Visa Extension As Volunteer Teacher

[simon43]

Yes, it's related to visas, and I have already posted in the visa forum. But I just want to ask some specific questions relating to visa extensions for teachers.

I'm 49 and only 1 year away from that magic 50 figure whereafter I have a choice of longstay visa options (retirement or support of my Thai son). But I'm not 50 yet and have just divorced from my Thai wife!! So bang goes the chance to extend my current non-immigrant 1 year visa extension for another year! Unless....... I can find a way to extend it based upon other criteria.

So, after examining Sunbelt's translation of the immigration/visa extension rules, it seems that if I am a teacher in a government school, then I can request a 1 year visa extension, regardless of what salary I earn etc.

It seems that I am qualified to teach English (Msc, BSc, TEYL) in a government school. (I have previously taught English in Thailand at Prathom level). So my plan would be to teach as a volunteer (unpaid) teacher at my local government prathom school, which has no 'farang' teacher. I'm well-respected in our local community (I'm the community volunteer tourist police officer), so it is likely that the school will be keen for me to teach. It should also be possible to get a WP (provided that the school do some paperwork etc which I hope they will be able to do..). I am lucky enough to get free board and lodging with my exwife (hmmmm....)

But has anyone on this forum ever received a 1-year extension to an existing non-immigrant visa for volunteer teaching in a government school? Especially, what other documents (criminal record check, teacher's licence etc) were required.

I hope that this is a feasible solution. Otherwise, in order to get a visa extension, I will be forced to remarry my exwife, (which is rather like remarrying the devil in a skirt.....)

Simon

[Mario2008]

Hello Simon, I just answered your question in the visa forum. But for others who might be interested I will try to anwer it here as well.

The visa you will get depends on weather you are a volunteer or not. Paid teachers get a non-B visa, volunteers a non-O. On a Non-B you will be able to get a salary as a teacher, but there just is no minimum salary, as opposed to other jobs. As volunteer you will not get paid, simply because otherwise you woudn't be a volunteer. However you can get expenses paid, like for travel, books, lunch, coffee, etc. Some schools offer free living at the school. That part is for you to negotiate with the school.

Getting a non-o visa and yearly extensions is no problem as a volunteer teacher with a government school. So far I had dealings with 2 different labour offices. Both only required a bachelor degree.

As the teacherslicense isn't yet mandatory right now you only need a bachelor degree in any field. From the ajarn.com website you can learn that it is expected to be required starting next school year, but that the excact rules are not clear yet.

Right now the only other requiremtents lies with the paperwork the school has to give to both immigration and the labour office. Important is that you also need a letter from the director of the school district. With that letter you can get one year extensions, with only a letter from the director of the school you get 3 monthly extensions.

Other requirements are a list of the foreign workers working at the school, a map to your home, a work schedule, a volunteer contract, application forms of the labour office and immigration and a few other documents.

[Loaded]

Your local immigration office has/should have an English translation of the list of documents you need. Best to confirm everything with them and leave yourself time left on your current visa to prepare additional documents if requested by imm when you make the (first) application.

[scyriacus]

Paid teachers get a non-B visa, volunteers a non-O. On a Non-B you will be able to get a salary as a teacher, but there just is no minimum salary, as opposed to other jobs. As volunteer you will not get paid, simply because otherwise you woudn't be a volunteer. However you can get expenses paid, like for travel, books, lunch, coffee, etc. Some schools offer free living at the school. That part is for you to negotiate with the school.

Getting a non-o visa and yearly extensions is no problem as a volunteer teacher with a government school. So far I had dealings with 2 different labour offices. Both only required a bachelor degree.

if there is no minimum salary, there should be no minimum duty! how many hours per day/week/month/year (?) are required to get a work permit and visa? to the extreme: would one hour/year for 1 baht/hour qualify for a 1 year non-b visa?? where are the limits???

[Mario2008]

That is indeed the question. For volunteers there are no limits regarding income and I have seen none regarding the hours you would have to work. But for volunteers there is no income check.

For the non-B for a teacher there is also no mimimum income requirement, same goes for the WP.

Does this mean you can volunteer and get a non-O visa on any hours? Since there are no fixed rules a lot of descretion will be with the labour office and the immigration police and they will draw the line somewhere. You get the visa and WP to do volunteer work, not for an extended holliday.

Same goes for paid teachers. They will look at your income to see if it is reasonable and if you can support yourself on that salary. No one will take 1 hour a year nor one baht per hour seriously. But wear they draw the line is indeed the question.