K1 visa interview takes place at the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok. Interviews are conducted in English. Before you go to the interview the Thai applicant will need to make sure he or she has all of the required documents ready to bring.  K1 visas will not be granted unless the embassy has all of the required documents.  Applicants should bring the original copies of documents already submitted. 

The main purpose of the K1 visa interview is to make sure that the couple’s marriage plans are heartfelt and not improperly motivated.  Applicants should bring plenty of home videos, photos, emails, letters, instant message chats, and phone records to show the embassy what your relationship is like.  If the applicant has an interview invitation letter, be sure to bring it to the interview. 

Most interview appointments take place in the morning, usually starting at 7 or 8 AM.  Be sure to arrive on time!  Being late may result in your appointment being cancelled and could annoy the visa officer.  It is important to eat a good breakfast before arriving because some interviews can last several hours. 

Practice answering questions in English.  Interviews are conducted in English, and if the visa officer cannot understand the applicant they may cancel the interview or doubt your relationship is real. If you are nervous, it will be harder to answer the questions accurately.  As you prepare for a visa interview, practice in front of a mirror or with friends.

Double-Checking The Documents

Visa officers may go over the documents you bring and ask questions to verify that their records are correct.

1. What is your name?

2. What is your birthday?

3. Where were you born?

Some questions test the visa applicant’s knowledge of their fiancee.  The interviewer may use these questions to make sure the Thai fiance knows their American spouse-to-be well enough to make an informed decision to marry them.  The Thai visa applicant does not need to know the answers to every question, it is enough to demonstrate that your fiance knows you well enough to want to marry you.

1. What is your fiance’s birthday?

2. Where was your fiance born?

3. What does your fiance do for a living?  What is their job title?

4. Where does your fiance live?

5. Does your fiance have any brothers and sisters?

6. Where do your fiance’s parents live?  Do they approve of your marriage plans?

1. How did you meet your fiance?

2. How much time have you spent together?

3. When was the last time you saw your fiance? 

4. How does being separated make you feel?

5. What do you love about your fiance?

6. When did the two of you decide to get married?

7. Who proposed?  When and where?

8. Did you have an engagement party?

9. Have you started planning the wedding? 

10. When and where do you plan on having the wedding?

11. Have you told your friends and families about the wedding? What do they think about your fiance?

12. Have you sent out a formal marriage announcement?

It is important that both parties know of any previous marriages the other was involved in.  If these marriages were not disclosed on the application forms you submitted it will raise red flags.

1. Have you been divorced?  Why did you choose to end your previous marriage(s)?

2. Has your fiance been divorced or widowed?  Why did your fiance get divorced?

3. When did your fiance tell you that they were previously married?

4. How do you feel about your fiance’s previous marriage(s)?

Raising children can change a relationship.  Visa officers may ask questions about the Thai applicant’s children and their American fiance’s children.  If one party is unaware of the other party’s children it will raise red flags and may result in visa denial, so make sure there are no secrets between the two of you!

1. Do you have any children?  

2. What are their names?  How old are they? 

3. Are your children coming to the United States with you? 

4. How does your fiance feel about your children from a previous relationship?

5. Does your fiance have any children?  Do they live with your fiance?

6. Are you comfortable with helping raise your fiance’s children from a previous marriage?

The visa officer may ask the K1 applicant about past travel to the United States or other countries.  Applicants who have overstayed previous U.S. visas may be denied a K1 visa.  Visa officers can check records to verify answers, so it is important to be truthful.

1. Have you ever traveled outside of Thailand?

2. Where did you go? What did you do during your travels?

3. Have you ever traveled to the United States? 

4. What kind of visa did you use to enter the United States?

5. What was the purpose of your visit?

6. When did you visit the U.S.?  When did you arrive? When did you leave?

7. Did you enjoy your stay in the U.S.?

If the K1 applicant is pregnant the visa officer may ask additional questions.

1. How has the pregnancy affected your marriage plans?

2. Did you make the decision to get married before or after you became pregnant?

3. Do you think your fiance feels pressured to marry you because of the pregnancy?

4. Would you have chosen to get married if you weren’t pregnant? 

U.S. law requires visa officers to ask the K1 applicant if an international marriage broker helped the couple meet each other.  A marriage broker is a matchmaking organisation that charges a fee to help foreigners meet U.S. citizens.  Using a marriage broker does not prohibit Thai applicants from receiving a K1 visa.  These questions are asked to make sure the marriage broker you used is complying with U.S. regulations.

1. Did you meet your fiance through a marriage broker?

2. Which marriage broker was used and what is their address.

3. Did the marriage broker give you a pamphlet explaining the rights of immigrant victims of domestic violence?

4. Did the marriage broker get your signed consent to give your personal information to their American clients?

5. Did the marriage broker provide you with background information on your fiance in your native language? 

6. What background information on your fiance did the marriage broker provide you?

Visa officers are required by law to inform the Thai fiance of any restraining orders or criminal convictions of their American fiance.  After this information has been given the K1 applicant will be asked if they wish to proceed with the marriage despite their fiance’s past.