Stuff for work permit in non teaching job

[Seanbhoy]

I started working (premature I know) for a Thai and foreign owned company, interview all done & first month half done. I’m happy, the owner I think is happy.

all my previous companies gave verbal references to the recruitment company & the actual company for the last 10 years.

they are sorting everything for me, well their solicitors are. my marriage certificate & passport everything is order for a smooth work permit being issued however the solicitor wants me to get all my career history and copy of my education stamped by my embassy.

The company has all the shit they need to provide, statements, share capital & turnover etc, 

i called the uk embassy to make an appointment, next one isn’t for 20 days BUT they want written evidence from my old employers in the post confirming all dates etc I worked and roles before they will stamp it.

i work in sales, it was time consuming enough getting HR or directors giving me verbal references prior to getting the job.

stamping my education they just said they don’t do it, only a deceleration and I need the originals.

is all this necessary for me to be issued a work permit for a non skilled but foreigner needed job?

I sell to international companies that have HQ in Bangkok duty free areas for export only. 

I don’t want to undermine the accountant who is liasing with the solicitor by telling her you don’t need all this stuff stamped?

 

Edited November 3, 2017 by Seanbhoy

[varun]

AFAIK, there are no requirements to show 'certificates of employment' for a WP application, but there are exceptions.

If you are in a highly specialized position, or apply under the BOI track for a BOI company, sometimes they can ask for copies of your degrees and/or certificates of employment.

The Thai consulate may also ask for employment certificates as part of a Non-B visa application.

This will vary, depending on nationality of the applicant and location of the consulate.

 

On a related note, what is your current visa status and your new job position?

 

I suspect the solicitor is being overly thorough and I have never heard of a requirement to have certificates of employment stamped by one's embassy.

 

The only situation I can think of is if your certificates of employment are not written in the English language.

Say you worked for a German company, and they provided a German certificate of employment.

In then in this case, it makes sense to have a German->English translated copy, notarized by both the UK and German Embassy.

I think you can challenge the solicitor over this requirement, and just say it is near impossible to get certificates of employment from your previous employers, let alone get them stamped by your embassy.

 

 

[Seanbhoy]

Sales executive in the 3D printing industry aimed mainly towards jewelry business.

mainly to companies based in Bangkok that manufacture gold/platinum for export only.

so it’s not a BOI I work for but most of the clients companies/factories  are BOI and based in the duty free or no boundaries area of BKK - Gemopolis near the airport.

the reason they need a foreigner is purely for the relationship building with foreign owners. 

They have Thai staff doing a similar role as me but different title.

im going to speak to accountant today and see if I can talk directly to the solicitor firm.

the strange part is, or not so strange? I have had zero to do with it, just gave my passport and documents and do not need to attend anything in person, now they are going to extend my current visa by another 30 days due to the embassy not having any appointments for 20 days, I do not even have to go to immigration apparently.

 

[varun]

1) What visa are you currently on now?

2) What documents have you already provided?

3) What additional documents have they asked from you?

[Seanbhoy]

I have provided copy of my education, all work experience, marriage certificate (for revenue reasons less is needed when married 1million bsht instead of 2 million in thailand) 4 pictures and my full passport.

30 day visa which should have been converted to non imm b by now but due to this delay they will extend it.

no additional documentation are required just translated and stamped I’m assuming, I’m starting to think that’s all I might need to do and accountant is getting confused cos she told me to get re registered (basically re married in thailand) then she told me just getting it translated in Thai would be sufficient - my marriage certificate.

 

[FritsSikkink]

No need to get stamped by embassy.

[varun]

It seems you are dealing with people who themselves don't have a clear idea on what is required.

This will get messy very fast, so:

 

1) Your visa status is more critical than your WP status. Forget about converting your 30-day visa to a Non-B and get a Single-Entry Non-B outside the country (Hong Kong is ideal, as just a quick hop and not much documentation required)

 

This is all you need:

Quote

1. Non-Immigrant Visa Category "B" (business and work) - Single, or (Multiple entries for Business only)

    1.1 An original letter of guarantee from the employer with authorized signature and Company Seal Stamp with details about the purpose of the visit to Thailand and a copy of the company registration. A copy of I.D. card of the authorized signatory is also required.

 

    1.2 A letter from the Thai Business Counterpart with authorized signature and Company Seal Stamp, stating the details about the visit to Thailand together with a copy of the Certificate of Company  Registration issued by the Thai authority. A copy I.D. card of the Company's authorized signatory is also required.

http://www.thai-consulate.org.hk/web/3015.php?s=4262

 

 

2) Once you enter Thailand on the Non-B you can worry about the WP processing. Tackle 1 first.

[Seanbhoy]

I just showed your information, very clear, to the accountant she said “they would prefer not to give me all of that information to take out of country due to security and me doing it myself even if it is just copies” - she said that unstamped copies for the last dude was ok but immigration said next time bring the correct ones, they next time they brought the correct ones and they said you didn’t need to provide this... I’m thinking of just going to savvanekhet or wherever and just getting a non o with my wedding certificate- proper confused now, she said if the embassy can’t stamp we will have to do your way, going out of the country but will be accompanied by a director or officer of the company ???

[varun]

The accountant really doesn't have a clue of what is going on - there is no security risk of providing the documentation required by the Thai Embassy that you will take with you in person - this is bare minimum documentation for a non-B visa application.
 

