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Posts Tagged ‘IR1 Visa Thailand’
13th June 2010
K Visas vs. Immigrant Visas: Increased Fees May Lead to New Strategies
Posted by : admin
With the recently announced fee increases associated with K visa applications filed overseas, there are many who feel that serious thought should be given to the type of visa a couple should petition to obtain. In the past, many couples who were thinking of marriage opted to apply for a US fiance visa, also referred to as a K1 visa. That being said, it was recently announced that the application fee for all K visas sought overseas would be increased from $131 to $350. Apparently, the resources accrued are to be used in furtherance of fraud prevention measures as well as implementation of measures meant to streamline the overall visa process. As the fee increase was only recently announced, it remains to be seen how newly acquired fees will be used on the Consular level. With that in mind, it has also been recently announced that USCIS may be raising fees for Immigrant visa petitions. For those who are unfamiliar with this blog, it should be noted that for purposes of traveling to the USA, the K1 visa and the K3 Visa are considered to be immigrant visas even though they do not automatically confer lawful permanent residence to the bearer upon entry in the USA.
Those seeking a US visa would be prudent to seriously consider their options because the costs associated with the process of applying for and obtaining a CR1 visa or an IR1 visa may be lower in some cases when compared to the costs associated with the K1 visa process. When viewed from a long term perspective the CR1 visa, although more time consuming to obtain, confers lawful permanent residence to the bearer upon entry and thereby negates the necessity of adjustment of status which is necessary for those who travel to the US on a K1 visa with the intent to marry the Petitioner and remain in the USA permanently.
In most cases, those wishing to bring a spouse to the USA are wise to bear in mind the fact that K3 visa applications, once a popular travel document for bi-national married couples, are now being administratively closed by the National Visa Center if the underlying I-130 is approved prior to, or at the same time as, the I-129f application. This has lead to many instances of spouses being required by circumstance to process a CR1 or IR1 visa rather than a K3 visa because the NVC simply will not process the K3 application.
For those interested in further information about US Immigration please see: American Visa Thailand.
6th May 2010
Puerto Rico To Begin Issuing New Birth Certificates
Posted by : admin
Few people realize that Puerto Rico is, for immigration purposes, part of the United States of America. This legal posture is enshrined in the United States Immigration and Nationality Act. In a recent posting on the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration Website it was announced that the Puerto Rican authorities will be making sweeping changes to the rules effecting the issuance of birth certificates:
The government of Puerto Rico has enacted a new law (Law 191 of 2009) aimed at strengthening the issuance and usage of birth certificates to combat fraud and protect the identity and credit of all people born in Puerto Rico.
The new law was based on collaboration with the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to address the fraudulent use of Puerto Rico-issued birth certificates to unlawfully obtain U.S. passports, Social Security benefits, and other federal services.
Under the new law, all Puerto Rico birth certificates issued before July 1, 2010, will be invalidated so that new, more secure certificates can be issued. Until that date, all birth certificates will remain valid.
It is important to understand that there is no need to rush out and get a new birth certificate on July 1. It is suggested that only people who have a specific need for their birth certificate for official purposes need request a new birth certificate right away.
As many may be aware, birth certificates are an integral component of many visa petition packages. This is particularly true for K1 visa petitions, K3 Visa petitions, IR1 and CR1 visa petitions. How these proposed chages will impact immigration to the United States from abroad, and from Puerto Rico, remains to be seen, but it is clear that government officials are taking the issue of fraud prevention seriously.
Birth certificates are such an important piece of documentation that some believe that it is clearly self evident that maintaining the integrity of such documents is vitally important in maintaining security in the United States of America. In the 50 United States, there have been innumerable programs that are intended to make it more difficult for individuals to obtain fraudulent documentation. It would appear that this overall policy is being extended to US territorial possessions in order to provide increased document security in the outlying jurisdictions of the United States of America.
For more information about births overseas and obtaining birth registration documentation from abroad please see: Consular Report of Birth Abroad. For information about registering Thai births overseas please see: Thai Consular Report of Birth Abroad.
