Burmese people working in Thailand...

[Paangjang]

I've tried to do some research online but havn't been able to find too much info.

Does anybody know how the visa system works for Burmese citizens who live and work here? I mean, do they have non immi visas like westerners? Do they have to do border runs like us? etc etc

Anybody know what the deal is with their visa situations?

Cheers

[ubonjoe]

Burmese citizens (Lao and Cambodian also) get special visas, extensions of stay and work permits as migrant workers.

[phuketrichard]

ok;

but how do they do that an what are they allowed to work at?

Reason i ask, is once my Cambodian gf's "B" visa expires ( her wp will not be renewed) i want to get her a migrant wp/visa but am finding it hard to get info on how to accomplish this

Am in Phuket if it matters

[jrtmedic]

As you are in Phuket why not go to Immigration in Phuket Town and ask !

There is a building, separate from the main office which is where all Laos, Cambodian and Burmese people go to deal with their visa issues.

It will be your g/f responsibility. I do not believe that "you" will be able to "get" anything on her behalf.

[Tomtomtom69]

As you are in Phuket why not go to Immigration in Phuket Town and ask !

There is a building, separate from the main office which is where all Laos, Cambodian and Burmese people go to deal with their visa issues.

It will be your g/f responsibility. I do not believe that "you" will be able to "get" anything on her behalf.

I thought Lao, Cambodian and Burmese workers can only get these permits if they work in jobs as low skilled laborers. Pretty sure that more highly skilled workers from these three countries would be eligible for the same visas, including a pathway to permanent residency and citizenship (although it takes a long time) as foreigners from other countries receive. However, very, very few people from these three countries work in positions requiring a high skills set - although there are a few Burmese professors and lecturers working at Assumption University of Thailand.

Also, all foreigners in Thailand must present themselves in person to get visa extensions etc. this is not unique to Cambodians or to other foreigners but applies to everyone.

[phuketrichard]

I just want to find out what she needs to do to get the migrant visa/wp.

I know i cant get it for her.

I have found out it can be done for Hotels/restaurants and maid work, but no one it seems to know what has to be done to get it

all other information is not helpfull so unless you have done it or know how, dont bother making coments, please

[digitalchromakey]

I just want to find out what she needs to do to get the migrant visa/wp.

I know i cant get it for her.

I have found out it can be done for Hotels/restaurants and maid work, but no one it seems to know what has to be done to get it

all other information is not helpfull so unless you have done it or know how, dont bother making coments, please

1) Requires an Employer.

2) Employer needs to apply to Labour for a quota, this requires demonstrating need (contracts, etc), although I know some individual householders have got a quota to employ a Burmese Maid.

3) Once the Employer has a quota from Labour (letter with a one year validity period stating how many workers can be employed), then the worker needs a Non Immigrant LA Visa stamp (Single Entry - 2 Years) - there are specialist brokers who can arrange these visas.

4) An Initial address registration is required at Immigration (in addition to any TM6 card held).

4) Once the Worker has the Non LA Stamp then a health check needs to be made at a clinic for Burmese Workers (again there are brokers who can arrange this), if all is ok a hospital card will be issued costing 2,500 THB which entles the Migrant holder to 30 Baht Health care (same as for Thai workers).

5) Once the Hospital Card is sorted then the WP can be applied for - it's a sheet of paper rather than a Blue Book - cost around 2.000 THB.

6) The WP is specific to the Amphoe where the WP is based rather than the Province, as is the case with the regular WPs.

7) 90 day address reporting is required at the Migrant Section of Local Thai Immigration.

8) Just before the Non LA Passport Stamp expires then a WP Holder can apply to immigration for a two year extension of permission to stay.

[Baerboxer]

As you are in Phuket why not go to Immigration in Phuket Town and ask !

There is a building, separate from the main office which is where all Laos, Cambodian and Burmese people go to deal with their visa issues.

It will be your g/f responsibility. I do not believe that "you" will be able to "get" anything on her behalf.

I thought Lao, Cambodian and Burmese workers can only get these permits if they work in jobs as low skilled laborers. Pretty sure that more highly skilled workers from these three countries would be eligible for the same visas, including a pathway to permanent residency and citizenship (although it takes a long time) as foreigners from other countries receive. However, very, very few people from these three countries work in positions requiring a high skills set - although there are a few Burmese professors and lecturers working at Assumption University of Thailand.

Also, all foreigners in Thailand must present themselves in person to get visa extensions etc. this is not unique to Cambodians or to other foreigners but applies to everyone.

