Canadian Embassy to discontinue income affidavit notary service April 1st, 2025

[DrJack54]

32 minutes ago, Madgee said:

What are the financial requirements based on the income method if he leaves Thailand and re-enters to start a fresh non-imm O at the end of the year?

If he "starts over" he is in same boat as the other folk without income letter. 

To use income method he would need to show 12 monthly transfers.

For that reason you see those starting over or just obtaining Non O retirement for first time ....use money in bank method.

 

32 minutes ago, Madgee said:

His Canadian pension letters state he has more than 65k after tax deductions and Canadian bank statements to back it up.

Will be useless in start over process

 

Edit: one caveat.... immigration may cut some slack. Perhaps only requiring 6 month of transfers for next extension.

Thinking something like this occurred back in 2018/19 when letters were dropped for UK,USA, AU citizens

[OJAS]

9 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Edit: one caveat.... immigration may cut some slack. Perhaps only requiring 6 month of transfers for next extension.

Thinking something like this occurred back in 2018/19 when letters were dropped for UK,USA, AU citizens

 

Yes, the Immigration Bureau did issue a memorandum urging leniency in the first year back in 2018 - English translation attached. However, whether individual offices actually took any notice of it was another matter - certainly mine (Rayong) did not, and it was only by pure luck and chance that I had already been making monthly 65k+ transfers for a full year prior to my next retirement extension application in any event.

 

 

[OJAS]

On 2/19/2025 at 12:51 PM, perconrad said:

But the Danish embassy opened up again and now want that we get our pensions providers in Denmark to send the pensions income letters directly to the embassy, the letters shall be written in English.

The embassy then sign and stamp the letters and send them by post to the pensioner,  the embassy charge about thb 1000 pr letter and thb 40 for EMS post.

 

Sadly such a simple and practical solution to meeting Immigration Bureau requirements appears to be completely beyond the capabilities of unimaginative staff at the British, American, Australian and now Canadian embassies to implement, for some mysterious reason.

 

[OJAS]

11 hours ago, Madgee said:

What are the financial requirements based on the income method if he leaves Thailand and re-enters to start a fresh non-imm O at the end of the year?

 

If you are talking about a 90-day non-O visa conversion in between a 60-day visa exemption entry and a fresh annual extension of stay for retirement, the financial requirement will be 800k in a Thai bank a/c period - see item 7 in the link below. Highly unlikely that there will be any question after 1 April of the 65k monthly income alternative referred to in item 6 being possible since this would be dependent on the Canadian Embassy being prepared to issue the necessary letter of guarantee.

 

https://www.immigration.go.th/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/9.FOR-RETIREMENT-PURPOSES-50-YEARS-OLD-NON-O.pdf

 

[bamnutsak]

9 hours ago, OJAS said:

Yes, the Immigration Bureau did issue a memorandum urging leniency in the first year back in 2018 - English translation attached. However, whether individual offices actually took any notice of it was another matter - certainly mine (Rayong) did not, and it was only by pure luck and chance that I had already been making monthly 65k+ transfers for a full year prior to my next retirement extension application in any event.

 

 

"...the officer shall consider..."

 

 

In my case, and in most as posted here, CW did accept fewer than twelve (12) months of qualifying transfers. I think I had nine (9) that first time, others had as few as three (3).

 

No clue if they'll issue similar guidance for Canadians.

[DrJack54]

1 hour ago, bamnutsak said:

I think I had nine (9) that first time, others had as few as three (3).

Will be interesting time for some Canadian guys using letter 

One would guess some have done things differently than the 65k monthly transfers.

Perhaps transferring as required etc.

Stay tuned. 

[Madgee]

2 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

One would guess some have done things differently than the 65k monthly transfers.

Perhaps transferring as required etc.

My friend, although capable of meeting the 65k monthly requirements, has only transferred monies as needed. 
How long was it after the UK etc. decided to cease the income letters that immigration announced a leniency guide for those affected?

 

[DrJack54]

8 minutes ago, Madgee said:

My friend, although capable of meeting the 65k monthly requirements, has only transferred monies as needed. 

You mention that your friend can start transfers Aug. 

Extension due Feb so he could show ~ 6 transfers.

Should be sufficient. 

 

No doubt there will be reports well prior to your friends renewal.

Worst case scenario for others would be to border bounce and start over with visa exempt entry.

 

Not being rude to your friend however there will be many with income method (letter) that have not followed the actual requirements.

For example used irregular much bigger transfers every eg 3 months etc.

 

Canadians just like other countries citizens that do not provide embassy letter can still use income method.

 

Don't think immigration can help with advice at this point as would not be aware of any "amnesty rules" even if there will be any. 

[bamnutsak]

37 minutes ago, Madgee said:

How long was it after the UK etc. decided to cease the income letters that immigration announced a leniency guide for those affected?

 

 

My read would be "Two Months".

 

26 Oct 2018 announced

26 Dec 2018 guidance issued

 

 

Not that that that means anything.

 

Plan for the worst, hope for something better.

[OJAS]

3 hours ago, bamnutsak said:

 

My read would be "Two Months".

 

26 Oct 2018 announced

26 Dec 2018 guidance issued

 

 

Not that that that means anything.

 

Plan for the worst, hope for something better.

 

The sequence of events was as follows:

 

(1) 8 October 2018 - British Embassy announced cessation of income confirmation service wef 1 January 2019:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/british-embassy-bangkok-to-stop-certification-of-income-letters

 

(2) 21 December 2018 - Immigration Bureau published amendment to Police Order 138/2557 announcing revised financial criteria for retirement and marriage extensions in the light of certain embassies' decisions to cease their income confirmation services (downloadable via item 18 under the "Permission to stay, extension of stay, re-entry permit and other immigration matters" heading in the "Laws, regulations, Police Orders, etc. related to visas, immigration matters, and work permits" pinned thread).

 

(3) 26 December 2018 - Leniency memorandum published.

 

The major problematical issue was the nearly 3-month delay between (1) and (2). Despite assurances being received from various quarters that those who no longer had an income confirmation service available to them would instead be able to prove income through minimum monthly transfers to a Thai bank a/c, the Immigration Bureau, for reasons best known only to themselves, chose to adopt an extremely leisurely attitude to formalising these revised arrangements - which was the cause of much stress and uncertainty amongst those directly affected (myself included) at the time.