Procedures For Visa Applicants:

Procedures for Visa Applicants:

Everyone applying for a U.S. visa must first make an appointment to interview at the U.S. Consulate in Chiang Mai or at the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok. Appointments are made through the Visa Information Service by Internet or telephone. To use this service, you must purchase a Visa Information Service Personal Identification Number (PIN). The PIN will allow you to access information and to schedule nonimmigrant visa appointments for up to five family members residing at the same address. Both the Live Service and the Web Service are available in English and in Thai.

Procedures for Applying:

1. Purchase your Visa Information and Appointment Services PIN:

ONLINE/BY PHONE:You may purchase your PIN online or by calling the Live Service using a Visa or Mastercard. PINs purchased this way can be used immediately.

THAI POST:PINs may be purchased in cash at a Thai post office with “Pay at Post” service. PINs purchased at Thai Post can be used after 13:00 the next business day after purchase.

2. Schedule your interview:

You may make an appointment for your visa interview either using the telephone, or on the computer using the Internet.

U.S. Visa Information Website Service: http://thailand.us-visaservices.com
WEB PIN (432 Baht or 12 USD)
Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
U.S. Visa Information Telephone Service: 001-800-13-202-2457
LIVE SERVICE PIN (720 Baht or 20 USD)
Available from 08:00 to 17:00, Monday through Friday, except on Thai holidays.

3. Pay at Post:

You must pay the 3,600 Baht visa application processing fee at a Thai Post Office with “Pay at Post” service before you come to the Consulate for an interview. Please note that this fee is not refundable, even if the visa is refused. This fee must be paid each time that an application is made.

4. Purchase Courier Envelope:

Approved applicants must provide the Consulate with a bar-coded envelope purchased at the Mae Ping Post Office for 65 Thai baht. Post Office officials will collect your mailing address and associate it with the bar code on the envelope. Please bring this envelope to your interview or leave it at the North Gate following approval of your application. You may want to purchase your envelope at the same time you pay your processing fee; note that the envelope must be purchased at the Mae Ping Post Office only.

5. Complete the Application Forms:

Please fill out the online Electronic Visa Application Form DS-156 (EVAF) at http://evisaforms.state.gov/ . Note that the e-Form must be filled out in English. If you arrive without a properly completed EVAF, you will not be interviewed. When printing the e-form, please do not forget to print the third page with the barcode. Please glue – not staple – a 50mm x 50mm photo in the designated box on the DS-156 EVAF.

Tourist and Business travelers must also fill out the supplemental application form DS-157.

6. The day of your appointment:

Please arrive at the Consulate no later than 30 minutes before your interview. When you first enter the Consulate, you will be met by a greeter. The greeter will confirm that you have an appointment, make sure that you paid the 3,600 baht processing fee at a post office with “Pay at Post” service, and verify that you have a completed electronic DS-156 application form with a 50mm x 50mm photo glued in the designated box on the form. After checking your documents, the greeter will take your passport and completed DS-156, give you a queue number, and direct you to sit in the waiting area until your number is called.

7. Present Documents and Interview:

When your number appears on the electronic screen, you will go to Window #1 for a pre-interview. During the pre-interview, y ou will need to present a completed DS-157 form and any additional evidence you have of your compelling ties to Thailand. You will then be asked to take a seat and wait for your number to be called again for your interview with a Consular Officer.

The Thai Post Office will deliver your passport and visa within four business days to the address you provided at the time of envelope purchase. If delivery is scheduled during a Thai holiday, expect a longer wait. Alternatively, passports may be picked up at the Mae Ping Post Office. If you wish to pick up your passport at the post office, please indicate this at the time of purchase.

What to Bring When Applying for a Visa

·Passport The passport must be valid for at least six months beyond the visa application date. Any expired and/or other current passport(s) should also be presented. A record of previously issued nonimmigrant visas assists the consular officer in making a decision.

·Photograph Applicants are required to submit one black and white or color front-view photograph taken on a white background (size = 2 x 2 inches {50 x 50 millimeters}). Photographs may be no more than six months old and must be without borders. The applicant's face should cover approximately 50% of the image, and the applicant's ears should be visible.

·Evidence of a Residence Outside the U.S. When applying for a business or tourist visa, applicants are applying for a nonimmigrant visa. Before a nonimmigrant visa may be issued, an applicant must establish to the satisfaction of the consular officer that he/she is not an intending immigrant. Applicants can do this by showing evidence of their family, economic and other social ties to a country outside the U.S. No relative, employer, or friend can "guarantee" an applicant's return in place of such evidence. Regardless of who is sponsoring the trip, the consular officer must look at the individual situation and decide whether the applicant meets the requirements on his/her own merits. Please note that consular officers adjudicate visas on the basis of the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). This law states, "Whenever any person makes application for a visa...the burden of proof shall be upon such person to establish that he is eligible." U.S. immigration law requires consular officers to deny an applicant's application if he or she fails to present convincing evidence that he/she is not an intending immigrant.

Types of Evidence That Can Be Used

Family, social and professional circumstances vary greatly between applicants. Because every applicant's situation is different, we cannot provide a list of documents that will ensure visa issuance. However, the following are some examples of evidence that consular officers often ask to see:

Employment-Related Evidence: Applicants may present a letter from their employer indicating (1) the date employment began, (2) the salary and/or other compensation paid, (3) whether the position is temporary or permanent and (4) the length of vacation or other types of leave granted to the applicant. Employees of the Royal Thai Government should submit their official leave slips. Self-employed applicants should present evidence of ownership of their business. Business travelers who wish to attend training sessions or meetings in the U.S. should present a letter from the business in the U.S. they will be visiting. Students should present evidence of enrollment in a school or university. Minors may show evidence of their parents' economic ties.

Financial Assets: Applicants should present financial documents that show that they have adequate funds to cover the cost of their proposed trips. Acceptable evidence consists of personal and business bankbooks and bank statements showing fixed deposit accounts, current accounts, and savings accounts. Original documents should be presented - the Consulate will not need to keep copies.

Other: House registrations, marriage certificates or wedding photos, and birth certificates can be used to confirm family ties. Translation of documents into English is helpful, but not required. If you are a doctor, lawyer, engineer or a member of another professional association, presenting evidence of your professional status might prove helpful.

IMPORTANT NON-IMMIGRANT VISA PHOTOGRAPH REQUIREMENTS

The Photograph MUST Be:

- LESS than 6 months old.
- 2 inches by 2 inches. (50 x 50 millimeters).
- On a WHITE background.
- WITHOUT borders.

The Applicant:

- MUST face the camera DIRECTLY.
- Face MUST cover 50% of the photo.
- Ears MUST be visible.