I know a Burmese doctor (medical) who works for a Thai government agency. Her visa and work permit requirements are the same as any Western professionals would be if they were accepted to work here. If her WP ends, so does visa extension. Your gf sounds like she is a professional not a low skilled laborer or maid. So, she should go and talk to immigration and get their advice.

[samran]

Note, for applications under the migrant labour scheme, the local labour office is where this journey starts. The process differs slightly between lao, Burmese and Cambodian nationals, but roughly follows what DCM outlined above.

[phuketrichard]

Thanks;

assume for Cambodia , same as Burmese.

Anyone know how to find one of these , "brokers" to assist

[asiaexpat]

If your girlfriend is in Thailand under the migrant workers program she will have an agent that arranged her original visa and WP. Ask her to contract that agent to renew her documents. Our Burmese workers are in constant contact with their agents that manage all their immigration and labor issues including renewals.

[samran]

Two things. Having been through the process myself, it really isn't too hard. Agents, as always, will simply charge for not much as the person themselves has to be present for most of the process themselves. As said, the local deparment of labour office will have brochures in all the relevant languages, and it is easy enough to go from there, pretty much as DCM describes.

[4evermaat]

Two things. Having been through the process myself, it really isn't too hard. Agents, as always, will simply charge for not much as the person themselves has to be present for most of the process themselves. As said, the local deparment of labour office will have brochures in all the relevant languages, and it is easy enough to go from there, pretty much as DCM describes.

so you dont have to have a registered company to do this? A private (thai national) individual can arrange this as well in some circumstances?

"...the 2nd best time to plant a tree is today." Sent from ThaiVisa app (Galaxy Note 2).

[samran]

The beauty of the migrant labour scheme for burmese, Lao and Cambodian nationals is it effectively bypasses the normal work permit rules.

Meaning, individuals (of any nationality) as well as companies can hire labour under this scheme with none of the need for paid up capital or the silly 4 to 1 rule to get the work permit for foreign nationals. It allows factories to hire thousands of process workers, and allows the average household to get a 'quota' for a reasonable amount of home help (I don't think 3 or 4 maids would be considered unreasonable - we've had two legally employed at various times with no issues getting a quota for two).

While the scheme is used for mainly manual labour and house hold duties, I remember the work permit allows for administrative and office workers, so that is also another broad category for hiring workers.

[phuketrichard]

A local lawyer did all the work to get my GF her wp ( regular WP not migrant) and she is employeed by a friend that runs a pre school here.

I wanted orginaly to get her a migrant WP/Visa to get her so she could stay but the schools lawyer knew nothing about the migrant labor laws so we went the other way.

Sam; how did u arrange her LA visa? In Thailand immigration or did they need to return to their own country with correct paperwork>

GF is currently on a 1 year multi Non "B" visa

Guys, to all those kicking in usefull information, Thanks, and i am sure it will benefit others as well

[samran]

A local lawyer did all the work to get my GF her wp ( regular WP not migrant) and she is employeed by a friend that runs a pre school here.

I wanted orginaly to get her a migrant WP/Visa to get her so she could stay but the schools lawyer knew nothing about the migrant labor laws so we went the other way.

Sam; how did u arrange her LA visa? In Thailand immigration or did they need to return to their own country with correct paperwork>

GF is currently on a 1 year multi Non "B" visa

Guys, to all those kicking in usefull information, Thanks, and i am sure it will benefit others as well

In the case of Burmese nationals,

Once we got the process rolling, our maid had to travel up to the border at Mae Sot and cross over, with certain bits of paper issued by the DOL here. There she was issued a temporary passport on the Burmese side, as per the arrangements on these things. The temp passport was granted after a processes called 'nationality checking' where the Burmese authorities basically confirmed she was actually a Myanmar citizen. This is a new step, as of 2009 or 2010, given that under the process before that, one simply had to declare they were a citizen of Myanmar, Cambodia or Laos, when in actual fact they could have been from anywhere.

Given that I wasn't there, I belive she then then crossed back into Thailand and she was granted a non-immigrant LA visa on the spot at the border and then stamped in for 2 years, which is the validity of the visa.

As I inimated earlier, the process differs slightly for each of the nationalities, but the principal is the same:

- Employer gets the quota

- Registers the prospective employee under the system

- Hospital registration

- Nationality Checking (usually on the border at assigned offices set up there)

- Temp passport, LA Visa issued at the border

- 2 year entry

- work permits and ID's issued.

