SAWASDEE 2

[n2ojones 0]

Man, what a mess. Soooo close, too.

Can someone tell me if I-134 is supposed to be notarized and does it get turned in along with the police report and medical at the day of interview....or does it have to be sent in with packet 3?

I know I should be reading the instructions...and i will, but this flare-up with the (already paid in full) visa agent, has caused some static between my wife and I now as well...I need this info fast to calm her and prove my point...this guy does not know what he's doing and we are sure to be refused if we continue with this bonehead.

More than likely he is reading this...which is good,...maybe he'll accidently learn how to process a visa.

Please help

n2ojones,

If I’ve read correctly your wife will be applying for an CR1 visa based on the approval of the I130. If this is the case you would have had to send an I864 (Affidavit of Support) to the NVC prior to them forwarding the case to the embassy.

The Embassy’s web page has changed but it used to specifically state that I134’s were to be used for K1 & K3, and I864 for CR/IR1.

If however it’s causing big static between you and the wife, I suggest you say “ok yes dear” and send her a notarized I134.

best of luck

Chant & Noy

Huh..I am definately confused now. We (the agent) sent both the 129 and the 130 for processing. The 129 was intially rejected because...uh, because we (the agent) failed to include the check (I kid you not). I ultimately sent them the check (and a letter) but have heard no more about the 129.

During this time, we got the NOA for the 130. They then sent our case it to th4e NVC. I called NVC in NH on March 28th and the recording gave me a case number and said our case had been sent to BKK on the 26th.

BTW, we were legally married in Dec.

So, if the NVC forwarded our case already...do I still need the 864...or do I submit the 134 at time of interview. I suppose the agent COULD have sent the 864 with our other stuff...but I have no idea how he got my financials (if he did).

This is the first I have heard the term CR. I appreciate your help....ALOT!

[n2ojones 0]

Hey George, mai pen rai...I should be the one apologising for being such a dumbass. I am really confused now..

.and Reach..I appreciate the information about mythaivisa...and thanks for your honest appraisal.

That's kinda' what I have now though...an agent I have to double-check. My wife will be fine with everything after the packet 3 is filled out. She feels she can do that as well, but I don't want to be all pissed at her if she messes up (!) I just got back to Hawaii (and my business) and just don't have the time after being gone almost 4 months.

OH!...The "static with my wife"...nid noy, LOL. She's just a bit TOO jai yen for her own good. She also thinks we should stay with this agency...."because we have already paid them".

That's not a good enough reason for me.

[heyx2rr 0]

Nate,

Thanks for your earlier reply with additional information on translation services available. I'm now confident we'll be able to complete the preparation of all of our materials required for the I-129F packet during my upcoming visit to BKK.

Reach449,

I am also considering using the services offered by Mr. Wright at mythaifiancee.com - I think similar to you, my primary concern being to assist my fiancee during the next step of the process when she needs to get the medical exam, police report, etc. While I am BKK, my fiancee and I have an appointment with Mr Wright to discuss the services he offers in more detail, and to give my fiancee an opportunity to determine if she is comfortable working with the personnel in his office (in her initial phone call to introduce herself to them after I set up the appointment, the staff was apparently rather abrupt with my fiancee - she still wants to proceed with the appointment, though, and is very interested in learning how they can help).

I'd also like to ask the overall group on this thread regarding the feedback from their fiancees who may have recently used services such as those offered by mythaifiancee.com, and those who "went it alone" so to speak. My primary concern is certainly to minimize the stress on my fiancee throughout the visa application process, as she works long hours at her business. However, in reviewing the overall thread earlier, I've seen mixed responses regarding the difficulty in the process for the medical exam, police report, etc. I guess my question is, how clear are the instructions in the packet that my fiancee will eventually receive from the Embassy, and did having the representative from the Visa service prove to be a significant value add? The cost for the the Visa Services being offered is significant, so I'm trying to balance cost vs. benefit - with the understanding that everyone's situation is unique, and the value of the services will vary accordingly.

Thanks in advance for your feedback.

- Rich

[BishopMnA 0]

Hello all!

