I'm supposedly about to receive an ED visa. 

 

But, as we're drawing close to the 26th, i'm getting a bit less than complacent. 

 

I don't have my visa yet, and somebody else has my passport. 

 

Is it in my best interest to get an embassy letter (USA)?

 

If so, can I tell them the real reason...that i'm under consideration for an ED visa?

The USA embassy doesn't even ask for a reason.  You can get a letter online.  All they do is ask you for your name and passport number.  The whole process is automated.  You will receive the letter via email, probably in ten minutes.

 

 

You don't need to tell them very much to get a letter from the US embassy. You just complete this form and you and it will be in your email inbox in few hours.  https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=dFDPZv5a0UimkaErISH0S3NVAXsxQaZEpst3lGhanZ5UMTZNNE5TUDM3SEhHOFhHV0MzOEk5UVlaWS4u

I have suggest to a few people to get a letter just in case it is needed if their embassy is issuing them.

Here is my actual report from Chaengwattana using the embassy letter today (17.09.2020) --

 

- arrived around 10:30am, got queue. 

 

- waiting

 

- they close from 12-1 for lunch. 

 

- I see the officer around 4pm. That takes 10 minutes. They asked for 1) TM7 form, 2) photo, 3) copy of info page of passport, copy of latest actual visa (non-immigrant from Thai embassy abroad), and latest stamp and TM6, 4) embassy letter, 5) I offered the emails showing I received the embassy letter and she took those too, 6) 2 more documents she gave me, (everything signed), 7) 1900 baht. 

 

- then waited another 15 minutes and got a signature on my consideration stamp until 15 October. 

- I asked 2 officers to confirm what this means, and it means that I must come again on 15 October and then if it's approved (most likely it will), I get until 26 October. 

 

Question for the forum: 

 

- Do I hope for another embassy extension letter in October, or try to get with an agent to extend my stay for a year for some other reason? 

7 minutes ago, BKK4 said:

Do I hope for another embassy extension letter in October, or try to get with an agent to extend my stay for a year for some other reason?

Obtain a 12 month permission of stay whichever way possible. Nothing will change for some time. 

 

Thank you for the advice. I got the feeling from the officers today that they were not sympathetic to those who had no means with which to extend. 

 

If I can disturb you for a follow-up question -- with the '15-day' suggestion for getting an extension of stay based on a new reason, I suppose I should go ahead and get it done by 01 October. However, won't this mean my reporting on 15 October will be for naught? If I report on 15 October for the embassy extension, but somehow already have a 1-year extension of stay for another reason, how would that work? If I wait until 15 October to get a new extension, that is only 11 days from when that embassy extension will expire (26 October). Or, am I over-thinking the '15-day suggestion'?

 

Thank you for any advice provided. 

2 hours ago, BKK4 said:

Thank you for the advice. I got the feeling from the officers today that they were not sympathetic to those who had no means with which to extend. 

 

If I can disturb you for a follow-up question -- with the '15-day' suggestion for getting an extension of stay based on a new reason, I suppose I should go ahead and get it done by 01 October. However, won't this mean my reporting on 15 October will be for naught? If I report on 15 October for the embassy extension, but somehow already have a 1-year extension of stay for another reason, how would that work? If I wait until 15 October to get a new extension, that is only 11 days from when that embassy extension will expire (26 October). Or, am I over-thinking the '15-day suggestion'?

 

Thank you for any advice provided. 

If you are under consideration for an embassy letter extension, you will not be able to do anything else until your extension of stay until October 26 is confirmed (probably close to October 15, but could be a little later, or earlier if you phone to see if the approval has come through). Once your embassy letter extension comes through, it is unclear what your further options will be. Some immigration offices have signalled that regular extensions are ruled out once you use an embassy letter extension. Certainly, for those on a tourist entry, applying for a change to Non Immigrant status (with a conversion visa) is unlikely to be possible with less than 15 days left on your permission to stay... and, without that, your options on a tourist entry are few.

Edited September 17, 20205 yr by BritTim

5 hours ago, BKK4 said:

- Do I hope for another embassy extension letter in October, or try to get with an agent to extend my stay for a year for some other reason? 

If you get another extension letter, it means 3 visits in one month to immigration. What a logistical nightmare. They should get rid of this ridiculous "under consideration" non-sense. Either you get the permission or you do not.

Edited September 17, 20205 yr by audaciousnomad

9 hours ago, BKK4 said:

 

snip

Question for the forum: 

 

- Do I hope for another embassy extension letter in October, or try to get with an agent to extend my stay for a year for some other reason? 

As i understand it you can get another one after this ... also i read that u can apply 40 days in advance ...  this is usa and CM imm 

  

i had multiple emails showing my canceled flights to usa  .. they did not want them ..

 

9 hours ago, BKK4 said:

- then waited another 15 minutes and got a signature on my consideration stamp until 15 October. 

- I asked 2 officers to confirm what this means, and it means that I must come again on 15 October and then if it's approved (most likely it will), I get until 26 October. 

 

5 hours ago, BritTim said:

If you are under consideration for an embassy letter extension, you will not be able to do anything else until your extension of stay until October 26 is confirmed (probably close to October 15, but could be a little later, or earlier if you phone to see if the approval has come through). Once your embassy letter extension comes through, it is unclear what your further options will be. Some immigration offices have signalled that regular extensions are ruled out once you use an embassy letter extension. Certainly, for those on a tourist entry, applying for a change to Non Immigrant status (with a conversion visa) is unlikely to be possible with less than 15 days left on your permission to stay... and, without that, your options on a tourist entry are few.

 

4 hours ago, audaciousnomad said:

If you get another extension letter, it means 3 visits in one month to immigration. What a logistical nightmare. They should get rid of this ridiculous "under consideration" non-sense. Either you get the permission or you do not.

 

It sure does seem like there is an effort to make changing to other long term visas (ED, Volunteer...) impossible.  It strikes me that there's no other reason for the "under consideration" stamp other than to run down the clock so one won't have the required 15 days to change to another kind of visa.

9 hours ago, BritTim said:

Once your embassy letter extension comes through, it is unclear what your further options will be. Some immigration offices have signalled that regular extensions are ruled out once you use an embassy letter extension.

 

So...if I'm (supposedly) about to receive an ED visa, would it be unwise to get an embassy letter extension?

 

I been waiting for more than 4 weeks now, and I just have this fear that my school isn't going to get me my passport with ED visa before the 26th deadline. 

 

Of course, somebody else has my passport right now anyway, so I really don't know what I'd do with an embassy letter extension.

 

How would you play it?

8 hours ago, asiacurious said:

 

 

 

 

It sure does seem like there is an effort to make changing to other long term visas (ED, Volunteer...) impossible.  It strikes me that there's no other reason for the "under consideration" stamp other than to run down the clock so one won't have the required 15 days to change to another kind of visa.

If you get the last 15 days, you have time to change type of Visa. But you have to do it at once. Unless you're staying in a province where the immigration office wants you to have 21 days left.