"B" Visa, Cameroon and Teaching in Thailand

[mrwebb8825]

I've been struggling to get my head around all this so I thought I'd toss it in here to see what the experts say: We have a new teacher at our school and the staff here and the new teacher are trying to figure out what all needs to be done to get him completely legal.

These are the facts as I understand them:

He still has an active Non-B from his last school as the contract and WP are still active until the 30th of Sept. but he works here now.

Apparently he is still on good terms with the previous director who has agreed to let everything sit while he gets stuff together for my school.

He is being told by friends (?) that he needs to go to Malaysia because he is from Cameroon. (he said this when I asked about Laos instead as we are NE of Bangkok)

He is being told that it will take 1 month to approve or disapprove his application for a new Non-B visa (get application receipt and return to malaysia in a month for the Visa to be applied to his passport.)

Apparently there are some new, strange rules for people from Africa.

He is under the impression that he needs a re-entry permit before flying out to Malaysia.

He has a B.ed but never applied for his teaching licence from Kruesapa until I told him he might qualify given his degree. He has now done this I believe.

 

Any advice and/or steerage would be greatly appreciated.

[Mattd]

If he is indeed entered on a non-b VISA and not an extension of stay, then he needs to cancel the old work permit, as that was issued to teach at a different school and apply for a new work permit for the new school.

This process needs to be completed prior to the expiry of his admitted to date in his passport, which should be 90 days from his arrival in to Thailand if it is indeed a visa.

Once (if) the work permit has been granted, then he can go to immigration and request a one year extension of stay based on teaching, preferably a few days before his permission to stay expires.

The critical part is that it is a non-b visa, if it isn't and it is already an extension of stay, then the above doesn't apply and the procedure differs.

 

There is a very similar thread currently being discussed here as well.

Edited June 16, 2017 by Mattd

[ubonjoe]

I cannot see how he can get anything done in Malaysia or anywhere else nearby since Cameroon is a listed country which means he can only apply for a visa in  Cameroon unless he has residency in the country where he applies.

From KL embassy website, http://www.thaiembassy.org/kualalumpur/th/services/72043-ตรวจลงตรา-|-Visa.html

Quote

Applicants from listed countries must reside in Malaysia and additional documents are required. Names of listed countries can be found HERE.

The same list on the Vientiane embassy website.

If he is on an extension of stay issued by immigration he could change to another school without leaving the country. The most important step is for his new school to apply for his work permit and obtain a work permit application approval letter. Then using a termination letter from his current school dated on or after the date he goes to immigration to cancel his current extension so he can apply for a new one using the required documents and the approval letter from his new school. Then after he gets the new extension his old work permit would need to be canceled and the new one issued.

If doing it in different province it get more complicated but it can be done. It means canceling the extension at the office that issued it prior to the termination date so that the cancellation is post dated to the date on the termination letter.

[mrwebb8825]

Thank you both for this information. He is on an extension of stay at the moment. He arrived in Thailand from Cameroon a little over 2 years ago on a Non-B Visa sponsored by the school he left to come to work here. 

It sounds like Ubon Joe has the correct path. I will check to see if the old school is in the same province as here.

Again, thank you. :)

[5050]

Hi there, I'm from Kenya. I used to teach in Thailand 3 plus yrs ago. Back then I also had this problem of visa run so that's why I emigrated to one of the Scandinavian countries. Now, your Cameroon Teacher should go to Yangon for his non b provided he goes there with a valid wp. I did this before so I know how it works.

[ubonjoe]

17 minutes ago, 5050 said:

Hi there, I'm from Kenya. I used to teach in Thailand 3 plus yrs ago. Back then I also had this problem of visa run so that's why I emigrated to one of the Scandinavian countries. Now, your Cameroon Teacher should go to Yangon for his non b provided he goes there with a valid wp. I did this before so I know how it works.

That might of been possible 3 years ago in Yangon. At this time you would not be able to get the visa in Yangon. This from the embassy website.

Quote

Important information for Non-resident: Applicants from Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Cuba, Egypt, India, Iran, Iraq , Kosovo, Laos, Lebanon, Libya, Nepal, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Palestine, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Vietnam, Yemen, and all countries in Africa (except South Africa) who do not have Foreign Registration Certificate (FRC) and are therefore not currently residents of Myanmar cannot apply for any types of visa at this Embassy. Applicants are advised to apply for Thai visa at country of residence only.

Source: http://www.thaiembassy.org/yangon/en/services/1019/46282-Information-for-Non-Resident.html

Kenya in not on the Kuala Lumpur embassy's list of of countries at this time but it is on Vientiane's list.

[5050]

5 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

That might of been possible 3 years ago in Yangon. At this time you would not be able to get the visa in Yangon. This from the embassy website.

Source: http://www.thaiembassy.org/yangon/en/services/1019/46282-Information-for-Non-Resident.html

Kenya in not on the Kuala Lumpur embassy's list of of countries at this time but it is on Vientiane's list.

It's true things have changes because even those days Vientiane and Savannakhet (I got turned away from these 2 places) were a no go zone for visa runs from majority of African passport holders. So I think what's remaining Is you go to the government complex in Chaeng Wattana in Bangkok. They will for sure grant you a non b but after you fullfill many many many ...requirement. I got my first Thai non b from there without any hustle (I didn't have to do any visa run) they were extremely helpful. I really met some kon  jai dee officers there. The last time I was there (in 2013) things changed but now with many requirements so it's possible to get a non b at the government complex without any visa run. If you run out of options, I can hook you up with my Cameroonian friend who still teaches in Thailand (Sri Sa Ket) he knows quite a lot about these things. I too was teaching in Sri Sa Ket before I left Nakhorn Sawan and I must say the amphoe in Sri Sa Ket that I lived in had a significant number of Cameroonians. I'm new into this forum so I don't know if I should put my contact here. You should be having a teaching permit from Khurusapha plus I think TOEIC scores (I don't know if they still ask for it thesedays) ... trust me, the requirements I was given from the government complex were so many (but doable) I think this is the best option for you. I remember those days, they gave me plenty of sample letters and told me to tell my school's director to prepare similar letters. Goodluck I know what you feel because I been thru that. For Native English speakers, they got the non b same day from the government complex. Sorry for the long post.

