Getting a successful Non Immigrant VISA based on marriage

[cloudos]

Having recently gone through the process of applying for a Non Immigrant “O” VISA based on marriage (no kids) in Bangkok, I thought that I would write about my experiences and share some information as some things well and truly caught me off guard.

Please note that I am writing this based on personal experience. I understand that others may have had a different experiences to me and perhaps did not need to supply the documents that I listed below.

Documents to be submitted:

• Photos of the house or condo you are living with along with your spouse. Take photos of inside the room, in front of the door where the room number is visible, and in front of the house or condo (showing the condo name).

• Bring the original marriage certificate with you, as well as copies front and back. Just the copies alone will either lead you to be given a warning or your application being rejected. Make sure that both you and your wife sign the copies.

• One day prior to the day you go to immigration, go to your bank and get a letter from them indicating the amount of money you have in your bank, plus a copy of your bank statement showing the last 3 months (as you need to show 400,000 Baht in your bank for 60 days). Please let me state that this part is a bit gray, as the letter “officially” takes up to 2 days to be issued by the bank, but my understanding is that they want to see this letter showing your bank balance for the previous day on the letter (so if it takes 2 days to issue, how can it show the previous day's bank balance?). In my case, I am on good terms with one of the bank supervisors, so I got mine issued in 30 minutes. Proviso here – I may be wrong and perhaps a statement showing your bank balance 2 days before may be sufficient, so for those who are more experienced in this area, please feel free to comment. Ask the bank to put their stamp on both the letter and the bank statements. Sign the copies.

• On the day of your application, put some money in your account and update your bank book. This will therefore show your bank balance on the day of your application (if you just update your bank book, it does not show the current day if there is no transaction on the current day). The Immigration Officer asked my wife to go and put 100 Baht into the account whilst I waited, and then to update the book. Make copies of your bank book showing the current day status and sign the copies.

• Whilst my wife was going to update my bank book, the Immigration Officer asked me some casual questions, such as where my wife works, how much salary she gets, etc. She then asked me if I work and I said "yes", and immediately she asked me to show my work permit. Fortunately I did have it with me and also had copies, so she collected those copies and put it in my file. So yes, even though getting a Non Immigrant O does not require a work permit, if you say that you work, ensure that you have your work permit with you as well as the copies (signed by you).

• Bring your rental contract, and if possible, bring a copy of your Landlord's ID card with signature and the comment “for immigration application”. If you are living with your wife's family, I suppose a copy of the house registration with a copy of the Landlord's ID card may do, but as I did not go down this route I am not sure (perhaps others can comment). Make copies and sign each of them.

• Bring copies of your wife's ID card with her signature on it, her house registration, as well as any name change certificate if applicable (if the name on the house registration is different to the name on her ID card). Preferably, have your wife there with you.

• Make copies of every single page of your passport (except the empty pages), including the TM6 entry form into Thailand. Sign the bottom of every page.

I got rejected the first round and was given a 2 month temporary extension which I was told was the only one temporary extension that I can get. Two months after that, I applied again for the second time and was given a 1 month stamp on my passport, indicating that my application is being processed. During this waiting period, I was told that an Immigration Officer may call me or my wife if he or she finds an discrepancies in my application and that I and/or my wife needs to pick up the phone. If either one of us does pick up the phone, the application would be rejected. I am not exaggerating. Needless to say, I was glued to my phone during the next month. After 1 month, I arrived at the Immigration department and went to the "pick up" area and got given a number. Fortunately, my application was successful, in which after that I needed to go and do my 90 day address report.

I hope this information helps, but as stated, it is only based on my experience. Perhaps not everyone who applied for the Non Immigrant O VISA had to submit all those documents that I mentioned, so please feel free to comment if it can help others. I am not a VISA expert, just a regular guy who went through the process and thought to share the experience.

[cornishcarlos]

Extension... Not visa

[oncearugge]

Extension... Not visa

Exactly

The OP does not have a Visa !

[cloudos]

Yes you are right, extension. This is after getting the single entry Non Immigrant O.

Oncearugge, maybe I misinterpreted your comment but it seems a bit of a snarky reply considering that I'm just trying to help others on this forum?

[Red Parrot Fish]

Giving wrong information is not really helping anybody.

Especially when posted in the wrong forum.

Edited November 18, 2015 by Red Parrot Fish

[Tywais]

Giving wrong information is not really helping anybody.

Especially when posted in the wrong forum.

Moved.

[burner2014]

Can u clarify this point? Bring copies of your wife's ID card with her signature on it, her house registration . So does your Wife needs a House registered in her name in Thailand?

[oncearugge]

Can u clarify this point? Bring copies of your wife's ID card with her signature on it, her house registration . So does your Wife needs a House registered in her name in Thailand?

