Its a logic free zone.

[Krikit 1,163]

Your security level can be a hindrance to your application. One of the Canadians on this site experienced a terrible time due to the nature of their spouse's work. I'll send them a PM to let them know of your thread. As another poster stated, it's a good idea to check with your employer regarding clearances. You may be in for some speedbumps down the road.