Ning25

We just got our NOA 2 last week.. I was wondering how are we supposed to know if the case has been transfered to NVC.

NOA 2 is the approval by USCIS. Cases are bundled in groups then sent to NVC. These cases may pause in the NVC mail room until they are scanned into the NVC system where they receive the new NVC number.

If you were to call too soon NVC would tell you they don't have the case because its not in their system.

She came on a K1. We married here in New York and she changed her name when she got here.

Her amphur in Nong Khai refuses to change the name to my last name so she can get a passport that would match her new legal name.

Any ideas?

We've tried calling, we've tried sending her mother over with translated notarized copies of marriage certificate and the official documents from the embassy but still it's a NO.

And she's past the point of getting a visa.. her K1 has been used already.

Yes I know she is here.

Has she contacted the Thai embassy in L A? Maybe they could issue a passport?

Is she from Udon? I may, & I stress may, have a contact at the ampur there. Not suggesting anything underhanded.

I've a big ###### headache here after she took my name.

Basically the embassy refuses to give her a new passport in the new last name without her going to the amphur to change it.

She contacted her family and they went to the amphur with signed affidavit's and paperwork and they refused to do it since her family name is not Thai. According to them she can change her first name at age 25 but her family name is there for life unless she marries another Thai.

Technically she can travel back to Thailand herself on her Thai passport but on her way back, how will she prove she's the same person and not committing identity fraud by having advanced parole/ green card papers in another name? Will they even let her on a plane with a passport in one name and all documents in another?

Sigh what a ###### mess.. Guess she'll have to wait till she gets the US citizenship.

Warning to others: Do not believe this is correct nor true. Someone has explained this poorly.

I married my husband in Thailand then went to my amphur where I changed my name to his. When we decided to immigrate I applied for a passport. I had zero problem obtaining it.

She will be allowed on the plane with a valid passport with a visa in it.

I will be immigrating to US on IR-1 visa, sponsored by my USC wife. I understand I would get LPR or Green Card upon entering USA. I am wondering how may years would it take for me before I could apply for US Citizenship. I understand this question has already been answered before. So excuse me asking it once again.

Thanks

Three years.

I have read on VJ many times that some never get packet 3 emailed to them and have used NOA 2 to get the police certification. I'm waiting for one as well . let my know if that works for you .

Today I believe the police want something that indicates the reason for the report. Of course its Thailand so this gives the cops a way to extort some baht. A fee is charged now which is paid inside the police station so no more secret cell phone numbers ect. I think the actual fee is 500 baht but some have paid 3,000 if they want quick service.

Keep in mind you can download P 3.

Do you have NOA 2 ?

When we returned from Thailand in august,2014 we spent 2 hours in the "secondary" room, (Chicago,O`hare) after a 14 and a half hour flight. The wife just returned from Thailand last Friday, (Chicago,O`hare again) and spent 1and a half hours in the "secondary" room and was this time questioned before being allowed to depart immigration, while procedures may vary airport to airport and O`hare is a busy airport, we just wanted to give a heads up and for people to be aware of potential delays if booking connecting flights after POE using AP.

Steve. I am sorry she had to be put thru that but in order to really help others I would like to have some info.

She traveled with A P in place & because of that was subjected to this? I thought traveling with A P in place would cause additional questions at the POE but not 1.5 hrs in secondary.

Every embassy is different. The embassy will tell you when it contacts you. You probably should check out the Tunisia embassy page on VJ to see if there is more info there for you. One thing every embassy requires is an I-134 and its supporting documentation.

This is simply wrong. The embassies do not tell people nor contact anyone about how to file a basic K 1 case.

What are the supporting docs that are required with the 134?

The O P should learn to use the guides here on V J. All those basic questions are answered.

Thanks Ning.

Happy to see someone else cares about the environment too.

I'd like to take nothing but should probably bring a few, just in case. You never know what kind of attitude the official will have on a given day.

A few pictures and a few pages of other stuff should be enough. Right?

I know people have bad days but we found the officers to be very professional and seemed to be simply following the required procedures. The stories of how horrible they are just aren't true.

In my own case when it came to the issuance of the visa I found the officer to be very helpful. When a document was required to be sent or brought to the embassy she allowed me to bring it in a few days later but the Thai staff at the gate wouldn't let me in. She had given me a cell number so I called it. She answered saying just wait right there. She came outside to get the doc & took time to explain a couple of things to my husband. This was above & beyond what she had to do.

