Coverting O / OA visa to a parent visa from within Thailand

[Kenny202]

Got a mate here been left with two near babies (wife scarpered). They were married and he has already done the full custody thing through the courts so no issue about paternity. Hes been living here on tourist visas and border hops for far too long and things are becoming urgent so this is a genuine asking for a friend question.

 

He has his hands full and seemingly terrible at organizing anything or paper work so trying to help him out. He engaged the service of a visa agent who claimed she would sort out the O (or OA?) visa and from there get all the parental visa sorted. Hes 42 so cant get a retirement visa. Was a surprise to me as I've had a parental visa for 5 years and had to jump through quite a few hoops to get it. I did mine all by myself. She called him yesterday to say she put in the application but was rejected yesterday because the officers came to his home to interview him and his 2 or 3 witnesses / sponsors and he should have brought them to the IO. Not sure how that works as it was IO who suggested they come to his home so if there was a mistake it was theirs. Immigration admitted they made a mistake but said head office issue. Anyway, none of it making much sense and he is starting to wonder if he is being taken for a ride. I have no idea about O or OA visas apart from I originally got an OA visa from Australia which I later extended for retirement, then converted to parent as I also have a Thai child. 

 

He has been told he needs to get an O visa, which she also said she would organize but he has to go out of the country and back in again to get. Is that how it works? OA visa from your home country....O visa from a 3rd party country consulate or something? I remember when I got my OA visa I basically got a year....which I actually ended up getting near 2 years by leaving and re entering just before the end of the 12 months. Is an O visa the same ie 12 months? He has been told O visa for 3 months then extension as a parent visa. I said to him today well she would need the O visa sorted out before applying for the parent visa or do they do the lot at the same time ie you have to qualify for the parent visa and jump through all the hoops, application etc before starting the O visa process? Not sure what he needs to do now, looks like start the whole process again. I think he wrongly assumed the agent would do some magic but its more of a hand holding thing where he is still going to have to supply all the required photos, docs etc.

 

Can anyone advise what the O visa / extension to parent process is? Does what he is being told sound right?

[DrJack54]

51 minutes ago, Kenny202 said:

I remember when I got my OA visa I basically got a year....which I actually ended up getting near 2 years by leaving and re entering just before the end of the 12 months. Is an O visa the same ie 12 months?

Your non O-A is irrelevant for the friend.

Also the agent would be assisting in obtaining a non O single entry visa that provides a 90 day stamp.

51 minutes ago, Kenny202 said:

I said to him today well she would need the O visa sorted out before applying for the parent visa or do they do the lot at the same time ie you have to qualify for the parent visa and jump through all the hoops, application etc before starting the O visa process?

The non O is first step.

He would then be applying for 12 month extension based on support of Thai child.

Note there is no such thing as "parent visa" 

 

Seems there was a mix up with home visit. 

Which immigration office? 

What stamp is currently in his passport? 

Visa exempt entry? Or......

 

Why wasn't he previously using extensions from a non O based on marriage