Extending a Non-Immigrant visa

[wildwildbill]

Hi all.

 

I am currently on a multi-entry 90-day Non-Immigrant O visa, which was issued based on being married to a Thai. Since acquiring the visa, I have started work in LOS and have just received my WP. My employer would now like to extend my visa for a year based on me now having a WP, basically to stop the need for border runs. If I do this, would I remain on an O visa, and what situation would I be in visa-wise if my employment circumstances changed in the future? 

 

Many thanks!

[elviajero]

Your employer is referring to an extension of stay. As you are married you can extend your stay based on marriage or your job/WP. 

 

You should, if you can, extend based on marriage. You can legally work. That way your permission to stay isn’t linked to your job and isn’t affected should you stop working.

 

You’d  need 400K in the bank, or an income of at least 40K pm if applying as married. Your Thai income can be used. Or a minimum income of 50K pm if applying as an employee.

[wildwildbill]

38 minutes ago, elviajero said:

Your employer is referring to an extension of stay. As you are married you can extend your stay based on marriage or your job/WP. 

 

You should, if you can, extend based on marriage. You can legally work. That way your permission to stay isn’t linked to your job and isn’t affected should you stop working.

 

You’d  need 400K in the bank, or an income of at least 40K pm if applying as married. Your Thai income can be used. Or a minimum income of 50K pm if applying as an employee.

There were no financial requirements for the O visa originally, are you therefore sure they are needed for the extension? 

 

[BritTim]

23 minutes ago, wildwildbill said:

There were no financial requirements for the O visa originally, are you therefore sure they are needed for the extension? 

Yes. A reason why some people put up with border runs every 90/150 days is because there are financial requirements for a one-year extension of stay.

 

EDIT: By the way, if you do not apply for an extension of stay at all, that does not prevent you getting a work permit. You would just need to continue doing regular border hops.

Edited February 7, 2018 by BritTim

[elviajero]

1 hour ago, wildwildbill said:

There were no financial requirements for the O visa originally, are you therefore sure they are needed for the extension? 

 

100% sure. If you want to live in the country you are proving you have the income or cash in the bank to live on.

 

They don’t, at some embassies/consulates, ask for proof of income for getting a ME Non ‘O’ visa because it’s meant for people living outside of Thailand that want/need to regularly visit.

[anon789561]

extend it on your non o if you can, i'm assuming you must be on over 50k a month. the company prefer most people to extend on working as they have a little control over you although it's no big deal if you were to leave them. just hassle getting a new visa and extension. 

[wildwildbill]

On 07/02/2018 at 9:38 PM, elviajero said:

Your employer is referring to an extension of stay. As you are married you can extend your stay based on marriage or your job/WP. 

 

You should, if you can, extend based on marriage. You can legally work. That way your permission to stay isn’t linked to your job and isn’t affected should you stop working.

 

You’d  need 400K in the bank, or an income of at least 40K pm if applying as married. Your Thai income can be used. Or a minimum income of 50K pm if applying as an employee.

There were no financial requirements for the O visa originally, are you therefore sure they are needed for the extension? 

On 08/02/2018 at 12:00 AM, Happy enough said:

extend it on your non o if you can, i'm assuming you must be on over 50k a month. the company prefer most people to extend on working as they have a little control over you although it's no big deal if you were to leave them. just hassle getting a new visa and extension. 

I don't earn 50k but with UK rental income I will be over 40k. This should be OK?

[ubonjoe]

11 minutes ago, wildwildbill said:

There were no financial requirements for the O visa originally, are you therefore sure they are needed for the extension? 

There is a big difference between applying for a non-o visa at an embassy or consulate and applying for a one year extension of stay at immigration. You must meet the financial requirements to apply for the extension of stay.

See: https://www.immigration.go.th/content/service_18

11 minutes ago, wildwildbill said:

I don't earn 50k but with UK rental income I will be over 40k. This should be OK?

If your salary from working is not 50k baht or more you will not be able to apply for an extension based upon working.

When applying for the extension based upon marriage immigration will not let you combine income for working here and income from outside the country. If you have income that is over 40k  baht from outside the country you could use that income.

It seems your best option is to remain on your multiple entry non-o visa and make border hops every 90 days.

[Tanoshi]

On ‎07‎/‎02‎/‎2018 at 10:18 PM, wildwildbill said:

There were no financial requirements for the O visa originally, are you therefore sure they are needed for the extension? 

 

You previously obtained a Non Imm O ME Visa from a Thai Embassy/Consulate.

That allows multiple entries of 90 days (can be extended for 60 days).

 

An extension is not a Visa, it's a permit obtained from local Immigration.

It extends your permission to stay for one year.

[superal]

I am hoping that some of you well informed gentlemen can advise me on my inquiry .  

 

I have just returned to Thailand with my current multiple entry non o immigration visa ( based on UK retirement as over 65 years old and in receipt of UK government pension and no proof of savings required )  which runs to early May 2018 when I know I can get another 90 days by exiting & re entering at a land border and that will take me through to August 2018 . What I need to know is

            1/   Is  it possible to get a 1 year extension on this visa in August ?

            2/ Can this type of visa be applied for in any other country apart from the UK 

            3/  If there are proof of savings needed do they have to be in a Thai bank account or would a UK account suffice ?

 Your help will be much appreciated ,

[ubonjoe]

26 minutes ago, superal said:

1/   Is  it possible to get a 1 year extension on this visa in August ?

