Thread: Problem getting Thai visa to the USA

^ Because that might explain the "liar" accusation (if there has been a change between what she said before and what she is saying now).

Bin Dere Dun Dat. I finally gave up. So many Thai women visiting the USA leave the relationship and enter the Thai Massage Parlour Industry. It didn't help that my Thai GF was from Issan. The age difference was also a problem.

Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

If she actually has all the equity she claims, she probably would have been far better off never mentioning the guy, and just saying she wanted to go tour around for a week or two, Probably wouldn't have had a problem.

She has it. I've been there. I've seen it.

When Wat first applied for a visa to the US, did she mention you at all? And was she ever asked something along the lines of, "Do you have any friends or relatives in the USA?" And if she was asked that, how did she reply? (And the same for the other 3 times she applied.) Has she always mentioned you as being a boyfriend?

Have there ever been any 'slight' changes to how she has described her situation or yours?

As I recall:
1st attempt- She only mentioned her friend's family (the ones who own the restaurant)
2nd attempt- I think she mentioned knowing that family again, and me.
3rd attempt- I tried the sponsorship route, so I mentioned how many times I had been to Thailand, when I met her, etc. I don't think I really addressed the relationship in my paperwork, but she was asked about it in her interview. She answered the same as this time (4th attempt).
4th attempt- As stated earlier, she told him that we are more or less boyfriend/ girlfriend, but we don't really call it that due to the distance. I think that has been about as specific as it has gotten.

Originally Posted by IndianaGentry

1st attempt- She only mentioned her friend's family (the ones who own the restaurant)
2nd attempt- I think she mentioned knowing that family again, and me.

I don't recall you mentioning the friend's family restaurant before.

This might be the problem. They may see this as an attempt to get a visa so that she can skip and go work in the restaurant.

Some thoughts FWIW based on bits from people I have known who applied and got visas.

If a holiday, they like to see a detailed itinerary.

Work letter should be quite specific - how long worked, how much salary, taking entitled leave - start back at work date (which obviously should fit with the time away).

The flight stuff is tricky - I think most of the ones I know about had tickets booked (which is a bit of a bugger as it is taking a gamble).

from your description, she sounds as though she hits the criteria, can't think what is the main sticking point.

Originally Posted by nidhogg

from your description, she sounds as though she hits the criteria, can't think what is the main sticking point.

Agree. She appears to qualify on her own. Often foreign 'sponsors' sticking their nose in only serves to complicate matters.

All I can see thus far is possibly the restaurant angle.

Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

Originally Posted by nidhogg

from your description, she sounds as though she hits the criteria, can't think what is the main sticking point.

Agree. She appears to qualify on her own. Often foreign 'sponsors' sticking their nose in only serves to complicate matters.

All I can see thus far is possibly the restaurant angle.

Possible. Not married, no kids might play a role as well if they are looking at it from that angle.

Slightly condescending that they think a government employee in a uni would toss that over for a waitressing job in a friends restaurant though!

Originally Posted by nidhogg

Slightly condescending that they think a government employee in a uni would toss that over for a waitressing job in a friends restaurant though!

Maybe.....or not. We've got doctors in government hospitals here chucking it to work abroad as nurses or physical therapists.

Originally Posted by nidhogg

Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

Originally Posted by nidhogg

from your description, she sounds as though she hits the criteria, can't think what is the main sticking point.

Agree. She appears to qualify on her own. Often foreign 'sponsors' sticking their nose in only serves to complicate matters.

All I can see thus far is possibly the restaurant angle.

Possible. Not married, no kids might play a role as well if they are looking at it from that angle.

Slightly condescending that they think a government employee in a uni would toss that over for a waitressing job in a friends restaurant though!

Are you really that out of touch??

A woman with no chance of a decent marriage offering a guaranteed family life where she has full equality in matrimonial property disposition, no effective role in a society which considers her gender as tenth rate, earning at best $600US a month is going to give up an opportunity to live and work in the world's most successful capitalist society?

