Integrity Legal

Since the recent worldwide economic downturn the global tourism industry has suffered a great deal. Much can be attributed to the fact that people have less disposable income, but others are of the opinion that increased promotion may be the key to dealing with this issue. In the United States, the government and business leaders have devised a plan to promote more travel to the USA. To quote a recent posting on CNN’s website:

“President Obama signed legislation into law Thursday to create the United States’ first national travel promotion program…The act will create a nonprofit Corporation for Travel Promotion that will promote the United States as a travel destination and explain travel and security policies to international visitors…”

One aspect of the new program that is stirring up some resentment is the addition of a $10 fee that much be paid by those wishing to enter the United States on the visa waiver program (not to be confused with an I-601 waiver of inadmissibility):

“A $10 fee charged to visitors from countries included in the Visa Waiver Program will partially fund the public-private organization. These visitors will pay the fee every two years when they register online using the Department of Homeland Security’s Electronic System for Travel Authorization…”

As readers may recall, The Electronic System For Travel Authorization (ESTA) is used by those who wish to seek entry into the USA on a visa waiver. This system pre-screens foreign entrants for security purposes. As mentioned previously, tourism around the world is declining, but this program may provide stimulus to this sector of the US economy:

“Despite strong global growth in long-haul international travel between 2000 and 2008, the U.S. welcomed 633,000 fewer overseas visitors in 2008 than it did in 2000, according to figures from the U.S. Department of Commerce. Oxford Economics, an economic consulting and forecasting company, estimates a well-executed promotional program would draw 1.6 million new international visitors annually and generate $4 billion in new visitor spending.”

It remains to be seen how this program will work, but certainly encouragement of tourism is necessary. However, some have questioned how requiring a new fee for travel to the United States will encourage tourism. This is certainly a valid point as increased restrictions on travel for so-called “visa waiver countries” may be one of the reasons behind decreased tourism. There are those who have called ESTA a new type of visa and now that there is a charge for the service it is beginning to become a sort of online visa. That being said, balancing security and economic concerns is difficult.

This new law will likely have very little impact for those from Thailand as Thai nationals do not enjoy “visa waiver” privileges. For this reason Thai nationals must apply for a US tourist visa if they wish to enter the US for recreational purposes. Further, Thais wishing to travel to the US to be with a fiance or spouse must apply for either a K1 visa or a US marriage visa before they will be able to be lawfully admitted.

Tags: Electronic System for Travel Authorization, ESTA, I-601, I-601 Waiver, I-601 Waiver Thailand, I601, I601 Waiver, I601 waiver Thailand, K-1 Visa, K1 Visa, K1 Visa Thailand, US Marriage Visa, US Marriage Visa Thailand, US Tourist Visa, US Tourist Visa Thailand, US Visa, US Visa Waiver Program, Visa Waiver, Visa Waiver Program
Posted in K1 Visa, K1 Visa Thailand, US Tourist Visa, US Visa and Immigration, US Visa Thailand, US Warrants | 1 Comment »

An interesting hypothetical question that is sometimes posed when researching the K1 visa is: who can my Thai fiancee marry once she arrives in the United States of America?

After issuance of a fiance visa, a beneficiary has six months to use the visa for travel to the US. The K1 visa is a single entry visa. Therefore, the beneficiary will only be allowed to enter the United States one time (if multiple entries are necessary, then the beneficiary must obtain an advance parole travel document). After entry, the beneficiary must marry the petitioner and apply for adjustment of status to conditional lawful permanent residence in the USA, but what happens if the beneficiary and petitioner decide not to get married? This occasionally occurs and in this situation the foreign fiancee must leave the USA within 90 days from their date of arrival.

In rare cases, a foreign fiancee will meet another individual and a romantic relationship arises. In this situation, there is not a way for a for fiancee to adjust status to permanent residence based upon marriage to another US Citizen or lawful permanent resident), if that US Citizen (or lawful permanent resident) is not the person specifically named on the K1 visa. In order to adjust status in this situation, the foreign beneficiary would need to leave the USA, obtain a new visa,  and reenter.

