Jump to content
khrfx4

Warning about the Bangkok Immigration Visa Unit

 Share

15 posts in this topic

Recommended Posts

I will preface this by saying up to and through my fiance's interview everything went fine, aside from us getting a 221(g) forcing me to return to the US to prove "domicile".

==============================================================================

My fiance had to do a new medical as her first medical was expiring on Feb 21. As many of you should know the validity of a K1 visa is only good for 6 months from the date of the last medical.

She went to Bangkok and got a new medical on Monday Jan 11 and mailed it to then. The IV or (Immigration Visa) Unit sent an email to us Friday, Jan 15, saying there was a problem with the medical and she needed to go back to Bangkok, pick up her medical, take it to the hospital and get it corrected. Obviously, this was through no fault of her own. They only gave her 2, two-hour windows in which to pick up the medical…Monday or Wednesday between 1-3pm.

We had a long planned move to Northeast Thailand coming on Tuesday so she went to Bangkok the very next Monday and ran into a closed Embassy due to a holiday. I couldn’t believe the person who had written us the email hadn’t been thoughtful enough to mention the very next Monday was a holiday when this person was writing the email on a Friday before a long weekend. Everybody is always thinking about their upcoming holiday on the Friday before. They didn’t even put the disclaimer in the email (except on holidays) like they do on the Embassy website, which might have given us a clue.

Anyway, now we had to postpone the long awaited move from Banglamung to our home in Kalasin so she could go again on Wednesday, which was the next narrow window given to her this week to pick up the medical.

She arrived early, but was jerked around and had to wait about 30 minutes to get inside because the IV Unit thought this would be a really good time to have a meeting. After 30 more minutes of waiting and her reminding them she had an appointment at the hospital they came out and told her the IV Unit was too busy and to go home, they would contact her again with another time!

My fiancé was almost in tears and was shaking so badly she had to sit down for a while before heading back to the bus station. This was our second failed attempt at doing as they instructed to pick up this medical. I can't begin to tell you how angry I was, my whole body was also shaking. I could not believe a government agency from my country was treating my fiance like this.

That was when I KNEW I had to get my Congressman involved. I have already placed an initial call to his office. They had pushed us into a corner. The next time my fiancé goes to Bangkok it will entail a 1200 kilometer round-trip ride on a death-machine called a bus and over 1400 baht in expenses. I need to have a guarantee that when she goes to Bangkok next time they will not pull this cr..a..p again.

I do not know if this is happening because I threatened to contract my Congressman in my last email or whether this happens often and randomly to other people, but I would warn you to keep your emails factual and robotic just like the IV Unit does with their emails. The people in this IV Unit or at least some of them, are drunk with power and are the most callus people I have ever had the displeasure of dealing with.

10/11/2009 - Met in Thailand

12/30/2009 - Moved in together

I-129F (For Petitioner)

03/17/2015 - Mailed to US from Thailand

04/03/2015 - NOA1, Received at USCIS

04/07/2015 - Email saying routed to CSC

05/05/2015 - NOA2

06/02/2015 - Shipped to BNK Embassy

06/08/2015 - Finally got through to NVC and found out package had been shipped 6 days before.

Visa Application Process at Embassy for Fiance

06/09/2015 - Embassy received package.

06/15/2015 - Received Packet #3 in the mail. This is where I noticed the receving stamp from the Embassy.

08/08/2015 - Mailed Packet #3 (intentionally delayed)

08/09/2015 - Packet #3 received at Embassy

08/10/2015 - Received email from Embassy with appointment date of Aug 26th

08/26/2015 - Given passport back with 221(g) requesting more information to prove "Domicile"

------------ - We had a long voluntary delay for our own purposes which forced us to get another medical.

02/18/2016 - VISA APPROVED

03/04/2016 - Fiance arrived at LAX

03/14/2016 - Married

04/02/2016 - Mailed AOS to Chicago after getting certified copies of our Marriage Certificate

04/08/2016 - Immigration acknowledged receipt of all 4 forms via email and cashed the check for $1070

05/12/2016 - Boimetrics done.

