Non Imm O (retirement) not available in Canada

[Kaoboi Bebobp]

I got confirmation from the Thai consulate in Toronto today by email that the non-immigrant O visa based on retirement is no longer available in Canada.

 

I remember seeing this O category on the Royal Thai Embassy, Ottawa, web site last November-December, when switching from O-A-based extensions to the Non-Immigrant O visa was a hot topic. I checked yesterday and it was gone. The consulate web site also did not show the retirement category. 

 

From the embassy web site: 

Quote

*other activities (Category "O") as follows:
to stay with the family, to perform duties for the state enterprise or social welfare organizations, to be a sport coach as required by Thai Government, to be a contestant or witness for the judicial process.

 

I decided to email the Toronto consulate. The vice-consul replied this morning: 

 

Quote

No, we do not issue 'O' visas for retirement purposes. In Canada . . . only the 'O-A' is available for that purpose. 

 

 I was considering applying for the non-imm O when returning home this coming spring. So much for that idea.

 

[ubonjoe]

You could try contacting the consulate in Montreal but I suspect you will get the same answer as Toronto.

I suspect the embassy in has told them not to issue non-o visa for retirement. That happened in the US and Australia a few years ago.

You could enter visa exempt or on a tourist visa and apply for the non-o at immigration.

[LivingNThailand]

2 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

You could enter visa exempt or on a tourist visa and apply for the non-o at immigration.

Ubonjoe, I'm curious.  When I moved here 5 years ago I was told to come in out a 60 day tourist visa, extend for 30 days and that I HAD to get the Non-O out of the country.  Penang is where I went.   Now the past few months I've been reading that you can get a non-O here in Thailand at immigration.  Has this changed?  and how do you do it?  I have a friend that is interested, actually my brother.  Thank you very much.  This is for a non-O for retirement, US citizen.

 

[DrJack54]

You can do conversion to non o (retirement) from a tourist visa or visa exempt stamp inside Thailand at immigration.

Or you can obtain non o at nearby consulate. HCMC would be my pic

Edited March 13, 2020 by DrJack54

[ubonjoe]

25 minutes ago, LivingNThailand said:

 Now the past few months I've been reading that you can get a non-O here in Thailand at immigration.  Has this changed?  and how do you do it?

It has been possible for many years but it was not available at all immigration offices. Most people had to apply in Bangkok.

Now it can be applied for at any immigration office.

Requirements are here. https://division1.immigration.go.th/download/1551323081128.pdf

[LivingNThailand]

Thanks UbonJoe.   Now I remember.  Five years ago I went to an agent in Bangkok, but was moving to Phuket.  The BKK agent told me I had to come back up to Bangkok to work the deal, but was not clear about why.  He was a bit of a Slick Willy  and I figured I could do it myself in Phuket, which I did.  And had a nice mini-vacation to Penang.

So now the mystery has been cleared up.  Thanks for the info.  I'll pass it along.

[glamont002]

Ubonjoe

 

The link to the requirements you posted seem to only apply to someone with tourist visa (1.1) or someone visa exempt for say 30 day (1.2). If you have a current non O-A can you change to non O here in Thailand?  Or do you have to leave and come back on 30 day exempt and then apply for non O?

[ubonjoe]

6 minutes ago, glamont002 said:

Or do you have to leave and come back on 30 day exempt and then apply for non O?

The only way to change non immigrant visa categories to to leave and re-enter the country with a new visa or you could enter visa exempt and do the visa application at immigration.

[JimLuce]

21 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

You could try contacting the consulate in Montreal but I suspect you will get the same answer as Toronto.

I suspect the embassy in has told them not to issue non-o visa for retirement. That happened in the US and Australia a few years ago.

You could enter visa exempt or on a tourist visa and apply for the non-o at immigration.

If the Op is in Toronto I wonder how far out of his way it would be to take a trip south over the border down to NYC. Because it’s about an 8 hour drive from Toronto to NYC. Just a suggestion but maybe he could get his non o based on retirement in NYC instead of Canada? 