Look, arriving back on planet Earth, the US visit visa regime operates the principle that any applicant is automatically assumed to be a permanent migrant until they prove otherwise. They start from a very low base indeed and have a mountain to climb before the visa officer is content that they truly intend to visit.

Thai working as prostitutes in London hail from many walks of life.

Originally Posted by Seekingasylum

earning at best $600US a month .

You simply have no clue as to what is going on around you, do you?

Originally Posted by S Landreth

One question,.

Because your friend works for a Thai University and is a Thai civil servant did you see the Official letter from her superior/s that she was given permission to leave the country on the dates she’ll be visiting you in the states?

I have no doubt our US embassy will want to see this Official letter granting her permission to leave.

Yes, I have seen the letter from the Dean. This year he also updated it to include the fact that he hand-picked her to be the new head of the English Department. I think I mentioned somewhere in the thread that we have had to wait to get her teaching schedule before applying so that we could base her travel dates around the semester breaks. Her longest break comes between the summer session (which is usually shorter) and the session that begins in August/ September.

Personally I have never dealt with the US Embassy but many times with the Brits..... I think she has offered too many reasons to stay in the US rather than be detached and just going on a holiday.

That said, if she had just gone as a tourist and offered an itinerary that said Indiana and not Disneyland and Pier 39 that questions would have been raised. Sadly once an embassy decides that they don't like the look of someone, the chances of that changing are slim........

My experience, although not with the US, is that someone with a history of (frequent) overseas travel and return to Thailand has a better chance of obtaining a visa than someone who has never left the country before.

If she has not traveled out of the country before get her to make several trips to other countries, say Lao, Cambodia, Singapore, India, Japan, New Zealand and Australia as a tourist before attempting another application.

You could arrange to meet her there and see some more of the world yourself although she doesnt need to mention this in visa applications for these countries.

^ excellent point.

Though it's a rather time consuming and expensive way to get to the US.

There have been many valid points raised in this thread. Perhaps she provided too much information initially - the rule is never give them more than they ask for. Let them run the interview...they know what they want to see.

The foreign 'boyfriend' probably would have served her better by staying out of it.

The friend's family restaurant may have raised eyebrows.

Lack of previous tourism also could have been a trigger.

In my opinion, based on considerable experience, after four refusals she's not getting the visa. There is something there they don't like. Period.

Time to move on.

Originally Posted by birding

My experience, although not with the US, is that someone with a history of (frequent) overseas travel and return to Thailand has a better chance of obtaining a visa than someone who has never left the country before.

I'll just add a story that relates to this thread.

One of My Hangbags workers married a Seppo recently. He is 67 and she is 38. She has never been on a plane before let alone on a trip to USA.

Anyway 6 months ago they were married and the deal was she return with him to live in America.

Handbag told me the application was in the works and she was waiting on the Interview At the USA Embassy.

I thought she was in for a very long wait considering the age difference and the fact they were not living together and only known each other for 12 months.

Suprise Suprise, I think it was around 8 weeks later and she was granted her new shinny Visa and yesterday they jumped a plane to Septic land. No problems getting the Visa at all. Just took a while.

She'll be back after Seppo checks out and with a nice bit of money as well.

Fair enough that.

Very good girl by the way and Old Seppo seemed a decent guy. Cashed up and well turned out.

Good luck to them.

Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

The friend's family restaurant may have raised eyebrows.

the biggest red flag, no wonder she was denied after she gave that little gem

I think in the OP, it was stated that the girl has traveled to other SEA countries. Maybe she should travel to a visa-requiring one, like Korea, Japan or Aus, before she applies again for the US. (But I think Thais don't need visas for Japan?)

My friend R, who was granted a 10-yr visa a year after me, also had a lot of prior travel. She was sponsored by family in the US (not bf).

