Nan&Steve

Probably not gonna happen for you. I vaguely recall seeing something where they would speed up the entire K-1 Visa process if certain circumstances were present. I'm talking about things like you have recently been told by a doctor that you have less than 4 months to live kinda circumstances. Hopefully this is not the situation for you or your girl.

I believe this accelerated processing is used in only the most dire of situations and is probably, even then, only seldomly granted.

Best of Luck to ya!

Hey,

I was just taking a look at www.uscis.gov and I found this for I-129 forms. What do they mean about this Accelerated processing? Does anyone know about this and how I can do it?

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/men...0000ecd190aRCRD

Thanks

Hello Everyone,

My girl finally has the K-1 Visa! Four months of battles since the interview and we won. She flies to the US from BKK on the 23rd and I just thought I would see if anyone out there could take a few moments and help us out.

I need some one to tell Nan, in Thai, what to expect during her travels. Everything from check-in and carry-on baggage to Customs and POE instructions. I've explained as much as I know in English, but she's asked me to repeat this several times which leads be to believe she is a little anxious and not completely comfortable with what I've told her.

So, if anyone is familiar with the whole air travel and POE procedures and is fluent in Thai (or Laos), we would both greatly appreciate you taking a few moments and explaining everything to her.

Happy Holidays Everyone! and...

A big thanks to all you VJ'ers out there!

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.

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!

DS-230 part 2, and DS-156K have the disclaimers not to write below a line, that is don't sign. DS-230 part 1 and DS-156 can be signed.

The photos need to be 2"x2" passport photos.

YuandDan, Thank you!!! I'll have Nan sign DS-156 and DS-230 part 1, and mail it in along with the checklist and 2 X 2 photos.

Hello everybody,

My fiance's packet 3 has arrived from the US Embassy in Bangkok. The checklist included is different than the checklist on the Embassy Website. The one she has in hand requires she mail 2 photographs of herself, DS-156, DS-230, and the Checklist itself before an interview will be scheduled. The checklist on the website requires only the checklist to be mailed in, everything else has to be carried to the interview. Quite a difference, in my opinion. Anybody else run in to this oversight?

We've decided to follow the instructions of the Packet 3 she has in her possession. Send in the Photos, DS-156, DS-230, and the Checklist itself. We will leave the signature off of DS-156 and DS-230, signing them in the presence of a Consular at the interview.

What do you think? Is this the right course of action? Should we leave the signature section of DS-156 and DS-230 blank?

Thanks!!!

Nan & Steve

Yodrak,

Thank-you, excellent information! I've decided to send certified copies of my Birth Certificate and DD-214(military discharge papers). I hope this will be an acceptable alternative. Hhhhhmmm, maybe I'll do the same for my driver's license and passport.

Everyone, we really do appreciate your inputs. Thank You all soo much!

This community of VJ really highlights what's noble in today's world. People helping each other without expecting anything in return. If only the rest of the world would follow our example. Nan and I wish you all health and happiness.

-G,

It may be different for each interview. Photocopies of supporting documentation for petitions and applications is accepted by USCIS and DOS with the understanding that an immigration officer or a consular officer can ask to see the original document to verify the photocopy. The visa interview (and the AOS interview) are convenient times to spot-check documentation.

One won't know what will be asked for and what won't be asked for until they are at the interview talking with the interviewing officer. Just because you weren't asked for a particular item doesn't mean that the next person after you won't be asked for it.

Yodrak

Hmm... I didn't need one. I guess it's different for each embassy in each country. Make an email inquiry to the U.S embassy in Thailand for asking about the original BC of the petitioner, it's better to hear directly from them.

-G

Hello all,

I've a quick question. Does the US Embassy in BKK need to see the petitioner's(me) original Birth Certificate? Should I send it to Nan to bring along with her to the interview?

Are there any Original Documents that the petitioner needs to forward to the beneficiary or consular?

Thanks everyone!

any thing else other than copies???

First, don't forget the check in the amount of $170.00 USD. Second, I-129F Supplement: Part B, Question 18, explanation of meeting in person. Third, you stated you have a copy of your fiancee's birth certificate, you need a copy of your birth certificate, because you are the petitioner. Also, T-R-I-P-L-E check the forms! Then, have someone you trust look over the forms with a fresh pair of eyes . Pay special attention to signatures, and items such as fiancee's name in native alphabet. Compare them against the example forms on this website. Finally, relax.....it'll all work out.

We've hit a bump in the road in our visa process. She'll have packet 3 in hand tomorrow, which is great, but I've read that we'll need police reports from everywhere she's lived for over 6 months. This is where we are going to have a problem. I met Nan while I was deployed in Bahrain, she was working in a salon there. However, she stayed in Bahrain for about a year using multiple visitor visas, not a work visa. The Bahraini police will only issue a Certificate of Good Conduct to someone who has or had a residency permit, which can not be obtained with a visitor's visa.

She has never been in any kind of legal trouble in either Bahrain or Thailand, but how do we prove she had no problems in Bahrain without this Cert of Good Conduct? She has a friend who works for the Thai embassy in Bahrain, would the US Consulate accept a letter from the Thai Embassy in Bahrain stating that as far as they know she never had any problems in Bahrain? Does anybody have any ideas on how to address this problem?

Thanks,

Steve

IF you have already filed a petition for a K-1 visa, they will not issue a B-2 visa. I tried it, with no joy. A couple of years ago, when the process was even slower than it is now, you could get a B-2 under these circumstances. But, no more. Don't waste your time or money, however it would be a good idea to start getting all information needed for the I-134 affadavit of support, you will eventually need it.

Good luck, be patient