I am "living" in Thailand on my tourist visa... Does anyone know if the consulate in BKK will approve a I-130 (DCF) for my future wife? If so, then this would be alot faster than me returning to the USA and filing for the K1.

Last night I wrote the US embassy in BKK the following email:

Kendall
to visasbkk

Hello,

I met my Thai fiance here in Thailand in 2005. I have returned on a 2 month tourist visa and would like to marry my Thai fiance here in Thailand. Does the Consulate have instructions in writing that you could email or send to me. I am basically looking for more information about this process before we marry. Is there a packet of information that you could mail to me or that I could pick up in Bangkok before we marry?

Also, will the consulate allow me, a US Citizen, not a resident of Thailand, to file a petition I-130 for my future wife at the consulate, who is a resident and citizen of Thailand?

Respectfully,
Kendall - 22 Jan 2007

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This is what the embassy in BKK sent to my email inquiry....

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"Bangkok Visa(Bangkok)"
to me

show details
1:33 am (22 hours ago)

The Visa Unit of the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok has received your e-mail inquiry. We regret that we are unable to send a personal reply to each inquiry due to the large volume we receive daily. We have found that many of the inquiries we receive are readily answered by information available on various U.S. Government websites and this response is designed to help you access that information quickly.



If, following a review of all information provided, you still have an inquiry regarding a specific issue with a visa case pending at the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok, please send an additional email to visasbkk@state.gov with the following information:



* For Immigrant Visa (including Fiancée) Cases: The subject line must contain "2nd IV Inquiry", and the case number (with prefix of BNK or PHP), and the applicant's surname. The first paragraph must include the full names of the petitioner and the applicant, the type of visa, whether the visa is for a Thai or Cambodian national, and your contact information. Please note that we are not able to provide routine status updates on the more than 7,000 cases that we handle annually, nor are we able to respond to routine questions regarding whether or not we have received your case from the NVC.



* For Non-Immigrant Visa Cases: The subject line must contain "2nd NIV Inquiry." If you are writing about a visa refusal, please note that applicants who have been refused visas may reapply at any time.



· BUSINESS TRAVEL: if you have a business-related visa question, please send an email to the Business Visa Officer at Bangkokbusinesstravel@state.gov.



Effective January 19, 2006, all non immigrant visa applicants must complete the DS-156 electronic visa application form (EVAF), which can be filled out online and printed by visiting the website http://evisaforms.state.gov. Please remember to print all three pages of the form, including the third page with bar code.




IMMIGRANT VISA INFORMATION (visas for permanent immigration to the USA)



There is no walk-up information window for immigrant visa-related matters at the Embassy. Please refer to the websites below.



· U.S. Department of State: http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/immigrants_1340.html

o Information to help foreign citizens desiring to permanently immigrate to determine the visas, requirements, and related materials they will need to apply to immigrate to the United States. Includes information on marriage and fiancée visas.



· U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS): http://uscis.gov/graphics/services/index.htm

o The USCIS is responsible for the filing and approval of all immigrant visa petitions, and this website contains comprehensive information on all immigration issues.



* USCIS Bangkok Office information: http://uscis.gov/graphics/fieldoffices/index.htm



* You can call U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) toll-free for automated information and live assistance concerning immigration services and benefits. The number is: 1 (800) 375-5283. In Bangkok, the USCIS office is open to the public 8:30am to 11:30am and 12:00pm to 3:30pm. They are available for telephone inquiries until 3:30pm at [66] (2) 205-5352.



· U.S. Embassy Bangkok: http://bangkok.usembassy.gov.

o Immigrant visa interview appointment information

o Immigrant Visa Application Forms (Packet 3 documents)

o Cambodian immigrant visa processing information




Additional Telephone and Office Contact Information



· U.S. State Department Visa Office: Information is available to the public by telephone at the Visa Services, Public Inquiries Division at telephone (202) 663-1225 or by FAX at 202 663-3899. The telephone number provides the caller with a selection of pre-recorded information and the ability to talk to a visa specialist during business hours.