The K1 visa was designed to provide the foreign fiancee of a US Citizen with a travel document to be utilized for the sole purpose of specifically marrying the US Citizen petitioner. Therefore, an adjustment of status cannot be executed based upon a marriage to anyone else. There is a misconception that a K1 visa beneficiary can marry anyone in the USA and use that marriage as a basis for adjustment. This author believes that this misconception is based upon the fact that sometimes US Citizens will marry and adjust status with a foreign national present in the US on a tourist visa. Although this practice is very frowned upon by the Department of Homeland Security, it is possible to adjust status this way provided the foreign national did not enter the country with that undisclosed intention. That being said, in the case of the K1, the beneficiary may only adjust status based upon a marriage to the K1 petitioner.

On a related note, after adjustment of status, the foreign spouse will be considered a conditional lawful permanent resident (CR1) of the USA. The conditionality is based upon the continuation of the underlying marital relationship. Should the parties divorce while the beneficiary is in CR1 status, then the foreign spouse’s permanent residence will expire at the 2 year anniversary of the adjustment of status. However, a foreign spouse could remarry during this time period and apply for an adjustment of status based upon a marriage to another US Citizen. In this scenario, it would be highly likely that the officers at the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) would carefully scrutinize the bona fides of both relationships in order to be certain that the relationship is genuine.

No one should attempt to utilize a visa based upon false pretenses, the above scenarios are meant to provide insight into how the Immigration rules apply in practice. Applying for a visa based upon false statements of fact could be construed as an attempt to defraud the US Immigration service.

Tags: Adjustment of Status, Fiance Visa Thailand, K1 Visa Thailand, US Immigration, US Immigration Law Thailand, US Immigration Thailand, US Marriage Visa, US visa Law Thailand, US Visa Thailand, USCIS
Posted in Adjustment of Status, CR1 Visa, Fiance Visa Thailand, K1 Visa, K1 Visa Thailand, US Tourist Visa, US Visa and Immigration, US Visa Thailand | No Comments »

Many people become concerned when it becomes time to prepare for the visa interview at the US Embassy in Thailand. Since the US Visa obtainment process can be a true, “hurry up and wait” game there are sudden flurries of activity followed by lulls of inaction. Packet 3 can be a stressful time for the Thai-American couple because it requires a great deal of document gathering and compilation. This is difficult for Americans gathering documentation, but for a Thai fiancee or spouse it can be nearly overwhelming. In some cases, people opt to hire a US visa lawyer in Thailand, but some opt to compile the necessary documentation on their own. Whichever path is taken, this post will shed some light upon what packet 3 is and what needs to be done to fulfill the packet 3 requirements before the Visa interview at American Embassy in Thailand.

What is Packet 3?

Packet 3 is the list of documentation and instructions for the visa interview at the US Embassy. Non-Immigrant Visa Applicants (K1 Visa and K3 Visa) will receive packet 3 from the Embassy in Thailand.  Immigrant Visa applicants (CR-1 and IR-1 Visas) will receive packet 3 from the National Visa Center rather than the US Embassy in Bangkok. The National Visa Center conducts a more extensive background check on immigrant visa applicants due to the fact that an immigrant visa confers permanent residence upon entry into the USA.

Some of the documentation can be difficult to obtain. This is especially the case in situations in which the applicant is registered on a Tabien Baan in a province far from Bangkok and must obtain documentation from the Amphur in his or her home amphur office. Name change certificates are one of the most sought after pieces of documentation that is difficult to obtain because they must be obtained from the Amphur and Thais tend to change their names far more often than Americans due to the fact that name change is a much less difficult endeavor for Thais.

Having an attorney with knowledge regarding the US Immigration process can be extremely helpful for getting a jump-start on the packet 3 process. Having foreknowledge of what documents are needed for packet 3 can greatly speed up the process because one can inform the Thai applicant as to what is needed beforehand and thus prepare accordingly.

For more in depth instructions regarding packet 3 click here

Please note:  nothing in this post should be taken in lieu of competent advice from an attorney and no decisions regarding any aspect of US Immigration should be made without extensive research and thoughtful calculation.

Tags: American Embassy Thailand, K1 Visa Thailand, K3 Visa Thailand, Packet 3, us embassy bangkok, us embassy thailand, US Immigration Thailand, US Marriage Visa, US Visa Thailand
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The process of obtaining a US Visa from Thailand can be frustrating for some due to the fact that a great deal of both US and Thai government documents are necessary in order to obtain most American Visas. We will briefly discuss the time line for obtaining the US K1 Fiance Visa, K3 Marriage Visa, Conditional Resident Visa, and the Immediate Relative Visa based upon marriage. The Visa Journey can be a long process and many phases of it are “hurry up and wait,” in that there are long lulls in the process followed by burst of extreme activity where time is of the essence for meeting deadlines and getting an interview appointment.