I haven't actually posted here in about 2-3 months...because I've been on a whirlwind, but its been great...overall.

AAm and I went to our final BKK interview on 30 January. We were missing one document, which the CO admittedly stated we were not informed was required (never mentioned in PKT 4). AAm has never been married. However, she does have a daughter that we do plan to bring to the United States in about one year (once we're settled). So, we had a similar situation as Tucson Bill. We had to present a 'certificate of eligibility to marry/singles certificate/never been married certificate'. I can't remember what it was actually called. Well, AAm lives in Chiang Mai. So, we didn't have time to run back to CM and then get the document from the local police station and return to BKK before I had to return to the U.S. So, we took our time. AAm turned in the document a couple weeks later and got her visa. However, I was 'back on the road again' with my job by that time.

Well, to make a story short, I'm going back to Thailand this weekend and picking up AAm. We'll FINALLY be together back in the United States as of Wednesday 11 April.

We're very excited and looking forward to the next AOS process...haha.

Well, peace to all and once again, THANK YOU ALL, for the help you've given AAM & I along the way...

I'll c u guys in the next AOS forum...and here more often now...

Peace,

Mark-N-AAm

[dvddvd 0]

Hello all!

I haven't actually posted here in about 2-3 months...because I've been on a whirlwind, but its been great...overall.

AAm and I went to our final BKK interview on 30 January. We were missing one document, which the CO admittedly stated we were not informed was required (never mentioned in PKT 4). AAm has never been married. However, she does have a daughter that we do plan to bring to the United States in about one year (once we're settled). So, we had a similar situation as Tucson Bill. We had to present a 'certificate of eligibility to marry/singles certificate/never been married certificate'. I can't remember what it was actually called. Well, AAm lives in Chiang Mai. So, we didn't have time to run back to CM and then get the document from the local police station and return to BKK before I had to return to the U.S. So, we took our time. AAm turned in the document a couple weeks later and got her visa. However, I was 'back on the road again' with my job by that time.

Well, to make a story short, I'm going back to Thailand this weekend and picking up AAm. We'll FINALLY be together back in the United States as of Wednesday 11 April.

We're very excited and looking forward to the next AOS process...haha.

Well, peace to all and once again, THANK YOU ALL, for the help you've given AAM & I along the way...

I'll c u guys in the next AOS forum...and here more often now...

Peace,

Mark-N-AAm

mark,

hello. my fiance and i have our interview, in bkk, in a month. she has never been married and has a daughter who plans to follow within a year. we have 2 questions that i hope you can help us with -

1) do you know if her daughter needs to be at the interview? the packet 4 documents say that all family members need to be present, but we are not sure about this since her daughter will follow at a later date. how did it work for you?

2) so, you get the document that states that she's never been married from the police station? we are unsure about this requirement?

thanks for any help you could provide.

congratulations on your visa. it must be a great feeling.

dvd

[dvddvd 0]

hi,

i'm considering taking the long journey over to thailand simply to be with my fiance at the interview. i would have to immediatly return home, without her because we plan to spend 2 months together in thailand this summer. i think being there might increase our odds, but i really don't know. she speaks very good english and i'm not worried about her. however, i'm wondering if it's more difficult for the embassy to deny when the american citizen is standing right there. the extra trip will be a slight strain on my job, an extra expense, and might all be unnecessary. what do you think?

i would be traveling to thailand again not 2 weeks after our interview.

how much do you think it helps to have be at the interview????

thanks,

dvd

[Yodrak 7]

dvd,

In Thailand I think the only benefit of being at the interview is that should there be a question that you need to answer, or a need for a document that you need to provide, you are there on the spot to take care of it. No wait while your wife calls you afterwards to tell you that her case officer wants something from you before her visa can be approved.

At my wife's interview the interviewer told me first thing to leave the interview window and go have a seat. This is unusual, in fact I've never heard of it happening to anyone else in Bangkok, but it does go to show that my presence was neither necessary nor helpful.