· To reach the State Department's National Visa Center (immigrant visa inquiries for cases pending with the NVC) call: 603-334-0700 (in USA) or send an Email to NVCInquiry@state.gov



· To reach the Kentucky Consular Center (Diversity Visa inquiries only) call: 606-526-7500 (in USA)




NON IMMIGRANT VISA INFORMATION (Tourist, Business, Academic Travel)


· U.S. Department of State: http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/temp_1305.html

o Information regarding non immigrant visa types, the Visa Waiver Program, and U.S. visa law (including information about visa denials and INA Section 214(



· U.S. Embassy Bangkok: http://bangkok.usembassy.gov.

o Information to apply for a non immigrant visa in Bangkok

o Frequently Asked Non Immigrant Visa Questions in Bangkok

o Electronic Visa Application Form (EVAF)



All applicants for tourist and business visas must book an appointment online at http://thailand.us-visaservices.com or over the phone by calling 001-800-13-202-2457. Fees are charged for these services. Please note that there is no walk-in visa information service available at the embassy.


EXPEDITE POLICY:

The Embassy expedites legitimate business and educational/exchange travel (F, J, M visas), as well as travel for medical emergencies, on a case-by-case basis. F, J, and M visa applicants requesting expedited appointments must show that they would otherwise miss the beginning of their courses/programs if not allowed to expedite the visa process. Such applicants must have a valid I-20 or DS-2019 form.



If you have already scheduled an appointment for a visa interview but need to have an earlier appointment, you may send an email to visasbkk@state.gov. The email subject line must read: Request to Expedite a Non-Immigrant Visa Appointment. Please include appointment confirmation number, full name, contact telephone number, and the reason an earlier appointment is required.



PLEASE NOTE: If you do not receive an email response from the visa section within 5 working days, you should assume your request for an expedited appointment has been denied. Do not send other emails to follow up on your original request.



For medical emergencies involving a sick parent, spouse, sibling, or child, please obtain a letter from the patient's physician describing the patient's medical condition. The visa unit will contact you if an early appointment can be given.

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The above was an auto generated email response

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A few hours later ... the embassy wrote this email to me:



"Bangkok Auto Replies (Not for Public Use)" <visasbkk2@state.gov>
to me

show details
10:31 am (13 hours ago)

Dear Sir,



If you plan to get married with you fiancée, in order to apply for an immigrant visa or the K-3 fiancé visa for your wife, you may have to file the petition with the USCIS office, not the U.S. Embassy. For K-3 visa, the petitioner has to file the petition with the USCIS office in the U.S. only.



For more information on filing of the petition, you may visit this website;

http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/ty...types_1315.html



Regards,



Correspondence Unit

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Again... this wasn't too helpful either....

I think I will return to the USA and file the K1 as originally planned...

Anyone think or had other experiences when applying with a tourist visa?

Kendall_Suphee,

Why did you write to the consulate? It's the USCIS District Office in Bangkok that processes I-130 petitions in Thailand, not the consulate.

The USCIS Bangkok office is rather strict about requiring US citizens to be residents of Thailand for them to accept an I-130 for processing. If you're a tourist they will tell you to submit your petition to the service center that serves your state of residence.

You do not have to return to the USA to submit an I-129f petition, you just have to send it to a USCIS service center in the USA. And you have to be single.

Yodrak

Why not just stay in Thailand for a while and file the K3 there as a resident? Get a job as an english teacher or something. There are certification courses offered in Thailand for about $1500 bucks, takes about 3 weeks. I think you can make about 30,000 baht a month plus your dissability. What a dream to be able to do that.
If you come back to the US it will be a long time (6 months) before you see your honey again, unless you come back for a visit.
Good luck and welcome to the club. Please submit your timeline so we can check up on you from time to time. Also, you can do a search for similar timelines and meet other people going through the same thing with thai fiances.

i spoke with a very helpful immigration attourney in bangkok when i was in thailand a few months ago. and i have done some research on my own about filing as a 'resident' in thailand. the procedure for that is to file at the USCIS Bangkok office. BUT, as noted in the other comments, they are very strict about what makes you a resident of thailand. if you have a tourist visa, forget it. you are a tourist, not a resident. if you have a retirement visa, or you are working in thailand with a work permit - then you have a better chance. but the lawyer said you should be living in thailand for at least 9 months or a year before you try to apply. since it will take that long to get a K-1 or K-3, may as well just go that route. after going over all the ways to get there from here, my fiance and i have decided that we'll have a civil marriage in thailand (when i can get back there) and immediately apply for a K-3. we are kicking ourselves now for not getting the civil marriage (registered with the thai goverment) while i was there april to august 2007. if we had done that, we could be filing for K-3 now. and we could have filed before the fee increase. oh well.

you can have the traditional wedding - which for me will be the REAL wedding - at anytime. as my fiancee pointed out, why pay for a k-1 and then pay for a k-3? plus the expense of bringing your fiancee to the states for a k-1. good luck.