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How Has the Recent Unrest Impacted the US Immigration Process for those from Thailand?

By Ben Hart

Republish: EasyPublish™ Published: 04Jul2010 Word count: 457 Viewed: 260 time(s) Get Free Content For Your Site

At the best of times, the US Immigration process can be rather byzantine and arduous; this article discusses the unique circumstances arising from the recent civil disturbances in Bangkok, Thailand.

The following article discusses the US visa process in light of recent events that have occurred in the Kingdom of Thailand. As always, those interested in the visa process are wise to check the credentials of anyone claiming to be an expert in the area of US Immigration law as only a licensed American attorney is entitled to practice American Immigration law pursuant to 8 CFR 292.1.

For those who have been keeping up with Thai news articles, it is a well known fact that recent unrest in Bangkok caused the United States Embassy to close down for a relatively long period of time. Further, non-essential staff and their families were evacuated for safety reasons. The Thai government has restored order to the city of Bangkok and this article was not written to discuss the situation in Thailand per se. However, there are those who are interested in the situation on the ground in Bangkok as it pertains to the way in which the US Consulate at the US Embassy in Thailand is processing their caseload.

Due to the fact that the Embassy was forced to evacuate, a backlog developed as cases and applications continued to be submitted notwithstanding the fact that the Embassy was closed. Further, those who would have submitted a visa application during the period that the Embassy was closed are now attempting to do so now that the Embassy has reopened. This author can write from personal observation that the US Embassy in Thailand is working diligently to clear the backlog of case files and is also taking extraordinary measures to ensure that the Consulate continues to adjudicate applications fairly, judiciously, and professionally. That said, as of the time of this writing, Thai applicant's and their American counterparts can expect a relatively longer waiting period for visa interview appointments compared to processing times in a more tranquil local social environment.

Those processing K visa applications through any US Embassy or Consulate abroad should also be aware of the fact that as of June 4, 2010 the application fee for K visas is increasing from $131 to $350. The resources gathered from the increased application fees are to be used to facilitate more efficient Consular Processing of visa applications. It should be further noted that the K visa fee is not the only application fee that is set to rise as other non-immigrant visa application fees are set to increase as well. If seeking other non-immigrant visa categories and interested in the new fee structure it is advisable to check with the US Department of State for more details.

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