The K1 Visa

The first step in the K1 Visa process is the filing of an I-129f fiancee visa application. This application is basically designed to confirm that the petitioner is indeed a US Citizen entitled to marry and has no criminal or immigration record that would conflict ith the provisions of the IMBRA. The USCIS will issue Notice of Action 1 which basically is an official receipt from the Immigration Service that they have obtained and will review the Petition. Should USCIS need more documentation, then they will issue an RFE (Request for Evidence), in this request they will explain what information is lacking and how the petitioner can prove up the petition.

After USCIS has adjudicated the petition, if they approve it, they will issue Notice of Action 2. This Notice informs the petitioner of the fact that the petition has been approved and it will be forwarded to the NVC (National Visa Center). The NVC will process the application and forward it to the correct Embassy for a Visa interview and adjudication by a consular officer.

At the interview the consular officer will review the petitioner’s I-134 Affidavit of Support as well as the Beneficiary’s documentation. Should the Consular officer request more information, then a 221(g) will be issued and the applicant will have 1 year to respond with the proper documentation. Upon approval the K1 Visa will be issued and the Beneficiary will need to enter the USA before the Visa expires.

Once the beneficiary enters the United States on a K1 Visa, she will have 90 days to get married and file for adjustment of status. If adjustment of status is approved then the beneficiary will be a lawful conditional permanent resident. After 2 years of lawful conditional permanent residence, the beneficiary withe the help of the US Citizen spouse will need to file for a lift of the conditionality of her visa. Once the conditions have been lifted then the beneficiary will be a lawful permanent resident of the Us without conditions.

Should the beneficiary wish to leave the USA while in K1 Status, then she would need to obtain advance parole. If she wishes to depart while in Lawful Permanent Resident Status, then it would be prudent to apply for and obtain a reentry permit.

IR-1 & CR-1 Visas based Upon Marriage

For either an IR-1 (Immediate Relative Visa) or CR-1 (Conditional Resident Visa), the same petition, the I-130, must be filed. At the time of the writing, USCIS is estimating that it takes approximately 6 months to adjudicate an I-130 petition. the process at USCIS is much the same in that both Notice of Action 1 & 2 will be issued and the file will be forwarded to the National Visa Center. Once there, it will undergo increased scrutiny than in the case of the K1 Visa and it generally takes longer for the file to be processed at NVC with an I-130 petition.

After it is processed by the NVC, it will be forwarded to the US Embassy in Bangkok, where the beneficiary must go through an interview before being granted a visa. Upon granting of the visa, the beneficiary will travel to the USA and upon entry will either be granted conditional permanent residence or lawful permanent residence without conditions. an IR-1 Visa confer permanent residence without conditions, but in order to qualify for this visa the couple must have been married for at least 2 years when the file the I-130 petition.

The K3 Marriage Visa

The K3 Visa was designed as an expedited marriage at a time when I-130 petitions were processing extermely slowly. At the time of this writing, the K3 Visa is currently processing at roughly the same rate as the I-130 petition. It is likely that filing a K3 petition will save the couple 6-8 weeks in visa processing. The major downside of the K3 is the fact that it does not confer the right to work in the USA, nor does it confer permanent residence upon entry. Adjustment of Status is necessary if a K3 holder wishes to become a permanent resident.

The K3 is a doubly filed visa petition in that one first files an I-130 petition and then an I-129f petition in order to obtain the K3 Visa. All aspects of the process are basically the same as mentioned above except for the fact that the 2 petitions are filed simultaneously and in this instance the I-129f petition is filed on behalf of a spouse rather than a fiancee.

Visas for Children of Prospective Immigrants

The Visa Journey for child immigrants is similar to that of their adult counterparts. Derivative Visas can be obtained for the children of K1 Visa seekers, K3 Visa Seekers and Immigrant Visas. In instances where a visa for a child is sought, the child will generally adjust status with their parent in order to become a permanent resident.

Tags: CR1 Visa, IR1 Visa, K1 Visa, K3 Visa, US Immigration Thailand, US Marriage Visa, US Visa Thailand, visa journey
Posted in General Legal Information, Miscellaneous, Thailand Business, us embassy bangkok, US Visa and Immigration, US Visa Thailand | No Comments »