Bridging visa? ed-non o

[skalman]

I came to Thailand this time on the 8´th of December -02 With an ED-visa. After a couple of weeks I went to the immigration to enquire about what paper needed for the extension every 3 month and if they had some list on approved schools in BKK.

They told me that such a list didn’t exist but I had to get a lot of different paper in order to extend my ED-visa every 3 month.

After that the lady on the Immigration told me that there was another alternative since I am married with a Thai wife. She called it “take care of wife visa”. We vent to another office and the lady there told us that all we need to get this visa was 200.000 THB in the bank and a statement for that, marriage certificate, some photos from our apartment.

We fixed all that and I now have a visa for one year. I still don’t now what type I have but I think it is a NON O visa. Please correct me of I am wrong!!

I read somewhere that if you apply for this type of visa ( NON O) for 3 consecutive years you can get a resident visa. Is that correct??

Dr Pat Pong wrote on the 18´th of Mars in the topic:

Visa extension without leaving kingdom: There is no bridging   visa available in this country.

I think that in my case there is.

Comments are appreciated.

BTW. Swedish citizen. 44 years old (today)

Best Regards

Skalman.  

[george]

The visa you have now is called Non-Immigrant "O-A" for Thai wife support. After three years of these extensions you might qualify for residency, but it's very hard.

There is no "bridging visas" in Thailand.

Note that if you leave the country you need a valid Re-entry permit stamped in your passport, otherwise your visa beeing invalid, and you are on square one again.

[skalman]

Hello George.

If I came to Thailand with an ED visa and change to a Non O-A it had to be a bridging visa OK ?.

I have already get a multi Re entry permit. (1000 THB) Just after the NonO-A that they give me.

What do you mean when you say that’s it going to be very hard to”qualify for residency, but it's very hard”

Thanks for your god site.

Best regards.

Skalman

[george]

Skalman, in Thailand it's called "change of visa type".

Please open a new thread for your questions about residency, as it's a complete different topic.

[skalman]

Ok George.

I will do that. Just tell me what is the different is between bridging visa and change of visa type ?

Skalman.

[george]

Thailand does not have "bridging visas" as I said, but as an example, here is the Australian Immigration's definition of it:

If your visa has expired or is close to its expiry date, and you make a new, valid application, you will usually be granted a  bridging visa to keep you lawful, in case your previous visa ceases before a decision is made on your application. It will also keep you lawful if your visa is refused and you seek a review of that decision. A bridging visa is granted to allow lawful stay in Australia even after expiration of a substantive visa (such as a visitor visa) while a visa application (such as permanent residence) is in process and has remained undecided.

For example, Maria applied for permanent residence visa on 01 October 1998 and no decision had been given when her visitor visa expired on 31 December 1998. On 01 January 1999, she was automatically granted a bridging visa to prevent her from becoming unlawful or illegal.

When her permanent residence visa application was refused on 31 March 1999, her bridging visa would have automatically ceased effect 35 days from that date (28 days plus 7 days deemed receipt of decision notice)

But she applied for a review with the Migration Review Tribunal within the prescribed period.. Thus, her bridging visa continued to be in effect . When the Tribunal rejected her application on 31 December 1999, her bridging visa finally ceased effect 35 calendars days afterwards, or on 06 February 2000.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

IN YOUR CASE THERE IS NO BRIDGING VISA