Financial Requirement For My Dependent Wife On A Retirement Extension

[vagabond48]

I am currently on a retirement visa extension due for renewal early January 2012. I will be dropping by the CM Immigration office 3 weeks earlier to renew my extension and so will my wife to get her 1st extension as a dependent of mine. She has a 3 month NON-IM visa which will expire early January as well.

I am going to get my letter of income at the US consulate in a couple of weeks. Is there a income requirement for my wife as a dependent of mine? If this is true, how much income would I have to declare on my letter of income?

I ask this because I just happen to run into a friend yesterday and he brought to my attention something that I didn't read on the TV forum nor in Police Order 777-2551 reason 2.20. My friend told that he has a retirement extension and also wants to marry a non Thai. He was told at the CM Immigration that besides the 800k he currently has to qualify for his retirement extension, he would have to have an additional 400K for his wife when she applies for her dependent extension. Since he speaks no Thai, did he misunderstand the officer or perhaps the officer misunderstood him?

Thanks

[lopburi3]

There is no financial requirement for dependent extension of stay. Suspect your friend was provided the requirement for his marriage to a Thai if he did not want to use retirement extension.

[vagabond48]

I figured as much.

Thanks again!

VG

[NancyL]

Aside from the financial requirements, is there a good reason for a spouse to be a dependent vs. maintaining her own retirement visa? Hubby and I researched this and couldn't find a good answer about what happens to the dependent's visa if the retiree dies. I figured that I would have enough to do if Hubby passed away without having to worry about my visa also. So, we each maintain our own "retirement" visas. He extends his with an income letter from the consulate and I extend mine with a 800,000 baht bank account.

Of course, that bank account has to be solely in my name, which means we got to learn all about how to do a simple Will at the amphur office in case I should die before Hubby. I'd hate to make it difficult for him to get to "my" 800,000 baht bank account when we had maintained all these assets jointly in the past.

[vagabond48]

Aside from the financial requirements, is there a good reason for a spouse to be a dependent vs. maintaining her own retirement visa?

My wife is below the minimum age to get a retirement visa/extension.

[NancyL]

Aside from the financial requirements, is there a good reason for a spouse to be a dependent vs. maintaining her own retirement visa?

My wife is below the minimum age to get a retirement visa/extension.

Ah, this is a good reason! So, what happens to her visa status if you die? And how long does she have to make the necessary visa changes after your death?

[lopburi3]

As soon as status changes you lose extension of stay - that is true of any extension of stay. But they are not likely to be hunting you down during funeral. She would not have any status to stay if she could not qualify for another type of extension.

[vagabond48]

Aside from the financial requirements, is there a good reason for a spouse to be a dependent vs. maintaining her own retirement visa?

My wife is below the minimum age to get a retirement visa/extension.

Ah, this is a good reason! So, what happens to her visa status if you die? And how long does she have to make the necessary visa changes after your death?

She's only here because I twisted her lovely arm to join me in beautiful CM. Actually, she loves CM. If I croaked, she probably would head back to Kunming China because her family is there and it would be a lot easier to find a legit job in China than here, given the difficulty of getting a work permit and a different visa. She has a Japanese GF who works in CM. I lost count how many times her friend had to go back and forth to Bangkok to finalize her work permit.

[personchester]

I figured as much.

Thanks again!

VG

How can you effectively figure this out, your friend was referring (as you reported) to two points, firstly that his future wife would not be Thai, and secondly that he needed ... (as pointed out by IMMI staff) an "additional" (not an alternative) sum of 400K. to get a visa for her.

Moreover, if his wife is not Thai, then a 400.K.sum for his annual retirement visa is not suitable, he will need the 800.K.

in order to find out whether one needs an additional sum for once foreign wife annual visa, a visit to the IMMI office will provide the details.

[lopburi3]

The retirement since 1999 is 800k having a wife or not having a wife or Thai wife or non-Thai wife. There is no change.

And there is no financial requirement for a dependent of a person on retirement extension of stay.

