L1A & L2 Visa interview- But we've never lived together outside the USA occifer!
 

Hi Guys & Gals,

Love for you to help please. My wifey and I are planning a little trip back home to Ireland in June for a week or so. I'll get (fingers crossed) my L2 renewal by end May so we were going to go to the US Embassy in Dublin and get the visas while there. I've found out that they do accept foerign nationals, so thats not the problem. But I've a little question about the intent to leave the states when your visa is up.

I presume that my wife, from Thailand, like me, will need to give proof that she does not intend to stay in the USA longer than her L2 visa allows. She has been living in the states for the last 8 years and previously, when renewing her H1B, she has given her permament address as Bangkok which was legitimate and would still be her permanent address outside of America.

Now we are a little concerned that if she tells the consular official in Dublin that her permament address is Bangkok, that it may be thought of as a little odd given that my permament address would be in Ireland? As we have not lived together outside of the USA both of our permament addresses are in different countries.

Obviously once my L1A, and her L2 visas have expired we will absolutely leave the US, and our permanent address will then be together but as I say above, we have not lived with each other outside the US.

I am presuming that this probably happens more often than I think, but just want to make sure that we don't need to have any additional docs etc.

Thanks a Million in advance guys.

Best

Steve

Re: L1A & L2 Visa interview- But we've never lived together outside the USA occifer!
 

I don't see a problem. All she needs for the L-2 is to be your wife, and she is. Doesn't matter where either of your permanent residences are, as far as I know.

Rene

Re: L1A & L2 Visa interview- But we've never lived together outside the USA occifer!
 

Hi Rene,

Thanks a million for the fast reply. It would just seem unusual from an interviewers point of view to be convinced that she would go back to Thailand and I to Ireland after the Visa has expired?

Surely the assumption would be that I would need to list her address, or her mine, or most probably, a third address alltogether? Suppose they just need to be satisfied that you have an address outside of the States that's legitimate, not necessarily too logical?

Re docs, will we need any supporting items apart from Marriage certs etc?

Looking forward to any help,

Steve

Re: L1A & L2 Visa interview- But we've never lived together outside the USA occifer!
 

the L1 visas are dual intent - so they are a lot less concerned with the idea you are returning at the end than other visas (as its perfectly legitimate to apply for a green card whilst on a L visa and not to go home). They will look at you as the L1 and apply the necessary criteria etc but as Rene said above - the only thing they will be interested in from her is that she can prove she is the wife if an L1. At my husbands interview they didnt even ask me a single question.

Re: L1A & L2 Visa interview- But we've never lived together outside the USA occifer!
 

Hey there Steve, the guys in the US Embassy in Dublin are easy to deal with, they all made a great fuss of me when I attended for my DV visa interview. I had my interview in the afternoon and they issued it an hour later. What part of Ireland are you from? And what part of the US are you based in? I am from Dublin, grew up in the UK, but lived back in Dublin before moving over here to Boston last year.

Re: L1A & L2 Visa interview- But we've never lived together outside the USA occifer!
 

Rene, Ms. Elui, Starky,

Many many thanks for all the assistance. very much appreciated.

Best regards,

Steve

Re: L1A & L2 Visa interview- But we've never lived together outside the USA occifer!
 

If you are working with an immigration attorney, I would just check this part out with them. I thought that there was a limit to the number of years you could spend in H or L status and that time spent in H counts towards the L limit and vice versa, but I am not sure exactly what the rules are.