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What steps can I take to help my girlfriend get a visa to the USA and resolve my Non-O visa issue in Thailand?

Jun 6, 2025
2 days ago
Joe ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Apologies if this isn't allowed here. But my daughter got her US citizenship today and my girlfriend got denied her Visa to the USA. I was also recently denied my Non-Immigrant O visa to Thailand for "insufficient paperwork". The only thing I can figure out is that my daughter has not had her birth certified as being my daughter.

Does anyone have experience writing their congressman in the USA to help with Visa help? I really want my parents to meet their granddaughter, but my Mom is not healthy enough to fly here to Thailand.

I will take any advice for my situation to stay in Thailand with my daughter and travel to the USA with her as well. If anyone knows somebody that can certify a birth for a 6 month old child I would really appreciate it too. Thank you.
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TLDR : Answer Summary
The user is facing multiple visa-related challenges: their girlfriend was denied a US visa, and they were denied a Non-Immigrant O visa to Thailand due to insufficient paperwork. They seek advice on how to address these issues, including tips on writing to their congressman for assistance and the process of certifying their child's birth to improve their visa situation. Community responses offer varied suggestions, including consulting with experienced attorneys, using agents for visa applications, and clarifications on the documentation needed for both Thai and US immigration processes.
NON-O RETIREMENT VISA RESOURCES / SERVICES
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  • For immediate assistance, contact Thai Visa Centre directly via LINE at @ThaiVisaCentre or Email them.
  • Explore recent discussions by using the Non-O Retirement Visa tag in the search box at the top of the page.
  • Join the Thai Visa Advice Facebook Group to ask your questions, and get advice from others.
Tim ********
Your girl friend is not going to get a visa. As far as I am aware a fiancé visa is the only type of visa that will be issued and that will take over a year. It sucks and something needs to change.
Travis *******
Maybe a quicker option to meet up in Canada or mexico with the current messiness in the US if her health would permit (lot less travel than over here, but idk their condition).
Frank **********
If your daughter is a US citizen now, like you said in your post, she can apply for a US Passport and fly with you. However your wife going with you is a bigger problem.
Stephen *********
Very much depends on your relationship with your Congressional representative and what district you are a resident of. If you've given up your U.S. residence and don't have a street address (or pay taxes there), the representative's office will have no time for you. I make sure my voter registration is active and up to date and always state that in any correspondence I have with his office. That guarantees that I at least get a response and a thanks for contacting Congressman X. Most of them are very reluctant to get involved with matters involving immigration, especially these days.
Av **********
I know Americans who grew up in thailand who were denied citizenship for their own kids. ....anyway welcome to international love...enjoy Asia 🌏
Brook ********
@Av *********
I’m not believing that unless they failed to provide required documentation.
Av **********
@Brook *******
its the law, if only one parent isamerican u have to prove 6 years of residency in the usa. And they can require a dna test. My baby was born 2022. Before 2017 you only needed to show three years residency but was changed to 6 years. Not sure why you would say im lying when I just did this 2 years ago. Many half thai half Americans i know that were raised in thailand have all had their kids citizenship denied because their parent never resided in america for at least 6 months. Its all on the embassy website. If you have a half thai kid and you want their kid to have citizenship they have to reside on american soil for 6 years!!!! If not then american citizenship ends.......its very simple cognivetly to understand the laws. I get it though you are from Bethesda, that might as well be issarn lol
Travis *******
@Av *********
we had our baby here this year, but we are both us citizens. Was a surprisingly easy process to get her US passport. But we are staying put for the time being, idk how the boarder agents will handle a foreign birth certificate for a US citizen 😅

Neat times we live in!
Av **********
@Travis ******
yah if one of the parents is not American then it makes really difficult:( and they can make you do 1200 usd dna test too through the embassy
Brook ********
@Travis ******
a U.S. citizen is a U.S. citizen, wherever they are born. Your fears are not reality based.
Av **********
@Brook *******
that's not true. If you are american and cant prove 6 months of residency and ur child has one non American parent and was born outside the usa, they have no right to usa citizenship.....go to the website it tells you everything. I just went through this as my son is 2 years old
Travis *******
@Brook *******
you can think whatever you want based on your experience, but I already have friends who have had issues coming and going after the administration changed.