Police Order 777/2551 section 2.22 (retirement)

(3) Proof of income of not less than Baht 65,000 per month; or

(4) Account deposit with a bank in Thailand of not less than

800,000 Baht as shown in the bank account for the past 3 months

at the filing date of the application. For the first year, the applicant

should have that amount in his bank account for not less than 60

days or

(5) Annual income plus bank account deposit totaling not less

than Baht 800,000 as of the filing date of application

Police Order 777/2551 section 2.20 (dependent)

(1) The alien has obtained a temporary visa (NON-IM);

(2) Proof of family relationship;

(3) In the case of a spouse, the marital relationship shall be de

jure (legitimate) and de facto; or

[vagabond48]

How can you effectively figure this out, your friend was referring (as you reported) to two points, firstly that his future wife would not be Thai, and secondly that he needed ... (as pointed out by IMMI staff) an "additional" (not an alternative) sum of 400K. to get a visa for her.

Moreover, if his wife is not Thai, then a 400.K.sum for his annual retirement visa is not suitable, he will need the 800.K.

in order to find out whether one needs an additional sum for once foreign wife annual visa, a visit to the IMMI office will provide the details.

I also asked "Since he speaks no Thai, did he misunderstand the officer or perhaps the officer misunderstood him?"

As you can read Police Order 777-2551 reason 2.20 extensions for dependents, does not mention any monetary requirement.

[griffon2011]

To Vagabond 48... Did you submit your documents? Did you have to show an original marriage certificate, or will a copy be allowed.?

Husband is sweating it out as I only have a copy and the original is in the states....

Thanks.

[mojaco]

@ griffon2011

Hi,

Although your question above was directed to Vagabond 48, you sent me a PM to which I replied on your question above. I will also post my reply here as it might be useful to others.

The first time we did our retirement-dependent application many years ago, the immigration officer required an "original" marriage certificate and a Thai translation. What we did was to contact the Alaska government section that provided certified copies of marriage certificates and paid them to mail us one. That certified copy was acceptable to Immigration. We have been on retirement extensions since then for many years, and sometimes Immigration doesn't even ask for a marriage license copy, sometimes they want a copy but aren't interested in looking at the "original" (certified copy), but sometimes they still want to look at the "original".

I suspect since this will be your first time getting an extension, that Immigration will want to see a certified "original" plus have a copy of it. You should be able to order one mailed to you from wherever you were married at? Or, you could try just seeing if the copy you already have will work. All they can say is "Come back when you have a certified document to show us." And you would simply be delayed in getting your extension until you can get a certified document. Also I am not certain if the officer will want a Thai translation of it or not. Each officer is different.

Regarding the re-entry permit, my wife's "dependent" extension results in the exact same wording in her passport as mine, which is "Retirement" "Extension of stay permitted up to 19 AUG 2012". Once we have this extension, then we both immediately get copies made of our passports for re-entry permits. Each person needs one if he/she is going to leave Thailand during the time the extension is valid, or the extension is voided. We usually both get "multiple re-entry permits" which cost 3,800 Baht each since we often travel outside of Thailand.

Since your own extension is good until May 2012, your husband could just go ahead and get his in December and then sometime before yours expires, go back to Immigration for you to get a new one as a "dependent". That would make your new extension expire at the same time his does. I don't know if Immigration would make you wait until May for you to do this or not. You should ask them when your husband does his extension in December.

[vagabond48]

To Vagabond 48... Did you submit your documents? Did you have to show an original marriage certificate, or will a copy be allowed.?

Husband is sweating it out as I only have a copy and the original is in the states....

Thanks.

Hi, No we are applying for my wife's 1st extension in December, a less than a month before her visa expires.

The first time we did our retirement-dependent application many years ago, the immigration officer required an "original" marriage certificate and a Thai translation.

When we returned from China, we went to Thai immigration to make sure we had everything we needed to get my wife a dependent extension. I showed them the same documents (all copies) that we previously presented to the Thai Consulate in Kunming, China for my wife to go her Non-O based on visiting a family member, her retired husband. The Thai Immigration officer looked it over and said these will be fine. I asked if any documents had to be translated into Thai and he said no. To meet the Thai Consulate requirements to get her visa, my Chinese marriage certificate had been translated into English only, not Thai. The English translation had to be notarized and then certified.

Of course, one worry I have is going to a different officer who will ask for a translation and who knows what else. I know someone who insists that a CM Immigration officer to him he would need to deposit an additional 400K above the 800K to get a dependent extension for his future non-Thai wife even though there is no mention of this in reason 2.2 ( dependent family members) of the Police Order immigration rules. To play it safe, I just came back from the US Consulate with my income letter where I declared an additional 50% more income. I usually only declare part of my income to meet the 65K/month.