07/25/2016 - Interview

08/01/2016 - Received 2-year GREEN CARD

04/24/2018 - Filed I-751 "Remove Conditions"

05/31/2018 - Rec'd NOA of I-751 filing  NOTE: Yes, it took that long

05/01/2019 - email to check status which said card was mailed

05/02/2019 - email to check status which said "Case Approved"

05/08/2019 - Received 10-Year GC in mail today.  Done!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Sweden
Timeline

If the embassy is so limited in time when you can pick up her medical, wouldn't it be easier to just have a new one done again? That way you can do it when it suits you and just send it in.

Noa 1 August 15th 2011
Noa 2 March 2nd


NVC case numbers March 22nd
My sons AOS and IV bill paid March 23rd (status in progress)
My sons AOS and IV bill shows as paid March 26
My IV bill paid March 26
Both packages sent on March 26
My IV bill shows as paid on March 27th
CC on both cases March 30


Current record holder of fastest through the NVC :D

Medical exam in Stockholm April 13th
Interview on May 16th !!!

POE Anchorage July 12th!! 2012

July 2015 n-400 in the mail

September 2015, interview

October 23rd 2015, Oath ceremony!!!!!​​

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That was a belated thought which I had today and next time if they play games again we will do just that, but you are talking about us having to spend another 3000 baht when we should not have to.

Seriouly, if this had happened to you, wouldn't be furious with them? You can't feel the pain and stress we have gone through?

10/11/2009 - Met in Thailand

12/30/2009 - Moved in together

I-129F (For Petitioner)

03/17/2015 - Mailed to US from Thailand

04/03/2015 - NOA1, Received at USCIS

04/07/2015 - Email saying routed to CSC

05/05/2015 - NOA2

06/02/2015 - Shipped to BNK Embassy

06/08/2015 - Finally got through to NVC and found out package had been shipped 6 days before.

Visa Application Process at Embassy for Fiance

06/09/2015 - Embassy received package.

06/15/2015 - Received Packet #3 in the mail. This is where I noticed the receving stamp from the Embassy.

08/08/2015 - Mailed Packet #3 (intentionally delayed)

08/09/2015 - Packet #3 received at Embassy

08/10/2015 - Received email from Embassy with appointment date of Aug 26th

08/26/2015 - Given passport back with 221(g) requesting more information to prove "Domicile"

------------ - We had a long voluntary delay for our own purposes which forced us to get another medical.

02/18/2016 - VISA APPROVED

03/04/2016 - Fiance arrived at LAX

03/14/2016 - Married

04/02/2016 - Mailed AOS to Chicago after getting certified copies of our Marriage Certificate

04/08/2016 - Immigration acknowledged receipt of all 4 forms via email and cashed the check for $1070

05/12/2016 - Boimetrics done.

07/25/2016 - Interview

08/01/2016 - Received 2-year GREEN CARD

04/24/2018 - Filed I-751 "Remove Conditions"

05/31/2018 - Rec'd NOA of I-751 filing  NOTE: Yes, it took that long

05/01/2019 - email to check status which said card was mailed

05/02/2019 - email to check status which said "Case Approved"

05/08/2019 - Received 10-Year GC in mail today.  Done!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Sweden
Timeline

I totally get the frustration! I think all of us going through immigration just want to pull our hair out and scream at one point or another. But you guys are almost at the finish line now, see it as the last hurdle!

Is there any chance you can just call the doctor and ask him send a correct version of the medical to the embassy? Or is there something they forgot to do that requires a new exam?

Noa 1 August 15th 2011
Noa 2 March 2nd


NVC case numbers March 22nd
My sons AOS and IV bill paid March 23rd (status in progress)
My sons AOS and IV bill shows as paid March 26
My IV bill paid March 26
Both packages sent on March 26
My IV bill shows as paid on March 27th
CC on both cases March 30


Current record holder of fastest through the NVC :D

Medical exam in Stockholm April 13th
Interview on May 16th !!!

