All needed documents for teaching/B visa?

[ThLT]

I'm about to have my documents (transcript/diploma/police clearance) shipped from my home country. This will cost over $100, so I want to make sure I have everything (and that I don't have to pay another $100 for something missing).

 

What are all the needed documents to have and provide for the B visa/work permit? Any new requirements since the past year?

 

[moontang]

Lately, I have heard legalization of your diploma is required.  Involves trip to your embassy as well as MFA...

[Preacher]

What visa are you on now?

 

The school will need to supply the necessary paperwork also, like a letter of employment and contract. It also depends on the kind of school: regular school, university or language school. The teachers council has its own requirements for a (waiver of) the teachers license. 

 

Edit: 

You did hear about covid-19 and problems entering countries? It will not be a simple trip abroad to get a non-B visa.

[ThLT]

10 hours ago, Preacher said:

[...]

I'm currently on an ED visa. I would be working at a regular school. I'm having my documents sent from my home country in advance to make sure I have everything, but like everyone, I still don't know when it'll be possible to leave the country to change to a B visa (and re-enter the country).

Excluding teachers that already had a job and B visa before COVID-19, I don't know how schools are filling up vacant positions if potential teachers can't even get a B visa.

 

[CrunchWrapSupreme]

On 7/16/2020 at 9:48 PM, moontang said:

Lately, I have heard legalization of your diploma is required.  Involves trip to your embassy as well as MFA...

Indeed. This is the boat I've been in.

 

If you want to teach out in the provinces, your probably won't need the "degree stamps", like I didn't for several years. But then at the beginning of the year, I got an offer at a school closer to BKK, where I found they do require the stamps.

 

I tried to get these back in February, when the virus got going and lockdowns began, and the US Embassy quit providing many services. Over the next few months they kept saying they didn't know when they'd start them again. Finally they began taking emergency requests. This is what you'll have to do if you need the stamps. You'll need to say you need them, otherwise you'll lose your job. After a few denials I was approved, and finally got them last week.

 

The way this works is, they don't want to deal with your degrees at all. There are some blogs still up where embassies actually examine and stamp the degree, this is outdated. You fill out an affidavit saying your degrees are legit, and you swear to this in front of an embassy officer. Then this gets stamped as below. This is $50. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also wants the embassy to stamp a copy of your passport, saying they've checked it and it too is legit. Haha. This is another $50. I've been in touch with the MFA, and they've told me this is what they want, and there's many in my boat waiting for appointments with their embassies. Next step is the MFA, for translation into Thai and their stamps, and then immigration.

 

If you get an offer from a school, find out if they need the stamps. This might be a deciding factor in where you take a job. Save your receipts, and see if you can get it reimbursed. Good luck. I'll keep you posted with what happens on my end.

[CrunchWrapSupreme]

On 7/17/2020 at 6:54 PM, ThLT said:

I don't know how schools are filling up vacant positions if potential teachers can't even get a B visa.

Well uh, I heard there might be a lot of teachers right now already working for their new schools, without their paperwork finalized, as the situation has made that impossible. I heard some schools just want you to walk in and start teaching right now, as they are desperate for teachers, as many farangs have left and none can enter. Then, with the latest news about this final "grace period" now coming out of immigration, they'll be able to take what they have to them from now until the end of September, to finally get Non-B visas.

[moontang]

20 minutes ago, CrunchWrapSupreme said:

Well uh, I heard there might be a lot of teachers right now already working for their new schools, without their paperwork finalized, as the situation has made that impossible. I heard some schools just want you to walk in and start teaching right now, as they are desperate for teachers, as many farangs have left and none can enter. Then, with the latest news about this final "grace period" now coming out of immigration, they'll be able to take what they have to them from now until the end of September, to finally get Non-B visas.

There has always been a lot of that going on...sounds like it has only gotten worse.  There are fees at MFA, too.  Any idea how much?

[CrunchWrapSupreme]

On 7/19/2020 at 11:35 AM, moontang said:

There has always been a lot of that going on...sounds like it has only gotten worse.  There are fees at MFA, too.  Any idea how much?

I initially contacted a well known agency. I was quoted 5750 baht, and one week of time, since it has to go through the post. This is for five documents, including the agency's translations, fees, and the MFA fees.

 

I'm also doing marriage and a second degree, which require three documents. Most people should only have to do two, the stamped degree and the certified passport. So for them, I'm guessing about half the price? I really don't understand the breakdown.

 

Now the soon to be wife went to the MFA office at Khlong Toey for me this morning, and this is the quote she got. Haha. I'm only saving 650 baht. But it should be done in three days rather than a week, since there's no post involved.

[CrunchWrapSupreme]

Here it is:

 

Translation - 2300 (460x5) This is higher than the MFA's own 400 baht rush service.

Agency fee - 500

MFA stamps 2000 (400x5) This is what's on their site.

Those last charges are transportation? Bus or taxi or something? Why she's charging this when she's there at Khlong Toei, I dunno.

