| Filing a visa petition is a time consuming a arduous | | | | Thus, a United States Citizen living in Thailand for |
| process. For expats living overseas, it may be | | | | any amount of time on a visa exemption stamp, |
| possible to file a petition at the local USCIS office | | | | transit visa, or tourist visa will probably not be |
| abroad. In Thailand this is possible, but getting the | | | | permitted to apply for a United States visa at the |
| office to accept the application could prove | | | | local office in Thailand. |
| difficult for the unqualified applicant. | | | | If applying for an Immigrant visa at a local office |
| The USCIS office in Bangkok, Thailand will only | | | | of USCIS in a foreign country, then the person |
| accept an application for an Immigrant visa if the | | | | applying should abide by the local rules in place at |
| person applying has been staying in the country | | | | that office. Some offices take differing positions |
| legally for a period of at least 1 year. In the USA, | | | | regarding the importance of various aspects of |
| proving one's residential status can be somewhat | | | | the application. This facet of filing locally could |
| easy because it is simply required that one show | | | | cause exasperation among some applicants due |
| that they intend to stay at a certain abode, this | | | | to the fact that a minor issue in one office could |
| intention must be backed up by some sort of | | | | be construed as major in another. |
| evidence (for instance, when trying to prove | | | | With this in mind, one should note that the most |
| residence in a specific Amrican State, one should | | | | common reason many people choose to file locally |
| provide evidence such as: driving license, lease | | | | is due to the fact that filing locally takes less time |
| agreement, proof of home ownership, electric bills, | | | | when compared to filing an application in the |
| gas bills, or tax receipts). That being said, the | | | | United States. As a rule, it takes somewhere |
| United States Citizenship and Immigration Service, | | | | between 11 and 12 months to obtain visa |
| by using its administrative prerogative has decided | | | | approval when an application is filed in the United |
| that only US Citizens present in Thailand for one | | | | States. However, when filed in Thailand, it can |
| year in long term visa status will be allowed to file | | | | process as quickly as 6 months. This time |
| a visa application locally. | | | | differential can be a determinative factor in filing |
| This Thai visa status must also denote residence. | | | | locally. |