Yodrak

hi,

i'm considering taking the long journey over to thailand simply to be with my fiance at the interview. i would have to immediatly return home, without her because we plan to spend 2 months together in thailand this summer. i think being there might increase our odds, but i really don't know. she speaks very good english and i'm not worried about her. however, i'm wondering if it's more difficult for the embassy to deny when the american citizen is standing right there. the extra trip will be a slight strain on my job, an extra expense, and might all be unnecessary. what do you think?

i would be traveling to thailand again not 2 weeks after our interview.

how much do you think it helps to have be at the interview????

thanks,

dvd

Edited April 2, 2007 by Yodrak

[BishopMnA 0]

Dvd,

I agree with Yodrak. I was present at AAm's interview in BKK. At that time, the CO (who was an incredibly good person) told me directly that my presence did not have any influence on his decision making process. He stated that the USCIS side of the K1 equation (petition/nvc/etc) handled all the queries about me, and that at the interview he was only concerned with her. He said it was nice that I was there as a show of support, but it had no bearing on his decision making process.

Yet, back to what Yodrak has said, I did find it beneficial to be there. We were missing one document (which was not listed in PKT 4). It was a benefit to me that I was there, because the CO was able to fully help me understand the next steps on how to obtain the document and bring it back to the Embassy etc... My fiancee also speaks English quite well, but I think I would have had a difficult time understanding why I needed this document/why it wasn't listed in PKT 4 etc...if my fiancee had to explain all that to me over the phone. As it turns out, it wasn't a big deal at all to get this document. However, it might have seemed 'traumatic' to me if my fiancee had to explain over the phone...

Plus, I think it would have been extremely difficult on my fiancee to have had to go through that alone. Since I was with her, had clear instruction from the CO, I was able to understand and get the missing document easily.

So, in my opinion the short answer would be that your presence doesn't influence the CO's decision, but there are alot of intangible befefits to you being there.

Peace,

MK

[dvddvd 0]

hello,

thank you all for all of your advice. believe it or not, i'm still in need of more clarifiation as to what a certified copy of my fiance's birth certificate is.

my fiance had her birth certificate made becuase she was not born in a hospital. she had to jump through some hoops, etc., and now has it in hand. the interview requires the original + one certified copy. i have previously received some advice regarding this certified copy, but it simply has not been clear enough for me to fully understand. she doesn't understand and i don't understand what this is. she went back to the office that produced her birth certificate and they won't make her another. they also, did not "know" the answer to our question.

my fiance having her birth certificate translated into english for future use. is a translated copy into english at one of the shops near the embassy a certified copy?

help please?

best,

david

Dvd,

I agree with Yodrak. I was present at AAm's interview in BKK. At that time, the CO (who was an incredibly good person) told me directly that my presence did not have any influence on his decision making process. He stated that the USCIS side of the K1 equation (petition/nvc/etc) handled all the queries about me, and that at the interview he was only concerned with her. He said it was nice that I was there as a show of support, but it had no bearing on his decision making process.

Yet, back to what Yodrak has said, I did find it beneficial to be there. We were missing one document (which was not listed in PKT 4). It was a benefit to me that I was there, because the CO was able to fully help me understand the next steps on how to obtain the document and bring it back to the Embassy etc... My fiancee also speaks English quite well, but I think I would have had a difficult time understanding why I needed this document/why it wasn't listed in PKT 4 etc...if my fiancee had to explain all that to me over the phone. As it turns out, it wasn't a big deal at all to get this document. However, it might have seemed 'traumatic' to me if my fiancee had to explain over the phone...

Plus, I think it would have been extremely difficult on my fiancee to have had to go through that alone. Since I was with her, had clear instruction from the CO, I was able to understand and get the missing document easily.

So, in my opinion the short answer would be that your presence doesn't influence the CO's decision, but there are alot of intangible befefits to you being there.