[Langsuan Man]

2 minutes ago, JimLuce said:

If the Op is in Toronto I wonder how far out of his way it would be to take a trip south over the border down to NYC. Because it’s about an 8 hour drive from Toronto to NYC. Just a suggestion but maybe he could get his non o based on retirement in NYC instead of Canada? 

I doubt it,  since if the rules are the same as for an O-A in New York,  then he can only apply in his home country, which is not the US 

[ubonjoe]

15 minutes ago, JimLuce said:

If the Op is in Toronto I wonder how far out of his way it would be to take a trip south over the border down to NYC. Because it’s about an 8 hour drive from Toronto to NYC. Just a suggestion but maybe he could get his non o based on retirement in NYC instead of Canada? 

He would not be able to get a non-o visa for retirement anywhere in the US.

 

[JimLuce]

12 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

He would not be able to get a non-o visa for retirement anywhere in the US.

 

Ok, so maybe they are trying to close the insurance requirement loophole for new retirement visas then. I know it’s definitely easy to get a non o for marriage in NYC but I’ve never obtained a retirement visa before. I am retired but marriage is easier than the retirement oa visa. 

[ubonjoe]

3 minutes ago, JimLuce said:

Ok, so maybe they are trying to close the insurance requirement loophole for new retirement visas then. I know it’s definitely easy to get a non o for marriage in NYC but I’ve never obtained a retirement visa before. I am retired but marriage is easier than the retirement oa visa. 

The embassy and the 3 official consulates have not issued a non-o visa for retirement for many years. The honorary consulates were able to issue them until about 3 years ago when the embassy mandated the could not issue them anymore. 

[JimLuce]

11 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

The embassy and the 3 official consulates have not issued a non-o visa for retirement for many years. The honorary consulates were able to issue them until about 3 years ago when the embassy mandated the could not issue them anymore. 

Interesting because I remember after October last year reading a lot of information about lots of people trying to do exactly this same thing as far as getting a non o based on retirement instead of a non oa in order to avoid the medical insurance requirement for new retirement visas and I thought that actually was a thing that people could do on retirement visas. Apparently not I guess. I just thought it was a way to avoid the insurance requirement and I thought it was but if it’s been over 3 years then obviously not I guess people on retirement visas are just stuck with the insurance requirement. 

[khunjeff]

20 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

You can do conversion to non o (retirement) from a tourist visa or visa exempt stamp inside Thailand at immigration.

Or you can obtain non o at nearby consulate. HCMC would be my pic

I wasn't aware that HCMC would grant a non-O for retirement (their website only lists non-O for family relationships and volunteer work). Do you know of people who have obtained one there?

[Kaoboi Bebobp]

5 hours ago, khunjeff said:

I wasn't aware that HCMC would grant a non-O for retirement (their website only lists non-O for family relationships and volunteer work). Do you know of people who have obtained one there?

 

Yes, I read the same thing late last year. The HCMC Thai consulate specifically mentions everything except retirement. 

 

7 hours ago, JimLuce said:

If the Op is in Toronto I wonder how far out of his way it would be to take a trip south over the border down to NYC. Because it’s about an 8 hour drive from Toronto to NYC. Just a suggestion but maybe he could get his non o based on retirement in NYC instead of Canada? 

 

I live in Bangkok but am in Vietnam at the moment. And it looks like I won't be returning to Toronto anyway for some months as I don't want to be exposed to the virus in a long long plane ride, hip-hopping from BKK to TPE to YYZ. And Canadian authorities are urging citizens to self-isolate for 14 days upon arrival. Will wait it out and hope for the best. 

[JimLuce]

6 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

The embassy and the 3 official consulates have not issued a non-o visa for retirement for many years. The honorary consulates were able to issue them until about 3 years ago when the embassy mandated the could not issue them anymore. 

You know what I think I remember now. I think what I’m thinking about might be people switching their actual retirement extensions to an o extension not a new retirement non o. Is that what I was confused about? I think it is. I think I remember that now because I’m on a non o for marriage.