One Year Multiple Entry Non-immigrant O Visa

[pwllgrgn]

Hi

I am getting very confused. I am coming to live in Thailand in the next few months with my husband. We were going to apply for a 90 day Non Immigration type O visa in the UK. Once in Thailand I was going to apply for the Non Immigration type O-A visa (Longstay) as I am 50 and I was advised by Sunbelt Asia for my husband who is under 50 to apply for the Dependents Visa.

I have now been told that the easiest and fastest way to get a one year visa is to go to one of the Honorary Consulates in the UK before coming to Thailand and they will give both me and my husband a one year multiple entry non-immigrant O visa simply by asking for it. Is this true? If it is:

1. Do you need to show the Honorary Consulate proof of funds?

2. Do you have to go to the Immigration in Thailand to have it stamped?

3. How do you renew it after the 12 months have elapsed?

Hope this makes sense

[DD18]

Went and got 4 (husband (50), me & 2 sons) just before new year from Birmingham. Just took forms and cash, in & out in 15 mins, no questions and I had not filled in all the questions. Probably best to ring before and ask. We will sort retirement extension & dependant bit later so will do visa runs every 3 months so getting up to 15 months from the visa since cost was £90 each plus £10 for going in person.

Immigration stamp passport for 3 months on arrival. True??

[LivinLOS]

You confusing two concepts.. The visa which gives you the right to enter Thailand and the extension of stay which entitles you to do exactly that..

[JimsKnight]

Hi

I am getting very confused. I am coming to live in Thailand in the next few months with my husband. We were going to apply for a 90 day Non Immigration type O visa in the UK. Once in Thailand I was going to apply for the Non Immigration type O-A visa (Longstay) as I am 50 and I was advised by Sunbelt Asia for my husband who is under 50 to apply for the Dependents Visa.

I have now been told that the easiest and fastest way to get a one year visa is to go to one of the Honorary Consulates in the UK before coming to Thailand and they will give both me and my husband a one year multiple entry non-immigrant O visa simply by asking for it. Is this true? If it is:

1. Do you need to show the Honorary Consulate proof of funds?

2. Do you have to go to the Immigration in Thailand to have it stamped?

3. How do you renew it after the 12 months have elapsed?

Hope this makes sense

If your husband is thai ignore the undermentioned info, as you'll be able to apply for a non imm 'o' married type.

If your unmarried then you can apply as someone who is over fifty for the Non imm 'o' retired type.

This one is the 'friends and family type' non imm 'o'.

1. No but you have to sign a declaration you've enough money to survive on.

2. Yes every 90 days.

3. Either return to UK to repeat the process.

OR you can leave thailand to a neighbouring country then mail your passport to the UK Thai consulate via a trusted third party (in the UK) who applies on your behalf (via forms downloaded and signed and enclosed by you already). The passport is returned to you in the said neighbouring country (Cambodia, Laos Malaysia etc). I do not recommend this and have only heard of this method working on heresay, it is also crucial you have a second passport to hang onto while you wait 'in limbo' for the passport to be returned to you.

Hope this helps.

[lopburi3]

What you obtain at a Consulate called a multi entry non immigrant O visa allows stays of up to 90 days for a period of one year. You have to leave country at the end of a 90 day stay, or before, but are allowed to return and obtain another 90 day stay. This visa is not likely to be available elsewhere and would require a return to obtain a new one (legally). As such a visa is now hard even for married persons to obtain at many locations it may not be a long term option.

You could both obtain single entry type which would provide the 90 day stay and then you could go with your original plan as advised by Sunbelt. Believe this offers more long term security. But no saying you could not do this after trying para 1 first.

[pwllgrgn]

Hi

Thanks for all the replies. I was informed that if you went to one of the Honarary Consulates in the UK not the official Embassies or Consulates then you could obtain a 12 month one year multiple entry non-immigrant O visa without any difficulty.I don't know whether I misunderstood the info I was given or it is incorrect. I cannot get my head around all these requirments, or am I just being thick. If the info ps incorrect I think that we would be better sticking to our original plan.

Does anyone know if you have a dependents vis do you have to do a visa run every 90 days?

[99BigLad99]

have a look at the Thai consulate web site in Hull you can even down load the forms from there it is easy to obtain the one year visa I have done it many times now

[onebir]

I do not recommend this and have only heard of this method working on heresay, it is also crucial you have a second passport to hang onto while you wait 'in limbo' for the passport to be returned to you.

Won't the second passport have the wrong entry stamp on it for the 'in limbo' country - making it pretty useless in many situations for which a passport's required?

Or is there a way around this -perhaps flying there & switching passports during the flight? I have no idea if immigrations officials at airports look for the exit stamp of the previous country...

This visa is not likely to be available elsewhere and would require a return to obtain a new one (legally).

I'm assuming the '(legally)' refers to JimsKnight's suggestion. Is it actually illegal? I see that the consulate's form asks for 'permanent home address' - but I didn't notice any requirement that the applicant be in the country.

Re the validity of the 'permanent home address' not everyone actually has one all the time - which presumably isn't supposed to prevent someone from applying for a long-term visa. And for people applying via relatives, the nearest thing they have to a to 'permanent home address' might be that of the relatives - which is what you'd put on the form if you'd actually put on the form if you'd come back to the country to go through the process anyway...

(Having said all this, I can see that this process would be frowned upon at the very least., since it circumvents the spirit of the regulations. And if postal visa applications at consulates were (ab?)used too much, in this way, procedures could be tightened up, with negative consequences for all UK citizens benefiting from the relatively relaxed non-imm O regime.)

Edited January 10, 2007 by onebir

[lopburi3]

Malaysia is no longer a part of the UK so an application from there would not be under the jurisdiction of a Consulate located in the UK and a visa should not be issued. As to the senders legal status it may be gray but believe most laws are written with intent being rather important and in this case, using an intermediate sender, would sure seem to be that. But I am no lawyer.

[pwllgrgn]

Went and got 4 (husband (50), me & 2 sons) just before new year from Birmingham. Just took forms and cash, in & out in 15 mins, no questions and I had not filled in all the questions. Probably best to ring before and ask. We will sort retirement extension & dependant bit later so will do visa runs every 3 months so getting up to 15 months from the visa since cost was £90 each plus £10 for going in person.

Immigration stamp passport for 3 months on arrival. True??

Hi

Did you go to the Honaray Consulate or the official Consulate or Embassy?

[DD18]

Royal Thai Consulate

One Victoria Square

Birmingham

B1 1BD

Telephone : +44 (0) 121 643 9481

Opening Hours: Monday - Friday 8.00am until 11.30am

http://www.thailand-visa.com/thai-visa.application

Used current UK address as permanent address, purpose of visit for husbands visa - investigating retirement, my reason - dependant of husband. Put new address in Thailand as proposed address. Profession for both - retired. Left duration of stay blank.

Not asked for anything to prove income etc although I took it in case. Payment by cash only.