Tourist visa for my Thai girlfriend

[jonnyst85 0]

I am a 24 year old US citizen working abroad in Thailand and I have a 19 year old Thai girlfriend who I would like to take on a vacation to the US. This is purely for tourism so she can see what America is like and visit some cool places. I have no plans in the near term future to marry her, so I am not looking for a K1 fiance visa, just simply a tourist visa.

Also, she doesn't have a job and lives at home with her parents. She is also not in college at the moment. So basically I will be taking her on a vacation and paying 100% for all costs, she has no funds of her own.

So my question is, how much of a shot does she have at getting a tourist visa assuming she tells the immigration office the truth about the purpose of our visit? Would it help if I purchased round trips flights for us? I could always cancel the flights if she didn't get the visa and just pay the cancellation fee.

I am worried she will have almost no shot at getting this tourist visa and I understand I would not be allowed to join her in the interview. Her english is not very good either, will the interview be in English only? If only I could prove to the powers that be that this is just a harmless vacation for us, maybe 2 weeks tops.

Thanks in advance for the help.

[milimelo 4,230]

Sorry, highly unlikely that an unemployed 19 yr old girl would get a tourist visa.

[Ryan E 10]

I am worried she will have almost no shot at getting this tourist visa and I understand I would not be allowed to join her in the interview. Her english is not very good either, will the interview be in English only? If only I could prove to the powers that be that this is just a harmless vacation for us, maybe 2 weeks tops.

The most you have to lose is the cost of the visa application. Your chances are not great, but my then girlfriend (now wife) was able to get a tourist visa. The country I'm working/living is a highish risk country, but at the same time small enough that I was known by one of the COs (not the one that did the interview.) She was mid 20's, had a job, masters degree, bank account etc. She also provided a copy of my residency permit as evidence that "we" would return.

Don't think about proving it is a harmless vacation, think about how you can prove she will return even if she gets there and decides the US is the greatest place in the world. If you don't think you can prove she will return, then you have your answer. Also, don't even think about buying tickets. They don't care, know very well they can be cancelled, and round trips are often cheaper than a one-way...

[Abdo.Gauchô 16]

Don't put any hope on that ! She gonna hear this phrase : Your not qualify for this b2 visa . try an immigrant one , peace out

[No name 88 48]

I got told the same stuff. I applied for the tourist visa for the wife in Vietnam and got it. All you have to loose is $160 for the application fee. Just tell her to be completely truthful at the interview and it might help if you go to the interview. You won't be allowed into the embassy for a B2 but if the staff wants to speak to you they can send your girl out with an invite for you to come in and speak on him behalf. That's what happened in my case.

[aaron2020 11,651]

I got told the same stuff. I applied for the tourist visa for the wife in Vietnam and got it. All you have to loose is $160 for the application fee. Just tell her to be completely truthful at the interview and it might help if you go to the interview. You won't be allowed into the embassy for a B2 but if the staff wants to speak to you they can send your girl out with an invite for you to come in and speak on him behalf. That's what happened in my case.

Your wife's situation is completely different from an unemployed 19 years old girlfriend that lives with her parents.

You are married with a kid, and you provided proof that you had a job in India to go to. That helped out your wife.

Apples and oranges.

Edited February 27, 2014 by aaron2020

[No name 88 48]

Your wife's situation is completely different from an unemployed 19 years old girlfriend that lives with her parents.

You are married with a kid, and you provided proof that you had a job in India to go to. That helped out your wife.

Apples and oranges.

I've worked in SE Asia for 10 years now and have known a few people to get tourist visa's for their girlfriends. These are the same people that told me to try for a B2 when people here told me it was impossible because of the whole intent thing.

My point is if you have $160 to blow go ahead and try.

[MacUK 983]

I've worked in SE Asia for 10 years now and have known a few people to get tourist visa's for their girlfriends. These are the same people that told me to try for a B2 when people here told me it was impossible because of the whole intent thing.

My point is if you have $160 to blow go ahead and try.

I hate to be pedantic but I bet you actually don't know anyone who got a tourist visa for their girlfriend.

But I accept that you probably know lots of people who have girlfriends and those girlfriends applied for a tourist visa and were successful on their own evidence.

[Dave&Roza 748]

I am a 24 year old US citizen working abroad in Thailand and I have a 19 year old Thai girlfriend who I would like to take on a vacation to the US. This is purely for tourism so she can see what America is like and visit some cool places. I have no plans in the near term future to marry her, so I am not looking for a K1 fiance visa, just simply a tourist visa.

Also, she doesn't have a job and lives at home with her parents. She is also not in college at the moment. So basically I will be taking her on a vacation and paying 100% for all costs, she has no funds of her own.

So my question is, how much of a shot does she have at getting a tourist visa assuming she tells the immigration office the truth about the purpose of our visit? Would it help if I purchased round trips flights for us? I could always cancel the flights if she didn't get the visa and just pay the cancellation fee.

I am worried she will have almost no shot at getting this tourist visa and I understand I would not be allowed to join her in the interview. Her english is not very good either, will the interview be in English only? If only I could prove to the powers that be that this is just a harmless vacation for us, maybe 2 weeks tops.

Thanks in advance for the help.

Chances are about as good as winning the lottery, but you cannot win if you do not play. Fork over the $160 and see what happens.

