B2 for girlfriend at BKK embassy

[Thane 8]

I decided not to post this in the main forum since I was hoping some of you have had some experience with the embassy in Bangkok. I would like for my girlfriend to visit me here in the US and was hoping for her to get a B2 visa. Usually I would just visit her a few times a year, however I will be having surgery this year on my ankle / foot this year and I will be in a boot for 5 to 6 months and getting around in Thailand with one of those would be rather tricky.

My question is what, at least in your experiences, has the BKK embassy accepted for ties to return to Thailand? I know they take it on a case by case basis, but we are both a bit concerned that what we have is not enough. She does not own a house, but rather has quite a long lease on a condo. She has a very nice paying, permanent job that she has been at for two and a half years and has all of the tax papers to prove its legitimacy. She does not have any family in the United States, nor does she know anyone other than myself. She does not have any kids, either.

I was planning to sponsor her, although she does have quite a decent amount of money in the bank, so she could easily pay for most things herself (airfare excluded) while she was here. We are just worried that our case, specifically proving exceptionally strong ties to Thailand, is rather weak compared to others, and were just looking to see if anyone else had some experiences that they could share to help us.

Many thanks in advance!

[Karee 4,190]

I decided not to post this in the main forum since I was hoping some of you have had some experience with the embassy in Bangkok. I would like for my girlfriend to visit me here in the US and was hoping for her to get a B2 visa. Usually I would just visit her a few times a year, however I will be having surgery this year on my ankle / foot this year and I will be in a boot for 5 to 6 months and getting around in Thailand with one of those would be rather tricky.

My question is what, at least in your experiences, has the BKK embassy accepted for ties to return to Thailand? I know they take it on a case by case basis, but we are both a bit concerned that what we have is not enough. She does not own a house, but rather has quite a long lease on a condo. She has a very nice paying, permanent job that she has been at for two and a half years and has all of the tax papers to prove its legitimacy. She does not have any family in the United States, nor does she know anyone other than myself. She does not have any kids, either.

I was planning to sponsor her, although she does have quite a decent amount of money in the bank, so she could easily pay for most things herself (airfare excluded) while she was here. We are just worried that our case, specifically proving exceptionally strong ties to Thailand, is rather weak compared to others, and were just looking to see if anyone else had some experiences that they could share to help us.

Many thanks in advance!

While it would seem that having a boyfriend in the U.S. to sponsor her would be a good thing, it will almost guarantee a denial. In their eyes that gives her a reason to not return to Thailand and stay in the U.S. and adjust status. I don't have any personal experience with this, because I never tried. After reading about denial after denial, I figured it was a waste of time and money. The burden of proof is on the applicant to prove that she will return to Thailand. It's going to be tough to prove that having a boyfriend in the U.S.

You can give it a shot, it will only cost you the fee. I'd post this question on Thaivisa if you haven't already. You'll get better answers there, since most here on VJ are trying for family based visas. You can post it here:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/forum/25-visas-and-migration-to-other-countries/

[Thane 8]

Thanks Karee, I was hoping that I was only seeing denials simply because people wanted to vent. I'll read through TV some more, but I am really hoping that we do not have to go the K-1 route.

[Ning 619]

I decided not to post this in the main forum since I was hoping some of you have had some experience with the embassy in Bangkok. I would like for my girlfriend to visit me here in the US and was hoping for her to get a B2 visa. Usually I would just visit her a few times a year, however I will be having surgery this year on my ankle / foot this year and I will be in a boot for 5 to 6 months and getting around in Thailand with one of those would be rather tricky.

My question is what, at least in your experiences, has the BKK embassy accepted for ties to return to Thailand? I know they take it on a case by case basis, but we are both a bit concerned that what we have is not enough. She does not own a house, but rather has quite a long lease on a condo. She has a very nice paying, permanent job that she has been at for two and a half years and has all of the tax papers to prove its legitimacy. She does not have any family in the United States, nor does she know anyone other than myself. She does not have any kids, either.

I was planning to sponsor her, although she does have quite a decent amount of money in the bank, so she could easily pay for most things herself (airfare excluded) while she was here. We are just worried that our case, specifically proving exceptionally strong ties to Thailand, is rather weak compared to others, and were just looking to see if anyone else had some experiences that they could share to help us.

Many thanks in advance!

They have accepted ownership of businesses, land, family ties, houses; attendance at a major Thai college and long term serious money in the bank.

A Thai friend that lives here in the USA had her oldest daughter ( 17 ) along with her aunt apply for tourist visas. They had no problem getting these visas. Their ties were as described above.

I applied & was denied 3 times for the basic reasons Karee has stated.

From what I see here your fiancée will never be granted a tourist visa. Her ties are easily replaced. You are seeing the volume of denials because that's how it is done most of the time.

[slowlyman 118]

We tried and failed. We were upfront about her pending K-1. The interviewer told her with a pending K-1 she could not get a B Visa.

But, you can try. The fee is small you will only loose that fee and a little of her time. just don;t get your hopes up.