Yes a few of each is all she should have to show. Tex indicates something reasonable was enough. I agree.

I dont know what RFE means

Request for evidence. This is how they inform people something is lacking or incorrectly done. Should this happen a notice will be sent indicating what is needed. That evidence is sent back with the received notice. Upon receipt the case resumes.

the truth is ..it's very difficult to give advice here. We just heard the other side. We still didn't know the reason of the old guy why he's doing this to her. Maybe he knew right from the start that she will just used him to get a green card. So the old guy doesn't want her to have her own money so she cannot leave him. Anyway there's no physical abuse mentioned. just tell her to talk to her husband tell him she knows exactly what to do if

he will not change the way he treat her.

" The old guy " ? This type of thinking is where the origin of the problem is. Why did she marry this " old guy " ? Why is she here?

She just wants to use him to enter the USA & then be supported. His age cant be a surprise to her now.

Thank you so much for your reply. So the car won't work, I won't get another one then. My family has been supporting a lot of siblngs with college etc and they want me to marry a doctor (which he isn't) so it won't be a good idea to ask them to support me. They have helped me a lot so I need to do this on my own. I will work on saving up more money then, I guess that's the only way..thanks again for the input!!

I made a mistake in what I said. If he entered the USA on a K 1 you could marry quickly and file the AOS not for a C R 1.

A joint sponsor could be a friend or another family member.

Hey everyone,

I will try to keep this short and sweet. I met my fiance in 2008 (in Sudan, where I was born/have family there). I am the US citizen (female) and almost finished with my first year of medical school. My parents support a lot of others (siblings, etc) so I do not want to get them involved as joint sponsors, so we decided to wait patiently until I started my first real job in order to sponsor him on my own.

However, I really really miss him and I don't know if we can wait until 2018 when I graduate and start working. I make 12,000/yr now on the side as a medical assistant.

So I'm about 8000 short, and 5x that is 40k in assets.

These are the assets I have: I own a 2014 model car that is worth somewhere around 12,000 according to KBB. But I read that I can't use that unless I have a second working car? I did have a cheap second working car but I sold it because as a student I don't have space for 2 cars....does this mean I need to buy another cheap second working car in order for this one to count?

I also have several bank accounts and am constantly transferring, withdrawing, etc between them for various reasons. I can get close to 40k in the accounts by the time the interview rolls around, even if the car doesn't count.

But basically that means I'll be borderline, however I really want him to be with me. Should I proceed? The interview will take place in Egypt so I am not sure how strict they are. When I graduate, I will be fine money wise, so this is temporary. But again not sure if they will buy it.,

What do you all think? Are borderline support cases like mine commonly rejected?

The car as an example wont work because assets must be liquid to be considered. Having 40 K in savings would be great as long as its been there for awhile.

Reconsider asking your family to help. You will marry within 90 days; file for a C R 1 quickly I assume. This means he can get a EAD & then green card. Also the AOS allows the use of the 864 and joint sponsors.

He will go to work & you will begin a career that will solve the support issue. To do that you need help getting him here.

Having the material things you describe doesn't help much in obtaining a tourist visa from Thailand. I qualified for all of that but was denied 3 times.

Being married will actually ensure the denial. The ties are to the husband.

Fair? You mean its easy to go to Thailand as a tourist? Yes if you are a farang because they know you aren't going to stay. Even if you do there are many laws to make sure you cant work.

The USA has a long history of visa abuse and fraud with the issuance of tourist visas from Thailand. Today people have to live with the level of freedom we were born with in Thailand which is far from what we enjoy in the USA. Thailand still suffers from corruption that affects every aspect of lives in Thailand and that corruption is woven into every thread of life for every person.

I went thru the B 2 process 3 times. I had all the Thai ties your case has and more. I lived there for 33 years. I had a child, businesses, family, land. Land that is totally paid for in my name. Denied. But I have a USC husband. Even if they issue a B 2 to someone it doesn't mean they enter the USA. Its at the POE that all the facts are weighed, the questions are asked & the actual entry decision is made.

She gets lucky. Gets B 2 . Arrives POE. Any hint of the truth, which is she is traveling either with you or to meet you in the USA, stay with you for at least a few months most likely results in denial. The only way to know is to have her apply.

My husband decided we were done trying to convince anyone about our plans to live in Thailand but like you, want to visit the USA. We began the process to enter the USA to become US citizens. The K-3 took 408 long days but we have become US citizens with an appreciation of why the government has these procedures allowing us to do so. Being denied helped us so much.

