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What do I need to bring when I submit my student visa
application?
All
visa applications require a passport valid for at least
6 months beyond the date of the application as well as
a recent passport size black and white photograph. Students
are also required to submit an I-20 form (from a school
in the US), evidence of prior education (transcripts),
proof of financial assets (i.e. bank statements, to show
that you have sufficient funds to cover the costs of tuition
and living expenses), and proof of residence outside the
United States.
How
can I make sure my application will be approved?
Although
there is no way to guarantee approval, there are things
you can do to make the process easier. The first step
is to request an I-20 form from a school in the US. The
school must be an accredited institution and your study
should generally be full time. It is also advisable to
bring any information proving your intent to return to
Thailand. This can include proof of ownership of property
or a business, or proof of an employment position in Thailand
guaranteed upon completion of your studies. Proof of finances,
recent and past, including bank statements, securities,
and liquid assets are also necessary to bring. While all
of these are required for application, the more prepared
and thorough you are the lower the likelihood of complications
or delay.
In
addition, if you have violated any past visas (overstayed
in the US on a past visit) legal counsel may be required
to ascertain and deal with any orders of removal instituted
against you.
Can
I work while I am studying in the US?
A
student visa does not allow either yourself, or any of
your family members to work while you are studying in
the United States. The only exception to this rule is
made for Practical Training. If it is determined that
practical training is applicable for your course of study
then you would be allowed to work for one month of training
for each four months of study, up to but not exceeding
six months of actual Practical Training.
What
if I want an immigrant visa?
Immigrant
visas are normally reserved for close relatives of US
citizens or current legal permanent residents. Immigrant
visas may also be granted to persons qualified to perform
jobs that cannot be filled due to a shortage of suitably
skilled American workers. Applications for such visas
are normally submitted to the US Immigration and Naturalization
Service by a relative or employer within the United States
but may also be submitted to the INS office in Thailand.
How
quickly are these visas issued?
Certain
immigrant visas are numerically limited and may require
a waiting period before further applications can be reviewed.
However, applications for spouses, immediate family, and
fiance(e)s of US citizens will be processed as soon as
the request is approved. Generally, applications for spouses
should be submitted six months prior to departure to the
United States.
Is
there any other way to get an immigrant visa?
The
Diversity Immigrant Visa program provides, by way of a
lottery, immigrant visas to 50,000 qualified foreign applicants
each year. Contact the US Embassy to determine if applications
for the DIV program are currently being accepted.
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