edwarda909 Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 I am planning on applying for a retirement visa. In the USA, some months I earn $25,000- 30,000, some months nothing, but my annual income is greater than $100,000 annually. I can provide copies of paychecks and 1099 forms. Does this meet the requirement for income certification although some months I have no income? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paz Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 For US citizens all that matters is your affidavit done at the Embassy. Or you show 800K baht in a Thai bank. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maestro Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 I suggest that in the affidavit, on the line "I also affirm that I receive US$ _________________ every month", you fill the blank with "5,000 average". On your visit to the immigration office, take your payment slips for the last 12 months with you, plus a typed list showing the dates and amounts and the total, but show them only if asked to show proof of your income in addition to the affidavit. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuartinthailand Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 ? For those in the know Can you apply for a retirement visa (extension) in the USA ? I thought I remembered reading that you could only do that once in Thailand 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maestro Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 If you're making the list with the 12-month total you may as well use the figure of the actual monthly average for the affidavit. Sent from my Nexus 7 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jingthing Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 OP ... are you planning to apply for an O-A visa in your home country (USA) or are you talking about applying for an annual extension based on retirement in Thailand? Different application processes entirely. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jingthing Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 ? For those in the know Can you apply for a retirement visa (extension) in the USA ? I thought I remembered reading that you could only do that once in Thailand He can apply for an O-A visa in the U.S. That's an option, not a requirement. It is never possible to obtain an O-A visa in Thailand. Or he can begin into the system in Thailand starting with annual retirement extensions. For that he will first need some kind of O visa (obtained in the U.S., neighboring country to Thailand, or IN Thailand). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyL Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 Oopsie, didn't the OP say he's planning on applying for a "retirement visa in the U.S.A." If he's applying for an O-A visa at the Thai Embassy or one of the official Thai consulate in the U.S. then the advice given doesn't apply. What would his answer be given that it appears he's still residing in the U.S? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jingthing Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 Oopsie, didn't the OP say he's planning on applying for a "retirement visa in the U.S.A." If he's applying for an O-A visa at the Thai Embassy or one of the official Thai consulate in the U.S. then the advice given doesn't apply. What would his answer be given that it appears he's still residing in the U.S? Actually he didn't say that. Check the punctuation! He didn't say either way. As we know, it is often very hard to know what people are talking about when referring to retirement visas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edwarda909 Posted September 9, 2014 Author Share Posted September 9, 2014 Thank everyone for their replies. Actually, I am currently in Chiang Mai (sorry I left that out). if possible, I would like to accomplish whatever is possible whileI am here. I have 1099s from the companies that paid me over the last 2 years. Perhaps investing in using a local immigration lawyer would be smart? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paz Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 Thank everyone for their replies. Actually, I am currently in Chiang Mai (sorry I left that out). if possible, I would like to accomplish whatever is possible whileI am here. I have 1099s from the companies that paid me over the last 2 years. Perhaps investing in using a local immigration lawyer would be smart? As mentioned above already. Paperwork of income from your country is irrelevant for Thai immigration. You need a sworn affidavit from your embassy or consulate, that cost $50. You do not need a lawyer to deal with Thai immigration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLCrab Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 (edited) I suggest that in the affidavit, on the line "I also affirm that I receive US$ _________________ every month", you fill the blank with "5,000 average". On your visit to the immigration office, take your payment slips for the last 12 months with you, plus a typed list showing the dates and amounts and the total, but show them only if asked to show proof of your income in addition to the affidavit. I was once advised by the US Embassy that they would not be willing to sign any income affidavit that contained any alterations from the template document. If you want to have a customized income affidavit you can use the blank affidavit form but then there is the chance that it will not be accepted at Thai Immigration as they would want to see the same form that they