For the record, she is staying with me. I support her while she is here. She is relatively low maintenance. We are both retired. I can afford to pay her way while she is in the USA. She has a government pension in Thailand. She owns her own home and a few properties in Thailand.
As far as tax purposes are concerned, how can she be considered tax cattle if she has no income in the USA? All the money she earns from her pension in Thailand STAYS in Thailand.
And yes, I may alternate visits to Thailand on occasion, but honestly i prefer being in the USA and she would like to see America. I do like Thailand, but I seriously doubt I could be convinced to relocate there. And it is also possible that I may marry her in a year or two and go the K-1 VISA route at that time. But that is a step that I want to be certain is a GOOD step. My wife died in November, 2023 after being together for 46 years. Am I just rebounding from that blow to my life? I am 74 years old, she is 67 and a retired school teacher from central Thailand. We have found each other to be comfortable companions and just want to spend time together.
That is acceptably legal, I hope.