POE Anchorage July 12th!! 2012

July 2015 n-400 in the mail

September 2015, interview

October 23rd 2015, Oath ceremony!!!!!​​

Link to comment
Share on other sites

555, if it were only that easy. The medical is a sealed top-secret document. It can only be transported between the hospital and embassy as a sealed package and they did not and will not tell us what the problem is, though we suspect it is because the doctor, in his arrogant and infinite wisdom felt the blood tests did not have to be done in our second medical.

Even if we knew this for sure she will still have to pick up this ultra-secret sealed medical package and I presumm it will have an equally secret message to the doctor inside that is for him alone...see where I'm going with this. This whole process is very a..n..a..l.

Edited by khrfx4

10/11/2009 - Met in Thailand

12/30/2009 - Moved in together

I-129F (For Petitioner)

03/17/2015 - Mailed to US from Thailand

04/03/2015 - NOA1, Received at USCIS

04/07/2015 - Email saying routed to CSC

05/05/2015 - NOA2

06/02/2015 - Shipped to BNK Embassy

06/08/2015 - Finally got through to NVC and found out package had been shipped 6 days before.

Visa Application Process at Embassy for Fiance

06/09/2015 - Embassy received package.

06/15/2015 - Received Packet #3 in the mail. This is where I noticed the receving stamp from the Embassy.

08/08/2015 - Mailed Packet #3 (intentionally delayed)

08/09/2015 - Packet #3 received at Embassy

08/10/2015 - Received email from Embassy with appointment date of Aug 26th

08/26/2015 - Given passport back with 221(g) requesting more information to prove "Domicile"

------------ - We had a long voluntary delay for our own purposes which forced us to get another medical.

02/18/2016 - VISA APPROVED

03/04/2016 - Fiance arrived at LAX

03/14/2016 - Married

04/02/2016 - Mailed AOS to Chicago after getting certified copies of our Marriage Certificate

04/08/2016 - Immigration acknowledged receipt of all 4 forms via email and cashed the check for $1070

05/12/2016 - Boimetrics done.

07/25/2016 - Interview

08/01/2016 - Received 2-year GREEN CARD

04/24/2018 - Filed I-751 "Remove Conditions"

05/31/2018 - Rec'd NOA of I-751 filing  NOTE: Yes, it took that long

05/01/2019 - email to check status which said card was mailed

05/02/2019 - email to check status which said "Case Approved"

05/08/2019 - Received 10-Year GC in mail today.  Done!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Sweden
Timeline

Sometimes I wonder why they make things so darn difficult in parts of the world! My medical was sent straight to the embassy by the doctors office...you'd think the procedures should be the same everywhere!

Oh well, take a deep breath and know this part of the immigration journey is almost over!

Noa 1 August 15th 2011
Noa 2 March 2nd


NVC case numbers March 22nd
My sons AOS and IV bill paid March 23rd (status in progress)
My sons AOS and IV bill shows as paid March 26
My IV bill paid March 26
Both packages sent on March 26
My IV bill shows as paid on March 27th
CC on both cases March 30


Current record holder of fastest through the NVC :D

Medical exam in Stockholm April 13th
Interview on May 16th !!!

POE Anchorage July 12th!! 2012

July 2015 n-400 in the mail

September 2015, interview

October 23rd 2015, Oath ceremony!!!!!​​

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah, wouldn't that be nice. Then all my fiance would have had to do was go back to the hospital because the embassy would have probably sent the medical back them making them responsible since they screwed it up.

What a novel idea!

This Bangkok embassy has ZERO compassion or sympathy for applicants. They treat them like physical items on a shelf to be processed or like cattle and not real live human beings with lives of their own that get screwed up because they make it so difficult.