All Thai people are registered in a "Tabian Ban" (house book)

Being registered does not imply ownership or a requirement to own property.

[Tywais]

Can u clarify this point? Bring copies of your wife's ID card with her signature on it, her house registration . So does your Wife needs a House registered in her name in Thailand?

No, but she will be registered on a tambian bahn even though she doesn't own a house. Maybe on the family's house registration or otherwise.

[AlQaholic]

Thanks a lot Cloudos, very good information. I have a question someone might be able to answer about the marriage certificate. My wife and I are legally married in another country (Wife has dual citizenship with Thai Id with her maiden name and foreign passport with our name), do this count as marriage in Thailand? I suspect one must get a letter from the embassy and notarized translation of the foreign marriage certificate (which looks basically very much like a diploma with very few words). Then proceed to the local abata or something and get a Thai marriage certificate? And as far as I know there are no Notary Public in Thailand in the same way as we in the west define it?

Edited November 19, 2015 by AlQaholic

[mgjackson69]

Some offices might require the Kor Ror 2 (wife's marriage abstract).

This document is easily obtained from your local Amphur.

I just did my 8th Extension of Stay based on Marriage. For the first 5, the Kor Ror 2 was never mentioned. On #6, it was requested, which required a trip to the Amphur and return to the immigration office.

For #7 and #8, they did not seem too interested in that document; they merely took a look then gave it back, no copy was required.

[Mbaki]

Letter for immigration from bank shouldn't take 2 days, I went into my bank and was given one within 10 mins, updated my bank book while waiting and lodged my application the same day.

[Liquorice]

Thanks a lot Cloudos, very good information. I have a question someone might be able to answer about the marriage certificate. My wife and I are legally married in another country (Wife has dual citizenship with Thai Id with her maiden name and foreign passport with our name), do this count as marriage in Thailand? I suspect one must get a letter from the embassy and notarized translation of the foreign marriage certificate (which looks basically very much like a diploma with very few words). Then proceed to the local abata or something and get a Thai marriage certificate? And as far as I know there are no Notary Public in Thailand in the same way as we in the west define it?

Your marriage in another Country is legally binding in Thailand.

You should have your marriage certificate legalised by your own Embassy, then translated to Thai, the legalised by the Ministry of Foreign affairs in Bangkok.

Government departments will then accept the legalised translation as proof of a marriage certificate.

However due to certain procedures in Thailand, such as production of a Kor Ror 2 for Immigration, from your Amphur, it would be advisable to register your foreign marriage with the local Amphur.

A Kor Ror 2 basically states there is no record of a divorce since marriage.

If the Amphur has no record of your marriage in the first place, then they couldn't issue a Kor Ror 2.

[ParadiseLost]

Thanks a lot Cloudos, very good information. I have a question someone might be able to answer about the marriage certificate. My wife and I are legally married in another country (Wife has dual citizenship with Thai Id with her maiden name and foreign passport with our name), do this count as marriage in Thailand? I suspect one must get a letter from the embassy and notarized translation of the foreign marriage certificate (which looks basically very much like a diploma with very few words). Then proceed to the local abata or something and get a Thai marriage certificate? And as far as I know there are no Notary Public in Thailand in the same way as we in the west define it?

You could get married again - very romantic and all docs local. Good excuse for a party!

[ubonjoe]

Thanks a lot Cloudos, very good information. I have a question someone might be able to answer about the marriage certificate. My wife and I are legally married in another country (Wife has dual citizenship with Thai Id with her maiden name and foreign passport with our name), do this count as marriage in Thailand? I suspect one must get a letter from the embassy and notarized translation of the foreign marriage certificate (which looks basically very much like a diploma with very few words). Then proceed to the local abata or something and get a Thai marriage certificate? And as far as I know there are no Notary Public in Thailand in the same way as we in the west define it?

You will need to register your foreign marriage at an Amphoe and they will issue a Kor Ror 22 marriage registry that immigration will want along with your marriage certificate from your home country.

You will need to have your marriage certificate certified by your embassy. If they will not do it you can then do a self certification of it by doing a statement that is is true and correct that will be be notarized by your embassy.

Then you will have to have the certification and your marriage certificate translated to Thai and the translation certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Then you can go to an Amphoe and register your marriage. They will update your wife's house book registry and give her the option of changing her name to yours on her ID card.

[ubonjoe]

Thanks a lot Cloudos, very good information. I have a question someone might be able to answer about the marriage certificate. My wife and I are legally married in another country (Wife has dual citizenship with Thai Id with her maiden name and foreign passport with our name), do this count as marriage in Thailand? I suspect one must get a letter from the embassy and notarized translation of the foreign marriage certificate (which looks basically very much like a diploma with very few words). Then proceed to the local abata or something and get a Thai marriage certificate? And as far as I know there are no Notary Public in Thailand in the same way as we in the west define it?