 

So, the wife ended up going to another agency outside the MFA office, instead of straight to the MFA. That was the whole point of sending her. Ugh. ????

 

So anyway, if you're in a regular situation and just need to get one degree stamped, there's your embassy's fees, for the degree and certified passport, then the MFA fees, 400 baht for the translation, for each of the two documents, and 400 for an MFA stamp, for two documents. If you go through an agency like me, you'll get it a bit quicker, but of course for a bit more.

[ThLT]

@CrunchWrapSupreme Thanks for the info. I'll be getting my documents verified soon. In your post, you say:
 

Quote

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also wants the embassy to stamp a copy of your passport, saying they've checked it and it too is legit. Haha. This is another $50. I've been in touch with the MFA, and they've told me this is what they want, 

I didn't know you also needed a stamped copy of your passport ($50 for an affidavit of multiple documents is fine, but $50 for a simple stamp of a photocopy is a bit excessive). Was this a requirement by the school?
 

Quote

Next step is the MFA, for translation into Thai and their stamps, and then immigration.

Who requested to have the documents translated? I've read that documents in English don't need to be translated—only non-English documents. 

If these are both needed, then I'll look into it. Just want to make sure it's generally requested, before spending another $100.

[CrunchWrapSupreme]

On 7/21/2020 at 9:32 PM, ThLT said:

($50 for an affidavit of multiple documents is fine, but $50 for a simple stamp of a photocopy is a bit excessive). Was this a requirement by the school?

Well, that's at the US Embassy. Your embassy may vary. All my school wanted was my degree stamped. Then all the other requirements came up. Here's the order, a long journey since February:

 

1. School says I need my degree stamped at the MFA. Me and the wife go to the MFA with my degree. They say uh oh, where's my Embassy stamp? Go to the US Embassy.

2. We go to the Embassy. Uh oh, where's your appointment? Get out of here! I go home and make an appointment, about a month away.

3. Corona picks up, and my appointment is canceled. Months go by. They don't know they'll start doing them again. Finally a few weeks ago, I get an emergency appointment.

4. Meanwhile, wife is on the phone with the MFA, and they say they also want my passport certified by my Embassy, and that both these documents will have to be translated to Thai for the stamps.

5. I get my Embassy stamps. The US Embassy doesn't stamp or even look at the degree, only my affidavit that I swear to, that it's legit. Wife goes to the MFA to get the translations. 3 days later, they're translated with stamps.

 

And here they are, the elusive, sought after MFA stamps. My school will now take these to immigration. Check with your school first, you may or may not need them.

[CrunchWrapSupreme]

So you see, this was quite an exhausting, expensive journey, and also quite informative. Say you get a job offer from a school. Say they tell you they need these stamps. Is this school...

 

1. Somewhat serious, with a real curriculum to follow, who only takes teachers with a good background, and pays at least around 60k? Yeah, go get the stamps.

2. Or, are they the unfortunate vast majority, who'll take anyone to play Hangman and Kahoot! everyday, for 30-35k? Should you go get the stamps for them? NO!

[moontang]

On 7/23/2020 at 7:41 AM, CrunchWrapSupreme said:

So you see, this was quite an exhausting, expensive journey, and also quite informative. Say you get a job offer from a school. Say they tell you they need these stamps. Is this school...

 

1. Somewhat serious, with a real curriculum to follow, who only takes teachers with a good background, and pays at least around 60k? Yeah, go get the stamps.

2. Or, are they the unfortunate vast majority, who'll take anyone to play Hangman and Kahoot! everyday, for 30-35k? Should you go get the stamps for them? NO

Non B visa, TL, WP, Police check....which one(s) did the MFA stamps apply to, or was that simply a school requirement?  

 

Is the Thai Culture Course finally dead, or looming in the background?

[CrunchWrapSupreme]

On 7/25/2020 at 7:18 PM, moontang said:

Non B visa, TL, WP, Police check....which one(s) did the MFA stamps apply to

One's for your degree (or in the case of the US Embassy, degree affidavit), one's for the certified copy of your passport.

 

From what I've heard, this requirement comes up only in and around BKK. Out in the provinces, where I was for several years, I never needed them.

 

The official, once required culture courses are pretty much dead, but can occasionally come up. A former colleague had used up his waivers. He was allowed to get another, by enrolling in something like a culture course, a Thai social studies course I believe, at a local Rajabhat out in the sticks.

 

Another former colleague got the elusive five year "real" teaching license, and told me many of the requirements on the application weren't required. No culture course. None of the dozen signatures from dept. heads and directors, with copies of ID cards and statements vouching for your character, yadda yadda. Only a degree in education, and at least two continuous years at one school.

[moontang]

Over many years, I have met one farang teacher, who was hired from abroad, and try to simply enter on VEE.  The school was CMIS.  He gave them his and his dependents passports, a week later, he had everything.  So it can be done, but it is the exception and should be the rule.  And even then, he was taking a few risks.

 

Good luck, and thanks for the rare specifics on some of the processes.