Even though we still have two things to do; get this new medical completed and me going home to prove domicile, my feeling now is that we will be scratching and clawing every inch of the way to get this visa approved so I'm not messing around with them anymore. I'm getting my Congressman involved. These are the only people government bureaucrats listen to when push comes to shove.

10/11/2009 - Met in Thailand

12/30/2009 - Moved in together

I-129F (For Petitioner)

03/17/2015 - Mailed to US from Thailand

04/03/2015 - NOA1, Received at USCIS

04/07/2015 - Email saying routed to CSC

05/05/2015 - NOA2

06/02/2015 - Shipped to BNK Embassy

06/08/2015 - Finally got through to NVC and found out package had been shipped 6 days before.

Visa Application Process at Embassy for Fiance

06/09/2015 - Embassy received package.

06/15/2015 - Received Packet #3 in the mail. This is where I noticed the receving stamp from the Embassy.

08/08/2015 - Mailed Packet #3 (intentionally delayed)

08/09/2015 - Packet #3 received at Embassy

08/10/2015 - Received email from Embassy with appointment date of Aug 26th

08/26/2015 - Given passport back with 221(g) requesting more information to prove "Domicile"

------------ - We had a long voluntary delay for our own purposes which forced us to get another medical.

02/18/2016 - VISA APPROVED

03/04/2016 - Fiance arrived at LAX

03/14/2016 - Married

04/02/2016 - Mailed AOS to Chicago after getting certified copies of our Marriage Certificate

04/08/2016 - Immigration acknowledged receipt of all 4 forms via email and cashed the check for $1070

05/12/2016 - Boimetrics done.

07/25/2016 - Interview

08/01/2016 - Received 2-year GREEN CARD

04/24/2018 - Filed I-751 "Remove Conditions"

05/31/2018 - Rec'd NOA of I-751 filing  NOTE: Yes, it took that long

05/01/2019 - email to check status which said card was mailed

05/02/2019 - email to check status which said "Case Approved"

05/08/2019 - Received 10-Year GC in mail today.  Done!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Sweden
Timeline

Well at the end of the day your girlfriend still have to do her medical and you must prove domicile and there isn't much your congressman can do about that...

What proof of domicile did you send in? If you already sent in enough evidence in that matter and they are just being asshats then yes get help from the congressman but if your evidence was too weak you gotta go home.

Noa 1 August 15th 2011
Noa 2 March 2nd


NVC case numbers March 22nd
My sons AOS and IV bill paid March 23rd (status in progress)
My sons AOS and IV bill shows as paid March 26
My IV bill paid March 26
Both packages sent on March 26
My IV bill shows as paid on March 27th
CC on both cases March 30


Current record holder of fastest through the NVC :D

Medical exam in Stockholm April 13th
Interview on May 16th !!!

POE Anchorage July 12th!! 2012

July 2015 n-400 in the mail

September 2015, interview

October 23rd 2015, Oath ceremony!!!!!​​

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Given what has happened, for what should have been a simple job of getting the medical fixed, I'm now anticipating any kind of problem. These people know all the tricks to trip you up if they want to, but turning my fiance away during a time they said she should come is way beyond messing with us. That's just plain rude and if they can do that then they are capable of anything.

I'm hoping my congressman will help make sure we do not have anymore problems with this medical with this IV Unit. We had made plans long ago to move to our home in Northeast Thailand which we had to do today. My fiance now has to travel a 1200 kilometer round trip to Bangkok next time and spend over 1400 baht getting there because they could not take 5 minutes to get her medical to her when she was right outside their door at a day and time they specified.

I'm not calling on him for the "Domicile" stuff YET!

As far as my domicile paperwork goes. I just sent them a bunch of documents that were supposedly received at their office on Jan 17. I even sent them a few documents they did not ask for, but they clearly prove my intent to reestablish residence in my home. I have not heard from them yet. I know that I still have to provide them with a driver's license and voter registration card when I get back to the US and I'm trying to confirm with them that this is all I have left to give them.

