For how long a Work Permit must be valid to get 1-year multi-entry Non-B?

[endlesstravel]

For how long a Work Permit must be valid to get 1 year multi-entry Non-B? As Company Director.

I remember there was a limit, something like 7 or 9 month?

 

And Where to make 1 year multi-entry Non-B?

I have done it always in Penang before covid, but now someone confused me.

[asf6]

As far as I know, there is no such beast as a "multi-entry Non-B". You get a Non-B visa and then buy a multi-entry re-entry permit. 

 

Your extension of stay will expire on the same day as your work permit.

[endlesstravel]

5 minutes ago, asf6 said:

As far as I know, there is no such beast as a "multi-entry Non-B". You get a Non-B visa and then buy a multi-entry re-entry permit. 

 

Your extension of stay will expire on the same day as your work permit.

I'm not sure if that changed over the covid years, but before covid I had 4x this 1 year multi entry non-b visa. Maybe this option is only if you are Company Director, but I'm not sure.

[BritTim]

It is correct that a multiple Non B visa is possible if you are a director of a qualifying company. My understanding is that you may not need a work permit at all. The work permit is a different issue. If you will use the visa purely to fly in to attend meetings and sign documents, no work permit is necessary, and the multiple entry visa can still be issued.

 

What is needed for you to qualify (size and nature of the company and supporting documents, your written role as a company director) I am unsure of. It has been a long time since I needed a Non B visa. My advice would be to pay a competent immigration lawyer to advise you.

 

Historically, Penang has been a favoured location to apply for a Non B visa. Years ago, I did it in Savannakhet.

Edited March 20, 2023 by BritTim

[Ralf001]

1 minute ago, endlesstravel said:

I'm not sure if that changed over the covid years, but before covid I had 4x this 1 year multi entry non-b visa. Maybe this option is only if you are Company Director, but I'm not sure.

Why not  move to an extension ?..

 

Easier process and you renew each year same time as your work permit.

 

Bt.3600 for multi entry I believe.

[asf6]

1 minute ago, endlesstravel said:

I'm not sure if that changed over the covid years, but before covid I had 4x this 1 year multi entry non-b visa. Maybe this option is only if you are Company Director, but I'm not sure.

My apologies. The Thai MFA website indicates multi-entry Non-B type visas are allowed. 

 

"These include business visa Category “B”, business-approved visa Category “B-A” and investment and business visa Category “IB”. Holder of this type of visa wishing to work in Thailand must be granted a work permit before starting work. The visa fee is 2,000 Baht for single-entry with three-month validity and 5,000 Baht for multiple entries with one-year validity."

 

https://www.mfa.go.th/en/page/non-immigrant-visa-b

 

 

 

[BritTim]

3 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

Why not  move to an extension ?..

 

Easier process and you renew each year same time as your work permit.

 

Bt.3600 for multi entry I believe.

If the remuneration as a company director is fairly nominal (which it might be, depending on the responsibilities) you might not qualify for a one-year extension.

 

(The cost for a one-year extension is 1,900 baht; the multiple re-entry permit costs 3,800 baht.)

[Ralf001]

3 minutes ago, BritTim said:

If the remuneration as a company director is fairly nominal (which it might be, depending on the responsibilities) you might not qualify for a one-year extension.

 

(The cost for a one-year extension is 1,900 baht; the multiple re-entry permit costs 3,800 baht.)

Thanks for the correction, I was only 200b off !!

[endlesstravel]

22 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

Why not  move to an extension ?..

 

Easier process and you renew each year same time as your work permit.

 

Bt.3600 for multi entry I believe.

Sadly, it is not so easy to make an extension in Phuket without paying a lot of money ????

[endlesstravel]

25 minutes ago, BritTim said:

It is correct that a multiple Non B visa is possible if you are a director of a qualifying company. My understanding is that you may not need a work permit at all. The work permit is a different issue. If you will use the visa purely to fly in to attend meetings and sign documents, no work permit is necessary, and the multiple entry visa can still be issued.

 

What is needed for you to qualify (size and nature of the company and supporting documents, your written role as a company director) I am unsure of. It has been a long time since I needed a Non B visa. My advice would be to pay a competent immigration lawyer to advise you.

 

Historically, Penang has been a favoured location to apply for a Non B visa. Years ago, I did it in Savannakhet.

Sadly, I think I will not qualify for 1-year Non-B without Work Permit. I remember once I had issues in Penang and at the end officer say me next time the Work Permit should be valid X-month, but it's to long ago..

[BritTim]

8 hours ago, endlesstravel said:

Sadly, I think I will not qualify for 1-year Non-B without Work Permit. I remember once I had issues in Penang and at the end officer say me next time the Work Permit should be valid X-month, but it's to long ago..

There was a time when regular employees (not just company directors) could get multiple entry Non B visas if they had lots of remaining time on a work permit. That was important for those who had jobs that did not earn enough to meet the threshold for an extension based on working. ME Non B was stopped for regular employees. However, there were statements made that company directors and potential investors were eligible for multiple entry Non B visas under some circumstances, with or without work permits. I think it could be worth your while to discuss this with a specialist immigration lawyer.

[endlesstravel]

20 hours ago, BritTim said:

There was a time when regular employees (not just company directors) could get multiple entry Non B visas if they had lots of remaining time on a work permit. That was important for those who had jobs that did not earn enough to meet the threshold for an extension based on working. ME Non B was stopped for regular employees. However, there were statements made that company directors and potential investors were eligible for multiple entry Non B visas under some circumstances, with or without work permits. I think it could be worth your while to discuss this with a specialist immigration lawyer.

Thanks a lot again! Will try to check it with a lawyer. Love your deep knowledge!

 

And it seems that no one else experienced this Work Permit must be x-month valid problem. Strange, for me it was real..

[problemfarang]

for 1 year non-b multi you need to take it from your hometown (your country) Thai embassy. thats what i did.

 

i dont know what do you mean by work permit time thing. if you have a work permit it is good up to your contract date or the letter from your company. 

 

normally your visa and work permit go together. if i remember correctly for changwattana you need to do your work permit first and then visa. or otherwise. 

 

PS: just a friendly reminder, at the work permit office the first thing they check is the tax papers. you better pay it before go

Edited March 21, 2023 by problemfarang

[BritTim]

6 minutes ago, problemfarang said:

for 1 year non-b multi you need to take it from your hometown (your country) Thai embassy. thats what i did.

 

i dont know what do you mean by work permit time thing. if you have a work permit it is good up to your contract date or the letter from your company. 

 

normally your visa and work permit go together. if i remember correctly for changwattana you need to do your work permit first and then visa. or otherwise. 

 

PS: just a friendly reminder, at the work permit office the first thing they check is the tax papers. you better pay it before go

Most often, the order is roughly (i) preliminary paperwork with Labour Department indicating conditional willingness to issue a work permit; (ii) Non B visa (90-day permission to stay); (iii) one or two year work permit; and (iv) one-year extension of permission to stay based on working. The last step, for most nationalities, requires a minimum salary of 50,000 baht per month. In the past, those with too low a salary for the extended permission to stay could get a one-year multiple entry Non B visa (at a consulate outside Thailand) provided they had enough time remaining on their work permit (maybe 8 months, but I cannot recall for certain). Of course, that necessitated border bounces every 90 days. The ME Non B based purely on work permit was discontinued some years back. The rules for teachers are quite different. For instance, the income requirements does not exist.