Visa or I-130 petition for alien relative?

[aland4040]

My thai wife and I have been married for 1.5 yrs. I work and have a house in the states but spend a large part of the year with my wife in Thailand. My family has never met her and of course they would like to as I and she also would like this to happen. My problem is that the whole visa process seems fairly complicated and I have been told that if you screw something up and the visa is denied then there is no chance of getting a visa in the future. I dont want to screw it up but at the same time Im hesitant in dropping a big chunk of money with a Thai visa company. I just read some information on the I-130 petition for relative alien. Is anyone familiar with this? Is this a viable option to going through the whole visa process? I would like to hear from anyone who has successfully been through the process as I have more questions.

[rayb]

The I-130 petition process is the standard way to get your wife in the country correctly. Many on this forum have used a visitor visa, then converted spouses status (with I-130 and I-485 once in the U.S.), but there s a high rate of denial for visitor visas from third-world countries.

--Ray B

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My thai wife and I have been married for 1.5 yrs. I work and have a house in the states but spend a large part of the year with my wife in Thailand. My family has never met her and of course they would like to as I and she also would like this to happen. My problem is that the whole visa process seems fairly complicated and I have been told that if you screw something up and the visa is denied then there is no chance of getting a visa in the future. I dont want to screw it up but at the same time Im hesitant in dropping a big chunk of money with a Thai visa company. I just read some information on the I-130 petition for relative alien. Is anyone familiar with this? Is this a viable option to going through the whole visa process? I would like to hear from anyone who has successfully been through the process as I have more questions.

[Roxana Ardelean]

I 130 and I 485 together?

I am desperate! Trying to figure out if I have to send the i 130 first and wait to get it approved and then send the i 485 or need to send them together? I got here as a tourist,second time here.Got married this year in June,and my I 94 is going to expire on 8th August.I have the money for he fees for the first form,wish I don't have to send the second one in the same time,that's over 1,000 I don't have...please anyone out there that already did the paperwork give me a tip.
God bless!

[rayb]

Roxanna,

Either way will work. If you submit the I-130 first, then use a copy of the receipt Notice of Action when submitting the I-485 package later, that will work, so long as the petitioner is a U.S. citizen.

--Ray B

I am desperate! Trying to figure out if I have to send the i 130 first and wait to get it approved and then send the i 485 or need to send them together? I got here as a tourist,second time here.Got married this year in June,and my I 94 is going to expire on 8th August.I have the money for he fees for the first form,wish I don't have to send the second one in the same time,that's over 1,000 I don't have...please anyone out there that already did the paperwork give me a tip.
God bless!