Peace,

MK

hello,

thank you all for all of your advice. believe it or not, i'm still in need of more clarifiation as to what a certified copy of my fiance's birth certificate is.

my fiance had her birth certificate made becuase she was not born in a hospital. she had to jump through some hoops, etc., and now has it in hand. the interview requires the original + one certified copy. i have previously received some advice regarding this certified copy, but it simply has not been clear enough for me to fully understand. she doesn't understand and i don't understand what this is. she went back to the office that produced her birth certificate and they won't make her another. they also, did not "know" the answer to our question.

my fiance having her birth certificate translated into english for future use. is a translated copy into english at one of the shops near the embassy a certified copy?

help please?

best,

david

Dvd,

I agree with Yodrak. I was present at AAm's interview in BKK. At that time, the CO (who was an incredibly good person) told me directly that my presence did not have any influence on his decision making process. He stated that the USCIS side of the K1 equation (petition/nvc/etc) handled all the queries about me, and that at the interview he was only concerned with her. He said it was nice that I was there as a show of support, but it had no bearing on his decision making process.

Yet, back to what Yodrak has said, I did find it beneficial to be there. We were missing one document (which was not listed in PKT 4). It was a benefit to me that I was there, because the CO was able to fully help me understand the next steps on how to obtain the document and bring it back to the Embassy etc... My fiancee also speaks English quite well, but I think I would have had a difficult time understanding why I needed this document/why it wasn't listed in PKT 4 etc...if my fiancee had to explain all that to me over the phone. As it turns out, it wasn't a big deal at all to get this document. However, it might have seemed 'traumatic' to me if my fiancee had to explain over the phone...

Plus, I think it would have been extremely difficult on my fiancee to have had to go through that alone. Since I was with her, had clear instruction from the CO, I was able to understand and get the missing document easily.

So, in my opinion the short answer would be that your presence doesn't influence the CO's decision, but there are alot of intangible befefits to you being there.

Peace,

MK

[heyx2rr 0]

...

Reach449,

I am also considering using the services offered by Mr. Wright at mythaifiancee.com - I think similar to you, my primary concern being to assist my fiancee during the next step of the process when she needs to get the medical exam, police report, etc. While I am BKK, my fiancee and I have an appointment with Mr Wright to discuss the services he offers in more detail, and to give my fiancee an opportunity to determine if she is comfortable working with the personnel in his office (in her initial phone call to introduce herself to them after I set up the appointment, the staff was apparently rather abrupt with my fiancee - she still wants to proceed with the appointment, though, and is very interested in learning how they can help).

I'd also like to ask the overall group on this thread regarding the feedback from their fiancees who may have recently used services such as those offered by mythaifiancee.com, and those who "went it alone" so to speak. My primary concern is certainly to minimize the stress on my fiancee throughout the visa application process, as she works long hours at her business. However, in reviewing the overall thread earlier, I've seen mixed responses regarding the difficulty in the process for the medical exam, police report, etc. I guess my question is, how clear are the instructions in the packet that my fiancee will eventually receive from the Embassy, and did having the representative from the Visa service prove to be a significant value add? The cost for the the Visa Services being offered is significant, so I'm trying to balance cost vs. benefit - with the understanding that everyone's situation is unique, and the value of the services will vary accordingly.

Thanks in advance for your feedback.

- Rich

Hi folks - just bumping my earlier query in case folks may have lost it in the shuffle - look forward to any feedback you an provide on the value add of services like mythaifiancee.com. Thanks!

[Yodrak 7]

-Rich,

I, for one, did not miss your post. I'm just uncomfortable about answering it.

Personally I would steer clear of Mr. Wright and his agency. His site and his words are carefully designed to indicate that he is something that he is not. This alone gives me 2nd thoughts. For the money he is charging I would work with a real lawyer. Although, somewhere in this thread or elsewhere in this forum you can find posts by a VJer who used Mr. Wright and was satisfied with the experience.

I recommend William F. White (Bill), whose contact information can be found in a post by ChivasGeo not too far back in this thread. He is not only a knowledgeable US immigration attorney with long experience in Thailand and southeast Asia, he is also knowledgeable about aspects of Thai law that are often of interest to farang who marry Thai women.

Yodrak

...

Reach449,

I am also considering using the services offered by Mr. Wright at mythaifiancee.com - .....

- Rich

Hi folks - just bumping my earlier query in case folks may have lost it in the shuffle - look forward to any feedback you an provide on the value add of services like mythaifiancee.com. Thanks!

