Visa Is Being Cancelled!

[KaiLi]

Hi,

I was just informed that my work permit/visa needs to be cancelled this Friday by my former employer. I am a little bewildered as I handed in my notice 4 months ago and was under the impression that I could keep my status until the end of this month. But just now it seems that my permit/visa must be cancelled 2 weeks after my last day for 'legal and tax purposes'.

Now this puts me in a very bad situation as we are waiting on the paperwork for my husband's Media/Correspondent visa which has been approved but is still 'in progress' (it's been 3 weeks) so I can be put on as a dependent. We were hoping the timing would work better so I could cancel and the reapply at the same time.

Any suggestions on what I can do? My former employer is not being very forthright on information. Can I apply for a tourist visa or some kind of 30/60 day extension? Does someone have a reliable agency I can contact?

Oh, and here's the zinger - I'm 37 weeks pregnant. So leaving the country is not an option...

Thanks in advance!

[terak69]

If genuinely unable to travel, get a Hospital doctors medical Extension letter - this should give a date when they think you can travel & visa can be extended until that date

[lopburi3]

Actually your extension of stay (believe that is what you have rather than a 90 day visa entry?) ends the day your work ends and should have been canceled that day. So if this is several weeks later you do not even have a legal stay to extend. Best get a doctors letter and hope for the best. Believe you are talking about husband getting a one year extension of stay rather than a visa (visa gives no status for dependents).

[KaiLi]

Wow, after living in 3 prior countries in SE Asia, I find the visa/work permit legalities here a real headache.

I currently hold a 1 year multi-entry visa (where I must report or leave the country every 90 days). Plus a 1 year work permit.

So if your visa is supposed to be cancelled on the last day of work, how are you supposed to pack up your belongings to leave the country? Or what if you want to do some traveling before you leave? What if you want to find another job that will sponsor another visa?

So would I take my 'doctor's letter' in with me when they cancel my work permit and visa? Can this be done in the same office? Can I hire an agent to help with this?

Thanks again for the help!

Actually your extension of stay (believe that is what you have rather than a 90 day visa entry?) ends the day your work ends and should have been canceled that day. So if this is several weeks later you do not even have a legal stay to extend. Best get a doctors letter and hope for the best. Believe you are talking about husband getting a one year extension of stay rather than a visa (visa gives no status for dependents).

[lopburi3]

The good news is your 90 day entry does not end with the end of work - that would have been the case with an extension of stay and you would then have to apply for 7 days to pack out.

So returning your work permit will not effect your current permitted to stay. And if you need to extend for medical reasons that should not be a problem with doctors certificate.

[lovelomsak]

Wow, after living in 3 prior countries in SE Asia, I find the visa/work permit legalities here a real headache.

I currently hold a 1 year multi-entry visa (where I must report or leave the country every 90 days). Plus a 1 year work permit.

So if your visa is supposed to be cancelled on the last day of work, how are you supposed to pack up your belongings to leave the country? Or what if you want to do some traveling before you leave? What if you want to find another job that will sponsor another visa?

So would I take my 'doctor's letter' in with me when they cancel my work permit and visa? Can this be done in the same office? Can I hire an agent to help with this?

Thanks again for the help!

Actually your extension of stay (believe that is what you have rather than a 90 day visa entry?) ends the day your work ends and should have been canceled that day. So if this is several weeks later you do not even have a legal stay to extend. Best get a doctors letter and hope for the best. Believe you are talking about husband getting a one year extension of stay rather than a visa (visa gives no status for dependents).

I thought at the end of employment a person had 7 days to leave the country. Any time after that is an overstay. But of course I could be wrong.

[lopburi3]

If on an extension of stay it ends on the day employment ends (for last year or two - you used to have 7 days). If you can not immediately leave you can apply for an extension of stay and will receive 7 days for the normal 1,900 baht TM.7 fee. Believe BOI one stop is still allowing 7 days but for most it is leave immediately.

In posters case it seems she has a 90 day visa entry so should not be an issue.

[Spoonman]

If on an extension of stay it ends on the day employment ends (for last year or two - you used to have 7 days). If you can not immediately leave you can apply for an extension of stay and will receive 7 days for the normal 1,900 baht TM.7 fee. Believe BOI one stop is still allowing 7 days but for most it is leave immediately.

In posters case it seems she has a 90 day visa entry so should not be an issue.

But the OP says "where I must report or leave the country every 90 days"....... so what is it a visa or an extension ?

[lopburi3]

Good catch. Now I am not sure - she started with multi entry visa and 90 days which fits visa entry but you can not "report" rather than leave with such an entry so now feel my first guess may have been right and she has a one year extension from immigration and a multi re-entry permit perhaps?

[KaiLi]

Crumb. Upon closer inspection of my passport it does look like I have an 'extension of stay' a piece of paper stapled in that I need to report again or leave the country before July 13th and a stamp that says my visa is valid until December 26th, 2011. I can't believe how difficult this all is!

