Thai K1 Visas - How to Get Them

You want to spend the rest of your life with a woman you met in Thailand. Wonderful! Read below to find out how you can take your special someone back to the US. Immigration can be a trying process, but at least you'll know what you're up against.

K-1 Fiance/Fiancee Visa and how to obtain it for a Thai :

The K-1 visa is exactly what its name implies, a visa for a Thai to come to the USA in order to live with a prospective US Citizen Spouse. This is one visa that only a US Citizen may apply for so a Thai Permanent Resident in the US cannot bring a Thai to the US before they are married, but must instead get married and petition for a marriage visa.

The main portion of the K-1 Visa petition is the I-129f, which is essentially the application for the Visa itself. Along with this form other documentation is required including (but not limited to) proof that both parties are free to marry (they are both single) and evidence documenting the ongoing relationship.

Currently, it takes about 6 months from the time the US Citizen submits the K-1 Visa petition with USCIS to the time the Thai obtains the actual K-1 Visa at the US Embassy in Bangkok or the US Consulate in Chiang Mai. This timeframe is always subject to change depending upon both the workload of USCIS in the US and the US Embassy or Consulate in Thailand.

In order to get the process started the US Citizen fiance must submit the K-1 Visa Petition to the USCIS Service Center with jurisdiction over the US Citizen's place of residence. Depending upon which state the US Citizen lives the petition will be submitted to either the USCIS Service Center in either Vermont or California.

USCIS will send a letter after submission called Notice of Action 1. This letter will basically tell the petitioner, "we have received your request for a visa for your and we will process it as soon as we can." It will generally take about 2-3 months for USCIS to process the petition. Oftentimes USCIS will reject a petition because the petition was filed with incorrect documentation or insufficient documentation. For this reason it may be wise to have an attorney prepare the USCIS petition.

Once a US Citizen submits the I-129(f) petition at USCIS the wait begins. It usually takes USCIS about 2-3 months to process the I-129f petition. However, the time it takes to process the petition depends upon where the petition was filed. At the time of this writing the Vermont Service Center has a faster processing time than the California Service Center while filing in Bangkok can expedite the process greatly if the US Citizen is entitled to file there.

After USCIS finishes processing the I-129f petition they will send the petitioner, or his attorney, what is called Notice of Action 2. This document essentially states, "We have finished processing the petition and we have approved/denied it." If the petition is approved it will be forwarded to the National Visa Center.

At the National Visa Center (NVC) the Thai 's I-129f petition will be further processed. Basically, NVC does a background check to see that the Thai beneficiary of the K1 Visa is who she says she is and is not someone who should be excluded from the USA. It usually takes NVC approximately 4 weeks to process the petition at which point they will contact the US Citizen, or his attorney, and tell him that the petition is being forwarded on to the US Embassy in Bangkok or the US Consulate in Chiang Mai. In this letter they will also give the couple a BNK number. This number is the Thai 's ID number for the US Embassy or Consulate, she will need this number in order to obtain an interview appointment and it will make all correspondence with the US Embassy more convenient as it can be used as a point of reference for the Embassy officials.

When the US Embassy or Consulate in Thailand receives the Thai 's K-1 petition from NVC they will send her a letter known as packet 3. Within this letter is a list of documents that the Thai will need to collect for the interview at the Embassy. The letter will state that the Thai must collect these documents BEFORE sending back a response requesting an interview date. Many people seeking a K-1 Visa just send the letter back requesting the interview immediately as the interview appointment is usually scheduled far enough out that it is possible to collect the documents long before the interview. By doing this the interview is scheduled as quickly as possible and expedites the process.

I am of two minds on this subject. I truly believe that the Embassy says things for a reason and asking for an interview before all of the documents are in order could slow the process down if the Thai arrives at the interview with crucial documentation missing. At the same time, the interview is usually scheduled so that there is enough time to gather necessary documents and waiting until the documents are gathered before notifying the Embassy/Consulate could slow the process down as well. It is important to keep all of this in mind when deciding upon a strategy for scheduling the Thai fiancee's interview.

Now its time for the interview... Many people, especially a Thai or spouse, are very anxious about the Embassy interview. However, in my experience I have found this to be a rather routine procedure particularly when you take into consideration the fact that the consular officials do hundreds, maybe even thousands, of these interviews every year. They are really not looking to trip up the Thai they are interviewing, but simply make sure everything is on the up and up.

Once the interview is completed the Consular official will likely tell the Thai either that the petition is approved or request more information using a 221(g). A 221(g) is a document the Embassy will give to the Thai with a list of the further documentation that she must provide before the Visa will be granted. A 221(g) is often requested in Thailand because of a name change. Thais change their name quite often in comparison to Americans and might have done so at many points in their life. It is quite common that their name may have been officially changed when they were an infant without their knowledge. The Embassy wants to see all of the official name change certificates in order to make sure that the person seeking to immigrate to the US is in fact who they say they are. There are many other reasons that the Embassy may request a 221(g), but name change seems to be the most common.