Edited April 4, 2007 by Yodrak

[Yodrak 7]

david,

First let me point out to you that the visa instruction sheet and check list identifies substitute documents can be used in lieu of an unavailable birth certificate. Thai ID card and tabian baahn, I think, can be used - check the instructions that came in the visa application package.

My wife does not have a 'proper' birth certificate. Hers was lost by her mother years ago, and the filed birth record was lost or destroyed at the amphur where she was born so that amphur would not give her a replacement. She was able to get a written statement attesting to the facts of her birth from a different amphur. This statement was stamped in several places with 'the big red stamp' that amphur's use. (I had her get her passport amended so that the place of birth shown in the passport would agree with the amphur that issued the statement.) This is what my wife used in lieu of a birth certificate.

My wife and I married in Thailand. When we registered the marriage the amphur took her divorce certificate from her along with our registration papers. I had the foresight to make some photocopies of the divorce certificate before she surrendered it, but a photocopy was not satisfactory to the consular officer. She had to take the photocopy back to the amphur where it was stamped in several places with the aforementioned 'big red stamp', and this stamped photocopy was satisfactory to the consular officer.

My conclusion is that, as in the USA, the seal of the issuing government agency on a document makes that document a certified copy.

Yodrak

hello,

thank you all for all of your advice. believe it or not, i'm still in need of more clarifiation as to what a certified copy of my fiance's birth certificate is.

my fiance had her birth certificate made becuase she was not born in a hospital. she had to jump through some hoops, etc., and now has it in hand. the interview requires the original + one certified copy. i have previously received some advice regarding this certified copy, but it simply has not been clear enough for me to fully understand. she doesn't understand and i don't understand what this is. she went back to the office that produced her birth certificate and they won't make her another. they also, did not "know" the answer to our question.

my fiance having her birth certificate translated into english for future use. is a translated copy into english at one of the shops near the embassy a certified copy?

help please?

best,

david

Dvd,

I agree with Yodrak. I was present at AAm's interview in BKK. At that time, the CO (who was an incredibly good person) told me directly that my presence did not have any influence on his decision making process. He stated that the USCIS side of the K1 equation (petition/nvc/etc) handled all the queries about me, and that at the interview he was only concerned with her. He said it was nice that I was there as a show of support, but it had no bearing on his decision making process.

Yet, back to what Yodrak has said, I did find it beneficial to be there. We were missing one document (which was not listed in PKT 4). It was a benefit to me that I was there, because the CO was able to fully help me understand the next steps on how to obtain the document and bring it back to the Embassy etc... My fiancee also speaks English quite well, but I think I would have had a difficult time understanding why I needed this document/why it wasn't listed in PKT 4 etc...if my fiancee had to explain all that to me over the phone. As it turns out, it wasn't a big deal at all to get this document. However, it might have seemed 'traumatic' to me if my fiancee had to explain over the phone...

Plus, I think it would have been extremely difficult on my fiancee to have had to go through that alone. Since I was with her, had clear instruction from the CO, I was able to understand and get the missing document easily.

So, in my opinion the short answer would be that your presence doesn't influence the CO's decision, but there are alot of intangible befefits to you being there.

Peace,

MK

[dvddvd 0]

yodrak,

i believe my fiance's birth certificate has a big red stamp. i'll check with her tonight. i saw the packet 4 instructions for alternate substitues, but the packet three instructions only mention birth certificate. i was torn by this. also, my fiance has a minor daughter. i'll ask her tonight if her daughter has an id card, house registration, blah blah, because i don't know about those things for minors.

lastly, the packet 4 instruction only asks for birth certificates (original + one copy) for the children. no substitutes are mentioned. maybe, i'm over thinking this, but i'm just trying to ensure that she gets to keep all of the "originals" and that the embassy will accept whatever copy the supplies to them.

i'll talk to her in the next few hours and i will post again.

thnks

david,

First let me point out to you that the visa instruction sheet and check list identifies substitute documents can be used in lieu of an unavailable birth certificate. Thai ID card and tabian baahn, I think, can be used - check the instructions that came in the visa application package.

