A lot of people have been thinking on how hard it is to secure a visa to the US. A large number of denied applications strike fear in the hearts of many Thais, so as other nationals who require a visa to go to US.
The Consular officer evaluates the applicant’s economic, social, and cultural background. For Thai citizens, it is important that the applicant can prove his or her strong ties to Thailand. These strong ties would tell the Consular that you have adequate reasons to come back to your home country and therefore increases your chance on getting your visa approved.
The applicant must state the reason for travel and be able to present documents to satisfy the requirements of his/her visa application. Required documents vary depending on the visa category you are applying for.
Make sure you are eligible and qualified to the appropriate visa category. Here is an overview on different types of US visa for Thailand:
K1 Visa
K1 fiance non-immigrant visa entitles the applicant to enter the US and marry an American citizen within 90 days. This allows an American citizen to petition his or her Thai fiance to the United States with the intention to marry once she gets to the US.
K2 visa
K2 visa is for unmarried children (under 21) of a K1 applicant. K2 non-immigrant visa status is derived from the K1 parent if the children’s names have been included in the K1 visa petition.
K3 visa
K3 spouse visa entitles the visa applicant to enter and reside in the US as a non-immigrant until the immigrant visa petition filed by the petitioner is approved and the visa applicant is able to obtain immigrant visa status.
K4 visa
K4 visa is for unmarried children under 21 years old of a K3 applicant. K4 non-immigrant visa status is derived from the K3 parent if the children’s names have been included in the K3 visa petition.
Process
Processing the K visas usually involves the following steps:
- fiance visa petition
The US citizen file a fiance visa petition with the USCIS on behalf of the alien fiance. - USCIS approval and transfer to NVC
Upon approval of a fiance visa petition, USCIS transfers the case to NVC. National Visa Center (NVC) further processes your case and transfers it to to the consulate in fiance’s home country. - consulate interview
A consulate interview is held to determine eligibility for the visa
children under the age of 14 are required to appear in person at the embassy/consulate for the interview along with the visa applicant parent. Applicants should keep the appointments.
After Marriage
After marriage, your fiance (now your spouse) can apply for an Adjustment of Status to be able to live and work permanently in the US.
Work Permit
To work legally in the US, K1/K2 visa holder can file the application for employment authorization.
Social Security Number
K visa holder may apply Social Security Number 2 weeks after arrival in US.
Travel Outside the US
The fiance visa (K1/K2) holder allows a fiance to enter the US only once. It means that if you leave US after entering on fiance visa, you may not re-enter on the same visa and you will need a new visa.
After getting married and after filing an Adjustment of Status, if you want to leave and re-enter the US, you must apply for Advance Parole to return to the US.
