NON IMM O-A To Extension Based On Marriage

[glegolo]

Can Ubonjoe or anybody confirm to me, that if my friend that today have a valid Non Immigrant O-A,

can make an extension of stay based on marriage, and do not have to bother with health insurance???

 

Plse let me know so I can advise him....

 

thanks

glegolo

[ubonjoe]

He can apply for a extension of stay based upon marriage that does not require insurance.

A few odd immigration offices may incorrectly say it is required due to him having a entry from a OA visa.

[steve187]

yes he can

[glegolo]

Thank you so much both of you guys, I will inform my friend it will make him happy..

But if he would apply for extension based on retirement,,, THAT would need an health insurance???

 

glegolo

Edited September 14, 2020 by glegolo

[ubonjoe]

22 minutes ago, glegolo said:

But if he would apply for extension based on retirement,,, THAT would need an health insurance???

 

Yes

The insurance is required for a extension based upon retirement if a person entered the country using a OA visa.

[Bruce Aussie Chiang Mai]

I changed ext on my O-A from retirement to marriage in Chiang Mai very easily. Having money locked in bank makes it easy.

 

[dlclark97]

What documentation is needed to change from an original Non Imm O-A based on retirement to Non Inn O-A based on marriage?  Have more than adequate money in the bank.  Thanks! 

Edited September 15, 2020 by dlclark97
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[dlclark97]

Aged 80 and IO is Rayong.

[phutoie2]

16 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

He can apply for a extension of stay based upon marriage that does not require insurance.

A few odd immigration offices may incorrectly say it is required due to him having a entry from a OA visa.

Add Phetchabun to the list of "Incorrectlies". 

Complete non starter, OA in passport, must have medical insurance. End of. 

[ubonjoe]

14 minutes ago, phutoie2 said:

Add Phetchabun to the list of "Incorrectlies". 

Complete non starter, OA in passport, must have medical insurance. End of. 

When did that happen?

I don't recall any recent reports of that happening for a while now. There were several last year after it was announced but I think most office have gotten the message it is not required now. Some people back then went out for a single entry non-o visa to apply for a new extension.

[NoshowJones]

17 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

He can apply for a extension of stay based upon marriage that does not require insurance.

A few odd immigration offices may incorrectly say it is required due to him having a entry from a OA visa.

If any immigration offices say it is required, do not be afraid to stand your ground and tell them it isn't. If necessary, ask to see the boss, but, I emphasis, do not be rude or raise your voice to them.

[sathornlover]

1 hour ago, dlclark97 said:

Aged 80 and IO is Rayong.

In my case this was not possible in Rayong, although we were assured 2 months before the application I could do an extension on the basis of the marriage and would not have to show proof of health insurance.
When we arrived in May with all the necessary documents and witnesses at the agreed date, I was asked for insurance why there was no 800000 Bath in my account and how long it would take me to increase my account to this amount.
We were quite surprised by this news, although my wife was in contact with the responsible person via Line. It is said that one day before the application there was a new order from BKK ...
My problem was not that I could not refill the account in time, but that I had either introduced my money in cash or withdrew it at the ATM and did not transfer it directly from my home bank as it should be in this case.
I was assured that this would not be a problem because I was married and asked to come again in 2 months.
What a strange contradiction ,-)
I had problems to trust this promise, because it was 2 more months of uncertainty, especially since my O-A visa expired in the 2nd year and my stay in Thailand was only legal on the basis of the amnesty and as already described with uncertain outcome!

In fact after the 2 months everything went well and we were told that next year I could extend my one year stay on the basis of marriage.

To the surely well-intentioned advice to ask for the superiors. He appeared himself when he noticed  the intensive discussion we had with his colleague. I could have asked for his superior, but I really doubt whether we would have come to a better result ...

 

Nevertheless all the best for the 80 year old applicant and hope that he has more luck than than we had!

 

[Philipg114763]

Eno you do not need insurancedue to marriagebut if you would like insuranceor anyone else needs insurance please read. Insuranceis a piece of mind you never know whats round the other side. https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1030655460691928&id=100012424502174

[Peter Denis]

1 hour ago, dlclark97 said:

What documentation is needed to change from an original Non Imm O-A based on retirement to Non Inn O-A based on marriage?  Have more than adequate money in the bank.  Thanks! 

 

1 hour ago, dlclark97 said:

Aged 80 and IO is Rayong.

Yours is an interesting case.

Because at your age you will not be able to meet the thai IO-approved health-insurance requirement when applying for the 1-year extension of stay based on your original Non Imm O-A Visa for reason of retirement.   The mandatory TGIA-associated insurers providing such insurance will not insure you over age of 75.

Previously with +75 years old these applicants were told by their IO either

- to apply for reason of marriage (in case they were married to a thai national);

OR (more commonly)

- to do a border-run, return Visa exempt and then apply for the 90-day Non Imm O Visa, subsequently followed by an application for a 1-year extension of stay based on that new Non Imm O Visa for reason of retirement.  The requirements for the retirement-extension are exactly the same for an O or O-A Visa, with the one difference that a Non Imm O Visa does not require that mandatory thai IO-approved health-insurance policy.

But now with borders closed that last option is not possible of course.

 

Therefore the only option left is a 1-year extension of stay application of your original Non Imm O-A Visa for reason of marriage.

The Good News is that when using the funds-in-bank method or the monthly income transfer method, that the financial requirements for such application are way lower than for a retirement extension.

But on the flip-side there are several additional requirements to be met and provide evidence that you are still married to your thai wife. 

So if you are presently using the Embassy issued income-letter method, switching to a marriage extension would have NO benefit for you (except that the mandatory thai IO-approved insurance is not required) but only makes the application more difficult with the additional requirements that need to be met for the marriage-extension.

 

So unless applying for reason of marriage would be a good financial deal for you and you are willing to take the additional administrative burden of such application, I would suggest that you go plead your case at your local IO and tell them truthfully that there is NO TGIA-associated insurer willing to accept you for the mandatory insurance (over 75 years of age, none will accpet you). 

In such case your local IO would have no other option than to waive that requirement - as it is simply impossible for you to comply with it.  And would have to allow you to apply for reason of retirement, as you did previous years.