After the US Embassy/Consulate officials in Thailand have received the documentation they deem sufficient they will issue the visa. For a K-1 Visa a conservative estimate of the turnaround time is approximately 5 business days. Often the K Visas will be returned within the same week, but I like to give conservative estimates as the situation can be fluid. If there is a day off the week the fiancee interviews or for any other reason the Embassy is closed the visa could take longer to obtain. The time of year and workload at the Embassy have a lot to do with how quickly the Embassy will get the visa into the passport.

After the Embassy has processed the Visa and put it in the Thai Passport, the Embassy officials will call the Thai and tell her to come pick it up any day after 3pm. If you have a US attorney working in Bangkok, then he or she can pick it up on the 's behalf. The Thai will have until the expiration of the K-1 Visa to travel to the USA. The visa usually lasts for 6 months. Once in the USA you must get married within 90 days or your Thai must leave the country. That is the K-1 Visa from Thailand process in a nutshell.

Thanks for Reading,

Benjamin W. Hart, Esq.

This article is for informational purposes only. It should not be substituted for expert legal advice from a competent attorney.

Benjamin Hart is a US Attorney-at-Law and member of the American Immigration Lawyer's Association. He currently lives in Thailand. He is the owner of Integrity Legal, an Immigration Law Firm located in the United States and Bangkok, Thailand. Go to http://www.integrity-legal.com to visit Integrity Legal.

Travel Car Rental
Travel
Travel Cruising

Turn Your Event Into a Perfect Experience With a Limousine Rental Service

Your vehicle plays an integral role in turning your special event into a memorable experience. In fact, how you appear to your family members, friends, and the rest of the guests is shaped by the type of transportation you used to drive you to the venue. If you want to make a lasting impression on these people, then a limousine is the perfect vehicle for the job.

Limousines are the most luxurious vehicle you can use for your special occasion. In fact, riding in one can grant you the elegance and style that will drive the point home with the rest of the guest that you are a very important person. In truth, limousines are very expensive to purchase, and buying one for just one event is practically a mundane idea to begin with.

So, instead of spending millions of dollars for it; you can just hire the services of a limousine rental business to give you the perfect limousine model that will fit perfectly with your purpose of aplomb, theme of the event, and your budget.

Limousine Rental Services You Should Know About

If it's your first time to rent a limo, then you might want to get to know the services that come with one in order to pick the right limousine rental business for your needs.

1. Limousine Models

A limo rental business should provide assorted limousine models that will fit any demands from the client. Their fleet should consist of models suited for personal and corporate events, as well as various sizes that will fit any number of people in a single trip. Common models include limousine coach, sedans, SUVs, and buses. Some of these businesses offer other models like Hummers and sedans.

2. Insurance Policies

It is very important for a limousine firm to guarantee the safety of their clients during the service. The professional chauffeur that they hire to drive their limos does not necessarily result to a safe travel. Since accidents do happen, it is very important for these businesses to provide their clients with insurance policies that will cover them in case of emergencies.

3. Additional Benefits To Clients

Aside from giving the clients what they want, limo rental firms should be keen to give their customers additional services and benefits that will help in making the event more enjoyable. Aside from the usual flowers and wines, these businesses offer add-ons to the service, such as an entertainment system, additional hours, discounted rates, and so on.

http://browardlimo.com -- Limousine Rental Service

Vanessa A. Doctor from Jump2Top - SEO Company

Travel Destination
Travel Car Rental
Travel Cruising

The Traveling Psychologist - A Royal in Krakow

My friend turned to me, "the guide wants to know if you are Prince Charles?" I turned to the museum guide with a broad smile, "how do you do dear chap?"

Poland is not a destination I would have normally thought of as a place to go but business is business and you go where it takes you. I was invited to a town called Katowice an industrial part of Poland in the south. I arrived first in Warsaw the capital and had to then transfer to a train down the country.

When I boarded the train I was pleasantly surprised to find it was an old fashioned coach design with small compartments much like you see in old English movies when murder was a-foot and mysterious ladies disappear. I found an empty compartment and settled next to the window to watch the world go by - it would be a long journey but I actually enjoy train travel so was not too perturbed. After a short time the train left and I was joined in the compartment by a poorly dressed man of about 30 I would have to guess and a young woman who looked somewhat attractive in a village girl way. A knock came to our door and it slip open to reveal the porter checking tickets. I showed my ticket and he began to chatter to me in Polish of which I had none. However with some sign language and nods and smiles from the other passengers I worked out that to sit by the window costs extra! So I slid a seat away and he punched my ticket and left. What possible advantage was sitting next to the window in price terms in a half empty train? Still I could see out of the carriage so was not too put out. The scenes that greet you are not pleasant ones, heavy industrial factories, warehousing, smoking chimneys and dirty looking skies with heavy black clouds make of just as much pollution as rain water. In between these depressing scenes was shrub countryside with black patches of ground. This was industrial Poland with its old fashioned factories and pollution filled air.