Your marriage in another Country is legally binding in Thailand.

You should have your marriage certificate legalised by your own Embassy, then translated to Thai, the legalised by the Ministry of Foreign affairs in Bangkok.

Government departments will then accept the legalised translation as proof of a marriage certificate.

However due to certain procedures in Thailand, such as production of a Kor Ror 2 for Immigration, from your Amphur, it would be advisable to register your foreign marriage with the local Amphur.

A Kor Ror 2 basically states there is no record of a divorce since marriage.

If the Amphur has no record of your marriage in the first place, then they couldn't issue a Kor Ror 2.

Close but it is a Kor Ror 22 that will be issued for a foreign marriage registration.

A Kor Ror 2 is for a marriage done here.

[AlQaholic]

Thanks Joe and Faz for taking the time to make a good reply

[ParadiseLost]

Thanks Joe and Faz for taking the time to make a good reply

So no interest in the marry again option... It was serious but no worries...

[Mudcrab]

Thanks Joe and Faz for taking the time to make a good reply

So no interest in the marry again option... It was serious but no worries...

You may need to prove that you are free to marry before you can get married....might be difficult if you are already married!

[crows]

Last week I attended Chaeng Wattana Immigration Office to renew my Non Imm "O" based on Thai Wife. This is the 4th time I have renewed my visa. Prior to attending I downloaded a copy of the documents required from the Immigration website as I could not determine if a stat declaration was required from the Australian Embassy as in the past. I decided to not to lodge this document as it did not appear on the list. On arrival at IO I went to my bank and received a letter and update . I was not asked for a stat declaration but for the first time my wife was required to sign a declaration that I had been living at the address provided. Got my temporary stamp in the passport and will attend again in 5 weeks to have the passport updated.

I have been reading comments on these forums for some time and cannot understand why there are so many Visa enquiries. I have handled all my Visa renewals and have been able to find the relevant information on the Immigration website

[oncearugge]

Last week I attended Chaeng Wattana Immigration Office to renew my Non Imm "O" based on Thai Wife. This is the 4th time I have renewed my visa. Prior to attending I downloaded a copy of the documents required from the Immigration website as I could not determine if a stat declaration was required from the Australian Embassy as in the past. I decided to not to lodge this document as it did not appear on the list. On arrival at IO I went to my bank and received a letter and update . I was not asked for a stat declaration but for the first time my wife was required to sign a declaration that I had been living at the address provided. Got my temporary stamp in the passport and will attend again in 5 weeks to have the passport updated.

I have been reading comments on these forums for some time and cannot understand why there are so many Visa enquiries. I have handled all my Visa renewals and have been able to find the relevant information on the Immigration website

Can you scan and post all these "visas" you say you have been renewing ?

Perhaps you really mean to say that you do not have a "visa" and that you, in fact , have been renewing an "extension of stay" (which is not a visa)

Perhaps there are so many "visa" enquirers because people cannot be bothered to open their passports and read exactly what is stamped inside.

[Red Parrot Fish]

Last week I attended Chaeng Wattana Immigration Office to renew my Non Imm "O" based on Thai Wife. This is the 4th time I have renewed my visa. Prior to attending I downloaded a copy of the documents required from the Immigration website as I could not determine if a stat declaration was required from the Australian Embassy as in the past. I decided to not to lodge this document as it did not appear on the list. On arrival at IO I went to my bank and received a letter and update . I was not asked for a stat declaration but for the first time my wife was required to sign a declaration that I had been living at the address provided. Got my temporary stamp in the passport and will attend again in 5 weeks to have the passport updated.

I have been reading comments on these forums for some time and cannot understand why there are so many Visa enquiries. I have handled all my Visa renewals and have been able to find the relevant information on the Immigration website

Your Visa died years ago.

You have been extending your permission to stay.

[steve187]

Paradiselost - you can only get married once,

op- thanks for a very informative post did you have to provide a copy of your affirmation of freedom to marry, or kor rar 2

some people only come on here to critise

[TheRoadWarrior]

Letter for immigration from bank shouldn't take 2 days, I went into my bank and was given one within 10 mins, updated my bank book while waiting and lodged my application the same day.

yeah i got my letter within just 10 mins or so

had a thai friend with me doing all the taking so that probably helps

as for all the other stuff.... my wife and i studied up on each other and practiced answering questions etc about where we are from etc etc, thinking that we might be interrogated lol.... we even had lots of photos ready from various times since weve known each other to show, with date stamps etc

was worried for absolutely nothing... lol

walked in.... sat down.... said hello in thai... laughed a bit, complained about how hot it was.... ZERO interrogative questions, just a friendly smile, the official said a few words to my wife, and congratulations and stamped our marriage papers... in and out in 5 mins

i memorized a bunch of stupid facts about my wife for nothing! 5555