bless1010

Hi guys Gif and i finally tied the knot yesterday in albuquerque,Nm.Everything went great after we had our POE at SFO on November 30th.We are now preparing all the documents so we can start AOS in early January.Gif is not homesick which is a huge surprise for me.She calls her family at least once a week and most times i am the one who encourages her to speak more with her family.We have found a supermarket her in albuquerque that stocks thai food so we kinda doing food shopping every 2 weeks.

Back last year in July of 2009 my Thai Wife and I decided to move to the US. In Sept we contacted a Law firm in Bangkok to just handle all this and make it some for us. What a life changing mistake this turned out to be. We have since found out the firm has made a few bad decisions with our case including not sending documents when they told us they had. Of course they blame the long processing period on us now for contacting the USCIS office directly (once we found out that they were screwing up and not telling us the truth).

Aug 1st 2009 paid in full for fees for the I-130 and there fees (In Thailand)

Dec 20 2009 found out nothing has been done yet. Went to visit our "professional" law firm hired for this process.

Jan 2010 received at Chicago lock box

March 2010 found out our application has been sitting in LAX service center, but LAX has not done anything with it because petitioners address was a Thailand address.

March 2010 LAX resumes after begging and pleading.

March 23 receive approved I-797C from LAX

Mid 2010 April pay all fees for NVC AOS fees and visa application

Sept 27 2010 receive message from NVC that Affidavit of support is missing and photos for all 3 applicants. Lawyer blames NVC for losing the documents and NVC claims never received.

3 weeks later we learned our lawyer still has not sent in the required documents

October 2010 still waiting for NVC feedback.

History

Married for over 10 years in USA (former K-1 visa approved)

Worked and lived in S'pore with green cards issued for the whole family

Sum it all up, don't trust others with things that can affect your life, Also found out we could have gotten tourist visas for the family first and then changed their status once in the US. Now we are living apart since Jan 2010 as I had to start my new job in US.

You might want to take anything you have that would show you are NOT married here in the US so if they still have a question you can show it to them when you are there. Never hurts to be prepared.

i will take your advice Tom and go there well prepared just in case we encounter some problems.Although i must admit it will be nice for Gif to receive her passport with visa without wedging a battle with the embassy.We have been apart for nearly 10 months and would not like it to be longer than that.

thank you all for the helpful information.

will be heading to Thailand on October 16th through SFO i am hopeful i will come back with Gif.Gif was told by the embassy to pick up her passport with visa on October 14th.Just hoping they keep their word as they had to keep her passport an additional week while they were checking my current marital status here in the USA.

Hi fellow vj members i was just trying to find out if anyone has had any experience of bringing their loved ones on a k1 visa through the San francisco international airport.We intend to enter the USA through SFO on October 31st and we want to get through without any problems.I have heard of horror stories at the POE where the immigration officer asks for evidence of wedding preparations when bringing a k1 visa beneficiary.Do you all think its necessary to have this evidence with us just in case its asked for.

this time next week i will be heading to Bangkok.i am very excited to be with Gif again its been almost 8 months we have been apart while waiting for her visa to come thru.i just wish time would fly.

hi fellow vj members i had a question to those who brought their loved one with a k1 visa.how soon after their point of entry did you apply for their social security number.i have had some conflicting info i have been told that k1 visa beneficiary are not given a social security number until an EAD has been granted whilst others have got it much earlier.the main reason i am asking is that to marry my fiancee in the state of New Mexico its a requirement that we all need the social security number.

Did the deed today. Now more money to USCIS for all the papers!!