see routinely. http://photos.state.gov/libraries/thailand/231771/acs/blank_affidavit.pdf Edited September 9, 2014 by JLCrab Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProThaiExpat Posted September 10, 2014 Share Posted September 10, 2014 If anyone is wondering why most immigration officers accept a "pension letter" which is declaration under penalty of perjury before a US Government Official it may be that the penalty for lying to such an official is ten years imprisonment and a ten thousand dollar fine. "Income Stream" per annum in USD is the defining test for US letters regarding income for immigration purposes and I am sure OP can do the math to arrive at an accurate estimate of his average monthly income. If that amount is in excess of 65K baht, OP might consider it prudent to understate his actual annual income averaged per month just in case immigration ever asks for proof. But putting down the US equivalent of exactly 65K baht might raise red flags. I convert some non-USD income into USD for purpose of the annual income letter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLCrab Posted September 10, 2014 Share Posted September 10, 2014 The amount declared on the US Income affidavit specifies what is received every month. The word average does not appear. The only problem might be if a fastidious Immigration officer asked to see proof of what you receive every month and one does not have proof of what receives every month. It is the US State Department policy at Embassies/Consulates worldwide that they will not attest to the authenticity and/or veracity of any document supplied to them so that at least in part is why the Income affidavit is accepted for immigration extension purposes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Couscous Posted September 10, 2014 Share Posted September 10, 2014 So....the immigration officer accepts the income affidavit because the US embassy does not attest to the authenticity or veracity of the information on the document. Huh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProThaiExpat Posted September 10, 2014 Share Posted September 10, 2014 The US Government, in order to attest to the truth of the contents of the pension letter would have to draw a conclusion regarding the documents provided. No way would they do that. US Embassy BKK recently asked me to provide a letter from the IRS regarding tax returns. No way can the IRS provide anything more that a tax return which is a sworn statement by the filer as to the veracity of the contents. Otherwise they would have to audit the entire taxpayer situation. We are lucky US Embassy or Consulate is willing to provide the document they do in order to facilitate our extension efforts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubonjoe Posted September 10, 2014 Share Posted September 10, 2014 So....the immigration officer accepts the income affidavit because the US embassy does not attest to the authenticity or veracity of the information on the document. Huh? They accept it because it is a official document from the embassy that has been signed, stamped and dated by a consular officer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Couscous Posted September 10, 2014 Share Posted September 10, 2014 We are also lucky if the immigration official accepts the unverified income affidavit at face value. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLCrab Posted September 10, 2014 Share Posted September 10, 2014 (edited) So....the immigration officer accepts the income affidavit because the US embassy does not attest to the authenticity or veracity of the information on the document. Huh? The statement by the US Embassy on the Affidavit form linked above -- which is not the one specifically for the Income statement for extension of stay -- states: 4. The U. S. Embassy does not guarantee the contents of my own sworn statement. Under penalty of perjury, I assume full and complete responsibility for the veracity of the claims herein. So yes, Thai Immigration accepts the letter for the reasons I, UbonJ, and PTE have stated above. BTW several but not all times, before the US Consular Officer has signed my sworn affidavit, the Consular officer has asked whether I am aware that Thai Immigration has full authority to ask for any corroborating documents to the information provided in said affidavit. Edited September 10, 2014 by JLCrab Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jingthing Posted September 10, 2014 Share Posted September 10, 2014 This is getting to be a question of semantics. Of course they accept properly signed embassy documents as the part of the application that requires an income stating letter for an income based application. There is nothing in Thai law which specifies what procedures embassies must follow to issue such letters. But as police officers, they have always had the authority to ask additional questions. In this case the wiser applicants bring along supporting evidence of their income letter claims JUST IN CASE they are questioned. Only to be presented if questioned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Couscous Posted September 10, 2014 Share Posted September 10, 2014 Thanks for the feedback. No need for supporting income documentation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Couscous Posted September 10, 2014 Share Posted September 10, 2014 Thanks, Jingting. Our posts crossed paths...and you understood what I was trying to ascertain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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