Sawasdee 4 (Thai K-1s in 2010)

[toma1 10]

In general it is extremely difficult for a "normal" Thai citizen to obtain a B2 tourist visa to enter the US. In most cases you are reading here the Thai national has never left Thailand and met the US citizen petitioner in Thailand.

I disagree with the first sentence, but am not sure about the second.

I suppose it depends on what you mean by "normal."

[Just13 0]

In general it is extremely difficult for a "normal" Thai citizen to obtain a B2 tourist visa to enter the US. In most cases you are reading here the Thai national has never left Thailand and met the US citizen petitioner in Thailand.

Well I am asking for my specific case and she has a tourist visa valid for 10 years. We did a lot of preparation, but it wasn't too bad to get a tourist visa. I think the Thai just have to take the process very seriously, have ALL their stuff in order, and show good proof that they will be returning home (a.k.a. full time job with a big company).

So...

After reading about these medical / police report / etc questions...

Was this stuff already completed for the USA tourist visa? Can she reuse those same reports?

[kuhio 1]

Unless she just got her tourist visa recently, by the time you get to the interview stage of a k1 the police report and medical will be out of date and she will need new ones. I am not sure about the exact validity time the embassy will accept for these docs but it is not more than 1 year for sure.

[rin and john 71]

Unless she just got her tourist visa recently, by the time you get to the interview stage of a k1 the police report and medical will be out of date and she will need new ones. I am not sure about the exact validity time the embassy will accept for these docs but it is not more than 1 year for sure.

The embassy's website info on K visas says the medical and police certificate are valid for one year.

[toma1 10]

I think the Thai just have to take the process very seriously, have ALL their stuff in order, and show good proof that they will be returning home (a.k.a. full time job with a big company).

I've know lots of single female Thai tourists that have been to the US (and many other countries--MANY single Thai women are quite well travelled). And yes, they all had college degrees and professional jobs with (mostly) international companies or they ran their own successful businesses. Most of these were not the typical "HiSo" girls, but rather middle or perhaps upper middle class women that--for the most part--made their own incomes.

[Kang Lang 7]

my husband was issued two separate b-2 visas and was neither college educated nor wealthy. this was now almost 6 years ago so perhaps it's more difficult now but i know of a few thai men as well who were issued b-2's.

[Tom and Teaw 1]

Teaw and I had our interviews today for her green card. We had a great agent. The dr. in Thailand screwed up on the vaccination form and checked one of them as not being within the time period, whatever the heck that meant, even though her shot card showed she had just gotten the shot a few months earlier and it was good until 2020. So since the form was wrong, we needed to go get the shot all over again and pay for it and get the right form sealed.

After getting all the forms ready, having pictures made, copies of stuff, he asked Teaw four questions from the I-485....if she was or ever had been a communist, shot or injured someone, been a terrorist or been arrested. And when she looked confused with the question he illustrated like putting handcuffs on or pointing like a gun. Asked a couple other general things and told us about the shot problem. We told him we were heading to Thailand in March and he made a return appt. for 3-8 but if we got it done sooner to just come back, get to the info desk, tell them what we were doing and he would take care of it. I asked if we did it today could we come back? He said sure, he likes to close his cases ASAP. So we jammed to one of the authorized doctors after calling to make sure we could get in. Even though her shot record was correct, she had to get the shot again. They were just going to hand me the form but I told them the agent said it had to be sealed so they put it in an envelope and sealed it. Good thing I had them do it. We headed back tot he USCIS office. The guard at the scanner gave us a hard time at first and then called the agent. As soon as she started talking he knew it was us and told her to let us in and go right up to the floor with his office and wait in the waiting area. Within 10 minutes he came out and got us, took us back, looked at the document, finalized and approved her green card. Since we were traveling in March, he walked her passport downstairs, stamped it with a temporary green card stamp good for a year, embossed it so it was official, and told us if we did not get the green card in the mail before we left, we didn't need the AP papers and the stamp in her passport would get her back in. He was real nice about everything, letting us come back today and getting it done. I hope everyone gets a guy like him.

So now that's done and we have to remove conditions in two years to get the 10 year card. Other than running to the dr. and back and doing all that, it was a painless and pretty quick process. I'd love to make the dr. in Thailand pay me back for the shot but we know that would never happen.

[AaronLV 12]

Congrats Tom.

[Kang Lang 7]

Congrats Tom, you are free for 21months!

[Tom and Teaw 1]

Thanks, guys. Forgot to add that of all the photos I took with us showing us together in CA, Chicago, etc, he said he didn't need to see any of them. I told him I only printed them for the interview so he said he'd look at them and took 4 out of the stack and said he'd keep those and gave the rest back. If I hadn't said anything he would not have taken any.

He did say that the green card would be good for 24 months from today, not when she entered the country, but I will look at the expiration date when we get it in the mail.

[AaronLV 12]

He did say that the green card would be good for 24 months from today, not when she entered the country, but I will look at the expiration date when we get it in the mail.

The green card is from the date of your AOS approval.

[Tom and Teaw 1]

Thanks Aaron. I'll check it when we get it. How's your weather? We are missing all that snow and just getting rain. Which I guess is ok but one good snow before the end of winter would be nice...haha!! I have burned through a ton of firewood and been splitting more oak for next winter. Good exercise for an old man!!

[AaronLV 12]

Thanks Aaron. I'll check it when we get it. How's your weather? We are missing all that snow and just getting rain. Which I guess is ok but one good snow before the end of winter would be nice...haha!! I have burned through a ton of firewood and been splitting more oak for next winter. Good exercise for an old man!!

No snow or rain, sunny weather but freezing (40's), but should be up in the 60's by the weekend. I bought Nam her first car a couple of weeks ago (2008 Honda CRV), she got to pick it out, and I got to write the check, I guess that is how it always works!

[Tom and Teaw 1]

Oh, ya, that's how it works. They pick, you pay. Teaw has been talking about learning to drive now so we have to cross that bridge. I told her after our trip in March we will work on getting her learner's permit and driving lessons. Oh, God, spare me!!!!! LOL!!!

[Audy_Rob 26]

Hi Tom,

Congratulations. That is great news. Audy is wondering if you filled out the Form I-693 to transfer the vaccination records from the Thai doctor to the USCIS form?Maybe that is what USCIS needed, so there would not have been a misunderstanding.

I am a little surprised at the questions they asked Teaw. Audy didn't know any of those words either. I am also surprised he didn't seem interested in your photos. Did he ask questions or look at papers to see if you have comingled finances or billing accounts. Maybe provided medical insurance or added Teaw as a beneficiary to any policies?

Thanks and congrats again.