21st April 2010
ศูนย์วีซ่าแห่งชาติ และ วีซ่าอเมริกาจากประเทศไทย
Posted by : admin
For information in English please see: National Visa Center.
NVC คืออะไร?
กระบวนการขอรับผลประโยชน์จากการเข้าเมืองของสหรัฐอเมริกาอาจจะยุ่งยากเป็นบางครั้ง แต่โดยภาพรวมแล้วหากว่าเข้าใจขั้นตอนหรือมีการจ้างทนายความผู้มีประสบการณ์ก็อาจจะทำให้ง่ายขึ้น
คำถามที่พบบ่อยๆเกี่ยวกับกระบวนการขอวีซ่าก็คือ NVC คืออะไรและมีหน้าที่อะไร NVC ย่อมาจากศูนย์วีซ่าแห่งชาติ ซึ่งเป็นหน่วยงานรัฐภายใต้อำนาจของกระทรวงต่างประเทศสหรัฐอเมริกา NVC มีสำนักงานอยู่ที่ Portsmouth มลรัฐ New Hampshire อำนาจของ NVC คือการดำเนินการคำขอวีซ่าและทำให้แน่ใจว่าคำขอวีซ่าจะถูกส่งต่อไปยังหน่วยงานที่อยู่ในพื้นที่ผู้รับผลประโยชน์มีภูมิลำเนาอยู่
NVC ยังรับผิดชอบในการรวบรวมค่าธรรมเนียมวีซ่าถาวร และเอกสารสำคัญที่จำเป็นต้อเจ้าหน้าที่กงสุลในการพิจารณาคำขอ
กระบวรการดำเนินการของ NVC วีซ่าไม่ถาวรและวีซ่าถาวร
การดำเนินการของ NVC นั้นยุ่งยากและใช้เวลาค่อนข้างมากกว่าสำหรับวีซ่าถาวร ซึ่งตรงข้ามกับวีซ่าไม่ถาวร กิจกรรมหนึ่งที่ NVC ทำบ่อยๆก็คือการตรวจสอบด้านความมั่นคงและตรวจสอบภูมิหลังของผู้ที่มีความประสงค์จะเข้าประเทศสหรัฐอเมริกา หลังจากเหตุการณ์ 11 กันยายน 2544 NVC ได้มีบทบาทสำคัญเพื่อทำให้มั่นใจว่าบุคคลเหล่านั้นจะไม่เป็นภัยต่อความมั่นคงของประเทศสหรัฐอเมริกา
NVC นั้นบางครั้งถูกเข้าใจสับสนกับ NBC หรือ ศูนย์ผลประโยชน์แห่งชาติซึ่งได้รับมอบหมายจาก USCIS ให้จัดการเกี่ยวกับเอกสารก่อนสัมภาษณ์สำหรับการสัมภาษณ์คนเข้าเมืองในประเทศสหรัฐอเมริกา
สำหรับคนที่ต้องการนำคู่หมั้นชาวไทยไปอเมริกาโดยวีซ่า K1 ขั้นตอน NVC มักจะเร็วกว่าผู้ขอวีซ่าอพยพ ซึ่งก็เป็นจริงสำหรับกรณีวีซ่า K3 จากประเทศไทยที่ยื่นคำขอเพิ่มเติม I129F ในกรณีใดๆก็ตาม เมื่อวีซ่าได้รับการอนุมัติจาก USCIS มันจะถูกส่งต่อไปยัง NVC และ เมื่อได้รับอนุมัติคำขอจะถูกส่งไปยังสถานทูตสหรัฐอเมริกาหรือสถานกงสุลใหญ่
ขึ้นอยู่กับจำนวนเรื่องที่ NVC กระบวนการอาจจะใช้เวลาจาก 2 ถึง 8 สัปดาห์ ในการดำเนินการและส่งต่อเรื่องไปยังสถานทูตในต่างประเทศ อย่างไรก็ตามนี่ก็เป็นแค่ระยะเวลาโดยเฉลี่ยเท่านั้น ระยะเวลาในการดำเนินการสำหรับหน่วยงานของสหรัฐก็มักจะต่างกันไป
เมื่อยื่นคำขอที่ USCIS ในกรุงเทพมหานคร NVC จะไม่เข้ามามีส่วนในขั้นตอนใดๆเนื่องจากคำขอจะถูกส่งตรงไปยังสถานทูตอเมริกาประจำกรุงเทพมหานครซึ่งอยู่ฝั่งตรงข้ามทันที
20th April 2010
I-130 Filing in Thailand: Do I need to physically file it?
