Work Requirements for Your Thai Fiancee
One of the things your Thai fiancée may be considering when making the big move to the US would be her career. While some may not be too keen in furthering their career, others may have dreams and ambitions they intend to achieve in their professional life. Having work can be a great source of fulfillment and a sense of achievement for a person.
So it is very important that your Thai fiancée is given alternatives and choices in terms of her employment options. The good news is that your Thai fiancée is allowed to work in the US as soon as she has fulfilled the necessary requirements and secured the essential documents even before she marries you.
The previous topics have discussed the procedures and requirements involved in bringing your Thai fiancée to the US for marriage purposes. Some people opt to marry their Thai girlfriends in Thailand and secure a K3 or C1 visa so they can bring their Thai wives to the US.
However, this may take a long time to process so others prefer securing a K1 or fiancée visa. A K1 visa allows you Thai fiancée to immediately come to the US and stay as long as you will marry her within 90 days. The main advantage of a fiancée visa over a spousal visa is that it has a faster processing time and easier to secure than the latter.
I. Getting work before marriage, prior to becoming a permanent resident of the US
Once you have secured a fiancée visa, your bride-to-be will be given 6 months within which she must depart Thailand and head for the US. Upon arrival in the US, you shall marry your Thai fiancée within 90 days otherwise her fiancée status expires and she will have to leave your country. Meanwhile, your Thai fiancée can now work even before you marry her, as long as she applies for Employment Authorization after her arrival in the US. The processing time is quite fast and would usually range from 30-45 days. Your fiancée must file a duly filled-up Form I-765 (Application for Employment Authorization) with the nearest USCIS Service Center in your place of residence. This work permit is valid for only 90 days after entry, the same as your K1 visa. But there is no need to worry as she can file for another work permit once you marry and she applies for an adjustment status so she can continue working.
In addition to the application form, your Thai fiancée is also required to submit copies of the following documents if available:
Form I94 or the non-immigrant arrival/departure record
a copy of her last Employment Authorization Document
Aside from these documents, she must also submit 2 identical photographs and pay the required application fee. Once she has fulfilled all these requirements and given the required work permit, you both can now start finding a job that would please her. You may have to assist her as she is new in the country and may not have the necessary connections.
II. Working after marriage in the US
You can apply for her adjustment status after your marriage so she can become a legal permanent resident. If your Thai wife would like to continue working, she will have to secure another work permit once she applies for adjustment status. Processing time for the issuance of a Green Card take several years and may vary from one applicant to another. She will have to comply with a lot of requirements, filling up application forms, attending a biometrics appointment for photographing and fingerprinting as well as an interview session accompanied by you, her US citizen spouse. She will be given a conditional permanent resident status for 2 years. After 2 years, both you and your Thai wife must file an application to lift her conditional status. After it is approved, she will be given a green card valid for 10 years. A green card entitles her to additional rights and benefits often the same as US citizens and she can work even without an Employment Authorization.
After that, she can apply for a US citizenship after a 3-year continuous residence in the US. Once she becomes a US citizen, she will be treated like any other US citizen with equal rights and opportunities for employment without additional documentary requirements compulsory for foreign nationals.
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