If you go to a consulate in another country or even nearby, the requirements are even more strict - with more company documentation.

I suggest you speak directly with the director of the company or the owner about the documentation,

since it is unheard of that a director or an 'officer' of the company will accompany you for a visa application to a consulate in another country! That makes absolutely no sense.

 

I suspect the accountant is either too lazy or too afraid to bother the boss to provide this documentation.

You need to go over her head.

 

[JackThompson]

51 minutes ago, Seanbhoy said:

... I’m thinking of just going to savvanekhet or wherever and just getting a non o with my wedding certificate

If you can get a visa or extension based on marriage to a Thai, your "permission to stay" will not be tied to your employment.  That is the route I would go in all cases.  But, yes, if married overseas, you need your marriage legalized in Thailand to get a 1-year extension based on marriage to a Thai from your local immigration office (Chang Wattana in Bangkok?).

 

I am not sure what the wedding-certificate requirements are in Savanakhet for marriages not done in Thailand (i.e. foreign wedding-certificate).  Hopefully someone familiar with that twist can chime in and let you know if a trip there for a Non-O based on marriage would work for you even before you have legalized the marriage in Thailand.   That would give you 90-days to sort the rest.

 

Going with the Non-O based on marriage would also keep the accountant from having to worry about their business-documents being out-of-sight / country.  Those will later be needed for a work-permit - but their rep can accompany you to that office in-country, if they desire.

[Mattd]

5 hours ago, Seanbhoy said:

I have had zero to do with it, just gave my passport and documents and do not need to attend anything in person, now they are going to extend my current visa by another 30 days due to the embassy not having any appointments for 20 days, I do not even have to go to immigration apparently.

You really need to be careful with what is going on here, it is almost unheard of for the applicant not to have to attend immigration, especially if and when it comes to the extension of stay.

The work permit will also need to be collected in your presence, as you must first sign it prior to them sealing that page, I do not know of any other way.

With all the other misinformation that this accountant is telling you, then, for me, it sets alarm bells going as to exactly what they are up to.

95% of what this accountant has told you is simply not correct, this is either because she genuinely hasn't got a clue what she is doing, or she is hiding something from you.

The documents required to get a non b visa are pretty innocuous, unless they are dodgy to start with, I am not saying they are, just that it would make me very wary.

[anon789561]

something not quite right there mate. any company would just sort that for you without a problem. is it an aussie seo sales company? whatever it is. you shouldn't have those issues. tell them that

[Seanbhoy]

No it’s a legit big company, I think the accountant is to scared of just asking the director.

im going with him to a client on Monday il just explain it to him, he was asking yesterday if all the paperwork had been sorted, then when he found out it hadn’t he probed the accountant, came back to me with what I’ve written on here already.

 

 

 

[varun]

In that case, just explain to him that the 'correct' way is for you get a Non-B visa outside the country and you need XYZ documents for this.

 

The Thai Consulate in Hong Kong is the easiest among others,

in terms of the amount of paperwork required.

 

However, maybe others can verify this.

[Mattd]

4 minutes ago, Seanbhoy said:

No it’s a legit big company

Then I wonder why they need to lower the registered capital equation to only 1m THB, doesn't make a great deal of sense.

Most companies want to make sure that their expat workers are fully compliant, with the correct visa, extension of stay and work permit.

Personally I have never had to go to the British Embassy for any reason regarding work permit or immigration requirements, I always thought that this was only required for teaching related work permit applications.

Are they saying it is immigration that need this, or the labour department?

[BritTim]

This really is most odd. It is possible (most likely really) that the accountant is just a control freak. That ties up with the "highly confidential, will need to have company director accompany you" drivel. What I would be careful of, though, is some kind of tie up with a dodgy agent who may be taking money from the company, and getting you fake stamps. This has been known with big companies as well as small ones. A single visit to immigration for an extension is required in all legitimate applications I am aware of (though a good agent should arrange priority queuing so you do not need to wait around).

[Mattd]

12 minutes ago, BritTim said:

A single visit to immigration for an extension is required in all legitimate applications I am aware of (though a good agent should arrange priority queuing so you do not need to wait around).

Absolutely, if the OP is not required to go to immigration at some point, then there is something going on, OK it may be as simple as the agent has the right connections, I have done extensions in the past where I've gone to immigration and just literally said hello to the IO and gone again, whilst the mundane stuff is done in my absence, but it was still required to physically go there, the last two extensions had me sitting with the IO and agent, whilst the IO goes through the documents, then having to wait for the under consideration stamp to be completed, with a further visit to collect the final extension stamp, even have to show my face to the re-entry permit IO before they will issue that.

After the Erawan bomb, immigration tightened up a lot on their procedures and were pretty much enforcing them, especially in Bangkok.

Edited November 3, 2017 by Mattd

[Seanbhoy]

7 hours ago, Mattd said:

Then I wonder why they need to lower the registered capital equation to only 1m THB, doesn't make a great deal of sense.

Most companies want to make sure that their expat workers are fully compliant, with the correct visa, extension of stay and work permit.

Personally I have never had to go to the British Embassy for any reason regarding work permit or immigration requirements, I always thought that this was only required for teaching related work permit applications.

Are they saying it is immigration that need this, or the labour department?

Head office is in Hong Kong, less tax, had to increase revenue in Thailand only to accommodate for me