This is the US Spouse Visa in Thailand from Thailand. The Thai spouse of a US national, including the children of the spouse may enter the US on non-immigrant visas. The visa for the spouse and for the children are the proper visas needed. The US Spouse Visa is the type of visa suitable for foreign spouses of US citizens, or as defined as for those who are legally married to each other. Cohabiting partners are not considered as spouse as of the US visa purposes.
US Spouse Visa in Thailand
For polygamist marriages, only the first spouse or wife can apply for the US Spouse Visa. The US does not allow polygamy, and if you were previously married you should present your divorce certificate or death certificate whichever is applicable. Also to note that religious ceremonies does not mean that it is sufficient for the Spouse visa application as we are looking into legalities which is of legal binding, a Thai marriage registered.
The application for the US Spouse Visa in Thailand begins with the I-130 petition for alien relative. Once you have received the receipt for the petition, the US national needs to wait for a Notice of Petition approval to move on with the next process of the spouse petition. If the I-130 application is approved then the USCIS will forward it for evaluation at the National Visa Center, they will review all supporting documents and notifies the Petitioner to move on with the next step with the US Embassy.
The US Embassy in Bangkok will then send a list of requirements and visa application forms upon receiving of the approved petitions. After submitting all the required documents, a visa interview will be scheduled by the embassy. Your spouse will be required to obtain a medical certificate from specified locations in Bangkok or recognised clinics for medical check. Then, the interview at the US Embassy is the last step in the spouse visa application process. The applicant will be issued a spouse visa if everything goes well, and also visas issued to the children of the spouse within a few days.
The time limit set for the I-130 petition is maximum of 12 months from the date of approval. Once this given time has ended, the embassy may extend the validity of your petition as to revalidation of the petition.
Children of the US visa holder do not need to file a separate petition. The children should be listed under the I-130 petition and the I-130A form. Failure to enlist their names would result to complications later for the issuance of their respective visas, but normally the visa will not be turned down for reasons that the child has not been listed.