I'm also waiting for an explanation from them as to why she was turned away yesterday. We may find out they knew nothing about this. I have a little suspicion the Thai lady who told her this did not have the power or authorization to do this, but Thai people are very prone to being drunk with authority if they think they are at a higher status than another Thai girl as I'm sure they assume with almost every girl who walks into that embassy and there is probably a lot of jealousy going on as well that these girls get to go to America and they don't.

Reading your message again, I'm not sure you really understand my intent in getting my Congressman involved. I certainly don't expect him to get it waived and I don't expect him to take the medical for her. I hope he will get the IV Unit to stick to their word so the next time she comes, they treat her with a modicum of dignity and give her the medical that she traveled so far to get. In other words......DO THEIR JOB.

Edited by khrfx4

10/11/2009 - Met in Thailand

12/30/2009 - Moved in together

I-129F (For Petitioner)

03/17/2015 - Mailed to US from Thailand

04/03/2015 - NOA1, Received at USCIS

04/07/2015 - Email saying routed to CSC

05/05/2015 - NOA2

06/02/2015 - Shipped to BNK Embassy

06/08/2015 - Finally got through to NVC and found out package had been shipped 6 days before.

Visa Application Process at Embassy for Fiance

06/09/2015 - Embassy received package.

06/15/2015 - Received Packet #3 in the mail. This is where I noticed the receving stamp from the Embassy.

08/08/2015 - Mailed Packet #3 (intentionally delayed)

08/09/2015 - Packet #3 received at Embassy

08/10/2015 - Received email from Embassy with appointment date of Aug 26th

08/26/2015 - Given passport back with 221(g) requesting more information to prove "Domicile"

------------ - We had a long voluntary delay for our own purposes which forced us to get another medical.

02/18/2016 - VISA APPROVED

03/04/2016 - Fiance arrived at LAX

03/14/2016 - Married

04/02/2016 - Mailed AOS to Chicago after getting certified copies of our Marriage Certificate

04/08/2016 - Immigration acknowledged receipt of all 4 forms via email and cashed the check for $1070

05/12/2016 - Boimetrics done.

07/25/2016 - Interview

08/01/2016 - Received 2-year GREEN CARD

04/24/2018 - Filed I-751 "Remove Conditions"

05/31/2018 - Rec'd NOA of I-751 filing  NOTE: Yes, it took that long

05/01/2019 - email to check status which said card was mailed

05/02/2019 - email to check status which said "Case Approved"

05/08/2019 - Received 10-Year GC in mail today.  Done!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Thailand
Timeline

Sorry for your issues but feel stating to them you are going to involve a Congressman probably didnt help your cause. I doubt your Congressman will do anything, they get involved when there have been serious issues in the process, not a minor or short delay or what ends up being a $40 dollar round trip to get it completed. About the holiday, it is pretty much on you, cant blame them you didnt think about it being a holiday. If I remember correctly, their website lists holidays. Sorry but you have to remember, they are government employee's. Anyway, valuable lesson to be learned here, if you dont know already, Thai's in general dont respond well to criticism and even less well to threats of going over their head. Actually the American INS/DHS isn't any better with either. I let my now wife deal with the Thai's, she is way more laid back than I am. One last point, if your planning on living in Thailand, why the K-1 visa?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Filed: IR-1/CR-1 Visa Country: Vietnam
Timeline

Congress members don't have as much juice as US Senators.