The man opposite me now tried to talk to me in Polish. I assume to ask my country and what my business was. Alas this exchange was not working very well and he started to give up. I then produced a notebook and pen. I drew a rough map of Europe and showed him Poland, Russia and Germany - then through some skilful art drew England off the coast. His face lit up and started smiling broadly. "Engerlander" he called out and the young girl's eyes widened in recognition. He started to pat my shoulders with both hands and laughing out loud. He then took the notebook and pen and drew a hill, a cave and shovel with pick. At first I was not sure what he meant but then the dawning came - he was a miner. He showed me his hands, hard, rough and black. It is amazing how two human beings can communicate with just a few signs and drawings. You feel like the first cavemen trying to make sense of a stranger. I realised much later after speaking to many Polish people in English that his happiness came from historical underpinnings. The Polish admire the English for their stance in 1939 against Hitler after they kept their obligations under a treaty of protection to Poland by going to war against Nazi Germany. Of course since this time Poland had come under the yoke of Soviet control and things changed somewhat in relations. When the train arrived in Katowice we shook hands and left to go our separate ways never to meet or see each other again but never to forget a brief moment of friendship.

My business in Katowice was more of a public relations exercise and to discover if business could be transacted from the UK to Poland via the insurance and banking sectors and my brothers company in England that made brake shoes and pads for the car industry. Although we had several meetings and small talks I felt nothing much was being accomplished so decided I might as well see what I could of the country. My companions took me to near by Krakow, the most historical of cities in Poland and the heart of their lost empire of history. Krakow Castle housed the museum and they thought that would be a good place to start. On entering there is a large bell that if you stand underneath and touch with your hand will bring you good fortune. Never being one to scoff at other peoples superstition I immediately had the obligatory photo at the bell. On entering the actual museum I was quite amazed at the amount of military history and the obviously mighty strength that Poland must have swayed in the past, particularly against the Russian Cossacks of the plains who they fought and defeated on many occasions. Old uniforms, weapons, and other paraphernalia were housed here to a once great nation. It is with some surprise that the modern Poland has been kicked back and forth between the might of the Soviet Union and Germanic nations for the last century.

After walking around for an hour I noticed I was getting some curious looks from other visitors and particularly the museum guide. I asked my companion if I was doing something I shouldn't but he shrugged his shoulders and went to ask the guide what was the problem. A moment later he was back smiling from ear to ear. My friend turned to me, "the guide wants to know if you are Prince Charles? I turned to the museum guide with a broad smile, "how do you do dear chap?" Now you may think me a little rash to not deny I was Prince Charles but my sense of the absurd got the better of me. For the next half and hour I was given the Royal tour, shown private rooms and exquisite objects. The museum guide kept bowing to me and I of course gave the customary nod of the head, not to much to be servile but enough to show my newly found station in life as Charles's doppelganger. I suppose looking back in my lightweight suit in a prince of Wales check and balding head I must to some looked like him just as all Chinese at first look like Chairman Mao. After taking my leave of the guide and shaking his hand he asked me to sign the visitor's book. This was a bit tricky as not denying who I was, was one thing, but to fake a royal signature was another. I wrote in the book, "Thank you for your kindness on my visit to your excellent museum and my family in England will be informed of your goodness." Signed, A Friend C.

That evening I had to dine with a business woman who specialised in clothing manufacturing and she took me to a nice restaurant in the city. To me it looked like a two star place but she assured me this was the best place in town. Well what do I know? After talking about business and the economy the conversation turned to the newly found freedoms in Poland after the revolution to oust the communists who were the lackeys of Moscow. She talked quietly of the miners and the dock workers who started the protests and how Lech Walesa had successfully led the new politics of Poland. (At this time he had not risen to the dizzy heights of power). Being from the West and used to the freedom of speech and not being afraid to have opinions I was talking in my normal voice. I noticed she was getting rather nervous. I asked her if she was alright and she smiled back and said she was not used to such open talk and only a year before the waiter would have already been on the phone to the secret police to report the conversation and the foreign spy. They would have waited outside for us, you would probably be deported and I would just disappear. I understood her and also her feelings of newly found freedoms but with the past tugging at your nerves wondering if it was true that they are now really free. I looked at the waiter busy serving drinks and waiting the tables and wondered how his income had dropped over the last year with no stories to tell because no-one was any longer listening.

In the morning I left my hotel and was picked up by my guide's car. We were on a special trip today to a place called Auschwitz - concentration camp.

End.......

Professor Stephen F. Myler PhD (Psych)

Shanghai

Originally published by the Open University, England

Copywrite: S. F. Myler

Dr. Stephen Myler is from Leicester in England, an industrial town in the Midlands of the United Kingdom. He holds a B.Sc (Honours) in Psychology from the UK's Open University the largest in the UK; he also has an M.Sc and Ph.D in Psychology from Knightsbridge University in Denmark. In addition to this Stephen holds many diplomas and awards in a variety of academic areas including journalism, finance, teaching and advanced therapy for mental health. Stephen has as a Professor of Psychology many years teaching experience in colleges and universities in England and China to post 16 young adults, instructing in psychology, sociology, English, marketing and business. He has been fortunate to travel extensively from Australia to Africa to the United Sates, South America, Borneo, most of Europe and Russia. Stephen's favourite hobby is the study of primates and likes to play badminton. He believes that students who enjoy classes with humour and enthusiasm from the teacher always come back eager to learn more.

Travel Vacation Rental
Travel Hotel
Travel