The US Visa or K1 Fiancée Visa is a type of visa for the purpose of bringing a Thai fiancée to the United States to get married. Once in the US, you and your Thai fiancée will have the maximum of 90 days in which you have to get married, after which, apply for an adjustment of status to further stay in the US. Change of plans and not being able to marry at the given period would cause your fiancée to leave the US and travel back to Thailand.
There are stages for this visa application. What are those?
A petition must be submitted to USCIS in the US and process will approximately take at least 2-3 months until you hear from the USCIS if petition is being approved. However, if you are US national currently living and working in Thailand, you have the privilege to apply in person for the said petition at the USCIS Office in Thailand. Waiting period may vary as petitions submitted in Thailand take lesser waiting time.
Once you have received a notice that the petition has now been approved. The USCIS will then forward it to the National Visa Center for review and further processing. After a month, most likely, the National Visa Center will send you a notice requesting for you to proceed with the process. This which documentations be submitted at the US Embassy in Bangkok. This stage of the application is being known as the packet 3. After this, the US Embassy will send your Thai fiancée a packet for an interview date. This shall be requesting her to proceed with her medical check.
The final day has come and she has to go for the embassy interview. The interview itself will take only few minutes and usually questions being asked are in relation to your relationship. On the same date of interview, you will know if your visa has been approved or denied. Once approved. The US Embassy shall instruct you that your passport will be returned to you by post in few days.
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The entire process will depend upon which state you are in. This and the entire process would usually take between 6-8 months from USCIS receiving the packet to attaining the visa.
These are just the basics of the K1 visa application process, proper documentations should be submitted in order to be granted a visa. Missing a certain document would mean a delay. It is best to consult and speak to an immigration lawyer in Thailand about your concerns.
Living in Thailand is never that easy. When issues arise, may it be just a simple issue or to the more complex ones. It is always good to find a consultant or a law firm in Thailand. One that offers diverse services not only for locals. But especially for foreigners and expats.
