Retirement Visa To Family (Support Children) Visa

[slipperx]

Need some help here folks.

I have three kids 7, 6 & nearly three. I have a retirement visa which expires in March. I do not have sufficient funds at the moment due to fraud, to support applying for the retirement visa to be continued. I do have sufficient funds to apply for a visa based on supporting my children here. I am not married to the mother who is unable to earn sufficient to support the children and in any case for reasons I will not go into here, she will likely be subject to an arrest warrant shortly. The children live with me most of the time, I pay for their schooling and everything else. Again I will not explain why but I need to move home from the house I rent here at the end of March but will apply for the visa before then so hopefully that will not be a problem.

So the question is is it possible to change from a Retirment Visa to a Family Support Type visa on renewal. What documents am I likely to need to support the application beyond:

Passport type Photos

Bank Book Copies 3 months showing 400k plus in bank since January

Photos of me & kids in house

Documents from court confirming I am legal father

Copy of house rental agreement (in area covered by the immigration bureau I am applying)

Letter from school confirming I am paying the school fees.

Thanks

[Mario2008]

That is possible, if you have custody over the children. Since you are/were not married to the mother, you would only have custody if you went to the court and ask for it. You talk about having a court papers, so i will presume you have (shared) custody.

You will have to bring the children along, to confirm they live with you. Imigration might interview them. Key is that you take care of the children and they stay with you.

The school confirming this might be handy.

Note that there are 3 ways to qualify for an extension of stay based on retirement:

1. money in the bank

2. income (65,000 a month)

3 a combination of money in the bank and yearly income, together totaling 800,000.

Maybe you can qualify in this way, that would be much easier.

[InterestedObserver]

Since you are not married to the mother and no mention was made about legitimization of the children under Thai law, the court documents will be crucial to determining the relationship between you and the children. A one year extension of stay based on supporting the children could certainly be granted if immigration so chooses.

[lopburi3]

What do you mean by moving "home" (different house/town/country)? Extensions of stay are not normally allowed for application more than 30 days prior to expiration of old and there is the normal 30 day under review of such extensions of stay.

[slipperx]

I have papers from the court saying I am the legal father which I presume will be enough. I am moving from one province to another mid application probably as I want to apply 30 days befoer visa expires.

[olsen]

I get 1 year visa for supporting my son.

I am not married to his mother, but we live together.

I show documentation that I receive 40,000 THB per month pension from Denmark.

I show my son's birth certificate where I am the father.

I show photos of me, my son and my common law wife in our house.

I renew my visa once a year and my son never show up at the immigration.

No problems here.

[Mario2008]

Based on the birth certificate alone is not the norm, as that proves nothing and from your post I gather you are the biological father but not the legal father. The mother has sole custody, unless you went to court, just as slipperx, and was recognized as the father.

[Mario2008]

I have papers from the court saying I am the legal father which I presume will be enough. I am moving from one province to another mid application probably as I want to apply 30 days befoer visa expires.

That might be a small problem if you will be under the jurisdiction of another immigration office, as you have to go back after 30 days to get final approval for the extension.

If a big problem you might get a 60 day extension and then apply for a new 1 year extension of stay when you have moved to the new location.

[slipperx]

I have papers from the court saying I am the legal father which I presume will be enough. I am moving from one province to another mid application probably as I want to apply 30 days befoer visa expires.

That might be a small problem if you will be under the jurisdiction of another immigration office, as you have to go back after 30 days to get final approval for the extension.

If a big problem you might get a 60 day extension and then apply for a new 1 year extension of stay when you have moved to the new location.

Just an update.

Went to BKK immigration in Laksi last December (retirement visa runs out March) who told me I could not CHANGE my retirement visa to a visa based on supporting the children. When asked if I could change on renewal I was taken to a female senior immigration official and handing her all the papers (court legitimacy papers, photos of us in house, birth certs, bank book - copies of everything in duplicate. She was anything but helpful, did not seem interested and basically said no without giving me any reason. I was basically no further forward and knew nothing further.

Went to Khon Kaen immigration (the same area as i was then living) 29 days before visa expired. A really helpful immigration guy there, very pleasant and spoke good English. I had lost my bank book and only had the copies up to December along with ATM print outs but gave him all the papers I had previously given the officer in Bangkok. He told me the ATM printouts were not acceptable but that in any case all I needed was a cletter from the bank confirming I had more than 400k in the bank and copy statements from the bank book were not needed. He said I had everything necessary but he could not process as I would not be resident in the area the whole time the application would be in process. Therefore he said better to move first and then apply in the new area.

Went to a central area immigration office near my new home. They had all the same papers from before plus letter from the bank. They were also very pleasant - both a female & a male officer. Were very thorough and spent some time reading the qulifications for the child support visa. However they said I did need copies of two months transactions from the bank book. I phoned the bank who said I would need to get a new bank book from my home branch. Home branch is at the ooposite end of the country at the moment so that was a major problem. However an officer from a local branch near my new home took pity on me and gave me a print out from the banks computer along with a covering letter. Back to immigration and the application is now waiting approval.

Not sure what gives with the house visit. Obviously not at home 24 hours a day and they apparently do not make an appointment. Guy in Khon Kaen said house visit was mandatory so what happens if you happen to be out when they call. I have to go out for food, sort out new school etc., so it seems all rather hit and miss. Anyone any experience of that?

[lopburi3]

Do you have a cellphone? Expect they would give you a call in that case. In any case home visits are often more about neighbors than the person themselves (but that may vary from place to place). In your case probably not helpful as you are new.

[slipperx]

Do you have a cellphone? Expect they would give you a call in that case. In any case home visits are often more about neighbors than the person themselves (but that may vary from place to place). In your case probably not helpful as you are new.

Yes have a cellphone but need to go to another province on business for a few days - no visit yet - visa due for issue on April 6. Immigration telephoned me a few days ago to ask for more paperwork - the kids Tabien Baans. I had already provided them but the officer gave them back to me. No problem though to go back there and dealt with very quickly ahead of the queue so I am not moaning about that just a heads up to give the immigration office the tabien baan. Also prepared some paper regarding income from overseas but I have no idea why as I already gave them the bank statement showing the 400k in the bank for two months - they check every day for the past 2 months to make sure balance has not fallen below 400k so beware if you are running an account near the limit.

Still very pleased with how I am being treated here although i know application is in Bangkok for approval and not done locally. Bangkok immigration seem to be much more strict or maybe unhelpful even - applying a dictum of searching for any reason to refuse rather than seeking a reason to approve - overzealous might be an appropriate word for Bangkok from my experience.

[jazzbo]

Post #9 but need to go to another province on business for a few days ... so if you got a visa / extension based upon said business you would not need to show either 400K or 800K in the bank.