Transcript of the above video:

As the title of this video suggests, we are discussing US Tourist Visas and we are discussing them in the context of Thai spouses. This is an American who wants to bring their Thai spouse back to the United States, usually temporarily for a vacation or something. 

Most folks unfortunately have some misconceptions about the Tourist Visa process. I have tried to do a number of videos on there to kind of dispel some of the misnomers out there but a big one is I think people think that it is relatively easy to get a Tourist Visa for a Thai spouse. Frankly it has been my experience that that just isn't really the case. We have discussed this in other videos; it is called section 214b of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Essentially, the applicant needs to show to the adjudicating Consular Officer that they have what are called "strong ties" to their home country or to another country abroad and "weak ties" to the United States. Merely being married to an American can oftentimes mitigate against a notion of weak ties to the United States because obviously you are sort of tied to the United States by dint of your spousal relationship. 

Now again, every case is different so the facts of the giving case may vary. I am not trying to be a total downer about this; I have been accused of that in the past that I am just sort of overly negative about the prospect but it has been my experience that 214b is a really difficult thing to overcome in the context of applying for a US Tourist Visa for a Thai spouse to come to the America.