Posted by : admin
In previous posts this author has discussed the I-130 petition for an immediate relative for a visa to the United States of America. For those present in countries that do not have an office of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) it may be possible to file such a petition directly with the Consulate by utilizing a method known as Direct Consular Filing. However, in a country where an overseas office of USCIS is located it is incumbent upon to petitioner to file at the local USCIS office, provided he or she meets the residence requirements for the office to take jurisdiction. That being said, many are under the mistaken impression that only the petitioner and beneficiary, together, can submit an application. This is not necessarily the case.
8 CFR 292.1 states:
(a) A person entitled to representation [before USCIS] may be represented by any of the following:
(1) Attorneys in the United States. Any attorney as defined in §1.1(f) of this chapter.
Section 1.1(f), referenced above states:
“The term attorney means any person who is a member in good standing of the bar of the highest court of any State, possession, territory, Commonwealth, or the District of Columbia, and is not under any order of any court suspending, enjoining, restraining, disbarring, or otherwise restricting him in the practice of law.”
In practical terms, this means that a licensed attorney in the United States is entitled to represent clients before the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service. There is no geographical restriction placed upon this right. Therefore, those wishing to file an I-130 to travel to the United States are entitled, as a matter of law, to attorney representation.
This can provide a real boon to those who do not wish to deal with the petition submission process. Since an attorney in entitled to act on behalf of clients in matters involving petitions for the IR1 visa and the CR1 visa in Thailand, the Petitioner and Beneficiary need simply provide required documents to their attorney and the attorney can file the petition on their behalf. In some limited cases, USCIS officers require that a Petitioner or Beneficiary appear in person regarding a pending case. Should this situation arise, the Petitioner or Beneficiary is entitled to have their attorney present for such a meeting with USCIS officers.
Unfortunately, in Thailand there are many agencies and “fly by night” operations claiming to have the right and expertise to assist in visa matters. However, many of these so-called “lawyers” are not licensed to practice law in the United States, nor in any other jurisdiction. Therefore, they cannot present an I-130 submission on behalf of another. In a way, an I-130 local filing is a “litmus test” of whether or not an individual is really an American attorney. If a so-called “attorney” requires the Petitioner and/or Beneficiary to file the I-130 personally and the so-called “attorney” is unwilling to appear personally, then this may be a sign that they are an unlicensed operator and should be avoided.
For further information please see US Visa Thailand. For further information regarding USCIS local jurisdiction please see: USCIS Bangkok.
19th April 2010
Notice of Action 2 จาก USCIS คืออะไร?