I-864 Affidavit of Support FAQ -->> https://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/immigrate/immigrant-process/documents/support/i-864-frequently-asked-questions.html

FOREIGN INCOME REPORTING & TAX FILING -->> https://www.irs.gov/publications/p54/ch01.html#en_US_2015_publink100047318

CALL THIS NUMBER TO ORDER IRS TAX TRANSCRIPTS >> 800-908-9946

PLEASE READ THE GUIDES -->> Link to Visa Journey Guides

MULTI ENTRY SPOUSE VISA TO VN -->>Link to Visa Exemption for Vietnamese Residents Overseas & Their Spouses

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Filed: Timeline

No senator nor congressman can order the IV unit to do anything....they have NO power nor authority over them....for a very simple, legal fact. Congress is in the Legislative branch of our government while the State Dept is in the Executive branch....and no one from one branch of government can tell someone in another branch of government what to do. Period. All congressmen or senators can do is write letters...which only have to be answered within three days of receipt...but compliance with whatever nonsense is being requested is NOT something that the COs have to do....I don't know why people believe that Congress is empowered to tell anyone and everyone what to do....sorry...they have no authority over any of us.

As to some last minute meeting allegedly scheduled just to annoy you, well, when meetings are called, by the ambassador or the consul general, then that meeting will take place....even though they did not ask your permission to do so.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Wales
Timeline

You are dealing with the US Government, they really don't care what your problems are.

“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not much you can do except supply the documents they want. We had a similar issue when Pui went through. The hospital filled out the paperwork on expired forms or a month and half later the form expired for when she had her interview. Same thing also happened to someone else who was trying to get a visa that day as well and she had gone to the other hospital in Bangkok. I think their process has changed since we went through because the day she had her interview I had her go back to the hospital to get the paperwork on the correct forms and had her go back to the Embassy and then she received got the visa and they told her to return in a few days to pick up her passport with visa. I also think they mail the passport back to you now instead of picking it back up at the embassy. It was a very stressful situation and because Pui did not get the visa at first she just wanted to go back to her appartment. After much talking she was able to do all of that. To this day she and the other lady she who had the expired medical forms dislike the lady who interviewed them.

Good luck!

AOS Journey

11-04-2011 sent AOS to Chicago lockbox

11-07-2011 delivered

11-08-2011 Date on text messages but did not receive until 11-22-2011

11-23-2011 Check cashed.

11-25-2011 Hard copies of NOA1s

12-06-2012 Pui's Brother unexpectly passes away and we make an info pass appointment and receive an emergancy AP so she can return home. Pui leaves for Thailand for 2 weeks.

12-06-2012 Get a text message and email that she received an RFE

12-12-2012 RFE for original birth certificate. I swear we sent it along with a certificate translation of it.

12-20-2012 Pui returns from Thailand.

12-21-2012 We send the RFE back for with original birth certificate along with a new certificate of translation(I had to wait for her to return for her to sign)

12-26-2012 text and email they have received the RFE.

12-29-2012 Appointment for biometrics is 01-23-2012

01-13-2012 AP is approved.

01-23-2012 Biometrics appointment. Later during the evening the text and email saying the EAD is approved.

01-31-2012 EAD/AP combo card arrives.

05-22-2012 Email and text card is in production!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 
Didn't find the answer you were looking for? Ask our VJ Immigration Lawyers.

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
- Back to Top -

Important Disclaimer: Please read carefully the Visajourney.com Terms of Service. If you do not agree to the Terms of Service you should not access or view any page (including this page) on VisaJourney.com. Answers and comments provided on Visajourney.com Forums are general information, and are not intended to substitute for informed professional medical, psychiatric, psychological, tax, legal, investment, accounting, or other professional advice. Visajourney.com does not endorse, and expressly disclaims liability for any product, manufacturer, distributor, service or service provider mentioned or any opinion expressed in answers or comments. VisaJourney.com does not condone immigration fraud in any way, shape or manner. VisaJourney.com recommends that if any member or user knows directly of someone involved in fraudulent or illegal activity, that they report such activity directly to the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement. You can contact ICE via email at Immigration.Reply@dhs.gov or you can telephone ICE at 1-866-347-2423. All reported threads/posts containing reference to immigration fraud or illegal activities will be removed from this board. If you feel that you have found inappropriate content, please let us know by contacting us here with a url link to that content. Thank you.
×
×
  • Create New...