Cannot Change Visa From Cmu To Another Language School

[tomartoh]

Today i went to Cmu and got a letter stating the Thai language course had finished on 30 October. As the visa extension in my passport expires next year i applied to another language school and asked for them to process an application to the Ministry of Education to change schools and continue the visa and for me to continue as a student with them. Everything done as per the apparent rules. All looks ok

However, bombshell time, I have just been informed that although the paperwork is all in order, that immigration will not accept change over from Cmu courses and I have to leave the country by the 30th of this month

So it seems as if I had kept my head down i could have left at a later date and made perhaps better plans

Has anyone else had this happen to them.? Any constructive suggestions, thoughts?

[electracm]

Yes, the same thing happened to me today. I was on the Cultural Exchange programme,, writing for them - my visa expired today, but I had been advised by Walen that everything would be fine as the Ministry of ED had signed all the documents. Had decided to go with Walen rather than fix up another retirement visa as I needed to seriously learn Thai after having been here for for 5 years and had several tries.

Came in on a non-imm 0 multi entry, then changed to a retirement visa, then worked legally for two years with a B visa and a work permit before I gave that job up and signed on with CEP. -- not to get an easy visa, (I could have gone back on a retirement visa) , but because I wanted to be useful.

I own my house, on a 30 year legally- leased plot, I've rescued four dogs via Care for Dogs, I got very involved with Chiang Mai Friends' group, beleiving that integration was the way forward for all of us. Everything I own is here. My new life was supposed to be here.

Now I'm told that, because I signed up with CEP at CMU in good faith in order to be of use , I can't get another visa. I didn't stay at Immigration to hear any more -- couldn't trust myself not to blow. The drunks, the mafias, the druggies and the down and outs -- they're all allowed to stay here -- those of us who wanted to help, be useful or learn the language -- no way. What does that tell you, dear readers?

I don't think I've ever been so disgusted with any organisation in my life --- not even when New Labour in the UK --AND Bush --got re-elected! Not at CEP. they were good people, but the few persons at CMU who dreamed this one up.

I am certain, for various reasons, that a few 'student's used both CEP and the CMU language course to avail themselves of visas , then were never seen again -- no doubt those guilty ones will shrug their shoulders and happily leave for pastures new withourt giving a thought to the harm they've done to others by their behaviour. But CMU tarred everyone with the same brush --unforgiveable..

Whatever the ifs and buts of this appalling situation, I won't be the only threatened with losing everything. You're lucky you've got to the 30th -- I can't even get a 7 day extension. Yes, I can go to KL and get a 3 month, but who really wants to stay in a country where they are are treated in this manner?

[beano2274]

The visa you obtained was for Studying at CMU, not anywhere else, therefore it will be canceled. Just like many other people who have a Non Imm B, who change jobs, the Extensions are linked to the job, therefore they must also leave.

[electracm]

The visa you obtained was for Studying at CMU, not anywhere else, therefore it will be canceled. Just like many other people who have a Non Imm B, who change jobs, the Extensions are linked to the job, therefore they must also leave.

I was NOT studying at CMU-- I was with the Cultural Exchange Programme, which was aimed at placing people with certain skills where those skills could best be utilsied to help the disadvantaged. Many people came here for a month or so, rather than go on a normal holiday, then went back to their own countries -- others, long-term residents here like myself, had some spare time and wanted to be of use. Last year, when I signed up, Immigration had no problem with this.

Read my post again, maybe you'll get the thread....

[heybruce]

The visa you obtained was for Studying at CMU, not anywhere else, therefore it will be canceled. Just like many other people who have a Non Imm B, who change jobs, the Extensions are linked to the job, therefore they must also leave.

If that is true they are applying the rules differently from before. I had a student visa with AUA last year that I was able to change to a CMU student visa and extend for one year with one trip to Immigration last December.

[beano2274]

The visa you obtained was for Studying at CMU, not anywhere else, therefore it will be canceled. Just like many other people who have a Non Imm B, who change jobs, the Extensions are linked to the job, therefore they must also leave.

I was NOT studying at CMU-- I was with the Cultural Exchange Programme, which was aimed at placing people with certain skills where those skills could best be utilsied to help the disadvantaged. Many people came here for a month or so, rather than go on a normal holiday, then went back to their own countries -- others, long-term residents here like myself, had some spare time and wanted to be of use. Last year, when I signed up, Immigration had no problem with this.

Read my post again, maybe you'll get the thread....

I think you need to cool down, I am answering the original poster.

Why not read the opening post and think that people might not be answering you.

[beano2274]

The visa you obtained was for Studying at CMU, not anywhere else, therefore it will be canceled. Just like many other people who have a Non Imm B, who change jobs, the Extensions are linked to the job, therefore they must also leave.

If that is true they are applying the rules differently from before. I had a student visa with AUA last year that I was able to change to a CMU student visa and extend for one year with one trip to Immigration last December.

usually Visas are valid until they expire, even if you change jobs, however extensions are not. If you are on an extension and you lose the job you lose your right to stay in Thailand, if however you are on a visa and you lose your job the visa is still valid until it runs out.

Maybe in your case you were on a Visa and not an extension, the OP clearly stated he was on an Extension.

[heybruce]

The visa you obtained was for Studying at CMU, not anywhere else, therefore it will be canceled. Just like many other people who have a Non Imm B, who change jobs, the Extensions are linked to the job, therefore they must also leave.

