Changing From Student Visa to Retirement

[bhatmasterson]

A friend of mine needs to know if it is possible to do this type of change without leaving the country? Where is the best place to go? Any old threads on this topic?

Thanks so much.

[ubonjoe]

You cannot change non immigrant visa classes. But it would be possible to apply for an extension of stay based upon retirement with a ED visa issued by an embassy or consulate.

It is possible to change the reason for an extension of stay based upon attending a school to one based upon retirement.

Their have been reports of some immigration offices not wanting to do the change. Best to check with the local immigration to see what their policy is.

[OJAS]

Your friend needs to be aged 50 or over in order to be eligible for an extension of stay based on retirement. Might he at present be an exceedingly mature student?

[LookChang]

That's a drastic career shortcut...

[dc5]

if the ED visa has already been extended up to one year, new rules that came into affect in August for ED visas, i.e., requiring a new ED visa be obtained outside the country each year, have affected "switching" from an ED extension to a retirement extension. You can no longer simply "switch". you need to exit the country and reenter. This is "the latest" as experienced at Chonburi.

Edited November 12, 2014 by dc5

[pjmansions]

might as well wait till his ed visa expires then leave the country and return on a tourist visa he can then go to immigration and apply for a retirement visa providing he has all his ducks in a row, problem is if he is not from a country which gives 30 days visa exempt,on entry and immigration insist on 15 days remaining on a visa in order to process new one. that means have to do a border crossing and get to the immigration office in one day

[Suradit69]

might as well wait till his ed visa expires then leave the country and return on a tourist visa he can then go to immigration and apply for a retirement visa providing he has all his ducks in a row, problem is if he is not from a country which gives 30 days visa exempt,on entry and immigration insist on 15 days remaining on a visa in order to process new one. that means have to do a border crossing and get to the immigration office in one day

"return on a tourist visa he can then go to immigration and apply for a retirement visa "

There is no "retirement visa," he is going to want an extension of stay based on retirement and that is not possible on a tourist visa entry. If he enters on a tourist visa he would need to do a conversion to a non-imm O entry stamp in Bangkok and then 30 days before that permission to stay expires he could apply for an extension based on retirement at his local office if, as you say, he has all his ducks in a row for both the conversion and the extension.

He would need money in the bank and/or embassy verification of income for the conversion and money in the bank for 2 months and/or his embassy verification for the extension. For the conversion they may or may not accept a photocopy of his embassy's income verification, but for the extension he would need an original copy.

Otherwise he could get a non-imm O visa at an embassy rather than the tourist visa and apply for the extension based on retirement with 30 days remaining on the visa entry.

Edited November 12, 2014 by Suradit69

[nasa123]

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might as well wait till his ed visa expires then leave the country and return on a tourist visa he can then go to immigration and apply for a retirement visa providing he has all his ducks in a row, problem is if he is not from a country which gives 30 days visa exempt,on entry and immigration insist on 15 days remaining on a visa in order to process new one. that means have to do a border crossing and get to the immigration office in one day

"return on a tourist visa he can then go to immigration and apply for a retirement visa "

There is no "retirement visa," he is going to want an extension of stay based on retirement and that is not possible on a tourist visa entry. If he enters on a tourist visa he would need to do a conversion to a non-imm O entry stamp in Bangkok and then 30 days before that permission to stay expires he could apply for an extension based on retirement at his local office if, as you say, he has all his ducks in a row for both the conversion and the extension.

He would need money in the bank and/or embassy verification of income for the conversion and money in the bank for 2 months and/or his embassy verification for the extension. For the conversion they may or may not accept a photocopy of his embassy's income verification, but for the extension he would need an original copy.

Otherwise he could get a non-imm O visa at an embassy rather than the tourist visa and apply for the extension based on retirement with 30 days remaining on the visa entry.

Wrong 1 friend of me come from Norway on 30 days tourist then November 8, last day we go to Phuket Immigration he are over 50 and pension and he get 1 year Retirement visa. But you most have copy of Rent contract Appartment / House or pays Hotell/ Gesthouse + copy of Id Card from Land Lord and copy of the blue book and then now problem.

[ubonjoe]

Wrong 1 friend of me come from Norway on 30 days tourist then November 8, last day we go to Phuket Immigration he are over 50 and pension and he get 1 year Retirement visa. But you most have copy of Rent contract Appartment / House or pays Hotell/ Gesthouse + copy of Id Card from Land Lord and copy of the blue book and then now problem.

I think you you left out the first step he did previously when he got a 90 day non immigrant visa entry that cost 2000 baht.

He then did the 2nd step which is doing the one year extension and paying the 1900 fee.

It is not possible to go directly from a visa exempt to an extension of stay there will always be the first step. Phuket cannot do the 1st step anymore. You have to go to Hat Yai or Bangkok to do it.

[paz]

if the ED visa has already been extended up to one year, new rules that came into affect in August for ED visas, i.e., requiring a new ED visa be obtained outside the country each year, have affected "switching" from an ED extension to a retirement extension. You can no longer simply "switch". you need to exit the country and reenter. This is "the latest" as experienced at Chonburi.

The regulation says that the ED extension cannot be granted for longer than 1 year when studying at a private school.

It does not say that the time limitation is counted also when applying for another type of extension.

Again, as ubonjoe said per regulations it is possible to change type of extension having initially entered with a non-imm ED visa, but it is know that some office, as you reported, do not do that. In other words they would not not do it even if one had received just one 90 days extension for studying.

[nasa123]

Wrong 1 friend of me come from Norway on 30 days tourist then November 8, last day we go to Phuket Immigration he are over 50 and pension and he get 1 year Retirement visa. But you most have copy of Rent contract Appartment / House or pays Hotell/ Gesthouse + copy of Id Card from Land Lord and copy of the blue book and then now problem.

