US Immigration from Thailand

My fiancee and her son just got their K1 and K2 approved. Finally the wait is over.

No RFEs, no Admistrative Processing.

If you have any questions about the process a-la Thailand, feel free to ask.

Hi all, the my fiance's visa was approved a few months ago and about a month ago was transferred to the US embassy in Bangkok. Since then though, absolutely no luck finding an interview slot.

Just wondering what others' timelines may look like and if this is fairly typical. I started checking myself on a daily basis about a week ago but was a bit sporadic before that.

Also, are there any tricks or tips to being able to get a slot? Perhaps a certain time of day they tend to add open slots to their calendar.

Thank you!

Background: I got married to my spouse in January 2021 and received my conditional green card in March 2022. I'm about to file i-751 in December, however, we have been separated since June this year (2023).

We tried so many things and went to marriage counseling for almost a year and even our counselor agreed that sometimes the best that we can get out of the counseling is realizing that we shouldn't keep causing each other pain anymore.

We were in a relationship since 2017 and I thought I knew the person well enough but long-distance relationship can be cruel, I didn't learn about his issues with alcohol until we started living together. He also had severe attachment and abandonment issues that didn't allow him to connect with me in a deeper level. We tried going through individual therapy, for him to work through those issues and for me to learn how to cope when I'm triggered (I have a father with alcohol issues as well). But it just didn't work out unfortunately.

Current Situation: Right now, he wants to get divorce as soon as possible (he's going through much pain and has been suicidal because of the breakup) but is willing to push it back until a few months after I file i-751. I also want to get it done too but I'm not sure if it's better for me to start the divorce process while i-751 is pending. I'm willing to push as much as I need to. So right now I'm considering...

1. Starting the divorce process now, before filing i-751. My concern is that my chances of getting approved would be lower and the process would take longer.

2. File i-751 in December 2023, and sometime at the first half of 2024, start the divorce process. My concern is that it would complicate the immigration process. But I also feel like it might give me a better chance of approval.

I'm also not sure if I should hire a lawyer to do this for me. I know I'm very capable of getting all the paperwork ready. I did everything myself the first time around to get the conditional one. But I was wondering if having a lawyer would increase my chance somehow. I attached a picture of the documents I have prepared so far to prove that my marriage was of good faith.

If anyone thinks lawyer is a way to go, can you give me an estimate of how much it would cost?

Thank you so much.

P.S.

Other info about me... I'm based in Madison, WI and have been working full-time since I got my green card.

I work as a research analyst. I also had been supporting my spouse financially since he's still in school and only works part-time.
So, I was the main source of income in the family. He's still on all of my premium insurance and is also my beneficiary since I know he needs it until he graduates next year and starts working full-time.

Just got my approval for my Thai wife's I-130. I submitted on October 13, 2022 and received approval 9/13/2023. Exactly 11 months. I had one request for more documents that I fulfilled in one day. Now on to the CR-1!

Cheers and I wish everybody else best of luck!

Since there is not a section on Cambodia here on VJ - I thought I'd try asking here. If anyone can help, it would be much appreciated. I have a lot of questions, so maybe I can give someone with extra time on their hands something to do

Visiting the anciet temple in Angor Wat has been something I've wanted to do for years. My wife has never been to Cambodia and has some reservations about safety when going there. I've been doing some research and I am convinced one can visit, have a pleasant time with proper planning. We're going to thialand next month and will be spending a little over two weeks. I've bookd flights from Bangkok to Siem Reap and I've found a hotel and arranged transportation from the airport to the hotel once we arrive. We are on a budget, but there seems to be many fun things to do there that don't cost much.

To visit the temple(s), Angkor Wat and maybe Ta Prohm... (could use some advice there), I understand all the hotels there have tour companies and can hook us up with a guided tour, I'm just wondering if there are any to avoid or particular ones I might try to book with. Of course it would be nice to have an English speaking guide...

I am also wondering about transportation in general - I have read that there are plenty of Tuk-Tuk divers arould the city that continuously ask of you need a ride and that virtually anywhere you go, any time of day or night, we can just ask any driver to take is back to our hotel - how true is this? I have also heard that the price is about $2 per ride, is that still true and is that $2 per person? What if one of us is traveling alone, for a single what is the normal fare within the city? What about tipping, what is normal?

Regarding currency, I have read that they take US dollars everywhere and to take fresh, crisp US $1 bills. I have also been told that I don't need to take a lot of cash becauese ATM's are plentiful and dispense both Cambodian and US currency. I'd just like to verify this.

Regarding communication - do many people understand English there? Will I need to uses an ap or something like Google Translate often? (We will have i-phones with international roaming but it will cost me $10 a day if I use data).

I have read it is best to use bottled water, what about water in a restaurant - and ice in restaurants? Is it safe?

I also want to address my wife's concerns about safety there - are there any particular risks we should be aware of, such as scams or pickpockets? How are the police there? Are there many police and are they friendly?

I want to attend one of the Aspara dance shows that include dinner or a buffet, is there a recomendation?

These are the other attractions we are considering, if anyone has any comments on these:

Siem Reap Food Tours - day and evening
Old Market - souveneers cloths
Noon Night Market, Angkor Night Market

Siem Reap Art Centre
Kulen Mountain - swimming waterfalls?
Kampong Phluk floating village (thinking of using Asean Angkor Guide)
Cambodian Landmine Museum ???
Made in Cambodia Market King s Road
Cooking Classes
Phare, the Cambodian Circus

Thanks for any help!

Bill & Pao