Posted by : admin
สำหรับผู้ที่กำลังหาข้อมูลเกี่ยวกับเอกสารวีซ่าอเมริกาที่เรียกว่า Notice of Action 2 ซึ่งถูกกล่าวถึงบ่อยในกรณีที่เกี่ยวกับคำขอวีซ่าคู่สมรสและวีซ่าคู่หมั้น กะทู้นี้จะอธิบายว่า Notice of Action 2 คืออะไร และมีความหมายอย่างไรกับคำขอวีซ่าที่อยู่ระหว่างพิจารณา
เมื่อยื่นคำขอวีซ่า เอกสารตอบรับฉบับแรกที่ได้รับจาก USCIS คือใบรับเรียกว่า Notice of Action 1 ( NOA 1 ) เพื่อเป็นการแจ้งแก่ผู้ยื่นขอวีซ่าว่า USCIS ได้รับคำขอวีซ่าแล้ว มีบางกรณีที่เจ้าหน้าที่ผู้พิจารณาเรื่องเห็นว่าต้องมีการยื่นหลักฐานเพิ่มเติมก่อนที่เรื่องจะได้รับการพิจารณา ในกรณีเช่นว่านี้ คำขอหลักฐาน ( รู้จักกันในชื่อ RFE ) จะถูกส่งไปยังผู้ยื่นขอวีซ่า อย่างไรก็ตาม ในกรณีส่วนใหญ่ หลักฐานเพิ่มเติมก็ไม่มีความจำเป็นและหากว่าคำขอวีซ่าได้รับการอนุมัติแล้ว Notice of Action 2 ก็จะถูกส่งไปยังผู้ยื่นขอวีซ่า ถ้าคำขอวีซ่าถูกปฏิเสธ ก็จะมีการส่งหนังสือแจ้งไปยังผู้ยื่นเช่นกัน
แม้ว่าจะไม่ค่อยเกิดขึ้นซักเท่าไหร่สำหรับคำขอวีซ่าครอบครัว การปฏิเสธของ USCIS ก็สามารถเกิดขึ้นได้ การปฏิเสธมักเป็นผลมาจากการที่คำร้องนั้นไม่แสดงให้เห็นความสัมพันธ์อันแท้จริงระหว่างผู้ยื่นและผู้รับผลประโยชน์ในขณะที่ยื่น หรือในอีกกรณีคือการที่ยิ่นขอวีซ่าผิดประเภท การสมรสตามประเพณีไทยก็เป็นอีกสาเหตุหนึ่งที่ทำให้เข้าใจทางเลือกในการขอวีซ่าอพยพเมริกาได้อย่างผิดๆ ในประเทศไทย หากว่าการสมรสนั้นมิได้เป็นการจดทะเบียน ณ สำนักทะเบียนอำเภอ ก็ถือว่ามิได้เป็นการสมรสโดยถูกต้องตามกฎหมายในสายตาของ หน่วยงานคนเข้าเมืองสหรัฐอเมริกาและไม่ถือว่าเป็นเหตุที่ทำให้สามารถขอวีซ่าอพยพเข้าเมืองสหรัฐอเมริกาได้
ดังนั้น หากว่าคู่รักที่ได้สมรสกันอย่างไม่เป็นทางการยื่นขอวีซ่า IR 1, CR 1 หรือ K3 คำขอก็จะถูกปฏิเสธเพราะว่ามีคุณสมบัติไม่เพียงพอในการออกวีซ่าให้ อย่างไรก็ตามสำหรับคู่รักในกรณีเหล่านี้ คุณสามารถขอวีซ่า K1 ได้
หลังจากที่ USCIS ออก Notice of Action 2 ให้ คำขอจะถูกส่งต่อไปยัง National Visa Center ในกรณีที่เกี่ยวกับวีซ่าอพยพถาวร NVC จะดึงเรื่องไว้นานพอสมควร อย่างไรก็ตาม หากเป็นกรณี ของวีซ่า K1 NVC จะไม่ดึงเรื่องเอาไว้นานสักเท่าไหร่ แต่จะดำเนินการตรวจสอบทางความมั่นคงและส่งต่อเรื่องไปยังสถานทูตสหรัฐอเมริกา ในกรณีคู่หมั้นชาวไทย จะมีการส่งเรื่องไปยังสถานทูตสหรับอเมริกาประจำกรุงเทพมหานคร กงสุลใหญ่ ประจำเชียงใหม่ จะไม่ดำเนินการวีซ่าอพยพถาวร
5th January 2010
The IR1 visa from Thailand in 2010
Posted by : admin
For more information about how the IR-1 visa process works please see: IR1 visa Thailand. For further information about United States Immigration, United States Visas, and United States Immigration attorneys please see: US Visa Thailand.
