Integrity Legal

As my Thai has begun to improve (slightly) I am beginning to see more and more layers of the tapestry that is Thai society. That being said, I did not expect to see something on the internet that would stop me in my tracks as much as the website www.usvisa4thai.com. This site is dedicated to assisting native Thai speakers with the United States Immigration process. It is setup as something of a forum and luckily for me the handy dandy Google translator has helped me navigate the site.

The author thinks this is a great idea because one of the major difficulties in dealing with US Immigration law and US visa obtainment in Thailand is the fact that often explaining the situation can be difficult. Some concepts in US Immigration law are difficult to grasp for a seasoned immigration attorney, let alone someone who does not speak English as their first language. In Thailand, explaining a concept that is as complicated as re-establishing domicile can be a very difficult task. This is where Thai paralegal staff comes in, but for those who opt not to retain an attorney I must imagine that understanding many US Immigration concepts is very difficult. Hopefully, USVISA4THAI will be used as a medium to clarify confusing issues.

Before learning of USVISA4THAI, we on this website made the decision to use our web presence in order to provide useful information. In that vein, we put up our own version of “us visa 4 thai,” by providing our United States visa information in both the Thai and English languages. Although certainly not as interactive as usvisa4thai, hopefully this information will be helpful to those who wish to immigrate to the United States of America.

An issue related to USVISA4Thai deals with issues involving the K1 visa interview at the US Embassy in Bangkok.  Many men in Thailand pose the question: “What if my Thai fiancee’s English is not that good?” Many people are worried about their Thai loved one’s ability with the spoken Thai language and whether that will adversely affect a K1 fiance visa application. In many cases a fiance visa application will not be detrimentally effected by a fiancee’s less than perfect grasp of the Thai language. A common misconception is based upon the idea that there is an English language requirement for a K1 visa. There is not an English language requirement per se. However, a bona fide relationship is a requirement of a K1 vsa applicant. Having an ability to speak with a loved one is strongly indicative of a bona fide relationship. Conversely, a lack of shared language could have a  detrimental impact upon a couple’s ability to obtain a K1 visa. Please note, that although we are talking about shared language, that language does not need to be English. It can be any language that the couple shares. Therefore if an American only speaks English and the Thai only speaks Thai, there may be problems showing a bona fide relationship because a lack of communication is a primary indicator of lack of bona fides in a relationship.

(This is not legal advice. No attorney-client relationship should be construed to exist between author and reader.)

Tags: American Visa Thailand, K1 visa application, k1 visa interview, K1 Visa Thailand, US Immigration, US visa 4 Thai, US Visa Thailand