Complicated visa issues. Please help!

[thailover28]

I have a dilemma. Can some please give me a straight forward step by step how to for my situation or the best/cheapest option?

1. My non-immigrant O visa stamp expires on Nov. 28th, 2013.

2. My yea-long non-immigrant O visa expires on December 2, 2013.

3. My passport expires on January 6th, 2014.

Now I know that the visa rules have changed recently and visa no longer "carry over" to a new passport. I live in Chiang Mai (American passport) and would appreciate any advice on when and how AND the easiest and cheapest way to acquire both a new passport and new visa for another year in this situation.

Thanks in advance!

[Mario2008]

Get a new a new passport, leave on the 28th of Nov. and return to Thailand for another 90 days using both new and old passports.

[ubonjoe]

You should get passport renewed as soon as possible. You are now below the required time remaining on it for some neighboring countries.

It cost $110 or 3300 baht and takes about 10 days to get. You can apply for it at the US consulate in Chiang Mai.

Info: http://chiangmai.usconsulate.gov/service.html

What is your visa based upon?

[thailover28]

Ok, thanks for the advice, however, when I renew my passport my non-immigrant visa is no longer valid, correct? Will I have two passports for a period of time with both being valid and the visa in the old passport being the one I am legally in Thailand with?

Will I be issued a new visa along with my new passport? I do not understand how this works. Can someone please explain what happens to the visa when I renew my passport.

Thank you.

[ubonjoe]

You will have your old passport while you wait for your new one.

Your visa will remain valid until it expires. You will need to use both passports leaving the first time and show old one with visa along with new one every time until visa expires on entry.

[thailover28]

Ahh, I understand now. Thank you so much. This was extremely helpful. Sorry to be seemingly lazy about researching this information but it is hard to find straight-forward answers to some non-traditional situations.

Another quick situation:

A friend has a single entry non-immigrant ED visa. It expires in 90 days, but she wishes to expend for another 90 days. What is her best/cheapest option?

Thank you.

[ubonjoe]

Their is no option to get an extension without having documents from a school and MOE.

She could go out for another ED with documents required or get a tourist visa.

[thailover28]

Ok, thank you for the thorough answers. Can she apply at immigration for a tourist visa since it is a different type of visa than her previous OR must she leave the country to obtain a tourist visa at a boarder-crossing? Or must she apply and stay overnight outside of Thailand in a neighboring country for that?

Thank you.

[lopburi3]

She can not obtain more than a refused extension of 7 days to leave at immigration - for a longer stay she would have to exit country to get a tourist visa - an overnight in Laos or Malaysia but better part of a week in Cambodia.

[ubonjoe]

A border crossing would give her 15 days or by air 30 days if she qualifies for visa exempt entry. Where is she from?

[thailover28]

She is from Germany. I will advise her to obtain a tourist visa via Lao, Burma, Malaysia or Cambodia.

Thank you for all the helpful answers.

[ubonjoe]

Laos is best choice. She can get a two entry there.

Burma is complicated for visas and just getting there by air.

Cambodia takes to long.

[thailover28]

Thank you so much. This is extremely helpful. Do you know whether Malaysia is forthcoming with non-immigrant visas?

Thank you.

[ubonjoe]

With proper documents a single entry non immigrant visa should not be problem to get.

[Just1Voice]

Go to:

1) http://chiangmai.usconsulate.gov/service/passports.html

that's the page for new passport form.

2) Go down to Adult Passport renewal, then click on Form DS-82, Application for U.S. Passport

3) Click all the appropriate boxes, then "COMPLETE BY HAND". When that form comes up, print it, then scan it and save to PDF format. Then you can open it later and fill it all in, then print.

4) Make appointment.

Good news about CM is they will TELL you "2-3 weeks", but I got an email from them 6 days later and said my new one had arrived.

[lopburi3]

You can complete the form on-line and print (it isn't going anywhere and you can correct any mistake) - there is no need for PDF's. Only takes a few minutes.

[DtemJai]

Is that enforced all over TH…any actual recent reports?

[ubonjoe]

 Is that enforced all over TH…any actual recent reports?

 

What are you asking about?

If about visa transfer and validity it is a yes.

[DtemJai]

Plz advise current situation regarding, if a person is on O extension, prove if ext. is cancelled now…reports???...if a new passport is provided that will affect at leastl> 10,000 ppl’s IM STATUS...where is the police order...where is that inforced,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,/

[Mario2008]

Plz advise current situation regarding, if a person is on O extension, prove if ext. is cancelled now…reports???...if a new passport is provided that will affect at leastl> 10,000 ppl’s IM STATUS...where is the police order...where is that inforced,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

What happens if you have a new passport depends on your situation. In no case the extension of stay is cancelled.

But if your old passport expires, you need to go to immigration with your new passport to get a new extension of stay, with all the required paperwork for that.

[DtemJai]

With the 40k…2 b4 months required in the bank?...again

[lopburi3]

Yes you have to qualify and apply for a new extension of stay when your current expires to stay on extension.

[ubonjoe]

Plz advise current situation regarding, if a person is on O extension, prove if ext. is cancelled now…reports???...if a new passport is provided that will affect at leastl> 10,000 ppl’s IM STATUS...where is the police order...where is that inforced,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,/

 

Any extension you have now will remain valid. If you did not have a year when you got your current extension they still will give you the remainder of your extension.

New rules only apply to new extensions. If go into immigration with less than a year remaining on passport extension will only be issued up to the expiration date. When you get a new passport they will transfer the stamps and then you have to return to get a new extension when shortened extension ends.