My wife does not have a 'proper' birth certificate. Hers was lost by her mother years ago, and the filed birth record was lost or destroyed at the amphur where she was born so that amphur would not give her a replacement. She was able to get a written statement attesting to the facts of her birth from a different amphur. This statement was stamped in several places with 'the big red stamp' that amphur's use. (I had her get her passport amended so that the place of birth shown in the passport would agree with the amphur that issued the statement.) This is what my wife used in lieu of a birth certificate.

My wife and I married in Thailand. When we registered the marriage the amphur took her divorce certificate from her along with our registration papers. I had the foresight to make some photocopies of the divorce certificate before she surrendered it, but a photocopy was not satisfactory to the consular officer. She had to take the photocopy back to the amphur where it was stamped in several places with the aforementioned 'big red stamp', and this stamped photocopy was satisfactory to the consular officer.

My conclusion is that, as in the USA, the seal of the issuing government agency on a document makes that document a certified copy.

Yodrak

hello,

thank you all for all of your advice. believe it or not, i'm still in need of more clarifiation as to what a certified copy of my fiance's birth certificate is.

my fiance had her birth certificate made becuase she was not born in a hospital. she had to jump through some hoops, etc., and now has it in hand. the interview requires the original + one certified copy. i have previously received some advice regarding this certified copy, but it simply has not been clear enough for me to fully understand. she doesn't understand and i don't understand what this is. she went back to the office that produced her birth certificate and they won't make her another. they also, did not "know" the answer to our question.

my fiance having her birth certificate translated into english for future use. is a translated copy into english at one of the shops near the embassy a certified copy?

help please?

best,

david

Dvd,

I agree with Yodrak. I was present at AAm's interview in BKK. At that time, the CO (who was an incredibly good person) told me directly that my presence did not have any influence on his decision making process. He stated that the USCIS side of the K1 equation (petition/nvc/etc) handled all the queries about me, and that at the interview he was only concerned with her. He said it was nice that I was there as a show of support, but it had no bearing on his decision making process.

Yet, back to what Yodrak has said, I did find it beneficial to be there. We were missing one document (which was not listed in PKT 4). It was a benefit to me that I was there, because the CO was able to fully help me understand the next steps on how to obtain the document and bring it back to the Embassy etc... My fiancee also speaks English quite well, but I think I would have had a difficult time understanding why I needed this document/why it wasn't listed in PKT 4 etc...if my fiancee had to explain all that to me over the phone. As it turns out, it wasn't a big deal at all to get this document. However, it might have seemed 'traumatic' to me if my fiancee had to explain over the phone...

Plus, I think it would have been extremely difficult on my fiancee to have had to go through that alone. Since I was with her, had clear instruction from the CO, I was able to understand and get the missing document easily.

So, in my opinion the short answer would be that your presence doesn't influence the CO's decision, but there are alot of intangible befefits to you being there.

Peace,

MK

[dvddvd 0]

yodrak,

my fiance and her daughter both have birth certificates with the "red stamp". is this newly manufatured red stamped birth certificate the original or is it the copy??? ) minor children have a thai number, but no thai id card. children get their card when they turn 15. her daughter also has the house registration.

the office where she had her red stamped birth certificat made will not make her another red stamped birth certificate; so i'm wondering what the .... how do we get a certified copy? maybe as you said; they will accept house registry or thai id card as a substitute. ????

what would you do? i can't believe i can't get my brain around this!! sorry. should we just let the embassy take her red stamped certificate and have another made later and the same for her daughter's birth certificate. maybe she should tell the birth certificate office that she lost her recently made red stamped certificate and get another made!?! i guess i don't know the exact reason they want a birth certifiate or why they can't take a copy made at "kinkos". what do you think i should do????

is my brain the delima? ha

thanks again,

david

yodrak,

i believe my fiance's birth certificate has a big red stamp. i'll check with her tonight. i saw the packet 4 instructions for alternate substitues, but the packet three instructions only mention birth certificate. i was torn by this. also, my fiance has a minor daughter. i'll ask her tonight if her daughter has an id card, house registration, blah blah, because i don't know about those things for minors.

lastly, the packet 4 instruction only asks for birth certificates (original + one copy) for the children. no substitutes are mentioned. maybe, i'm over thinking this, but i'm just trying to ensure that she gets to keep all of the "originals" and that the embassy will accept whatever copy the supplies to them.

i'll talk to her in the next few hours and i will post again.

thnks

david,

First let me point out to you that the visa instruction sheet and check list identifies substitute documents can be used in lieu of an unavailable birth certificate. Thai ID card and tabian baahn, I think, can be used - check the instructions that came in the visa application package.