Details? The only thing relevant to your situation may be what the C O told my husband and I on the last attempt. " Your docs are perfect, I totally believe what you both have said about returning but if I were to grant the visa I would be fired that day. We are instructed NOT to do it ". He explained to my husband the reasoning behind the concept of strong ties.

You have a long history of living in country as an expat. You have some history with her in Thailand. But like a husband when she enters the USA in the eyes of USCIS her ties would be to you. This is my opinion of what they would do.

It should be said that in the time of my cases US citizens were allowed in the IV section and in fact my husband was invited to the window by each officer. This is no longer allowed. This means her case will be judged on its merits as reflected in the application. Therefore these cases are decided before the person ever steps up to the window.

Thank you for all your considerate replies. So i guess i can claim residency as i am on my 4th non imm b visa in thailand. My gf is a 4th year university student. She has no money or job or place...she lives with me. I wonder 2 things...1. My spanish friends situation...does it correlate. He easily took his gf to spain on a 3 week holiday. One crucial requirement was a document from police stating his parents had a home in spain, they would be staying there, and they(his parents) would assume all responsibilities for her as a guest. And 2. Ning...after 8 VISITS to the US embassy with the CO...have you been denied a tourist visa...and what details dis the CO tell you? My feeling now is she applies for a B2...as we are not married or engaged it is the lawful way...

"Being Married will ensure the denial" is not exactly true. There are many examples of expats on retirement visa's, well established teachers, people with companies in Thailand, etc. who have lived in Thailand for a long time and have Thai wifes. They have their residency in Thailand, not the U.S. Their wifes have been able to obtain tourist visas. There are many cases of this on Thai Visa. When it doesn't work is when your spouse is a U.S resident and you get married. She will either A. not receive a tourist visa or B. risk being turned away at POE because her ties are stronger to her husband who is a U.S citizen and they believe she will stay in the U.S. Since the OP stated in his post he's been here for 6 years and they plan to stay in Thailand I figured he may want to know if he gets himself better established here they may have a chance down the road if they were to marry.

It's my experience that most people in the U.S don't realize that the whole world doesn't have the same freedom to travel as freely as U.S/ Canadian or EU / Australia / N.Z. Most people are surprised that people from Thailand, Nepal, Vietnam, Malaysia etc. all have a tough time obtaining tourist visas to the U.S. Corruption is another story all together. Big problem. But the U.S has big problems too with "big money" Corporations/ Pharma etc. controlling government and the direction of the country. That too affects every aspect of lives in the U.S. It really doesn't have much to do with the U.S Visa process (Thai corrruption) Unless of course, you're trying to stay in Thailand... then you have to watch the rule changes closely especially under the current political / military situation. As I split my time between the two countries I'm not really sure which side U.S or Thailand is the lesser of the two evils? I'll let you know in another 10 yrs.

I am giving my opinion to the O P. I am trying to throw a blanket over the subject. I know Thais get B 2 s. But not one of them is the O P nor has a situation that mirrors his.

Myself and my husband entered the US embassy in BKK related to visa issues about 8 times. During those visits we talked directly with the C Os about 6 times. I know what they told us. I know what happened in my case and many others.

I didn't have time to interview most people as you seem to have done. I can hardly wait for the ten years to pass.

They've requested a statement/story about how we met. I had given this to my fiance to take to the interview, so I don't understand why they've requested it again. Does it have to be notarized and signed first, or can I simply write it up and email it to him?

It does not. Notaries have nothing to do with content. This is just for the case file.

My fiance just finished his interview, and the embassy has reqested more information from him. They did not take his passport. Does this mean we were denied?

No. The case has been put in A P to review some info. This can take weeks or months depending on what they are concerned about.