Your profile indicates K-1. If you have a pending application for K-1 you are certain to be denied. If no pending application, I would give it a try. Just make sure you stay out of the picture. She is traveling to the US for a vacation. That is all she needs to tell them. However they may ask if she has family or friends in the US. That is where things will get muddy.

Additionally, contact your congressman. May not help, but it can't hurt.

Edited December 15, 2013 by slowlyman

[Thane 8]

Just to clear things up, there is no k-1 visa in the works, neither of us are talking marriage at this point. Sadly for me, there was a relationship that fell through just prior to actually submitting that application, and I just never updated my profile on here. I've been lurking since about 2010 after I asked a few questions, things with that fell through in early 2011.

[T & K 1]

I personally applied for a tourist visa while my boyfriend (now husband) was working in Thailand. (My husband was a sponsor) My intention was to go to my husband's sister's wedding. I provided all the evidences including my transcript as I was going to school for my Master here in Thailand. Even that, the consulate was convincing me by saying that going to school in the US might be better. The consulate was very tough on me. He basically asked me about the relationship with my husband including why I did not apply for a fiancee/ spouse visa. I told him the truth and stood my ground that I only wanted to just visit and getting married has not yet discussed. The interview took about 25 minutes and I was approved with 10 years tourist visa. My suggestion to you is you ahead and try. There is nothing to be afraid of. Tell your girlfriend to be COMPLETELY honest with the consulate.

Good luck to you two!

[Ning 619]

I personally applied for a tourist visa while my boyfriend (now husband) was working in Thailand. (My husband was a sponsor) My intention was to go to my husband's sister's wedding. I provided all the evidences including my transcript as I was going to school for my Master here in Thailand. Even that, the consulate was convincing me by saying that going to school in the US might be better. The consulate was very tough on me. He basically asked me about the relationship with my husband including why I did not apply for a fiancee/ spouse visa. I told him the truth and stood my ground that I only wanted to just visit and getting married has not yet discussed. The interview took about 25 minutes and I was approved with 10 years tourist visa. My suggestion to you is you ahead and try. There is nothing to be afraid of. Tell your girlfriend to be COMPLETELY honest with the consulate.

Good luck to you two!

Your experience and circumstances were and are totally different than most peoples. The outcome of others attempts will not mirror yours unless the circumstances are the same.

Nothing to fear? Why would anyone need to feel fear at all? You sound like you were afraid of the entire process but that is probably born out of ignorance.

Your husband was your sponsor? Sponsors are not required.

You were asked why you didn't apply for a K 1? You don't make that application anyway. So these questions are designed to determine the truth. Strange that they supposedly asked you such questions.

The concern in these tourist visa cases should always be that every case is unique so to succeed the case must be presented correctly while conforming to the rules.

[T & K 1]

Your experience and circumstances were and are totally different than most peoples. The outcome of others attempts will not mirror yours unless the circumstances are the same.

Nothing to fear? Why would anyone need to feel fear at all? You sound like you were afraid of the entire process but that is probably born out of ignorance.

Your husband was your sponsor? Sponsors are not required.

You were asked why you didn't apply for a K 1? You don't make that application anyway. So these questions are designed to determine the truth. Strange that they supposedly asked you such questions.

The concern in these tourist visa cases should always be that every case is unique so to succeed the case must be presented correctly while conforming to the rules.

Ning, this is Tim, K's husband. Maybe you may have misunderstood what K was saying. When K applied for a B2 visa it was over a year before we got married in Thailand. K was intimidated by the whole process as is anyone when they go to a foreign embassy. You are correct that a sponsor is not required BUT, I filled out an I-864 for her to bring with in case they wanted to see how much money I made and to prove that she would be taken care of while she was visiting in the U.S. K was also given invitation letters from my mother and myself inviting her to attend my sisters wedding. While those things are not required we wanted to ensure she was able to travel with me.

I will say that I know for a fact the consular officer asked those questions because I was working at the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok when my wife (then fiance) came for her interview. The same questions were asked of my colleague's Thai gf when she went to U.S. Embassy for her B2 interview. In my friends case (keep in mind he also worked in the embassy) they denied his gf's application because they said he should have been applying for a K visa and felt that she wasn't being honest with them. The problem was that in that specific situation they did not have plans to get engaged but she wanted to visit him in the U.S. He was getting ready to move back to the U.S. so she wanted to have a B2 visa to visit him throughout the year. They had to resubmit again for the B2 and she was approved the second time, the second time she explained their situation clearly to the consular officer.

I was told by one of the consular officers that they ask about K1 visas when people apply for the B2 because they want to make sure they do not plan to go to the states and get married on a B2 which is visa fraud.

[Darnell 8,478]

While it would seem that having a boyfriend in the U.S. to sponsor her would be a good thing, it will almost guarantee a denial.

Echo, 100 times. 1000 times. ok, wait, maybe 10, just to save space.

While it would seem that having a boyfriend in the U.S. to sponsor her would be a good thing, it will almost guarantee a denial.

While it would seem that having a boyfriend in the U.S. to sponsor her would be a good thing, it will almost guarantee a denial.