My wife does not have a 'proper' birth certificate. Hers was lost by her mother years ago, and the filed birth record was lost or destroyed at the amphur where she was born so that amphur would not give her a replacement. She was able to get a written statement attesting to the facts of her birth from a different amphur. This statement was stamped in several places with 'the big red stamp' that phur's use. (I had her get her passport amended so that the place of birth shown in the passport would agree with the amphur that issued the statement.) This is what my wife used in lieu of a birth certificate.

My wife and I married in Thailand. When we registered the marriage the amphur took her divorce certificate from her along with our registration papers. I had the foresight to make some photocopies of the divorce certificate before she surrendered it, but a photocopy was not satisfactory to the consular officer. She had to take the photocopy back to the amphur where it was stamped in several places with the aforementioned 'big red stamp', and this stamped photocopy was satisfactory to the consular officer.

My conclusion is that, as in the USA, the seal of the issuing government agency on a document makes that document a certified copy.

Yodrak

hello,

thank you all for all of your advice. believe it or not, i'm still in need of more clarifiation as to what a certified copy of my fiance's birth certificate is.

my fiance had her birth certificate made becuase she was not born in a hospital. she had to jump through some hoops, etc., and now has it in hand. the interview requires the original + one certified copy. i have previously received some advice regarding this certified copy, but it simply has not been clear enough for me to fully understand. she doesn't understand and i don't understand what this is. she went back to the office that produced her birth certificate and they won't make her another. they also, did not "know" the answer to our question.

my fiance having her birth certificate translated into english for future use. is a translated copy into english at one of the shops near the embassy a certified copy?

help please?

best,

david

Dvd,

I agree with Yodrak. I was present at AAm's interview in BKK. At that time, the CO (who was an incredibly good person) told me directly that my presence did not have any influence on his decision making process. He stated that the USCIS side of the K1 equation (petition/nvc/etc) handled all the queries about me, and that at the interview he was only concerned with her. He said it was nice that I was there as a show of support, but it had no bearing on his decision making process.

Yet, back to what Yodrak has said, I did find it beneficial to be there. We were missing one document (which was not listed in PKT 4). It was a benefit to me that I was there, because the CO was able to fully help me understand the next steps on how to obtain the document and bring it back to the Embassy etc... My fiancee also speaks English quite well, but I think I would have had a difficult time understanding why I needed this document/why it wasn't listed in PKT 4 etc...if my fiancee had to explain all that to me over the phone. As it turns out, it wasn't a big deal at all to get this document. However, it might have seemed 'traumatic' to me if my fiancee had to explain over the phone...

Plus, I think it would have been extremely difficult on my fiancee to have had to go through that alone. Since I was with her, had clear instruction from the CO, I was able to understand and get the missing document easily.

So, in my opinion the short answer would be that your presence doesn't influence the CO's decision, but there are alot of intangible befefits to you being there.

Peace,

MK

[dvddvd 0]

well, my fiance just made another visit to the birth certificate "office". she went there with her mother to have a "certificate for being single/never married" made. while she was there, she asked again about getting another certified birth certificate made. they told her that if the embassy takes the one that they made for her last week; that she can come back to the office and they will just make her another one. so, i guess we're going to go with that. she'll take the one red stamped birth certificate that she has, her thai id, and her house registration to the interview. if they take her birth certificate away from her and keep it; we'll just have another one made. also, for future use, she'll be heading over to a translation shop to get it translated into english later today.

thanks for all of the help. if it seems as if i've overlooked something; please let me know.

best,

david