Hi,

My Thai wife has her 2 yr green card (about 10 months ago) and we also have a 17month old baby boy born in the US w/ US passport. Late we have not been getting along and she wants to return to Thailand. She's changed her reason to returniing many times (e;g. for 30 days, for 6 months, for one year, for longer, and many other reasons) and the main thing thing is that I don't want to keep her here if she is not happy. But now I'm supposed to know all the requirements for getting my son a Thai Passport/Birth Certif etc. for an extended stay in Thailand which i don't even know how long this is going to be for. I've tried calling the thai embassy/consulate here in the US but after leaving messages they did not return any of my calls or emails. I started to look at many websites and it seems the requirement for the baby are going to be extensive, just as much forms as the original K1 and time is already running out because I already booked a flight from SFO to BKK in about 3 weeks from now. Im supposed to fly with her and baby to to BKK then form BKK to SFO alone. Then go back when she is ready. So i bought a 6month round trip plane ticket which upsets her because she said she wants one way......not all of sudden the baby is going to be going to school there. I know right when we get off plane, immigration will ask lenght of stay. If we say 30 days, its a lie, if we say 6 months, we don't have the req'd doucments (I still dont understand how I can get baby a thai birth certificate when he was born in USA, but several websites state "no Thai birth certif = no Thai passport. Furthermore, I am supposed to accept whatever she says and agree to her terms going back (sending a certain amount of money before we go, monthly thereafter, paying for school, buying a car, supporting her family as well) Well I cannot handle all of this and do not know what to do. All we do if fight and i get blamed for everything.

If some has some input i'd appreciate it.

Thanks

There are a few members that may care to provide insight or advise in addition to what I have to say. This may seem harsh but Its also reality mixed with Thai thinking.

Beware.

She isn't coming back.

How can anyone tell you what to do about the boy? You cant be considering allowing him to leave and give up his U S citizenship? This is a very bad idea for so many reasons. You can plan on only seeing the boy in Thailand. In a short time the boy will communicate in Thai so by the time he could do so with you when you visit ; he will no longer understand English.

It wouldn't be a lie to say you intended to stay 30 days but you could ask for more. Its not that hard to extend a visa for a farang. She will quickly begin to make sure her Thai docs are current. She will learn how to have the child become a Thai citizen which can be done at the Ampur. She can get some birth docs too if she knows how.

Terms? She's a fool for doing what she is going to do. Selfish. Then she expects you to pay for it? This has on aspect that is very Thai. Extortion. Do not fall victim to this. Believe me the price will escalate and the size will grow.

Blamed? You are available and have the ability to provide maximum support in every way she requires. She sees you as a valet rather than a husband. The thinking from her side is very different than you may imagine or desire.

I am sorry for your problems. I am sorry for the child. The child's future must be paramount in the decisions made. My daughter & I become U S citizens and would never give it up.

Also...from all I have read ~ Having a boyfriend who is a U.S citizen could possibly hurt her chances of getting the Tourist Visa. She will need to show very strong ties to Thailand and she may not want to mention you. It will help a lot if she A. Has a house or property in her name. B. Has full time employment in Thailand that could write a letter stating they will give her time off to visit. C. Has a child who will stay in Thailand. D. Has a healthy Thai bank account.

If you were to get married in Thailand and you can show your residency here it is then possible for her to apply for a tourist visa...but you will both have to show your strong ties to Thailand for her to qualify.

Think of it this way. There are a lot of people who overstay there visas in the U.S...get work and stay. She has to prove to them that she has a reason to return to Thailand or they are not going to give her the visa. Sad but true. Probably 90% of my Thai friends ( a lot of Artists) would not qualify for a U.S tourist visa. This is not a free world. It doesn't seem fair that we can come here so easily and it's not reciprocated...but that's how it is.

Having the material things you describe doesn't help much in obtaining a tourist visa from Thailand. I qualified for all of that but was denied 3 times.

Being married will actually ensure the denial. The ties are to the husband.

Fair? You mean its easy to go to Thailand as a tourist? Yes if you are a farang because they know you aren't going to stay. Even if you do there are many laws to make sure you cant work.

The USA has a long history of visa abuse and fraud with the issuance of tourist visas from Thailand. Today people have to live with the level of freedom we were born with in Thailand which is far from what we enjoy in the USA. Thailand still suffers from corruption that affects every aspect of lives in Thailand and that corruption is woven into every thread of life for every person.

I have lived in Thailand for about 6 years on a non immigrant b visa. I go back to usa every year to work and visit for 2 months. How can i bring my girlfriend along for the next trip to meet my family and friends? Unfortunately I have no verifiable income...

You cant bring her along. She applies for a tourist visa on her own merits. Your income or status has zero to do with her application. Tourist visas are very difficult to obtain from Thailand.

Hi everyone! I need your advice on this one please. I'm 25, Filipina. I'm visiting my boyfriend on June this year on a tourist visa. We'll only do some sight seeing and meet his family. It will be our first time meeting each other. I'm entitled for a month long vacation at that time as per company rules. I'm currently working as a sales representative in Abu Dhabi for three years now. I don't have enough funds by that time maybe around 3000USD only so we decided that my boyfriend will be sponsoring the whole trip. He can provided the necessary documents needed.