So do I go with the HR department to immigration when they cancel everything with my doctor's letter and hope for the best?

Thanks!

If on an extension of stay it ends on the day employment ends (for last year or two - you used to have 7 days). If you can not immediately leave you can apply for an extension of stay and will receive 7 days for the normal 1,900 baht TM.7 fee. Believe BOI one stop is still allowing 7 days but for most it is leave immediately.

In posters case it seems she has a 90 day visa entry so should not be an issue.

[lopburi3]

That would be for a 90 day address report and yes you have an extension of stay if doing them. So get the medical report and try to arrange something at the same time you do the cancel. I am sure they will find a way to help you.

[moe666]

From all reports here if sick or injured immigration has worked with the person to help them out.

[jaapfries]

Crumb. Upon closer inspection of my passport it does look like I have an 'extension of stay' a piece of paper stapled in that I need to report again or leave the country before July 13th and a stamp that says my visa is valid until December 26th, 2011. I can't believe how difficult this all is!

So do I go with the HR department to immigration when they cancel everything with my doctor's letter and hope for the best?

Thanks!

If on an extension of stay it ends on the day employment ends (for last year or two - you used to have 7 days). If you can not immediately leave you can apply for an extension of stay and will receive 7 days for the normal 1,900 baht TM.7 fee. Believe BOI one stop is still allowing 7 days but for most it is leave immediately.

In posters case it seems she has a 90 day visa entry so should not be an issue.

Dear Kaili,

The very first thing you have to do is "STOP WORRYING" - because I found myself in a very similar situation about 3 weeks ago.

I was absolutely frantic, because after being here legally (on work-permits etc.)for 18 years, I was suddenly an Over-Stayer

(4 days) !!!!! (Because some girl in the Lawyer's office overlooked my case ! ! !)

Your problem is very easily solved; do exactly what I did:

You Call a lady named "Pa", who heads the brilliant 1st Class Visa organization. Her number is: 086-147 16 18

She is incredibly knowledgeable and will have you back home on a legal (!) 6 month Tourist Visa before you know it.

She organized a comfortable and All Inclusive trip from Pattaya <> Vientiane: all the paperwork is done expertly by these experts; they've been doing this for many years and know all the relevant & important authorities (on both sides of the border) - you will be absolutely impressed ! !

Please don't put it off until tomorrow; contact her NOW and your stress will disappear, believe you me.

The reason I knew about this outfit is because about 1 1/2 years ago, my teenage son came over and stayed much longer than anticipated. Khun Pa (lovely lady !) had him sorted-out very quickly as well AND without any stress whatsoever.

By the way;the website is: www.1stclassvisaruns.com

You'll be fine !

Cheers

:jap:

JaapFries

[Spoonman]

Jaapfries, you forgot bout a few things, the 20,000b overstay fine, the 37 weeks pregnant and reading between the lines the OP does not reside in Pattaya..........

Nice plug for 1st class though, Ive used them once and they were an absolute cock up and would slit my wrists before using them again or even recommending them to anyone other than my worst enemy.

[thaihome]

Would seem the OP’s problems, rather then being the fault of some complicated system unique to Thailand is actually her own issue with not bothering to try and understand the nomenclature that is used (which is not much different then what is used around the world).

If the OP knew the difference between a permission to stay stamp and a visa the solutions to her problems would be obvious and fairly easily fixable.

TH

[KaiLi]

I'm not ignorant but rather very pregnant and stressed out. I have lived overseas for the past 9 years in Mainland China, Hong Kong and Malaysia without such visa/work permit problems. In fact this is the first country where the 'work permit' and 'work visa' are two separate entities managed by two different government departments who do not communicate with each other. It is also the first country where work permits are cancelled on the 'last day of work' and one has to pay for a 7 day extension to pack up their home and leave the country. It also probably doesn't help that the company I was employed with is relatively new and did not provide me with accurate information (5 days notice of cancellation) nor offer me any help or solutions. Applying for my work permit was also a similar nightmare of going back and forth to immigration for 5 months due to the slightest 'error' in the paperwork which ended up being 'taken care of' easily with 'a little help'. The visa situation here is very complicated indeed and accurate information is hard to come by even if you are a Thai speaker. The laws/requirements also seem to change regularly. So yes, the system here is complicated and the nomenclature used is not international and is often mistranslated!

On a positive note. The documentation for my husband's Foreign Correspondent Visa has come through with a 'little help'. My permit and visa will be cancelled on Friday and I will get the 7 day extension. Then to the One Stop Visa Center next week with hubby's documents and hopefully everything will be taken care of.

Thanks to everyone for their help and advice!

Would seem the OP's problems, rather then being the fault of some complicated system unique to Thailand is actually her own issue with not bothering to try and understand the nomenclature that is used (which is not much different then what is used around the world).

If the OP knew the difference between a permission to stay stamp and a visa the solutions to her problems would be obvious and fairly easily fixable.

TH