[samran]

My original post on this in 2009. Includes a report from ‘Charis’ a foreigner, who hired a worker under the scheme.

Follow ups by me and Charis through to 2012

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/277986-registration-for-illegal-burmese-lao-and-cambodian-migrant-workers/

[phuketrichard]

sam;

was ur burmese in Thailand legally on a passport already or not>

OK; reading ur other thread, guess she has here without passport and illegally,

guess will need ask at labor office as gf already has a valid Passport an is here legally

lots of good info,

http://www.mapfounda...stration_09.pdf not found 404

Edited August 7, 2013 by phuketrichard

[Tomtomtom69]

The beauty of the migrant labour scheme for burmese, Lao and Cambodian nationals is it effectively bypasses the normal work permit rules.

Meaning, individuals (of any nationality) as well as companies can hire labour under this scheme with none of the need for paid up capital or the silly 4 to 1 rule to get the work permit for foreign nationals. It allows factories to hire thousands of process workers, and allows the average household to get a 'quota' for a reasonable amount of home help (I don't think 3 or 4 maids would be considered unreasonable - we've had two legally employed at various times with no issues getting a quota for two).

While the scheme is used for mainly manual labour and house hold duties, I remember the work permit allows for administrative and office workers, so that is also another broad category for hiring workers.

Are you sure about administrative and office workers under the scheme? Wouldn't these two types of workers be considered skilled workers? Consequently I can't believe they would be allowed to work in Thailand under the scheme otherwise offices around the country would be flooded with Burmese rather than Thai workers...which is something I can't imagine the government nor private industry would allow. In any case I have not seen or heard of even one Burmese office worker in Thailand with the exception of Myanmar embassy employees or the occasional skilled Burmese worker that would have a non-imm B visa and work permit like the rest of us. But in your everyday office - never. I have dealt with many offices in different industries and apart from an occasional westerner in addition to the managing director who's also a westerner, everyone else, including drivers etc. are Thai.

Edited August 7, 2013 by Tomtomtom69

[RaysFan]

Have her ask her friends.... all I know is its extremely easy and u should let her handle it. I have 8 burmese employees and they have all been in thailand almost their whole lives. Their rules are much different than ours.

Sent from my GT-I9500

[Naam]

Are you sure about administrative and office workers under the scheme? Wouldn't these two types of workers be considered skilled workers? Consequently I can't believe they would be allowed to work in Thailand under the scheme otherwise offices around the country would be flooded with Burmese rather than Thai workers...which is something I can't imagine the government nor private industry would allow. In any case I have not seen even or heard of even one Burmese office worker in Thailand with the exception of Myanmar embassy employees or the occasional skilled Burmese worker that would have a non-imm B visa and work permit like the rest of us.

little do you know!

[Tomtomtom69]

Are you sure about administrative and office workers under the scheme? Wouldn't these two types of workers be considered skilled workers? Consequently I can't believe they would be allowed to work in Thailand under the scheme otherwise offices around the country would be flooded with Burmese rather than Thai workers...which is something I can't imagine the government nor private industry would allow. In any case I have not seen even or heard of even one Burmese office worker in Thailand with the exception of Myanmar embassy employees or the occasional skilled Burmese worker that would have a non-imm B visa and work permit like the rest of us.

little do you know!

Well what do you know that I don't?

[samran]

The beauty of the migrant labour scheme for burmese, Lao and Cambodian nationals is it effectively bypasses the normal work permit rules.

Meaning, individuals (of any nationality) as well as companies can hire labour under this scheme with none of the need for paid up capital or the silly 4 to 1 rule to get the work permit for foreign nationals. It allows factories to hire thousands of process workers, and allows the average household to get a 'quota' for a reasonable amount of home help (I don't think 3 or 4 maids would be considered unreasonable - we've had two legally employed at various times with no issues getting a quota for two).

While the scheme is used for mainly manual labour and house hold duties, I remember the work permit allows for administrative and office workers, so that is also another broad category for hiring workers.

Are you sure about administrative and office workers under the scheme? Wouldn't these two types of workers be considered skilled workers? Consequently I can't believe they would be allowed to work in Thailand under the scheme otherwise offices around the country would be flooded with Burmese rather than Thai workers...which is something I can't imagine the government nor private industry would allow. In any case I have not seen or heard of even one Burmese office worker in Thailand with the exception of Myanmar embassy employees or the occasional skilled Burmese worker that would have a non-imm B visa and work permit like the rest of us. But in your everyday office - never. I have dealt with many offices in different industries and apart from an occasional westerner in addition to the managing director who's also a westerner, everyone else, including drivers etc. are Thai.