Good luck,

Dave

[merc0230 28]

I'll agree with most of the other posters, you can try but your chances aren't good.

I tried with my then 22 year old gf, that was in med school full time and we got denied (we are also from a low fraud country).

I did the buy tickets as well, a word to the wise if you buy a fully refundable (although expensive) it won't cost you any cancellation fees.

GL

[Boiler 43,597]

I did the buy tickets as well, a word to the wise if you buy a fully refundable (although expensive) it won't cost you any cancellation fees.

GL

There is a reasonable chance the Consulate know this, so what was the point?

[Ning 619]

I am a 24 year old US citizen working abroad in Thailand and I have a 19 year old Thai girlfriend who I would like to take on a vacation to the US. This is purely for tourism so she can see what America is like and visit some cool places. I have no plans in the near term future to marry her, so I am not looking for a K1 fiance visa, just simply a tourist visa.

Also, she doesn't have a job and lives at home with her parents. She is also not in college at the moment. So basically I will be taking her on a vacation and paying 100% for all costs, she has no funds of her own.

So my question is, how much of a shot does she have at getting a tourist visa assuming she tells the immigration office the truth about the purpose of our visit? Would it help if I purchased round trips flights for us? I could always cancel the flights if she didn't get the visa and just pay the cancellation fee.

I am worried she will have almost no shot at getting this tourist visa and I understand I would not be allowed to join her in the interview. Her english is not very good either, will the interview be in English only? If only I could prove to the powers that be that this is just a harmless vacation for us, maybe 2 weeks tops.

Thanks in advance for the help.

Thailand is not at all like many other countries when it comes to this subject.

In this case I suggest you not spend even 160 to find out. She will NEVER be approved. Your understanding is correct. The true cost isn't just the visa fee. This will involve travel, hotels ect. She wont want to go alone so you will pay for at least two.

The price is really more than the money of course. She must go thru the stress, lose face and all the other aspects of the denial.

Like all information gained on V J, the people directly involved have to decide what to do. Once that is done the embassy makes the determination.

[Ning 619]

I got told the same stuff. I applied for the tourist visa for the wife in Vietnam and got it. All you have to loose is $160 for the application fee. Just tell her to be completely truthful at the interview and it might help if you go to the interview. You won't be allowed into the embassy for a B2 but if the staff wants to speak to you they can send your girl out with an invite for you to come in and speak on him behalf. That's what happened in my case.

Your " stuff " has zero to do with Thailand. The embassy in BKK will not send the G F out to get anyone to " speak on him behalf ".

This 19 year old will not be at the window for more than 3 minutes. She will be denied as soon as they read her docs. There will be no questions.

[christeen 966]

99.9% chance of denial... But SHE is certainly allowed to apply (I say she because you as the BF has nothing to do with the application process)... You need to look at from the point of view of everyone is suspected of immigrant intent unless they prove otherwise, what does she have for evidence to prove the will return (other than her word)... If the answer is nothing, then you can predict the result... Sorry... But if you subscribe to the nothing ventured nothing gained the worse they can say is no camp, then I would at least give it a try...

[Ban Hammer 12,861]

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10 million illegal immigrants in the US. I guess none of them were issued B2 visa's

I've known 3 people who's girlfriends were issued tourist visa's. They were able to scratch up enough evidence of return to the home country. One of the girl's was from the four floors. -----derogatory term removed by moderation------

I don't understand why people keep saying don't try. Your going to spend $3,000 on airfare. What's $160 and an afternoon in giving it a go. If it doesn't pan out take a trip to Bali or Singapore.

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I completely agree, I don't know why everyday someone ask about obtaining a tourist visa, including you. All each and every person needs to do is fill out the required form request, pay their $160.00, schedule a interview date and show up.

The rest is up to the CO based on what criteria they have to work from.

This tourist visa forum needs to be shut down, with a page of instructions and everyone should follow the instructions. Everything else is a opinion of what some think that might happen.

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I wasn't saying that no-one gets visas. Merely being pedantic that it wasn't the boyfriends who did the applying.

post below removed and returned to view minus the quoted post

I was one of many people who got rejected B-2 visa back in 2010. I had no ties back to home country? Oh well, I worked as a journalist - an editor- at one of reputable companies in Indonesia. I brought my papers from my company stating I had go back for my job commitment, I had rent apartment paper, bank statement for my saving, credit cards billing statements, my land property certificate, my insurance policies, and I had lost in nowhere why she did not even bother to see those after the CO asked me one question, only one question, "who will you going to visit?" and I replied back, " my boyfriend". And she said," the US embassy very strict to issued a visa". The interview ended less than 5 minutes.

The end of the day, she handed me green paper, stating "consider filing petition for K-1 visa". A few years after, I had chance to talk to the then US ambassador for Indonesia, Scot Marciel,for my job assignment and he gave me very vague answer that they are very strict to issued visa even though I brought up about a bunch of papers that the CO even not consider to looked at.

My then boyfriend - my now fiance- was upset about that just remember how we were trying to be honest for everything in fact he is the military.Sometimes, I felt resentful to see people who come to US with a tourist visa and adjust their status because these people are make others like me very difficult to get one. But as a girl who grew up in eastern culture, I always see a positive side of it.