My family is happy, I don't really care what's going on there anymore. Not my problem.
Av **********
@Travis ******
yes before Trump u had to prove 3 years now u have to prove 6 years of residency. My dad even had to do a dna test for his half american kid. That was 1200 a pop!
Joe ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Av *********
Best advice
Av **********
@Joe *******
my kid was born overseas and I had to supply so many documents to prove 6 years of residency in the usa to get him a passport for the usa 🇺🇸 I brought in parking tickets lol
Brook ********
You seem to have two different issues. Probably better to put each in a separate post.

Re:
@Thai****
You are missing some important information we need to assist you.

First, how old are you and your daughter?

Second, what type of Non-O visa are you applying for?

Third, I'm quite certain the immigration official told you the reason your application was insufficient. What was the reason? Was it insufficient proof of supporting a Thai Child?

Fourth, are you listed as the father on the child's birth certificate?

Fifth, what is your current visa status, and what country are you in currently?

Sixth, what is your visa history in Thailand?

Your Thai Non O visa application issue can be resolved quite easily and relatively inexpensively with a good agent.

Re: Thai Girlfriend Visa to US Denied

This has been discussed many times here.

Please search the forum for suggestions.

In summary, you will have to prove the girlfriend has sufficient ties to Thailand to guarantee her return to her country.

Any information that might show that she has incentive to stay in America should be minimized. A fiancée or marriage visa might be an option.

Good luck.
Joe ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Brook *******
That's really good news about this being sorted out. It's comforting to know that. Do you recommend any agents? I will search the forum. She is a government officer and owns a house here. I looked into the fiancée nd marriage visas. Those look like brutal wait times. I will probably try one more tourist visa and then go that route. Thanks again for your thoughtful reply.
Brook ********
What city are you in?
Joe ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Brook *******
ubon, but I can travel to take care of this.
Brook ********
@Joe *******
no you can’t travel because then you will have to travel every renewal and every time you need a residency certificate.

Apply with a competent, experienced local agent where you live.

If you don’t know one, ask around or sit outside immigration.

Be careful of begpackers who recommend dodgy agents just for a commission.
Joe ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Brook *******
Thank you for the advice. I am 43 and she is 6 months. 2. Family member visit for 3 months. And then hoping to extend for 9 months. 3. The email said that I was denied for insufficient documents. They did reach out to me and told me to upload my passport and birth certificate again. I attempted this abroad. I will respond to the email and ask which documents I was missing. But this time we went to the local office, and that is when I saw they wanted certification of birth and birth certificate. I think it just got lost in translation. 4. I am on her Thai birth certificate as the father. 5. I have about 30 days left on a tourist visa and hopefully a 30 day extension. I am currently in Thailand. I have been pushing the tourist visa since February 2024. With border runs and going home for a couple of months.
Wannikea *********
Extremely arduous and frustrating process to get into the states, especially now.
Cris ******
If you were trying to get a visitor visa... good luck. Ive heard its like a 99% deny rate. My wife got hers denied
Brandon ************
@Cris *****
You heard wrong. The 2024 rejection rate for tourist visas from Thailand was 22.5%
Cris ******
Hm must have went on an off month or something. Because everyone the day we went was denied and the week i posted it, i had numerous other people say they had the same thing happen.
Ellen *************
@Cris *****
and this was your legal wife. Not a girlfriend who had your baby. Not that I believe that all that structure is true, but it is the way the law is structured, and those barriers are real.
Cris ******
Yes legal wife. Marriage recognized in the US as well. Brought tons of backing paperwork. My wife got about 1 minute in front of some sassy lady behind a counter. Did not look at a single piece of paper and denied her with zero explanation.
Sungnam *****
태국에 입국해서 적절한 변호사와 상담을 하세요 여기서 이거 적는다고 달라질건 없어요
Richard *********
I have a friend that can help you she is an expert in this stuff I'm really sorry for all your troubles but give her a ring and tell her that Richard sent you

+66955065365
**********
*****
*****
5

Call her as soon as possible..
Greg ********
Speak with an experienced attorney.
Brandon ************
The only one that can "certify" the birth is Thai family court. If you were not married when the child was born, you have to go through the court to get recognized as father. It's not a fast or cheap process. You'll need a lawyer. It's your only option.

Also, your congressperson cannot help with getting a foreigner a tourist visa to Thailand.

The only thing a congressperson can help with is submitting an inquiry to USCIS if a visa application is taking longer than the stated timeline to process, and even then it rarely helps. That's for immigrant visas like K1 fiance or marriage that take months or years to process.
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