If that is true they are applying the rules differently from before. I had a student visa with AUA last year that I was able to change to a CMU student visa and extend for one year with one trip to Immigration last December.

usually Visas are valid until they expire, even if you change jobs, however extensions are not. If you are on an extension and you lose the job you lose your right to stay in Thailand, if however you are on a visa and you lose your job the visa is still valid until it runs out.

Maybe in your case you were on a Visa and not an extension, the OP clearly stated he was on an Extension.

I was near the end of the one year visa. I had done a border run a couple of months before getting the Ed visa changed to CMU and extended one year. I don't know if that changes the rules in any way. No matter how you look at it, the rules, or the official of the moment's interpretation of the rules, seem arbitrary.

[electracm]

The visa you obtained was for Studying at CMU, not anywhere else, therefore it will be canceled. Just like many other people who have a Non Imm B, who change jobs, the Extensions are linked to the job, therefore they must also leave.

If that is true they are applying the rules differently from before. I had a student visa with AUA last year that I was able to change to a CMU student visa and extend for one year with one trip to Immigration last December.

Yes, it's always been the norm that whehn either a job or a course of study has finished, the visa holder can change to another visa to allow a continued stay here, provided all the rules for the new visa application have been followed. This time it's very different, in that ex-CMU- linked visa holders are not being allowed to change to a course of study, whatever activity their CMU visa related to .

I still don't know. but shall find out tomorrow, whether a change to other types of visa is also going to be refused. If so, then the Thai authorites will be effectively throwing residents, home owners and possibly even those married to Thais out of the country for no reason at all, not that they need a reason, of course.

Difficult for those who have to arrange, very quickly a retirement or Non-Imm O visa, but impossible for those who either aren't old ehough for a retirement visa or the funds to cover that option or a Non-Imm 0 1 year.

I know quite a few people who are resident here, having bought condos, etc, and retired here permanently (they hoped), who are caught in this trap and just don;t know what to do. I also know a Burmese girl who was on CEP and is married to a farang, who is terrified that when her visa is refused as well she will be sent back to Burma.

Get real, guys, it's all going on. It might be your turn next for no good reason.

[electracm]

The visa you obtained was for Studying at CMU, not anywhere else, therefore it will be canceled. Just like many other people who have a Non Imm B, who change jobs, the Extensions are linked to the job, therefore they must also leave.

I was NOT studying at CMU-- I was with the Cultural Exchange Programme, which was aimed at placing people with certain skills where those skills could best be utilsied to help the disadvantaged. Many people came here for a month or so, rather than go on a normal holiday, then went back to their own countries -- others, long-term residents here like myself, had some spare time and wanted to be of use. Last year, when I signed up, Immigration had no problem with this.

Read my post again, maybe you'll get the thread....

I think you need to cool down, I am answering the original poster.

Why not read the opening post and think that people might not be answering you.

You missed the point as well, then - it's not that we have to leave to get another visa -- it seems that they WILL NOT give us another one of any kind if we were with CMU for any reason. Many of us have signed up for Thai language schools, in particular those who were in the middle of their courses.

If that's what's going on, no-one who studied or participated at CMU will be able to return. Just wondering which Thai to give my house to.....

[bangkokcitylimits]

Hi I suggest go to Laos and get a double entry for free, good for 4 months. I had an ED visa for a year that ended just before the CMU-LI hassle, now back on a tourist visa, no big deal.

In MaeSai they give 15 day stamps for free, can do it as often as you want, just bit far to do it every 2 weeks, although I know a guy who does that, hehe. Laos is the best option, later you eventually can apply for a job in Bkk.

Edited October 13, 2010 by bangkokcitylimits

[electracm]

Went to CMU this morning as arranged for another letter to replace the one on which Immigration had refused to issue a visa. Letter there, but tsated that it was IUS that had run the programme (wrong programme as well- they had me down as attending the Thai Language Course) -- and the last para was all about IUS never having been anything to do with CMU.

Thank heaven for translators -- but I thought it was a poor idea to put that letter anyway near Imm. Apart from anything else, IUS's alleged non- imvolvement with CMU might have meant that my now-expired one-year non-O Ed visa wasn;t valid in the first place as the app. had been signed by the President of CMU, not by a representative of IUS. Now there's a thought....

The saga continues......

[CMX]

Beano22etc.,

There is a very long thread that was sent over to the national visa thread, because there is more expertise there about visas. However, as many have pointed out, it is a problem unique to our fair city. Indeed, the visa situation as described by the OP and a subsequent post that you characterize as being done with some anger involved a local school of higher education that abruptly stopped programs and canceled visas in force to those who had done no wrong and had paid (fairly expensive) tuition, not someone who lost a job. The situations are not parallel.

Nor is this a matter about individuals so much as a class of people being stopped from pursuing a number of programs - the volunteer program being one.

What we have here is somebody who changed visas (retirees are not allowed to volunteer, for example, in Thailand or they risk losing their visas) in order to help and who fell victim to an entire program being canceled, not only being denied the ability to work in serious volunteer programs, but the terms of a visa for which they had paid to (ultimately) a state organization as sponsors being canceled.

Unhappily, alternatives are not easy for victims of these evolutions, and they have a right to be upset. Particularly those vested financially in Thailand have every right to feel wronged. Of course, dispassionate action in one's own behalf when feeling wronged is hard to do - don't ask me how I know.