The IR-1 visa in 2010
As with many of the other types of American visas, the IR-1 visa process seems poised to remain largely unchanged in the year 2010. However, the dawning of a new year, and a new decade, provides this author with an opportunity to discuss the IR-1 visa and how the IR1 visa process works.
For those who are not familiar with the IR1 visa, this is an immigrant visa, sought pursuant to a filing of an I-130 application, for those who wish to travel to the United States of America in order to take up lawful permanent residence. It is a travel document similar to the CR-1 visa. That being said, there is a major difference in the type of status each document confers upon entry in the United States. An IR-1 visa provides the bearer with unconditional lawful permanent residence upon entry. Whereas the CR-1 visa only provides the bearer with conditional lawful permanent residence upon admission to the USA. This can be a crucial difference as conditional residence requires that the couple file for a lift of conditions in order for the foreign spouse to be considered an unconditional lawful permanent resident. This is a critical difference because it means that a foreign spouse who enters in CR-1 status is considered a permanent resident only so long as her marriage remains intact. A divorce or death could lead to a situation where the foreign spouse is forced to depart the United States.
Fortunately for some couples, the conditionality of permanent residence is adjudicated at admission to the United States. Therefore, those who were married less than two years when they applied may be married more than 2 years at admission. In many cases, these couples will have the foreign spouse enter in IR-1 status rather than CR-1 status in order to facilitate later convenience.
CR-1 and IR-1 visas are currently taking approximately 5 months to process through the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) in the United States. This figure presupposes that the foreign beneficiary is a child or spouse of a United States Citizen. The process is very similar to the CR-1 visa process. That being said, there are those in Thailand who opt to submit a local filing at the USCIS office in Bangkok which can greatly reduce the processing time because USCIS: Bangkok has a much lower case load of such petitions when compared to the Service Centers in the United States of America. Also, a local filing does not process through the National Visa Center which can decrease the overall processing time as well.
In order to submit a local filing the couple must meet some fairly strict criteria, but should these requirements be met, the expedited processing time could be a virtual boon to those wishing to move quickly.
31st December 2009
Comprehensive Immigration Reform and Family Immigration
Posted by : admin
For those with relatives overseas the immigration process can at times seem interminable. In most cases, the visa process involves multiple US government agencies and can be somewhat confusing as Immigration is an area in which different regulations overlap.
Currently, there is a Bill in Congress that would reform the United States Immigration system. Many practitioners of Immigration law as well as immigrants feel as though the time has come to reform the American Immigration system. On the American Immigration Lawyers Association Leadership blog there has been a recent posting about the current state of the Immigration system, ways it can be fixed, and how all of these issues impact Americans as well immigrants. To quote directly from the blog posting:
“The crises in family and employment immigration are chronic and pressing. The backlog in family and employment waiting lines is gravely dispiriting and undermines the long-held principle of family reunification. Immigrant Visa Numbers Hopelessly Encased In Amber. The situation is deteriorating every day with more detentions, more denials, more delays, more deportations and more defective decisions. ICE has now reported 105 deaths in civil immigration custody since 2003. More Immigrant Deaths in US Detention CommonDreams.org Now is the time to turn the tide of the culture of “No” pervading our immigration system. We need to unite families and we need to keep industry vibrant and competitive.”
At present, the K1 visa process for Thai fiancees takes approximately 6-7 months from K1 visa application submission until final decision at the US Embassy in Bangkok.
The K3 visa process generally takes approximately 8 months from initial I-130 submission until the the visa interview.
It now takes about 11-12 months to process a CR-1 or IR-1 visa if the petition is filed in the United States of America.
There are some who would argue that it takes too long to obtain a US visa for an immediate relative. Others find it rather odd that a fiancee visa takes less time to process than a marriage visa. This could be attributed to the fact the K1 visa does not provide the bearer with long term lawful presence in the United States of America, but instead only provides the visa holder with 90 days status in the USA and the opportunity to adjust status to permanent residence subsequent to marriage.