No, I just made it up for the sake of the thread. I often like to give false information, as my posting history clearly indicates.

As said, I've been through the process, and have seen the form, filled it in. Under the company section, which I didn't need to fill in I very much noted with interest the section where people could be hired for office administrative purposes.

Perhaps the reason offices aren't 'flooded' with Burmese workers is, well, um, most Burmese workers can't speak Thai to a level needed to work in an office. Go to Myanmar yourself and you'll see they are barely able to scrape together good workers over there. Skills shortages are acute.

[keeniau96]

In Phuket to find agent for Burmese/Cambodian worker visas probably best to go to main immigration office at Saipan Hin. Not the main (new) office but at the old office on the side look at the mob of people and you will see some who are obviously in charge, probably with a handful of paperwork. Talk to them, should be able to get a working connection for your need. As always in TH, money talks, no need to apply the usual warnings re they view you as an ATM machine.

[BrianCR]

I just want to find out what she needs to do to get the migrant visa/wp.

I know i cant get it for her.

I have found out it can be done for Hotels/restaurants and maid work, but no one it seems to know what has to be done to get it

all other information is not helpfull so unless you have done it or know how, dont bother making coments, please

A Burmese national (with no documents) can work in Thailand with a very simple system:

1) Get someone to offer a job

2) Employer and Burmese go to labour department

3) Pay 3,900 to labour department

4) Take forms (from Labour) to local government hospital

5) Burmese gets health check and registration for one year free medical treatment

6) Take completed form back to labour department

7) They will issue a ID card allowing the Burmese to work for that employer and he/she must remain in the province in which the card was issued

8) Take your new employee to a bar and have a beer - job finished!

PS It falls under the Labour Department not the immigration

Edited August 7, 2013 by BrianCR

[phuketrichard]

Brian/Kenny an others.

thanks but as i have stated many times

1. she is Cambodian

2. she has a legal passport and legal visa

3, she has no cambodian friends here, at least none that could help her.

So all the refernace to ask her friends or her agent or.. is worthless.

Sam Thanks!!

[BrianCR]

Sorry I didn't realize she was Cambodian however the same labour law might apply (I only have experience with Burmese) it might be in your interest to "forget" her paperwork and ask (not her you) at the local labour department if it applies to Cambodians as well? It's a much easier way to get permission to work that applying through the immigration department. Good luck!

[phuketrichard]

reminds me when i was with my Thai ex in Ca and we were waiitng on her green card,

the lady that u first meet told me that all her paperwork had been "lost" an we should never have gotten the letter we received, I told her she was nuts and asked to speak to the boss.

he saw me an i asked him how long to get her green card, He said they were backlogged an it could be up to 16 months ( this was san jose office in 1997), I aksed him if there was an easier way, He looked me striight in the eyes an said go to mexcio and have her come across as an illegal :-)

Funny that after all the work/money/visa runs to Penang i did to get her passport and correct visa, now i might have to "lose " them to get her so she can stay long time easier.

[samran]

reminds me when i was with my Thai ex in Ca and we were waiitng on her green card,

the lady that u first meet told me that all her paperwork had been "lost" an we should never have gotten the letter we received, I told her she was nuts and asked to speak to the boss.

he saw me an i asked him how long to get her green card, He said they were backlogged an it could be up to 16 months ( this was san jose office in 1997), I aksed him if there was an easier way, He looked me striight in the eyes an said go to mexcio and have her come across as an illegal :-)

Funny that after all the work/money/visa runs to Penang i did to get her passport and correct visa, now i might have to "lose " them to get her so she can stay long time easier.

no you wont. Worse comes to worse, she'll have to go to the border, exit in the existing 'proper' Cambo passport, pick up the one they use for the migrant labour scheme, and re-enter on that.

That is even if the Cambodian's give out short term passports like the Burmese. Best case, she just gets the LA Visa stamped in.

[phuketrichard]

Quick update.

went to the labor office here in Phuket and talked to the head guy, very helpfull an gave me all the info package ( The application is in english an thai an had one page in Burmese)

Once u get the Qutoa doc completed and approved the rest of the docs, he said takes less than 3 days to get approved and if all ur paperwork is in order...

than off to immigration for L-A visa valid for 2 years

Thanks for all ur help