Visa, work permit, and changing jobs.

[BUIC]

Hey guys I did some searching around and could get a straight answer, so i wanted to see what I could come up with on here.

My situation:

Im resigning my current job at a university (may 14th), and will start work at a factory thereafter (May 19th)

My visa and work permit are scheduled to expire on the 31st of this month.

My current employer doesn't bother with notifying the govt about employees leaving. They just let visas run out and work permits never get returned.

All paperwork for the new job will be submitted to the company tomorrow morning.

The problem/question

My new employer has told me "as fact" there is no way to get my new work visa without leaving the country

My current employer has told me "as fact" that as long as my paperwork and everything gets filed and submitted on time before my visa and work permit run out there is no need for me to leave the country.

Can someone please give me a verification on the second one. If need be, my current employer has offered to get my visa extended for me so that I don't have to worry about the visa being expired.

I know and have read about many people needing to leave the country for this, so no need to say "I had to leave the country blah blah blah". Im just looking for a straight forward answer without having to wade through a ton of the same responses.

Thanks

[digitalchromakey]

Are you on Visa Entry (visa obtained from a Thai Consular Facility outside of Thailand) or are you on an Extension of Permission to Stay obtained from Immigration inside of Thailand on the basis of working in Thailand?

Depending on your answer the required actions can be different, but either way, you need you need your employer to file a WP1 form plus company papers, etc. with the Labour Dept a.s.a.p.

Many employers do not have a good understanding of visa issues and often give misleading information, however this thread will need your answer to my question, before clear sensible advice can be given.

[BUIC]

I am on a Non-B visa which I got outside of thailand from malaysia, and it has been extended here in Thailand. If that is what you mean. I've been here for 2 1/2 years now on my visa with extensions.

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[ubonjoe]

Your visa expired long ago. You have been extending the permit to stay that the visa allowed you get on entry.

The only way you can keep your extension and work permit valid is for your current employer cooperate with your new employer in order tor the new work permit to applied for and issued prior to current one being canceled.

And then with a letter from your current employer you could apply for a new extension of stay with documents and work permit from your new job after your current one is canceled.

As soon as your current job ends your extension is no longer valid.

[BUIC]

Just an update if you care to know. Im flying to Singapore on thursday.

Easiest plan of action

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[digitalchromakey]

Just an update if you care to know. Im flying to Singapore on thursday.

Easiest plan of action

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What are you planning to do visa wise?

Has your new employer successfully applied for your Work Permit yet?

[BUIC]

Nope, shit pretty much hit the fan today.

Previously, the employer said i have to leave the country to get the 30 day stamp.

This morning they told me to get a re-entry permit for when i leave so i keep my visa until the 30th, when it expires........dumbfounded. So there is no point in me leaving the country now.

The big problem i am having now is the new employer (a private company) said they cant apply/get my new visa without a certificate from the US embassy. Problem with that is hat they don't do that. I am completely lost right now.

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[ubonjoe]

What kind of certificate do they want?

[BUIC]

Certification of education from the Embassy.

I have my original transcripts and diploma but apparently that isn't good enough.

But when i looked at

http://www.mfa.go.th/main/en/services/123/15388-Non-Immigrant-Visa-%22B%22-(for-Business-and.html

I see nothing of the sort being needed

To add to this when i called immigration, they said that I do need the certification. I told them my situation and they said I will have to talk to the immigration officer when I go in. I really don't like this idea because it is not 100% by any means.

[ubonjoe]

The embassy certainly cannot certify the certificates are real. It can be done through the state department but it can months to get.

You could do an affidavit stating that they are true and correct if that would satisfy them.

Normally such certifications are not required by immigration but the work permit office could ask for it.

[BUIC]

Yeah i looked into that and that is my plan now.

I'm going to call the US tonight to see if they can send a fax to the embassy with a stamp on it and my transcripts attached and then get the affidavit for those. Hopefully that will be enough.

Thanks for the idea.

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[wow64]

Recently changed jobs also.. I had to leave the country and return..

When I left thailand.. I lost my imm B because it didnt have a re-entry stamp.. and I just got a 30 days on arrival.. gave it to new employer and they sorted it.

[BUIC]

Did you go into the private sector? And if so how did you do the certificate of education from the embassy? With an affidavit?

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[wow64]

Yes I work in the private sector.

I was not asked for the documents regarding my education. They were more interested in the number of people working at my place of employment and other things regarding my employer.

Everything was sorted out by our HR department.

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[BUIC]

Turns out the document that i need notarized by the embassy is my verification of degree. I was confused when talking to my new employer because it was all in Thai. Just incase anyone stumbles upon this topic looking for the same info. The thai word for this is:

รับรองวุฒิศึกษา - rap rong woot suksaa

Just google รับรองวุฒิศึกษา ภาษาอังกฤ and look at the images if you need to know what one looks like.

The problem is, I'm pretty sure ACS doesn't notarize this document so it has to be done via affidavit.

Also, another handy note is that this is typically provided free of charge by the university's office of registrar

Thanks guys for your help.

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