What's The Best Honorary Consulate In The U.s. To Get Non O One Year

[jfchandler]

Here is the current language from the Thai Embassy in Wash DC's web site about choices for where people can/should apply for visas.... It still appears to give the option for people to apply at honorary consulates in places other than their residence....provided you are not from a Middle East or Socialist country... See the fourth bulleted item below...

• Applicants residing in CA, AK, AZ, ID, NV, OR, UT and WA should send their application forms to the Royal Thai Consulate-General, Los Angeles or the Royal Thai Consulate-General at Oregon
  
• Applicants residing in CT, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI and VT should send their application forms to the Royal Thai Consulate-General, New York or the Royal Thai Consulate-General at Massachusetts
  
• Applicants residing in IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, MI, MN, MO, ND, NE, SD and WI should send their applications forms to the Royal Thai Consulate-General, Chicago or the Royal Thai Consulate-General at Missouri
  

• In addition to applying at above addresses, applicants who are not holders of travel document or from the Middle East countries and the socialist countries can also obtain their visas at the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, Oklahoma, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Texas (Dallas), Texas (El Paso), Texas (Houston)and Dominican Republic
  
• Applicants not residing in the states mentioned above can apply at the Consular Office, Royal Thai Embassy in Washington, D.C.
  

[vagabond48]

I also got rejected by Denver but I was able to get my NI type O from the Alabama consulate last October. I'm over 50 so I had no problem but if you aren't, I don't know how strict they are with the new limited requirements of the visa.

They required nothing but the application form, a photo, my passport and $150 check. This was not a retirement visa so no financial statements was required.

Sorry for the late reply I have been away.

Vagabond....I'm confused about what kind of O visa you applied for/received....

You mention being over 50, which is one of the requirements for an O retirement visa, but then say you didn't get a retirement visa...

So, what exact kind of O visa did the consulate issue for you???

I am not an expert on visas but I believe a retirement visa is a Non-Immig type "OA", which besides having to be over 50, has a number of requirements. The one I got was an "O" which is good for 1 year and cannot be extended unless you get a retirement extension which has similar financial requirements as the "OA" visa. The retirement visa "OA" requires you to go to immigration every 3 months while the "O" requires that you leave the country every 3 months. Contrary to the rules I read about the qualifications for a N-I type "O" visa, you may still be able to get it at certain embassies/consulates in the US and the rest of the world.

Hope the clarifies the differences.

[lopburi3]

If you are over age 50 or married to a Thai or the parent of a Thai it is normal for many Consulates to issue a non immigrant O visa (and many will issue the multi entry type). The OA visa does not require visits to immigration. But address reports must be made if you stay in Thailand more than 90 days in a row so you can visit to do that, fill out a form and mail, or have someone do for you. If you travel often such reports would not be required.

[JimGant]

If you are over age 50 or married to a Thai or the parent of a Thai it is normal for many Consulates to issue a non immigrant O visa

Being married to a Thai is probably the most common qualifier for getting a Non Imm O visa. But until this thread -- and the honorary consulate in Alabama -- I had not realized just being 50 years old was also a qualifier, at least at some places (even the fairminded Hull consulate requires proof of pension in addition to age).

Where else have Non Immigrant "Old" visas been issued?

[lopburi3]

Just about any. It is listed as an official reason for issue of a non Immigrant O visa on the MFA website:

other activities (Category "O") as follows:

to stay with the family, to perfrom duties for the state enterprise or social welfare organizations, to stay after retirement for the elderly, to receive medical treatment, to be a sport coach as required by Thai Government, to be a contestant or witness for the judicial process.

[vagabond48]

Just about any. It is listed as an official reason for issue of a non Immigrant O visa on the MFA website:

other activities (Category "O") as follows:

to stay with the family, to perfrom duties for the state enterprise or social welfare organizations, to stay after retirement for the elderly, to receive medical treatment, to be a sport coach as required by Thai Government, to be a contestant or witness for the judicial process.

The only qualification for my "O" was that I was over 50. Although I previous received the "O" from Denver, they no longer could issue it. To quote them, "we got our wrists slapped for previously issuing type "O", for being over 50 only"

[bKkRk]

Indeed. PDX is painless. I got my 1yr non-O in Feb. $100 and 5min is all it took.

On what basis did you apply/qualify for the non-imm O visa issued at Portland????

Others here have reported being denied at various of the U.S. honorary consulates just on the basis of wanting to visit LOS....

My wife is Thai. I took a copy of our marriage certificate, photocopy of her thai passport and ID card, and my passport. We got married under the radar in the US just to ensure things like this would be easy though our official wedding with all the family was in LOS. The consulate didn't even look at the Thai certificate. By the way, I'm in the low 30's and never heard of the 50 rule for the non-O.

[Lite Beer]

, I'm in the low 30's and never heard of the 50 rule for the non-O.

The poster above needed the Non O for retirement purposes so he needed to be over 50.

You needed it based on Marriage so you had to be married.

There are many different reasons to apply for a Non O Visa.

[lopburi3]

I hope that you were not really married in Thailand as that would be a legal marriage worldwide. Only a visit to the District Office and issue of marriage certificate is a marriage in Thailand so expect you just had a non legal marriage ceremony of some type.