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K3 Visa Thailand: The K-3 Marriage Visa for Thai Spouses

Many Thai/American married couples are curious about the K3 visa for bringing a Thai wife to the USA. On our Immigrant Spouse Visa page, we discuss the K-3 Visa in some detail. The reason for combining the two subjects on one page is the fact that the K-3 Visa is essentially a hybrid visa. After learning a bit about Marriage Visas, clients often ask why the K-3 Visa was created.

Origin of the K3 Visa

The K3 Visa came into being initially because of the sometimes extremely long wait associated with the Immediate Relative Marriage Visa. At one time, it was taking as long as 3 years for USCIS (then known as INS) to process an I-130 petition. Congress enacted legislation that would allow a married couple who had filed an I-130 petition to obtain a Non-Immigrant Visa. This Non-immigrant K3 visa would allow a couple to wait in the USA for the I-130 petition to be processed and Permanent Residence to be granted. Under the current immigration laws, when filing for a K3 Visa from Thailand, a Thai/American couple is basically filing for two visas.

The K-3 Visa for a Thai Wife: Two Visas in One

In order to obtain a K3 Visa for a Thai wife one must first file an I-130 Immediate Relative petition with USCIS. After receiving Notice of Action 1 from USCIS, the petitioner then has the option to file an I-129f application (the same application used to obtain a K1 Fiancee visa) for a non-immigrant spouse visa. The K3 is generally granted for 2 years and is a multiple entry visa. This means that it will not be mandatory for a Thai wife to obtain advance parole before leaving the United States on a K3 Visa.

US Immigration Attorneys in Thailand: How They Can Help You!

Since the K3 petition process can be somewhat complicated and frustrating due to the fact that two visas are being requested, it may be advisable to retain an Immigration Attorney to assist in the process. For the Married Couple in Thailand this can be especially true because so many documents must be translated from Thai to English, and vice versa. A legal team employing both US Immigration Attorneys and Thai Lawyers is optimally equipped to handle US Immigration matters for a Thai/American couple. Let Integrity Legal assist you and your Thai loved one with the US Visa obtainment process.

For more information please see:

K1 visa
Fiance Visa