Refused Re Entry Permit Non O

[Bung]

Just got back from immigration here in CM and was refused a re entry permit for my non imm O. I am a little confused as they said if I had a tourist visa I could have gotten one. Why the difference? It seems to me if anything having a non o (family) would be more legitimate and in fact when I got it in Vientiene I initially asked for a tourist visa and was told they could give me a family as if that was better....I got it because of the fact I have custody of my son here.

Now I need to go to Malaysia for a medical that isn't possible to get in Thailand and am faced with the cost and hassle of getting yet another non o for another 3 months? But with a tourist visa I could have got a multi re entry?? I need to get out to work regularly but I don't go back to my home country at all.

My current visa expires 19th Dec. I was planning on going out on the 18th and coming back in on the 21st, could that be the reason? Would I need to come back before the Dec 19th expiry?

I am not quite sure what happened and am confused by this. Unfortunately once he refused me everything he said fell on deaf ears, I thought getting a re entry permit would be just a formality.

Any ideas? I need to sort this one out quickly, thanks.

[Crossy]

What is your current permit to stay date (not the visa expiry)?

That's the stamp you got last time you entered.

[beano2274]

A re-entry does nothing for you if your visa expired on the 19th then the re-entry permit would expire on the 19th too. It does not add time to your extension, it just keeps it alive if you go outside during the period of your extension. If you are on a multi entry then you do not require a re-entry permit you just leave and come back before the expiry date and get 3 months.

Edited December 15, 2011 by beano2274

[KamnanT]

Is your Non-Immigrant "O" a single or multiple entry? If it's multiple, what they may have been trying to tell you is that you don't need a re-entry permit. With a multiple entry Non-"O", you can leave and re-enter as many times as you like before the December 19th expiry date and get permission to stay for 90 days each time.

You say you were planning to leave on the 18th and return on the 21st, after the expiry date of your visa. If your current 90 day permission to stay expires on or after the 21st then yes, a re-entry permit would allow you to leave and return after your visa has expired but before your current permission to stay expires. If this is the case, I am surprised that they wouldn't give you a re-entry permit - as you say, it is pretty much a formality.

[Bung]

What is your current permit to stay date (not the visa expiry)?

That's the stamp you got last time you entered.

The stamp in my passport says admitted until 19 Dec 2011. It's the same as the visa expiry date.

Edited December 15, 2011 by Bung

[Phatcharanan]

Can you not get one at the airport?

[KamnanT]

What is your current permit to stay date (not the visa expiry)?

That's the stamp you got last time you entered.

The stamp in my passport says admitted until 19 Dec 2011. It's the same as the visa expiry date.

That would explain it. A re-entry permit just maintains your current permission to stay ("Admitted Until" date) when you leave and re-enter the country. Your plan is to return after your current permission to stay has expired, so a re-entry permit won't help you. Can I suggest you change your plans and return on December 19th, getting yourself another 90 day permission to stay on your Non-Immigrant "O"? You can then get a re-entry permit if you want to leave again during that period.

[Crossy]

What is your current permit to stay date (not the visa expiry)?

That's the stamp you got last time you entered.

The stamp in my passport says admitted until 19 Dec 2011. It's the same as the visa expiry date.

No you cannot get a re-entry permit as it would do you no good. A re-entry permit is there to protect a permission to stay, it does not add time to your stay or extend in any form.

Your permission to stay would expire whilst you are out of the country as would any re-entry permit issued so there is absolutely no point.

You need a new visa, just do what you would have done on the 19th anyway, leave and get a new visa.

EDIT IF your visa is multi-entry do as KamnanT suggests, returning before the expiry date will net you another 90 day stay.

[lopburi3]

A re-entry permit would only be valid until December 19th so immigration was correct as it would not help him at all as his return is later. He needs to either obtain a new visa for a new entry or extend 60 days and then get a re-entry permit. Extension would require child and relationship proof. After extension stamp is in passport a re-entry permit should be available for that new permitted to stay until date.

[Bung]

Ok thanks for the clarification and quick responses, much appriciated.

i am off to work Jan 14th so will just get a visa on arrival for now and will just have to go back to Australia next time and get a multi, this is way too much hassle