Thai and US Travel Documents: The Visa
General September 29th, 2009Even though this query sounds as if it has an easy answer, in reality visas are a complicated area for laypeople. Many people are unaware of the fact that until the turn of the twentieth century, passports were rarely issued and visas were almost unheard of.
The Visas discussed in this article are not the kind that you swipe at the local mall to buy things. Instead, they are the documents needed in order to enter most countries around the world. A widely held belief involves the concept that the holder of a visa has an unalienable “right” to enter the foreign nation. In most cases, a visa is not the equivalent of a “right of entry.” Instead, a visa is simply an acknowledgment by a diplomatic or consular officer that the person holding the visa should be accorded the right to seek entry.
There are a multitude of visa categories pursuant to Thailand Visa Regulations. Thailand seems to have a Permanent Resident system comparable to that of the USA. Although at first blush the process seems straightforward. In reality, the procedures can be quite complicated due to quotas set according to the nationality of the applicant. In the late 1970’s the Thai government authorities at Royal Thai Immigration promulgated non-immigrant visa categories. At present the most common categories are the B visa (Thailand Business Visa), the Thailand O Visa, and the Thailand Retirement Visa.
Many Thai people seek to obtain travel privileges to the United States of America. One of the most popular visas utilized in Thailand is the K1 fiance visa. The K1 visa was created for Thai fiancee’s of American Citizens who wish to travel to the USA and marry their loved one.
In situations where a bi-national couple has already legally wed, it might be appropriate to file for an Immigrant visa with US Immigration. The CR-1 or IR-1 Visa (Immigrant) give the bearer the right to reside permanently in the USA. Usually, an Immigrant visa has a processing time of 12 months. At the same time, for married couples wishing to get to the US more quickly the K3 visa may be advisable. The K3, like the K1, is a non-immigrant visa category. This means that the K3 visa holder will need to adjust their status in the USA. In the past, K3’s were considered important because CR1 and IR1 Immigrant visas took a long time to process. The K3 is slowly being rendered obsolete due to increased efficiency on the part of USCIS.
Countries other than the Kingdom of Thailand and the United States issue visas.
For more information please see Thailand Visa
This isn’t a sufficient alternative to individualized legal counsel. No Attorney/client relationship should be inferred from reading this article.)
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