Hello everyone,

Let me start with some background information. I met Nan(a Thai citizen) while I was in Bahrain during a deployment last year for the US Navy. She was working in Bahrain as a cosmetologist, however she never acquired a working visa. She stayed 13 months with multiple tourist visas. The Kingdom of Bahrain will only issue a "certificate of good conduct"(apparently their version of a police record) to persons who stayed in Bahrain with a working visa. It looks unlikely they will budge on this stipulation.

Prior to the K-1 interview on August 17 we asked the Thai Embassy in Bahrain for help, and they were unable to help us along wiht The Bahraini National Police. We called the US Embassy in Bangkok for advice. Nan was told that it wasn't a big deal, because if she had gotten in to trouble in Bahrain she would have been immediately deported back to Thailand with the Thai Police waiting for her at the airport. So, a clean Thai police report(which she has) indirectly points to a clean Bahraini Police report. She unfortunately did not get the person's name who gave this information. She went in to the interview without this document.

Nan's interviewer was the new Japanese man, he had been there exactly 1 week on the day of our interview. He asked many questions, mostly about me. At the end of the interview he said, "OK. I will issue you the K-1 Visa, but I need to see the police report from Bahrain". He typed up a letter for her stating this and said after we submit this police report we'll have the visa the next day.

Nan explained to him why we didn't have this "Bahraini Certificate of Good Conduct", but he wouldn't budge. She proceeded to contact the Bahraini Embassy in Bangkok. They'll have an answer for us Monday, August 26th. I am afraid they will be unable to help us...in fact I'm almost sure of this.

Anbody have any advice for our next move? Are there waivers for this type of problem? Should I contact a congressman(or another goverment offical)? Or should she just go back to the US Embassy and try to re-explain our situation?

Again, everyone thank you soo much!

Hi Steve,

I too am in a very similiar situation as you. I am also in the Navy (Mine Warfare Community) and I am currently deployed to Bahrain. I met my Thai fiancee Suphakchaya last deployment to Bahrain in November. In April (from the States) I sent in the I-129F petition for the fiancee visa also, and I just got my approval on August 9th. With our case I put on the petition her current Bahraini address and I put that she has stayed in Bahrain since July of 2005 (which she has off and on). And I also put for the approved petition to be sent to the Manama, Bahrain embassy. Now the problem is; she has stayed in Bahrain this long with multiple visit visas (just like your Nan) and as you already know, Bahrain will not issue the "Certificate of Good Conduct" to holders of the visit visa. And the NVC has already told me that our case was forwarded to the Bangkok, Thailand embassy by default. So now my fiancee's interview will be around December and I am afraid we will have the same situation that you have had.

Have you gotten a response from the Bahrain Embassy of Bangkok? If so what did they tell you? Has your case been resolved yet? If so please tell me how you two did it.

You must be in HM-15! Good guess? Well, anyway I hope I can point you the right direction. The way I see it you have three possible choices. The first is to get a Bahraini working visa for your fiance while she is still in Bahrain, this will allow you to obtain the "Certificate of Good Conduct". This sounds a lot easier than I imagine it will be, but this is perhaps your best option. The Bahrain goverment is very tough to deal with, and they will not go out of the way to help you. I speak from experience.

The second option would be to have your fiance return to Thailand. Then have your interview set up at least six months after her return. From what I've been told from representives of the US Embassy in Bangkok, if she had any police problems in Bahrain they would have immediately deported her back to Thailand with the Thai Police waiting for her at the airport. So a clean Thai Police report indirectly suggests a clean Bahraini Police report. I guess the US Embassy feels six months is adequate time for the Thais to catch up with any possible legal issues she had outside the country. This is what we tried.

Nan kicked ### at the interview, and the Consular said OK, but he was new and needed the Bahraini Police Report before he would hand over the Visa. So we were stuck. But, you might get lucky and have a different interviewer who will issue the visa with only a Thai Police report and without the "Certificate of Good Conduct" from Bahrain.

We tried The Thai Embassy in Bahrain(Nan even has a friend who works there), the Bahraini Police(another one of her friends is married to a Bahraini Police Officer), we also tried The Bahrain Embassy in Bangkok. All was for nought. It seemed no one could help us.

So, in desperation I wrote a letter to the US Embassy in Bangkok explaining our situation(this will be your third option) and Nan went down there to speak with them personally. The US Embassy is now having us go to the Thai Immigration Police to obtain a report from them. Then Nan must go to the Thai Ministry of Foriegn Affairs to have the report confirmed. Then she'll have it translated to English and submit it to the US Embassy. Monday is going to be a busy day for her!

Seriously though, it looks like we're close to sealing the deal. Finally! I am not kidding when I say this has been a battle, but I'm hoping to have all this done in a week maybe two. I'll let you know what happens. If you have any other questions let me know. I hope I've been of some help to you.

Oh yeah, be aware that people are going to say they can help you but they'll want a bribe. Don't believe it. That Certificate of Good Conduct which costs one dinar is not easy to obtain for anyone. If you can't get it, I doubt anyone else will be able to get it for you either.

Good luck, and keep in touch.

Hi,
You might also try contacting a law firm in bahrain (if you havn't) and have them draw up a letter that could satisfy the Thai embassy.
They will likely have delt with this issue a great deal.