I think you you left out the first step he did previously when he got a 90 day non immigrant visa entry that cost 2000 baht.

He then did the 2nd step which is doing the one year extension and paying the 1900 fee.

It is not possible to go directly from a visa exempt to an extension of stay there will always be the first step. Phuket cannot do the 1st step anymore. You have to go to Hat Yai or Bangkok to do it.

So way they do it in Phuket last day ?

[ubonjoe]

Wrong 1 friend of me come from Norway on 30 days tourist then November 8, last day we go to Phuket Immigration he are over 50 and pension and he get 1 year Retirement visa. But you most have copy of Rent contract Appartment / House or pays Hotell/ Gesthouse + copy of Id Card from Land Lord and copy of the blue book and then now problem.

I think you you left out the first step he did previously when he got a 90 day non immigrant visa entry that cost 2000 baht.

He then did the 2nd step which is doing the one year extension and paying the 1900 fee.

It is not possible to go directly from a visa exempt to an extension of stay there will always be the first step. Phuket cannot do the 1st step anymore. You have to go to Hat Yai or Bangkok to do it.

So way they do it in Phuket last day ?

What last day?

When Phuket could do non immigrant visas they did not enforce the 15 day rule in if the that is what you are referring to.

[nasa123]

Wrong 1 friend of me come from Norway on 30 days tourist then November 8, last day we go to Phuket Immigration he are over 50 and pension and he get 1 year Retirement visa. But you most have copy of Rent contract Appartment / House or pays Hotell/ Gesthouse + copy of Id Card from Land Lord and copy of the blue book and then now problem.

I think you you left out the first step he did previously when he got a 90 day non immigrant visa entry that cost 2000 baht.

He then did the 2nd step which is doing the one year extension and paying the 1900 fee.

It is not possible to go directly from a visa exempt to an extension of stay there will always be the first step. Phuket cannot do the 1st step anymore. You have to go to Hat Yai or Bangkok to do it.

So way they do it in Phuket last day ?

What last day?

When Phuket could do non immigrant visas they did not enforce the 15 day rule in if the that is what you are referring to.

Dear UbonJoe,

Like a told you my friend come from Norway November 8, November 10 a tok hime to Norwegians Consulate here in Phuket and fix his Pensionspaper, so next day we go to Emmigration here in phuket and he still have 30 days to stay they give hime on ear port.So we Rent Contract +++ and pensionspapire and he pay 1900 Bath and get 1 Year and he most stamp every 30 days.

Here in Phuket are the new rouels every week, last thing no are no longer ED visa they start next mnd, a don't hope so many people going school, cut half off the school in Phuket it`s about 46 now go every school are not school, on my school the Emmigration officer come and sjekk me up 3 time Picture +++. A happy only 3 mmd thena 50 year

[baggies666]

Wrong 1 friend of me come from Norway on 30 days tourist then November 8, last day we go to Phuket Immigration he are over 50 and pension and he get 1 year Retirement visa. But you most have copy of Rent contract Appartment / House or pays Hotell/ Gesthouse + copy of Id Card from Land Lord and copy of the blue book and then now problem.

I think you you left out the first step he did previously when he got a 90 day non immigrant visa entry that cost 2000 baht.

He then did the 2nd step which is doing the one year extension and paying the 1900 fee.

It is not possible to go directly from a visa exempt to an extension of stay there will always be the first step. Phuket cannot do the 1st step anymore. You have to go to Hat Yai or Bangkok to do it.

I was with a friend at the phuket office yesterday and they told him he should leave the country to get a tourist visa or voa and then can apply for a retirement extension could not do the change over from ed visa, never mentioned they could travel to bangkok is this still current?

[Mario2008]

He cannot travel to BKK to change the reason of his stay.

Only when he enters on a visa exempt entry can he go to BKK for a conversion to a non-immigrant visa for reason of retirement. But getting a non-O visa in a neighbouring country is often easier.

[baggies666]

cheers so really leaving and getting either a visa or voa then convert in phuket is the best option

He cannot travel to BKK to change the reason of his stay.

Only when he enters on a visa exempt entry can he go to BKK for a conversion to a non-immigrant visa for reason of retirement. But getting a non-O visa in a neighbouring country is often easier.

[KED]

cheers so really leaving and getting either a visa or voa then convert in phuket is the best option

He cannot travel to BKK to change the reason of his stay.

Only when he enters on a visa exempt entry can he go to BKK for a conversion to a non-immigrant visa for reason of retirement. But getting a non-O visa in a neighbouring country is often easier.

Baggies666, unless I misundersand you, I think you have your terminology wrong - if you arrive by land or air into Thailand without a visa - you get a Visa exempt entry - for the majority of western tourists - if you want to go from a visa exempt entry to a one year retirement extension - the first step must be done in Bangkok or Hat Yai as UbonJoe mentioned. The process would be to go to Bangkok or Hat Yai with the documentation supporting a retirement extension and then you will be issued a 90 Day non-immigrant visa. Then step 2 (which can be done in your actual immigration office based on your Thailand address) would be to apply for the 1 year retirement extension when there is 30 days remaining on the 90 day visa.

Edited November 14, 2014 by KED

[Mario2008]

In Bangkok you can apply, but will get the conversion 2 weeks later. So it means two trips to BKK (or Hat Yai). That is why I said applying for an actual non-O visa might be easier.

[snoopy21]

The worst part is not only you have to renew your visa in other country every year. Now you have to attend your class 8 hours per week. In other words, your tuition fee should be double!

[snoopy21]

Hardly forgot! Now the immigration will only give you 15 days visa then after 15 days, you have to go to immigration for the remaining 75 days!