Changing Wp After Job Change

[bendix]

So this is what is likely to happen soon. I wonder if any of the wise old owls can shed some light on it.

I'm leaving my current job at the end of July. I then want to take 4-6 weeks leave before starting new role here probably in mid September. Contracts etc are being sorted now. I have a non-Immi B visa and work permit. I've had it for nearly four years.

So what do I need to do in this situation. Other advice talks about having 7 days to surrender the WP and leave the country but I can see no material about taking a break between jobs.

Now, here's a complicating factor which may or may not help me. I hold an APEC card which, it seems, gives me an indeterminate number of 90 stays until it expires in 2010.

So what should I do? No doubt my new employer will help sort a lot of this out, but I'd be interested in any insights you guys have.

[samran]

From the sounds of it you aren't in thailand on the APEC card, but rather you have been stamped in on the non-immigrant visa (though you use the APEC card to get into the 'fast lane' at the aiport. To get any usuage out of the APEC card, you'll have to leave Thailand at the end of the 7 days, and then get re-stamped back in on the APEC card where you'll get another 90 days via APEC.

There may be an issue if you have an eye to getting PR here. IF you do want to, then you are going to need to have three uniterupted years of non-immigrant visas + work permits, with all the extensions of stay that go with it. If you break this now by using the APEC card, then the PR clock goes back to zero and you'll have to wait another three years.

Ideally you should get your employer to start your visa and work permit from August 1 so there is no break in the process (if PR is an eventual goal). I'm sure others who have done this will post shortly on how it can be done.

[raro]

a friend of mine was in a similar situation early this year.

He took a one month break between jobs and his new employer used that time to apply for his new WP and visa.

Make sure that your old employer writes a letter for you stating that you quit the job effective a specific day. On THAT day you go to the immigration where your non-immi B was extended (assuming you are here on an extension) and cancel the visa. Just after that, you make this 7 days extension. If you are not here on an extension, you do not have to worry about that part and proceed with the step below.

Within the next day you have to submit first the WP application for the new job and immediately after the non-immi B application along with the receipt from labour department.

This all needs a bit of advance planning and coordination from your new employer as the time window to complete all this is extremely narrow.

[A_Traveller]

Couple of questions to aid responses.

I recall that you used to use the one stop shop. In this case did this mean that your visa and wp were synchronised {same end date & validity period}? Is that correct? Further, are you changing positions prior to cessation of wp or doing this as contract renews.

I am smiling as I type but you might have to do a visa run since the strict rule is the business visa can be determined by the cessation of the wp. However, probably a confirmation from your destination company would be sufficient to allow the visa {if it has sufficient validity} to permit you to stay {on golfing leave}.

Regards

PS As Samran notes if PR is a goal here you do need to ensure continuity of both the non-immigrant visa and wp status.

[samran]

5555555555

The thought of Bendix shleeping it out to poipet for a visa run. Love it!!

[bendix]

A business class flight to Phnom Penh, perhaps . . . . .

[bendix]

Couple of questions to aid responses.

I recall that you used to use the one stop shop. In this case did this mean that your visa and wp were synchronised {same end date & validity period}? Is that correct? Further, are you changing positions prior to cessation of wp or doing this as contract renews.

Regards

PS As Samran notes if PR is a goal here you do need to ensure continuity of both the non-immigrant visa and wp status.

Yeah, I use the one stop shop, so WP and visa are aligned.

And, yes, changing positions prior to cessation of both, by around 2 months.

[A_Traveller]

That should simplify matters, ideally, get the new company to arrange wp to carry on from your present one {they've time to do that}, and then apply to the one-stop to get your visa resynchronised, indeed the new employer's HR should be able to do this for you, since its in their interests as well streamlining their processes.

Alternatively the new reality TV show Bendix does PoiPet via Pattaya sounds to me to be a ratings hit, I'll be cameraman on that no issue.

Regards

PS This is assuming you will be on a full contract as opposed to say an annual one, where the new company would wish to match the periodicity of the wp. If they do, and you want to retain your PR track {even if you don't it's a useful argument for them doing the schlepping around} then the above option works, though they'll need to arrange a term variation.

[samran]

A business class flight to Phnom Penh, perhaps . . . . .

mate,

a visa runner is a visa runner. All you need to complete the picture is a shaved head, a couple of tatts, your best En-ger-land foodball jersey and a failing real estate business in Patters and you'll be 'one of the boys'.......

[raro]

actually...if you can arrange with old and new employer that you get the new job in your WP while the old one is still on, you will have a smooth transition form one job to the other!

[RonD]

I'm "upgrading" to a new job also in a couple of weeks (with the difference that my old wp/visa has was processed at one stop but not my new), but without any break in between, and made a post to which monty replied to seemingly "spot on":

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Changing-Wor...nd-t196755.html

And just to add to raro's post, within the 7 day extension the new wp application has to be processed and completed, otherwise a "visa run" might have to be required (check monty's reply). This should be fine though as you are doing it at One stop which allow you to process the wp/visa within 1-2 dyas anyway I believe.

You also need the original of the wp permit cancellation and an official statement/form from your old employer proving that you have paid all the taxes up to the day you quit.

I agree with the notion that you should look at keeping continuance of the wp status, for setting your eyes on PR as well.