Help A Newbie With Her Visa Confusing Sitch? Pretty Please? :)

[shikonjewel]

Hello all,

I'm heading to Thailand in January with my Thai partner and have already bought the round trip ticket with a return in July (got amazing seat sale deal, figured we could change the dates to earlier or later as necessary at the time). Now I have the problem of trying to figure out which visa to apply for.

During our last stay in Thailand I simply entered on the 30 day visa exemption so I'm a newbie at trying to figure out the visa process. Our intention was to enter Thailand, either on the exemption or on a Tourist Visa and then apply for the Non-Immigrant B Visa after finding me work a month of so of travel and leasure. But in talking with the embassy here, they tell me its impossible to enter and then find work and do this. The Embassy told me that I cannot look for work on the Immigrant visa and by doing so I will run into problems. I have a good chance at already having employment lined up (tourism thing), but in case that falls through I was interested in teaching English. All the online research I have done points to several examples of people going to LOS first and looking for work after getting settled.. recommending this way rather than accepting a job from your home country and going blindly into it. So people must do it, eh? I really assumed I could come in and on getting a job and applying for the Non-immigrant b visa, just do a visa run or something and be on our way.

So supposing I'm trying to get a tourist visa just to get there first, will I run into problems because of the late return on my flight ticket (6 months)? Should I be saying that I'm entering with the intention of applying for extensions and such? Would it be better to have a tourism visa at time of leaving Canada? It sounds such a hassle to fly in on the exemption, then apply for extensions..

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help with my mess!

[Colabamumbai]

Get a tourist visa for the Thai Embassy in Ottawa or a Thai Consulate (ie) Toronto.

A single entry gets you 60 days which can be extended in Thailand at a cost of 1,900 Bhat, for an additional 30 days.

A double entry gets 2 entries of 60 days each of which can be extended in Thailand again for 30 days.

Without extensions you have 120 days, with extensions on both 180 days

A triple entry if available will give you 3 entries of 60 days with extensions a total of 270 days.

I would go with a double entry tourist visa that gives you 120 days without extensions about the time of your return. From a fellow Canadian.

You may get a job offer here, and with the paperwork from your employer go to a neighbouring country and get the proper visa NON B, and a Work Permit from the Labour Board here with documentation from your employer....easy as that.

More posters will reply

[Soutpeel]

The Embassy told me that I cannot look for work on the Immigrant visa and by doing so I will run into problems

The embassy is wrong you can look for work on any visa or visa waiver, you just cant start work legally until you have the proper visa and WP

[Lite Beer]

You should have no problems if you have a Tourist Visa.

You can even look for work and apply for a Work permit.

You cannot collect it or work with a TV

[noob7]

I would go with a double entry tourist visa that gives you 120 days without extensions about the time of your return. From a fellow Canadian.

The double entry will need 2x30 days extension, for the 6 month, till your booked back flight.

Can be, that the Embassy will check your back flight tickets. Some will not issue a double entry. This embassies/consulates are denying the 30 day extension thing, for 1900 each. Or 'not knowing' about it.

But anyway, I would go for a triple entry, not only for this reason.

I do not know, what you are up to, in Thailand. But in case, you are traveling a bit, a/two border runs will probably not a problem.

Make the wife/Thai partner happy, and do one trip to Singapore. With your partner, of course!

[Ginkas]

Embassy was probably telling you that you cannot get a Non-Immigrant B Visa to look for a job.

You have to have a job offer to get the Non-Immigrant B Visa.

You can look for a job on a tourist visa or even a Visa Exempt Entry, just can't start work until you get the proper visa and work permit.

With a flight out six months after arrival you will almost certainly need a visa.

Airline may not allow you to board without one.

[wayned]

I would get a triple entry tourist visa. Sure it will cost you a little more up front, but you will be fully covered for the lenghth of your stay with 1 or 2 border runs if employmnet doesn't pan out. If you are Canadian and living in Canaada at the time you apply I would usethe Honorary Consulate in Vancouver, they used to be very freindly. Don't apply too early, the validity of the visa starts on the day that it is issued, not the day that you enter Thailand. Trying to enter on a 30 day visa exempt entry might cause you problems with the airline if you don't have a return during the 30 days.

Visa application procedures, Vancouver, B.C..doc