Another friend, A, went for a conference in the US some yrs ago. At that time, she had no prior travel. However, all her papers were in order & she was a presenter at the conference, so she was granted a single entry visa. She attended the conf.& stayed for some weeks more to visit family & for tourism. She went back to her home country. The next time she applied for a US visa, it was for tourism only & she was granted a 10-yr visa.

In my experience, the US embassy in PI doesn't need a detailed itinerary, but all other papers need to be in order. They didn't need flight or hotel bookings either. As Davis said, let them run the interview & give only the info that is asked.

On a lighter note, another friend, O, a guy, who is quite a comic, was also granted a 10-yr visa this year. He said in his interview that he wanted to visit Disneyland & to watch Celine Dion sing in Las Vegas He has only been out of the country once. He was sponsored by family & got a 10-yr multiple. Sorry for typos, frm fone.

Originally Posted by birding

My experience, although not with the US, is that someone with a history of (frequent) overseas travel and return to Thailand has a better chance of obtaining a visa than someone who has never left the country before.

If she has not traveled out of the country before get her to make several trips to other countries, say Lao, Cambodia, Singapore, India, Japan, New Zealand and Australia as a tourist before attempting another application.

You could arrange to meet her there and see some more of the world yourself although she doesnt need to mention this in visa applications for these countries.

I'm glad you said this, because I suddenly don't feel so crazy. We are trying to arrange a last-minute trip to London. She is using a travel agent to book her own trip. If she gets a UK visa, then I'll find a flight to meet her there! She booked a hotel through Agoda, and she can cancel it without penalty.

She has been taking short trips over the last couple of years. When I have gone back to BKK, we have visited Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodia, etc. She has been to Vietnam on her own, also.

Originally Posted by IndianaGentry

Originally Posted by birding

My experience, although not with the US, is that someone with a history of (frequent) overseas travel and return to Thailand has a better chance of obtaining a visa than someone who has never left the country before.

If she has not traveled out of the country before get her to make several trips to other countries, say Lao, Cambodia, Singapore, India, Japan, New Zealand and Australia as a tourist before attempting another application.

You could arrange to meet her there and see some more of the world yourself although she doesnt need to mention this in visa applications for these countries.

I'm glad you said this, because I suddenly don't feel so crazy. We are trying to arrange a last-minute trip to London. She is using a travel agent to book her own trip. If she gets a UK visa, then I'll find a flight to meet her there! She booked a hotel through Agoda, and she can cancel it without penalty.

She has been taking short trips over the last couple of years. When I have gone back to BKK, we have visited Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodia, etc. She has been to Vietnam on her own, also.

The lady boss got a UK visa no problem but she had been to NZ twice, OZ, India as well as Lao.

I sponsored her and we traveled together. We had no firm bookings as we toured around with a rental staying in homestays and only had my correspondence with my travel agent with tentative flight bookings dependent on a visa being granted.

I think the previous travel and return is a big factor.

A thought, how about a tourist visa to Canada ?

Originally Posted by IndianaGentry

I'm glad you said this, because I suddenly don't feel so crazy. We are trying to arrange a last-minute trip to London.

How long does that take?

Originally Posted by birding

The lady boss got a UK visa no problem but she had been to NZ twice, OZ, India as well as Lao.

24 hours not bad. Plus you let us now know she has been to New Zealand 2 times.

Sorry Indiana as I am a Yank as well. But its fishy the same as the first time I posted weeks ago.

Are you a fisherman by chance? Alone in a slow boat drifting along with your line out?

Originally Posted by aging one

Are you a fisherman by chance? Alone in a slow boat drifting along with your line out?

I have no idea what you are saying.

Err, getting knocked back by the septics, four times, is no feather in her cap when it comes to applying for a visa to a country in which one assumes she has expressed no previous interest, has no connections and where neither of you has visited previously.The Brits can be as difficult as the septics. They may well just see ' pressure to migrate' and little else.

Go and visit Turkey where she does not require a visa and may be Egypt if she wants to build some tourism credentials.