K1 Visa review How to prepare until get a visa!

[MisioandNat 1]

To all who has American fiancé(e) and will apply for K visa.

This is only my experience that I would like to share and hopefully would be useful for you. If you will have any question, feel free to ask!

Please be noted that the US Embassy often update the document form and process, please make sure you follow the website http://www.ustraveldocs.com/th/index.html?firstTime=No

As from my experience, I research a lot which it helpful but also could make you get confusion because the old review or information might not be the updated.

For my experience was started around June 2015 that my fiancé applied the forms as requested to USCIS.

For my part, I had to prepared everything by myself in Thailand. I will make the lists so you will get it easier.

- When USCIS in USA sent the approved form to US Embassy in BKK, you will receive the letter said that your case has been approved and ready to begin next process. In the letter will also attached the form that your fiancé(e) applied and also you will get case number. Please keep this letter and note your case number because when you have any question about K Visa you will need the case number for reference; for example when you would like to send email to the embassy and also for the medical test.

- In the letter will have small note for you, please make sure you follow everything the embassy informed you, not follow any review because everything can be changed and updated. The small note that I got explained about package 3 – the link that you have to follow next step.

- You will also receive response email that you case can process.

- Package3 is documents required for K visa that you will have to send by mail to the embassy, in this step- I highly recommend you to ask for document you will have to submit since your fiancé(e) got NOA2 and ask her/him to scan the file to you. You can see all list of the document from Package3 Instruction. Usually all documents are very easy to ask but just for only 2 document that take time. First one is the married status certificate or single status certificate ( หนังสือรับรองโสด) that you have to go to Ampher( District Center) in your hometown to get it ( in each area might have specific required so please research for your hometown). The second document that take the longest time to get is Police record, it can take about 4-5 weeks. So as soon as your fiancé(e) got NOA2 and scanned to you, take the NOA2, House registration, your passport and copies passport page of your fiancé(e ), single/married certificate and go to Thai national Police office (สำนักงานตำรวจแห่งชาติ) that located opposite Central World, BKK. ( If you are not in Thailand, You will have to research on how to process it, but if you live in Thailand but not in Bangkok, you still need to come by yourself only). The proceed at the office took me less than 1 hour. I think if you want to get it faster you must pay some extra but for me I paid 100 baht and I received it in a month later.

- You will also have to fill the online form and create online account as the instruction, please make sure that you follow every steps and got all embassy need. If you have any question, you can always email to the embassy and provide your case number in the email Subject. (This is the email to ask about K visa visasbkkiv@state.gov)

- To pay for Visa fee with Bank of Ayudhya you must bring the DS-160 that you completed it (if you follow step by step) to show at the bank and make sure you keep and make copies of the receipt of the payment.

- For document that in Thai you must translate to English with the companies that US embassy approved , for me I used Siam Translation 1989 Limited Partnership. You can call them and scan document and they will send you the English version by EMS.

- You should prepare all document while you wait for the Police Record then when you get the Police Record you can send all document (Package3) by mail to the embassy.

- If you sent everything followed the instruction correctly in 3-7 days you will received email from embassy informed you the interview appointment and information about Package4 ( the document you have to present on interview day at embassy)

- You will have to go the hospital for medical test ( Only BNH hospital , Bumrungrad hospital and one hospital in Chiang mai )For me I used Bamrungrad hospital. You have to bring your passport, copies of your fiancé (e) passport, Photographs, the letter that mentioned your case can process and make sure you have the address of where you will live in the US ( Please check from Package4 Instruction for document you need)

- You should call the hospital and make appointment, all process took me around half a day. The doctor also required me to take some vaccine that means you should bring extra money because the document said it will cost about 2,xxx baht but at the end I paid around 5,xxx baht.

- For the interview day, you should prepare evidence of relationship, such as photos, plane tickets, receipts , conversation on email or Line or even Viber. For me the embassy also ask for more document that did not mention in the instruction but I brought it too just in case, ( House registration, Original of birth certificate, you should bring every necessary document just in case)

- Interview day, I suggest to arrived earlier as there were many people waiting in the line, even though for K visa some people said that don’t need to wait in the line, but you still have to wait until the staff come and check your document , The staff will ask the confirmation of DS-160 and your passport then you will go inside embassy and go to K visa counter, you don’t have to wait with all people, just inform them you are applying for K visa and you have go to K visa processing.

- Please be noted that you can’t bring earphones, charger, power bank, flash drive or any Bluetooth devices to the embassy. If you bring it you have to go out from embassy and wait in the line again that can make you delay. There is the small area where people sell food on footpath around 400 meters before embassy, you can noticed by the orange juice shop, they have service that you can put your stuff there and pay for 50 baht. For telephone you can take inside the embassy and the security process will take care of it.

- When you get inside the embassy , and provide all document to the first counter, then wait until they call you to get inside the room. Once they call you to go inside the room, you don’t need to stand in the line, you can just sit until they call you as the embassy has specific counter for K visa.

- For me the process went very fast, the interviewer called my name and there was the counter just similar from the exchange money counter. The interviewer is English native speaker but they can also speak Thai, but if you can speak English , that would be easier. So the interviewer will randomly ask you question. For me only basic things such as how many times my fiancé visited Thailand and my hometown, how we met, and when I expected to be in the US, basically about your fiancé (e) background and his/her family that how you know about your fiancé (e ) and a little bit about how I plan of the wedding. Just be honest and said the truth. It took time like 10-15 mins for me.

- At the end the interviewer will said that you pass or not, if you pass she/he will let you know and said that you will get visa in 1-2 week. I would say I had appointment at 8 AM and It took me around 1 hour for all process.

- For my case 3 days later, I received the visa J

Timeline

- Around June: My fiancé applied to USCIS.

- Mid-August : received official letter from US embassy to process Package3.

- September : Sent package3 , 3-5 days later received Interview appointment and package 4 instruction email.

- Beginning of October: Interview day and 3 days later received Visa.

Sorry if you hard to understand my English, If you have any question, I would be happy to answer. Hope you all good luck!!!

Thank you for all support and helpful information from this site, me and my fiance hope our review would be help others too

N&K,

10-10-15

[iipenny 18]

Thank you for sharing such a helpful information. I'm wondering if the original Birth Certificate is required in packet 3? Or they will ask for it once you get to the interview?

[MisioandNat 1]

I sent the original birth certificate with packet 3 and yes it was required. It also needs to be translated by one of the "US Embassy approved" translating companies in Bangkok. Good luck

[AaronLV 12]

Thank you for sharing such a helpful information. I'm wondering if the original Birth Certificate is required in packet 3? Or they will ask for it once you get to the interview?

Do not send originals, send copies and bring the originals to the interview.

[MisioandNat 1]

Thats correct. I did not mean to say "originals" , Send only copies.

[iipenny 18]

When did you send in packet3? And when was your interview date? Thank you!

[MisioandNat 1]

Not sure exactly when the packet arrived, but when It did we already had everything ready. It took about a 4 weeks

from time we send the packet until interview. Look at my timeline also. Hope it helps.

Edited October 29, 2015 by MisioandNat