congrats Tom and Teaw.so Tom when did you apply for the ssn for Teaw when you did your POE.i will be going to bangkok October 16th and we intend to do our POE at SFO international airport with gif on October 30 and then drive down to albuquerque via the grand canyon route

thank you guys for your support i was getting ready to get in touch with my congress man when i got a quick response from the Bangkok embassy stating that Gif's visa had been approved and will be ready for pick up October 14th.They also remain insisting on checking my current marital status but they have made it clear that they dont need any further documents from us they will carry their own checks before Gif picks up her visa.i guess they want to make sure Gif will not be part of a concubine

so the embassy in bangkok seems like they have put us in some kind of AP cos i was married one time and got divorced in the UK in 2001 they have tod Gif that she will need to come back on October 14th cos they need to check my divorce papers in the states but i was never married in the states which seems quite odd.i dont know what to think of this at all are they kind of doing a background check on me the petitioner.do you guys think that Gif is going to going thru another visa interview again

so my fellow vj'ers i have a question my fiancee had a visa interview but because i was married one time and divorced in the UK in 2001 they have told her that they need to check on my divorce papers in the states but it does not make sense cos i never was married in the states.it looks likie they have told her to come back October 14th do you think they put us in AP of some sort and does that mean we are approved or not pls help.Are they gonna do some kind of background check on me here in the ststes to see if we have told the truth which is what we have done all along

the time is upon us for Gif's interview and the nerves are already playing up.at this point i am not sure who is more nervous me or Gif.will let you guys know the outcome as soon as i hear any news.at this moment one can only hope and pray for the best

just called Gif she is well set for the interview just hoping everything goes well before my trip to Bkk on October 16th.i am hoping that i will be able to bring my sweetheart home in time for Thanksgiving.will keep you guys posted once i know the details of her interview.pray for us

Tom is right the Hep A and B vaccines are not mandatory unless your loved one will be working in the health setting when they get here

No Hep vaccinations. The doc at the med exam says what is needed. You don't have to have the whole list that they put on the papers. She should be fine. Good luck.

thank you guys for putting my mind at ease at least now i can breath a little easy till the day of the interview.Tom i am sorry about the loss of your dad i know the pain of losing a loved one is hard to take i have been trying to cope each and everday about my sister's loss but i hope time will heal.

i am glad that Teaw is settling in her new environment in terms of myself i am a nervous wreck my fiancee Gif is supposed to have her visa interview this thursday sept 30th i am very worried of the unknown factor,i would have really wanted to be there with her getting her ready but my sister passed away unexpectedly last thursday so it has truley been a tough week for me.For all those who have gone through getting their visa approved for the loved ones can i ask you all if there is a place were Gif can leave her cellphone cos i know they dont allow yhem inside the embassy i really wanted to know the result of her interview as soon as she is done cos i know i wont be able to sleep all night worrying.The other silly question i would like to ask is that will customs allow us to bring in some spices from Thailand or they wont allow them just want to prepare ahead of time.

so my fiancee Gif will be going for her visa interview next week September 30th i hope and pray all goes well so we can finally be together after this long and tedious journey.can not wait to start our lives together.Its a shame due to the recent loss of my sister on September 13th i will not be able to be at her side in Bangkok.Pray for us pple.

Just talked to her and Visa APPROVED!! Pick up in one week.

congrats on your approval

i believe the embassy has send out notification for all the September interview dates cos i recieved an email notifying us of our k1 visa interview for September 30th last night.i was in the same boat as you i was worried my fiancee might not get the interview letter in time but the embassy seems to be using email notification system as it stands.

My fiancee is always from Thailand and we are in the process of applying a k1 visa.Through my own experience it is somehow better to have someone assisting you and your loved one in Thailand unless you will be completing all the paperwork for your loved one.I would encourage you to join the Sawasdee forum where others will help you make the right decision through their own experiences.

i know that they are a few of us on this forum waiting for the k1 visa interview at the Bangkok embassy.What are the chances that those of us who send our packet 3 in july will not be able to get an interview date in September.It seems as though the interviews are becoming less for the last month and it is kinda frustrating.

NEWS FLASH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Teaw went to the embassy today, Monday, to see why they tried to call her Friday. So she got to the embassy about 1:30, got in by showing them on her phone that they tried to call. He sent her back out while he checked her case, then called her back in and said SHE GOT THE VISA and told her to wait out front until 3pm. So at that time they called her back in and gave her the packet and visa and she went outside and called and woke me to tell me. She said 3 AP cases got visas yesterday.

So now the planning starts as I have to see when I can get off work for two weeks to go over and get her, spend time in Buriram with the family and move some of her stuff back up there.

Now I can finally rest easy and quit worrying when they will get off their butts.