While it would seem that having a boyfriend in the U.S. to sponsor her would be a good thing, it will almost guarantee a denial.

While it would seem that having a boyfriend in the U.S. to sponsor her would be a good thing, it will almost guarantee a denial.

While it would seem that having a boyfriend in the U.S. to sponsor her would be a good thing, it will almost guarantee a denial.

While it would seem that having a boyfriend in the U.S. to sponsor her would be a good thing, it will almost guarantee a denial.

While it would seem that having a boyfriend in the U.S. to sponsor her would be a good thing, it will almost guarantee a denial.

While it would seem that having a boyfriend in the U.S. to sponsor her would be a good thing, it will almost guarantee a denial.

While it would seem that having a boyfriend in the U.S. to sponsor her would be a good thing, it will almost guarantee a denial.

While it would seem that having a boyfriend in the U.S. to sponsor her would be a good thing, it will almost guarantee a denial.

[T & K 1]

Your experience and circumstances were and are totally different than most peoples. The outcome of others attempts will not mirror yours unless the circumstances are the same.

Nothing to fear? Why would anyone need to feel fear at all? You sound like you were afraid of the entire process but that is probably born out of ignorance.

Your husband was your sponsor? Sponsors are not required.

You were asked why you didn't apply for a K 1? You don't make that application anyway. So these questions are designed to determine the truth. Strange that they supposedly asked you such questions.

The concern in these tourist visa cases should always be that every case is unique so to succeed the case must be presented correctly while conforming to the rules.

Thank you for your response and this is K writing. You were right that my case was totally different but I was sharing my PERSONAL experience applying for the visa. We provided the sponsor at that time because I was going to school for my Master and I had no income. Lastly, when I said 'There is nothing to be afraid of' what I meant was if you do your part then you should not worry about the result because approved or not is uncontrollable and unpredictable.

[Thane 8]

Thank you Tim and K for your story, it certainly provides at least a glimmer of hope compared to a lot of the responses I've received. It's an uphill battle I realize, but we don't feel that the K-1 is the right option right now. Should we get denied, we'll obviously have to see their reasoning and try to improve our case, or find another way.

[Ning 619]

Thank you for your response and this is K writing. You were right that my case was totally different but I was sharing my PERSONAL experience applying for the visa. We provided the sponsor at that time because I was going to school for my Master and I had no income. Lastly, when I said 'There is nothing to be afraid of' what I meant was if you do your part then you should not worry about the result because approved or not is uncontrollable and unpredictable.

I am aware that this is about your personal experience because its the only experience you have.

Providing the sponsor is an example of the lack of knowledge of the subject and directly contributed to your denial.

People reading these posts must understand your denial was a product of your application and the way you went about the attempt.

[slowlyman 118]

Thank you Tim and K for your story, it certainly provides at least a glimmer of hope compared to a lot of the responses I've received. It's an uphill battle I realize, but we don't feel that the K-1 is the right option right now. Should we get denied, we'll obviously have to see their reasoning and try to improve our case, or find another way.

Some food for thought. Probably not the best option, but better then nothing. This has been done successfully before.

Apparently it is much easier for a Thai national to get a tourist visa to Canada. And, we know how easy it is for us to travel north. Couples have made a vacation date in Canada.

Just an option.

[Ning 619]

Ning, this is Tim, K's husband. Maybe you may have misunderstood what K was saying. When K applied for a B2 visa it was over a year before we got married in Thailand. K was intimidated by the whole process as is anyone when they go to a foreign embassy. You are correct that a sponsor is not required BUT, I filled out an I-864 for her to bring with in case they wanted to see how much money I made and to prove that she would be taken care of while she was visiting in the U.S. K was also given invitation letters from my mother and myself inviting her to attend my sisters wedding. While those things are not required we wanted to ensure she was able to travel with me.

I will say that I know for a fact the consular officer asked those questions because I was working at the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok when my wife (then fiance) came for her interview. The same questions were asked of my colleague's Thai gf when she went to U.S. Embassy for her B2 interview. In my friends case (keep in mind he also worked in the embassy) they denied his gf's application because they said he should have been applying for a K visa and felt that she wasn't being honest with them. The problem was that in that specific situation they did not have plans to get engaged but she wanted to visit him in the U.S. He was getting ready to move back to the U.S. so she wanted to have a B2 visa to visit him throughout the year. They had to resubmit again for the B2 and she was approved the second time, the second time she explained their situation clearly to the consular officer.

I was told by one of the consular officers that they ask about K1 visas when people apply for the B2 because they want to make sure they do not plan to go to the states and get married on a B2 which is visa fraud.

You and your friend worked at the embassy. Both of your G Fs were denied the first time. Each of you had different circumstances. Both G F had to find a way to present the cases again. I cant think of anything I have ever heard of or seen that equals that.

That should be a huge red flag to people about how to apply.

I think you need to understand that other people will read these posts. They may not know she is now talking about a year ago. They may not understand when she says for example " my husband was my sponsor". She didn't have a husband at that time nor should she have had a sponsor.

You seem to want me or others to believe your reasoning for the submission of the 864 was valid and correct. Neither is true.