Edited June 16, 2017 by 5050

[ubonjoe]

10 hours ago, 5050 said:

So I think what's remaining Is you go to the government complex in Chaeng Wattana in Bangkok. They will for sure grant you a non b but after you fullfill many many many ...requirement. I

They will only do it if you have a tourist visa entry or for those that qualify for a 30 day visa exempt entry who are on one.

The person being discussed already has a non-b visa entry that has been extended.

[5050]

11 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

They will only do it if you have a tourist visa entry or for those that qualify for a 30 day visa exempt entry who are on one.

The person being discussed already has a non-b visa entry that has been extended.

The person can try going to Singapore since I have seen they have Cameroonians in their list for Non B (He/she should not enter there by land only air) https://www.thaiembassy.sg/visa-matters-/-consular/visa-requirements/non-immigrant-visa-b

[ubonjoe]

2 minutes ago, 5050 said:

The person can try going to Singapore since I have seen they have Cameroonians in their list for Non B (He/she should not enter there by land only air) https://www.thaiembassy.sg/visa-matters-/-consular/visa-requirements/non-immigrant-visa-b

That list is only for those that have residency in Singapore.

Quote

 Can I Apply for Visas at the Royal Thai Embassy, Singapore?

► Nationals of the following countries must be residents of Singapore (i.e. must have long term passes issued by Singapore government) in order to apply for a visa at the Royal Thai Embassy in Singapore, otherwise they may apply for Thai visas at the country in which they are residents: Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Botswana, Bangladesh, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central Africa Republic, Chad, China, Comoros, Congo, Congo DRC, Cote d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, India, Iran, Iraq, Kenya, Kosovo, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Palestine, Rwanda, Sao Tome Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Syria, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Yemen, Zambia and  Zimbabwe.

Source: https://www.thaiembassy.sg/visa-matters-/-consular/instructions-for-visa-application

[5050]

Going by Ubonjoe findings, I think it is near impossible of doing  visa runs in the neighboring countries as an African passport holder. In this case, it means The Thai Immigration send out that law to these neighboring countries for enforcement and it seems that they are really enforcing this law to the latter even in my country Kenya, I used to know many west Africans traveling there for their visa runs but not any more.

 

What I used to do back then was to head to the provincial office that issued the WP( before heading to that changwat or provincial  office, I had to go get some letters from Educational area office in the amphoe or district I used to live in) and make them cancel it but grant another letter. So in this case if this person's new school is in a different province, he/she needs to go to that province and follow what I have said in the start of this post. In my case, I was changing schools in different provinces i.e from Nakhon Sawan to Sri Sa Ket. So I went to Sri Sa Ket immigration to  change my non b (from the employer in Nakhon Sawan) to the new employer in Si Sa Ket but of course there are many documents that the new school should prepare plus get ANOTHER letter from your education area office (in your new school's district) that asks permission for non b grant from the immigration office on your behalf. (before the area education office grants you these documents, they need to see obvious documents such as your degree cert, TOEIC scores, Khurusapa teaching permit (I think I had a temporary teaching permit from Khurusapa), letter from your school addressed to that educational area office etc. Now when everything is in order,  the education area office will issue you with a letter that you should take with you to the immigration office (this office should be in the province in which your school is located) after everything is in order, the immigration will issue you with a new non b and they will tell you to apply for a wp before your new non b expires. once you get this new non b, go to your education area office AGAIN and tell them you need a letter from them that you will need for your new wp application, once they give you that letter, head to the wp office to apply for the new wp. When the new wp comes out, go back to the immigration with your new wp plus a letter from your school for them to EXTEND your new non b up to until the last day printed on your contract. you MUST have enough time to do all these things (a month is ok) because I used to get frustrated when I went to my area office and be told that the director or the guys who should have approved my letter traveled for a meeting in another province and that the meeting would last for 3 or 4 days so have enough time before your current extended visa expires.

 

It's really hectic to travel all the way to Cameroon just to get a non b but if you do not get any break through, just go back to Cameroon and get another non b since I have read in the previous posts that this particular teacher got his/her first non b in Cameroon only that the setback will be several thousands of Bahts.

 

All the best

[mrwebb8825]

An Update: Apparently he got the original Non-B Visa in Naples, Italy (?) and had it extended at the new Prachin Buri office. Since that office doesn't cover anywhere except the city of Prachin Buri, I passed along UbonJoe's information that he get a post-dated letter of termination from his old school, take that to the Prachin Buri office, then go to the Labor Dept (also in Prachin Buri for the old school and our school) put in the application for a new Work Permit and head on over to Chockensao Immigration which covers our school to apply for the new extension of stay.

Instead, he is insisting that his "friend" who "knows someone in some immigration office" is more correct than all of you and is flying out to Malaysia tomorrow. 

I'll get you all a new update when he returns in a couple of days.

 

ETA: Our office boss is still trying to convince him he's wasting everyone's time and his money.

 

Edited June 19, 2017 by mrwebb8825