First question, will the embassy get in touch with him with the documents?

I will have my own documents ready by that time too proving my ties here in UAE. What are our chances so our visa will be granted? Please help me. Thank you

Your B F has nothing to do with your application. When he enters into the picture you will be denied. The suggestion that you lie about anything during your application or interview will result in a ban.

Your ties to A D are simply work related. You have proved you can and will work outside your country. I doubt your ties to A D are going to be strong enough.

You will be asked for the reason you want to visit the USA. If its not about the B F what is your reason? If it is about him you must tell them if asked. A Filipina 25 years old doesn't just wander around the USA for a few weeks.

I am curious about peoples opinions and experience with relationship evidence for a K1 interview in Bangkok.

I have been reading many posts and it appears it's good to have a lot of pictures and some say they brought skype logs, emails and chat logs.

The picture thing makes sense since it's difficult to forge these. However, do the immigration officials really use such easily fabricated things such as chats and emails? Even US passport stamp pages show no identifying information.

I'm trying to reduce the amount of useless documents that my fiancee brings as well as save a few trees. We have approximately 1300 pictures together, over 3000 pages of chats, 1500 skype calls and assorted emails. Also boarding passes with both our names and apartment, hotel, bus receipts however these do not have both names on them.

It appears some people bring many kilos of evidence with them but does the embassy really sift through all that? I mean how much time do they really have for each K1?

How much is really reasonable?

The embassy isn't going to review this laundry list of evidence you have mentioned. They see hundreds of cases per week and just don't have time to waste. Bringing kilos of docs just results in the trash cans being full.

Your fiancée will find the case is decided before she interviews unless there is something that causes them to need to ask a lot of questions or need more time to review.

Hi guys, I am Canadian myself and my wife is Colombian.

Last year we put in a solicitud for her tourist visa for the us, in the forms we wrote that I will pay for her trip, at that time we were common law. The officer at the us embassy in bogota told her right away oh geez I cant give you the visa but you can put in another solicitud but you need either:to pay for your trip or get married,

So whatI think is that common law cant pay for their partners trip. Now that we are married and both living in COlombia, I would like to her to try again for a tourist visa for the us., she is currently not working and its been a year that we applied last year.I will write that I pay for her trip... What are the chances or her getting the visa? Thanks so much!

You have zero to do with her tourist visa application. She must prove beyond doubt that she must return to her country by demonstrating strong ties to Colombia.

Hello,

I am a U.S. citizen by naturalization and I would like to apply to get my sister here. Can I translate in English some of the documents myself or do we need an authorized translator? I am fluent in English, learned it in school for 9 years, being in USA for 8 years now.

Any advice is appreciated. Thank you.

This is an acceptable form to use for your purpose:

Certification by Translator

I [typed name], certify that I am fluent (conversant) in the English and ________ languages, and that the above/attached document is an accurate translation of the document attached entitled ______________________________.

Signature_________________________________

Date Typed Name

Address

So using this certification with my translate document won't be a problem ?

Correct. This has been used and accepted many times right here on V J.

Hello everyone,

I don't know if this is the right session about document questions, but since me and my girlfriend will be doing a K-1 process I thought maybe this is the right place to ask. I live in Portugal and she lives in the United States and next week she will attend an official attorney for helping with the fiance visa which later on I will have my interview (in Paris, since the American Embassy at Portugal only works with non-visa processes).

She already has the listed documents needed for the process as the attorney ordered, except my birth certificate that needs a translation format. I took the case for translating myself but I'm having a sight problem on the bottom of the certificate which says "Por competência própria", basically it's the person in charge of writing the certificate. I tried searching on google and I got this result http://www.proz.com/kudoz/portuguese_to_english/law_general/1524376-por_compet%C3%AAncia_pr%C3%B3pria.html#3540258but my question is if it's properly correct.

I do know I own responsibility for translating the document and I'm fluent in English to translate it, but I wanted to ask if it's correctly or if it has another accurate meaning. I could have asked a translation at my Civil Registry, but I didn't want to spend a lot more money so I gave the shot to translate it. I don't want any disapproval or the whole process could be ruined.

Cheers

If you are fluent in both languages you can do the translations by including the statement below.

Certification by Translator

I [typed name], certify that I am fluent (conversant) in the English and ________ languages, and that the above/attached document is an accurate translation of the document attached entitled ______________________________.

Signature_________________________________

Date Typed Name

Address