getting US visa for hlliday trip back home for Girl friend

Post by **pfotoguy369** » Tue May 06, 2008 2:50 pm

I now live in Thailand for 2 1/2 years. I have a retirement visa.

I have to go back to the US to take care of some business there. Mainly my social security.

I'd like to take my Girlfriend with me. It's just a 2 week trip then back here where we both live.

I no longer have a residence or car in the US, She has 2 children here plus some land holdings and the rest of her family. no reason for us to stay in the States.

How difficult id it to get her a visitors visa?

Post by **nevets** » Tue May 06, 2008 4:48 pm

I would have thought your embassy site could have some info, other than that don't know I'm English.

Post by **HuaHinR** » Tue May 06, 2008 7:42 pm

My god friend just got back from trip to U.S. with his girlfriend. . . she got the visa rather easily. . . had a fair bit of money in the bank. . . owned a car here. . . (I don't think she even owned real estate here). . those are the sort of things they seem to look at to help assure the Thai citizen is realy going to return to Thailand. Issue is also discussed on other (Thai) visa sites.

Post by **Chas** » Wed May 07, 2008 10:17 am

The US Visa Section qualifies as one of the levels of hell.

They make it as difficult as possible for Thai people to get a visitor's visa.

My Thai friend and I have suffered endless hours there, put up with incredible rudeness and subjected ourselves to being treated like cattle.

They say it is one of the busiest visa sections in the world, but I would add that it has GOT the be one of the worst. Wait until you get to spend a day or two or three standing in long lines with hundreds of other petitioners, no AC outside, no seats inside, rude document checkers and clerks who are as liable to yell at you as not. . and this is all before you get to spend your two minutes with a consul behind a bulletproof screen.

As an American I am embarrassed by the place and embarrassed by the fact that a country that can put a man on the moon can not better manage its visa affairs. I believe that the only two visas that are relatively easy to get are student visas ( US Colleges are hurting and have political clout back home) and limited work visas ( US businesses are hurting for cheap labor and have political clout back home)

A visa just to visit for a couple of weeks? Your girlfriend better have deep pockets, "political connections" and really major reasons to return. .and I dont think "family" counts for much in the eyes of the visa consuls.

fotoguy, I do wish you the best of luck. Sorry to be so pessimistic but I am writing from my own personal experience having gone through this process with my friend six times, some successful, some not, one involving a letter to the US Ambassador ( to which he replied, much to my surprise)

I would also like to know how you do with this. I will be in exactly the same situation next month, hoping that we can visit the US for a family wedding and even now trying to gear the both of us up psychologically for a new attempt.

Post by **Big A** » Thu May 08, 2008 7:45 am

You might try the US Embassy at a nearby SE Asian country.

I was able to get a 10 tourist for my Thai significant other, but not in Thailand. Had all the right pieces of the puzzle in place. Reputable employer for me (actually greased the rails big time as the employer had clout), she was well educated and in fact had lived in the US before, US citizen child etc.

The reference given by Chas is dead on, the US Embassy here is not customer friendly, and will bend over backwards in order to give you a hard time.

It is a shame really especially considering if you are an American citizen.

One of the officers I was having trouble with did get rotated out which was a blessing and his replacement a Korean-American was a decent fella.

It is hard to get an answer out of them, they will want you to pay money for the right to ask a question.

Post by **pfotoguy369** » Sat May 10, 2008 2:08 pm

Thanks for all the replies.

My Girlfriend is selling some land off and will have 600K in the bank + other land holdings.

It's not necessary she go back this trip but I try to keep it down to once a year.

I'll do some more checking.

Post by **frankbangkok** » Thu May 22, 2008 11:53 am

I was at the Thai citizen section of the US embassy in Bangkok on Tuesday and there were few people there. If you can establish that she will return to thailand she will qualify for a visa. Establishing that she will return to Thailand is the key. Be prepared and the services of a professional would not hurt. But to do it in two weeks might be pushing it a little.