What are the visa options for a Thai fiancé visiting the U.S. and how long does the application process typically take?

@Mark **********

so you applied for a visitor visa after you were married i was told by multiple agencies that once married its dam near impossible to get visa and have you already filed for spousal visa hell give me dome pointers please ive been married now for almost 6 months thai marriage have not started spousal visa yet im planning on retiring there next year so no hurry on that but would love to get her here to help pack things up over here help please

@Sergio ****

Reading about the experience of others is helpful. The OP could have phrased the question differently asking to hear about what others have gone through rather than for "how to".

@Guy *****

When was thus, are you including the plane ticket? 9 years ago it was nothing like that for green card

@Riaan *********

of course Thailand welcomes US citizens....they bring tourist money. If the US welcomed every poor Thai girl they would have the same problem with Thais as they do with poor Mexicans and South Americans living there illegally and still somehow getting all the social programs for poor people. at a cost of approximately $150Billion USD per year. I'm curious as to how much Russia provides to illegal aliens per year? There are an estimated 11.4 million unauthorized immigrants living in the United States.....how many are there in Russia?

@Riaan *********

your not a US citizen so what the hell you know. The US gives a 10 year multi entry visa and you can stay for 6 mos. The US is tough but much more generous than Thailand. And it's a pain in the ass to get a retirement visa in Thailand. If you know not then speak not!

@Johnny *********

BS

@Jacob *******

ไม่เกี่ยวข้อง

@Rod ******

that's the cheap part. Getting the green card will cost you another 1400.

@Christopher **********

that is exactly it, except for maybe Ireland. US, UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada have the five eyes treaty. It started for terrorism, but now they share their immigration screen. If you are rejected at one, you will probably be rejected at all of them, especially for tourist visas. To answer the OP’s original question, are usually goes like this, you submit a long and difficult application, what a year for an interview, and they throw you out. I visited the trendy building in Bangkok, we’re Thai people apply for a Schengen visa, and also the US consulate. US consulate is full of supplicants begging for visas which they will not get and the trendy building is full of applicants, who probably will if I get a visa if they meet the requirements.

@Christopher **********

To obtain a visa for these countrys is not easy. You need to be able to prove that the applicant has sufficient ties with Thailand to ensure that she will not overstay and has sufficient funds for her stay. I successfully assisted my wife and her adult daughter obtain tourist visa for Australia.

@Robert **********

dang...you had me going up til the license plate of the car!

@Gabriel *******

and your source is?

08/what-are-the-chances-of-being-rejected-for-a-tourist-or-business-visa

@Robert **********

This is not how B2 visa interviews go. You might get 2 or 3 total questions. They have reviewed the file prior to the interview and likely have already made their decision. The questions are obligatory to some degree, but there is an opportunity to turn a no in to a yes with the right preparation and a little confidence. If the first thing you do when you walk up is smile and give a nice greeting and ask if they can review the best part of your prepared documents or ask a real specific question about the interview or if you can ask or say something in Thai, it can interrupt the no flow long enough to maybe turn the tide.

Important to note that some of the IOs will ask gotcha questions about things that may have been off on the application and that can be confusing for a non-native English speaker... so confidence in English or even being careful and requesting clarification instead of just saying yes reflexively can go a long way.

@Robert **********

my wife interview was less then 3 minutes and the question was where we would travel to. I did my planning as she was joint on my Thai and US Bank Accounts for a couple years had a job with documentation, land titles several entry and exits stamos, and so on. Clearly she intended to return so visa granted,

@Wylie ******

unless she is a Thai government employee with accompanying documentation staying she is returning and family responsibilities here in Thailand covering years with government and extended family. It is the interview process that is the important part. My wife Department of Healtj) got a 10 year US Visa without a problem. But that was us.

@Danielle *******

yes you file it online but the Embassy website has links where you can see the different types of Visas available.

@Danielle *******

@Brandon ***********

This is not accurate. A girlfriend, partner, or wife can get a tourist visa. It is more challenging to demonstrate sufficient ties to Thailand if that particular American they are with does not also have sufficient ties to Thailand, so that is a thing... But it is not a hard no if there is a strong enough case that they will return. My wife (then unemployed girlfriend) was able to get a 10 year B2 visa on her second attempt. I know of at least three other Thai women in similar situations as her that also got the B2 on the first or second try. As long as it is not obviously a backdoor way to get her in to the country to change status or try to work illegally, you have a decent shot at an approval, all other things being equal.

There is no magic formula for approval. No amount of money in the bank or property or job type that makes it a slam dunk. Just provide the facts and make a compelling case.

It helps a lot if the American partner has a significant job in Thailand or is on a Thai Elite visa or has some other clear motivation for being in Thailand full time. I am sure there are many members in this community that were successful and would happily share some personal experiences or best practices... anyways, it is possible. The reported approval rate for B2 visas out of Thailand averages somewhere in the range of 70-75%. Anecdotal evidence not withstanding, Thai people get visas from the US (and Europe, and the UK, and Australia)... It might just take a couple of tries to dial in the application and find the right IO. Anyways, good luck to the OP... it only costs 185 USD to give it a shot... :)

@Brandon ***********

For Canada next to impossible. Once we got married then she got the visa.

I tried to get a tourist visa for my then girlfriend back in October 22. She went to the interview. Asked about three questions and denied her. Never looked at the supporting documents she took with her showing she had a house and a separate farm and a teenager in school. Obvious ties to Thailand. No explanation on why it was denied, just a little slip of paper given to her basically saying she didn't qualify. Now being married I would imagine it may be a little easier to do,