The upcoming Comprehensive Immigration Reform bill will be an interesting thing to watch as it will likely have a dramatic impact upon future immigrants to the United States as well as some of those currently processing through the Immigration system.
23rd December 2009
Determining Conditionality of US Lawful Permanent Residence
Posted by : admin
For those who have been married to an alien spouse for less than 2 years, the only immigrant visa category that the couple may apply for is a CR1 visa. For those who have been married for more than 2 years at the time of application an IR1 visa may be available. Usually, when the alien spouse travels to the United States of America on a CR1 visa he or she will be admitted with conditional lawful permanent residence. However, there is a question on the lips of many couples: what if we were married less than two years when we filed a visa application, but more than two years when we obtained the visa? The answer: the alien spouse’s status at entry may depend upon the duration of the marriage at the time of his or her admission to the United States of America.
For aliens with conditional lawful permanent residence, it is necessary to file for a lift of conditions before the alien will be granted unconditional lawful permanent residence.
When an alien is admitted to the United States, they must pass through a Customs and Border Protection checkpoint, this is commonly referred to as a port of entry. It is a common misconception that a US visa gives the visa holder the “right,” to enter the USA. In reality, a visa only provides the bearer with the right to travel to a US port of entry and ask for admission. When a CR1 visa holder travels to the USA they are admitted in lawful permanent residence, but the conditionality of that residence is determined by the Customs and Border Protection Officer admitting the alien. For couples who have had their two year anniversary before the alien spouse’s first trip to the USA, Customs and Border Protection will likely admit the alien spouse to unconditional permanent residence because conditionality is determined at the time of entry.
In some cases where a couple fails to meet the two year marriage requirement, but their second anniversary is in the very near future, it may be prudent for them to simply wait until after their second anniversary before the alien spouse asks for permission to enter the US for the first time. This way, the couple would not need to apply for a lift of conditions after the alien spouse enters the USA because the alien spouse will likely be granted unconditional permanent residence upon arrival in the United States.
21st December 2009
US Visa Processing Times: K1, K2, K3, K4, CR1, CR2, IR1, IR2
Posted by : admin
The United States Visa Process can be extremely confusing particularly when it come to United States Family Immigration. Below are the processing time estimates promulgated by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS). We post these processing times on this blog as a courtesy to those thinking about filing an Immigration petition or with a petition currently pending. To learn more visit the USCIS website.
These are the current processing time estimates for the USCIS California Service Center
| I-129F | Petition for Alien Fiance(e) | K-1/K-2 – Not yet married – fiance and/or dependent child | 5 Months |
|---|---|---|---|
| I-129F | Petition for Alien Fiance(e) | K-3/K-4 – Already married – spouse and/or dependent child | 5 Months |
| I-130 | Petition for Alien Relative | U.S. citizen filing for a spouse, parent, or child under 21 | 5 Months |
| I-130 | Petition for Alien Relative | U.S. citizen filing for an unmarried son or daughter over 21 | January 23, 2005 |
| I-130 | Petition for Alien Relative | U.S. citizen filing for a married son or daughter over 21 | May 23, 2002 |
| I-130 | Petition for Alien Relative | U.S. citizen filing for a brother or sister | September 09, 2000 |
| I-130 | Petition for Alien Relative | Permanent resident filling for a spouse or child under 21 | November 02, 2006 |
| I-130 | Petition for Alien Relative | Permanent resident filling for an unmarried son or daughter over 21 | November 02, 2002 |
| I-131 | Application for Travel Document | All other applicants for advance parole | 3 Months |
| I-212 | Application for Permission to Reapply for Admission into the U.S. After Deportation or Removal | Readmission after deportation or removal | 4 Months |
These are the processing time estimates for the Vermont Service Center of USCIS:
| I-129F | Petition for Alien Fiance(e) | K-1/K-2 – Not yet married – fiance and/or dependent child | 5 Months |
|---|---|---|---|
| I-129F | Petition for Alien Fiance(e) | K-3/K-4 – Already married – spouse and/or dependent child | 5 Months |