            2/ Can this type of visa be applied for in any other country apart from the UK 

            3/  If there are proof of savings needed do they have to be in a Thai bank account or would a UK account suffice ?

1. You can apply for a one year extension of stay based upon retirement at a immigration office during the last 30 days of your 90 day entry.

You will need 800k baht in a Thai bank for 60 day or proof of 65k inocme by way of a income letter from the UK embassy or a combination of the 2 totaling 800k baht.

2. No 

3. Only in a Thai bank.

[superal]

23 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

1. You can apply for a one year extension of stay based upon retirement at a immigration office during the last 30 days of your 90 day entry.

You will need 800k baht in a Thai bank for 60 day or proof of 65k inocme by way of a income letter from the UK embassy or a combination of the 2 totaling 800k baht.

2. No 

3. Only in a Thai bank.

Many thanks Joe for your quick reply even though it was not what I wanted to hear . I have a Thai bank account with the Bangkok Bank and could transfer monies to qualify with a combination of pension / savings . I have recently heard that the Thai account has to be seen as active with regular use and not just lying there as an aid to gain a visa . Have you heard of this ?

[ubonjoe]

9 minutes ago, superal said:

I have recently heard that the Thai account has to be seen as active with regular use and not just lying there as an aid to gain a visa .

There is no requirement that the bank account be active. You can put money in account and not touch it if you want to.

You will be extending your 90 day permit to stay not your visa. Visas cannot be extended.

[superal]

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

There is no requirement that the bank account be active. You can put money in account and not touch it if you want to.

You will be extending your 90 day permit to stay not your visa. Visas cannot be extended.

I believe what you say is true but I am quoting what was said to me by a guy who had that recent experience and was given a hard time by the I.O .   as he had paid for visa services via an agent and the visa he was given illegal . A brown envelope sorted it out 

[ubonjoe]

3 minutes ago, superal said:

I believe what you say is true but I am quoting what was said to me by a guy who had that recent experience and was given a hard time by the I.O .   as he had paid for visa services via an agent and the visa he was given illegal . A brown envelope sorted it out 

There have reports a few offices or officers saying they want to see activity in the account to show you have the money to live on.

That can be overcome if you have another bank account to deposit your pension into.

[superal]

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

There have reports a few offices or officers saying they want to see activity in the account to show you have the money to live on.

That can be overcome if you have another bank account to deposit your pension into.

That makes sense 

[wildwildbill]

Hi again! My visa is due to expire on the 23rd July, so plan to do a border run this week and get my final 90-day stamp. 

 

My current Thai income is few thousand short of 40K per month. I also have a small UK rental income as well as another income of 10-12K Baht per month from China. Can this income from China be used to get the visa, or should I not declare this and just park 30-40K in a Thai bank for a couple of months? I'd rather not transfer UK money into a Thai bank account unless I can help it. 

 

 

[wildwildbill]

The Chinese income goes into my Bangkok Bank account but my Thai income goes into SCB. 

[Tanoshi]

4 minutes ago, wildwildbill said:

My current Thai income is few thousand short of 40K per month. I also have a small UK rental income as well as another income of 10-12K Baht per month from China. Can this income from China be used to get the visa, or should I not declare this and just park 30-40K in a Thai bank for a couple of months? I'd rather not transfer UK money into a Thai bank account unless I can help it. 

The financial requirements you mention are to get an extension of stay based on marriage (A permit to stay, not a Visa)

The financial requirement is either 400,000 baht in a Thai bank for 2 months prior to the date of application, OR an Income Letter from the British Embassy with an income of 40,000 baht per month.

 

You could obtain another Non Imm O ME Visa from Savannakhet with no financial requirements.

 

Your post isn't clear whether you want another Non Imm O Visa (Thai Embassy/Consulate),or an Extension based on marriage.(Local Immigration office).

[ubonjoe]

4 minutes ago, wildwildbill said:

Hi again! My visa is due to expire on the 23rd July, so plan to do a border run this week and get my final 90-day stamp. 

My current Thai income is few thousand short of 40K per month. I also have a small UK rental income as well as another income of 10-12K Baht per month from China. Can this income from China be used to get the visa, or should I not declare this and just park 30-40K in a Thai bank for a couple of months? I'd rather not transfer UK money into a Thai bank account unless I can help it. 

As I wrote in an earlier post you cannot combine income from working here with income from outside the country. I you wanted to try it you would have to get a income letter from UK embassy to prove you income from outside the country if you are from the UK. Others have tried it and were refused the extension.

If you want to apply for an extension of stay your only option appears to be the 400k baht in a Thai bank for 2 months before the date you apply for the extension. If not then your only option is to get another multiple entry non-o visa.

 

[ubonjoe]

4 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

The financial requirement is either 400,000 baht in a Thai bank for 2 months prior to the date of application, OR an Income Letter from the British Embassy with an income of 40,000 baht per month.

The income he mentioned is from working here (see the OP since he did it).

[Tanoshi]

4 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

The income he mentioned is from working here (see the OP since he did it).

Then as you say, he cannot combine foreign income with Thai earned income.

His income from overseas rentals would have to be equivalent to 40,000 baht per month, OR deposit 400,000 baht in a Thai bank.

I'd like to know why he's reluctant to transfer funds from his UK bank to a Thai bank?

 

@wildwildbill

You can extend each 90 day from your ME Non Imm O Visa by 60 days at local Immigration (1,900 baht)

Thus not having to do a border run for almost 5 months.

If you use the Visa to it's potential, then you can stay for almost 17 months and only 3 border runs before obtaining another Visa.