Navigating the waters to obtaining a Non-Immigrant B Visa

[SlimJoeBrown]

Hello everyone! I feel like I am a chicken running around with its head cut off and in need of some advice.

 

Some backstory, I am currently in the US. I was hired as an English teacher mid-October for a school in Bangkok. Since being hired, I have been working on gathering the correct documents needed to  apply for the COE and Non-Immigrant B Visa. I have been working with my employed and have received the following documents: 1) invitation letter, 2) employment contract, 3) employment certificate, and 4) a copy of the school's license. With the documents in hand, it appears that I should be able to submit the online application for the COE and Visa. Herein lies the problem...

 

I was told by another American teacher at the school I will be working for, who had gone through the same process I am going through, that I must first make sure I am on some kind of MOE and Dept. of Foreign Affairs list of approved teachers for entry into Thailand before I submit the online COE and Visa app (I cannot find any information about this list and how one would get onto it). I tried to call the consulate offices in NYC, Washington DC, and L.A. to see if I was on the list. I was only able to speak to someone in the DC office (as the others either went to voicemail or I was told they could not help me and that I need to "help myself" by looking at the website). The person in the DC office told me that they could not disclose whether or not I was on the list and that I need to apply first. Only then would I either be approved to submit my passport and other docs for the visa to be issued or told that I am not on the list. I have no problem with this except on the last page of the application, I am required to upload a copy of a purchased flight and ASQ hotel reservation. The issue is, if I buy the flight and pay for the ASQ (both of which I have no problem doing), in addition to submitting the other required docs, only to find out that I am not on the list, I would be on the hook for a lot of money spent for a flight and ASQ I cannot even use.

 

This leads me to asking you, the fine people of ThaiVisa, for help. My future employer said that I should be on the list but need to check with the consulate first. The consulate said I need to apply first before I can find out. My American teacher colleague said that I should not think about being on the list until I get my degree authenticated by the State Department and submitted to the Thai embassy (a process that I have already started via Monument Visa Services but was told it could take anywhere between 2.5 months - 4 months to complete). I was also told that my employer should be the ones submitting my documents to the MOE for approval to get onto the list, however my future employer has not given me a straight answer if they did or not (or even if the are the ones responsible for doing so). As you can see, my head is swimming with the different types of information and I have no idea how to proceed.

 

One final note, it was suggested to me that I should abandon my campaign to obtain the Non-Immigrant B Visa outside of Thailand and should instead focus on applying for the TR Visa. I was told that the process of changing to a Non-Immigrant B visa would be easier if I was already in Thailand. The only concern I have is regarding one the requirements for the TR Visa which states that I need to submit my bank statement with a "balance no less than $17,000 or 500,000 baht each month for the last six months". I have an immediate family member who would be willing to submit their bank statement on my behalf which would satisfy this requirement. In addition, I would submit a copy of my birth certificate to show proof of relationship. My question is then, would this suffice to show proof of funds?

 

Thank you for taking the time to read my post and I wish you all of the best. Looking forward to any and all advice on how to proceed.

[blackcab]

2 hours ago, SlimJoeBrown said:

My question is then, would this suffice to show proof of funds?

 

No.