Fiance's sister wants to visit us in the US from Thailand

[Jay00 0]

I'm looking to figure out what we have to do. Is it a standard B-2 application that we can file with her not in the country? She'll get her passport, but we want to make sure she can enter the US. She'd be flying into Philadelphia International Airport from Bangkok. Do we give her the papers at the gate, or does she have to have them before hand?

Thanks so much!

[cdneh 3,112]

She files for a visitors visa in her own country, and it is granted or denied on her own merits.

[Noah Lot 391]

I'm looking to figure out what we have to do. Is it a standard B-2 application that we can file with her not in the country? She'll get her passport, but we want to make sure she can enter the US. She'd be flying into Philadelphia International Airport from Bangkok. Do we give her the papers at the gate, or does she have to have them before hand?

Thanks so much!

she has to apply herself, in person, and qualify exclusively on her own merits...the reasons for coming to the US will not be as important as the reasons she (may or may not have) to return to Thailand. You play NO role in the process....no letters of support, no I-134, no letters that 'guarantee' she will leave the US, etc, will be considered.

[Jay00 0]

she has to apply herself, in person, and qualify exclusively on her own merits...the reasons for coming to the US will not be as important as the reasons she (may or may not have) to return to Thailand. You play NO role in the process....no letters of support, no I-134, no letters that 'guarantee' she will leave the US, etc, will be considered.

I see. So she would go to the US Embassy in Thailand then? Or somewhere else? She has no idea. Also I'd like to find out so I can help her parents when they come to the wedding. They're old and not savvy with that sort of thing.

[Noah Lot 391]

I see. So she would go to the US Embassy in Thailand then? Or somewhere else? She has no idea. Also I'd like to find out so I can help her parents when they come to the wedding. They're old and not savvy with that sort of thing.

She should apply in Bangkok, in her own country. Applying outside one's own country is not a recipe for success (because VOs in another country have no realistic way to judge the ties the out of district applicant might possess in their native country).

The same goes for her parents....they must also apply in Bangkok, and convince the VOs that they will depart the US after a visit rather than stay put (and our current immigration laws have a built in presumption that every applicant seeking a tourist visa is an intending immigrant (before the interview even begins, the applicant is already presumed to be going to the US to stay - which means the interview does NOT begin in a neutral mode. Once again, letters, etc from third parties are generally useless as far as bestowing any special status upon the applicant....about the most such letters do is tell the VO something they already know....why the applicant wants to go to the US....but none of those same letters, in any form, can guarantee that the applicant will abide by the terms of the visa they are seeking.

[Karee 4,191]

I see. So she would go to the US Embassy in Thailand then? Or somewhere else? She has no idea. Also I'd like to find out so I can help her parents when they come to the wedding. They're old and not savvy with that sort of thing.

She would apply in Thailand if she lives in Thailand. Depending on where she lives in Thailand, she will either apply at the Embassy in Bangkok or the Consulate in Chiang Mai. Here is the list of provinces covered by Chiang Mai:

https://thailand.us-visaservices.com/Forms/DetermineTCN.aspx

[Noah Lot 391]

She would apply in Thailand if she lives in Thailand. Depending on where she lives in Thailand, she will either apply at the Embassy in Bangkok or the Consulate in Chiang Mai. Here is the list of provinces covered by Chiang Mai:

https://thailand.us-visaservices.com/Forms/DetermineTCN.aspx

In any event, she (and the parents) should apply in their own country

[Ning 619]

I'm looking to figure out what we have to do. Is it a standard B-2 application that we can file with her not in the country? She'll get her passport, but we want to make sure she can enter the US. She'd be flying into Philadelphia International Airport from Bangkok. Do we give her the papers at the gate, or does she have to have them before hand?

Thanks so much!

Single women are almost never granted tourist visa from Thailand. She applys based on her own ability to prove beyond a doubt she MUST return to Thailand. She must understand and meet the strongest ties rule to have any chance at all. While her reason for coming may seem valid she has to deal with the incredible history of fraud that has taken place.

The parents may be a different matter. People of that age are sometimes approved if the case is presented correctly. The feeling is that they wouldnt want to live in the USA for many reasons that are obviouse.

[Karee 4,191]

Single women are almost never granted tourist visa from Thailand. She applys based on her own ability to prove beyond a doubt she MUST return to Thailand. She must understand and meet the strongest ties rule to have any chance at all. While her reason for coming may seem valid she has to deal with the incredible history of fraud that has taken place.

The parents may be a different matter. People of that age are sometimes approved if the case is presented correctly. The feeling is that they wouldnt want to live in the USA for many reasons that are obviouse.

I know someone here in Dallas. His Thai girlfriend had no problem getting a tourist visa. Of course once she got here they got married and she adjusted status.

[Noah Lot 391]

I know someone here in Dallas. His Thai girlfriend had no problem getting a tourist visa. Of course once she got here they got married and she adjusted status.

the ever popular 'change of mind...' which is why young single women face higher scrutiny....

[Ning 619]

I know someone here in Dallas. His Thai girlfriend had no problem getting a tourist visa. Of course once she got here they got married and she adjusted status.

All of these cases are unique. We see in your example its possible to fool the system but it doesnt happen often from what I have seen. Do you know how she presented her case?

One of the officers in the BKK embassy told my husband they were instructed to grant tourist visa with the idea in mind that they may lose their job for doing so. Things and staff change so there is always a chance people will be approved.

[Karee 4,191]

All of these cases are unique. We see in your example its possible to fool the system but it doesnt happen often from what I have seen. Do you know how she presented her case?

One of the officers in the BKK embassy told my husband they were instructed to grant tourist visa with the idea in mind that they may lose their job for doing so. Things and staff change so there is always a chance people will be approved.

I know she had a good real estate job in Surat Thani, but that's about it. That was back around 2010 I think.

[Jay00 0]

Thank you all for your input. She'll be doing it, but I am the one who has to do the leg work to give her instructions. She's 38 and has a school for teaching english to foreigners there, so hopefully she won't be scrutinized to much.

[Ning 619]

Thank you all for your input. She'll be doing it, but I am the one who has to do the leg work to give her instructions. She's 38 and has a school for teaching english to foreigners there, so hopefully she won't be scrutinized to much.

The most important aspect of her application is the ability to Prove she MUST return to Thailand. If she is the owner of a school there that may help but it wont be the only thing that they consider. Keep in mind these cases are decided before the person ever steps up to the window.