| I-130 | Petition for Alien Relative | U.S. citizen filing for a spouse, parent, or child under 21 | 5 Months |
| I-130 | Petition for Alien Relative | U.S. citizen filing for an unmarried son or daughter over 21 | April 16, 2007 |
| I-130 | Petition for Alien Relative | U.S. citizen filing for a married son or daughter over 21 | June 05, 2006 |
| I-130 | Petition for Alien Relative | U.S. citizen filing for a brother or sister | June 19, 2007 |
| I-130 | Petition for Alien Relative | Permanent resident filling for a spouse or child under 21 | June 12, 2006 |
| I-130 | Petition for Alien Relative | Permanent resident filling for an unmarried son or daughter over 21 | June 05, 2006 |
| I-131 | Application for Travel Document | All other applicants for advance parole | 3 Months |
| I-212 | Application for Permission to Reapply for Admission into the U.S. After Deportation or Removal | Readmission after deportation or removal | 4 Months |
|---|
It should always be remembered that these processing times are merely estimates and cannot be definitively relied upon. Every case is unique and processes in its own time based upon the unique facts of the case. That being said, the above figures fairly accurately reflect the amount of time it takes to obtain a decision from USCIS. For those processing through the US Embassy Bangkok, it should be noted that the above figures do not take into account Consular Processing as the Embassy is under the jurisdiction of the American State Department and not the Department of Homeland Security.
Although the K1 visa remains the fastest family based visa category, it does not confer lawful permanent residence upon entry like the IR1 or CR1 visa. This can also be said for the K3 visa as it is classified as a non-immigrant dual intent visa and therefore requires the alien to adjust status after entering the USA.
For previous figures please see: US visa processing times.
1st November 2009
K3 Visa Thailand: Consular Processing or Adjustment of Status
Posted by : admin
Many married couples seeking United States immigration benefits submit an I-129f application for the K3 visa as a supplement to the filing of an I-130 petition for a IR1 or CR1 visa. Essentially a K3 application is a supplemental application because in order to obtain K3 benefits the couple must file a second application. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) has two service centers where K3 visa applications are adjudicated. The I-130 application is submitted to a different USCIS location. During the USCIS processing phase the two petitions are adjudicated in a similar manner, but once the petitions are approved, the I-129f application for a K3 visa processes in a different manner from the I-130 application for a CR1 or IR1 visa.
The K3 visa process sees the I-129f quickly processed through the National Visa Center in New Hampshire (NVC) and sent to the US Embassy abroad. Once at the US Embassy the couple will need to gather documentation and prepare for the K3 visa interview. However, this phase of the process begs the question: is it better to adjust status in the USA or wait for the CR1 visa application to process through the NVC and obtain a CR1 visa from the US Embassy abroad? The CR1 visa takes longer to process as packet 3 is sent to the NVC rather than directly to the Embassy. NVC processing of an Immigrant visa (CR1/IR1) can take a great deal of time. However, the benefit of entering in CR1 status is that the Beneficiary enters with Lawful Permanent Residence upon arrival in the USA. Where the Beneficiary enters the US in K3 visa status, she is not stamped in with lawful permanent residence. Instead she must submit an application for adjustment of status sometime after her arrival in the USA.
In general, it takes approximately 6 months to process an adjustment of status application in the United States. However, the K3 visa beneficiary is entitled to depart from, and return to, the USA while the adjustment is processing because the K3 visa is a multiple entry visa and, once granted, it has a validity of 2 years. However, the adjustment of status process can be costly which is why some couples opt to forego the K3 visa application and simply wait for the approval of the I-130 application for a CR1 or IR1 visa.
It may be possible to have it both ways. A K3 visa beneficiary could go to the USA and return to Thailand to have the CR1 visa interview at the US Embassy in Bangkok. This method is often utilized where a couple wishes to briefly be reunited in order to celebrate the holiday season or an anniversary. Upon the foreign national’s subsequent entry into the USA in CR1 or IR1 status lawful permanent residence will begin and the K3 visa will be effectively nullified.
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