4-year Professional Visas Get Green Light

[Jonathan Fairfield]

4-year Professional Visas Get Green Light

By Sasiwan Mokkhasen, Staff Reporter

 

 

A plan to offer four-year visas to highly skilled professionals and investors was endorsed Friday by the Cabinet.

 

Those who obtain the so-called “Smart Visa” can stay in Thailand with their spouse and children for up to four years without applying for a work permit. Unlike other visa holders who have to report to the authorities every 90 days, they would only need to present themselves to the Immigration Bureau annually, according to information published online by an agency promoting the prime minister’s agenda.

 

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/business/2017/08/18/4-year-professional-visas-get-green-light/

 

 

-- © Copyright Khaosod English 2017-08-18

[Raymonddiaz]

highly skilled professionals????........not to many will be qualified for that visa.

[Luckysilk]

Great for those boiler room bosses and workers I suppose.

[gandalf12]

What do they consider as "Highly Skilled"?

[Luckysilk]

1 minute ago, gandalf12 said:

What do they consider as "Highly Skilled"?

See my post above 5555555

[Bill Miller]

5 minutes ago, Raymonddiaz said:

highly skilled professionals????........not to many will be qualified for that visa.

So are you saying there are no highly skilled professionals, or that none will consider coming to Thailand for four or more years?

The scheme sounds fairly attractive IMO.

[Lingba]

..and how much do the investors who are applying for this visa have to invest??...another law being passed with more gray areas than a thunder storm

[maxpower]

27 minutes ago, gandalf12 said:

What do they consider as "Highly Skilled"?

My boss is a systems engineer and qualifies for this visa.

Lower grade dogs like me will remain on regular work permits I have been told.

[Swiss1960]

Without details (financial etc) impossible to say whether changing from marriage extension + WP to this new visa is possible and worth it.

Sent from my HTC 10 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Ricardo]

" or highly skilled professionals. The announcement did not detail which skills would be considered."

 

So it's too early to say just who this new idea might actually apply to.

[scorecard]

What about PR holders already here, many long / very-long term, who contribute well to Thailand but, at the moment need a work permit.

 

One would hope there would be some consistency across the various visas and situations.

 

Yes I'm a dreamer.

[Dipterocarp]

I have an advanced degree, don't want to work here anyway. Can't I get a 4 year smart VISA to "stay" in Thailand?

[smedly]

seems to me that someone is listening, Thailand needs highly skilled foreigners, the realisation of that fact is a first for Thailand and almost a public declaration that they do not have the people in house to perform certain tasks and manage certain projects, it could be to facilitate people involved in the construction of the high speed rail network and possibly many other tasks that Thailand does not have the ability to do themselves, they may also be looking closely at other countries such as the UK who rely on foreign workers to fill professional gaps that cannot be filled by UK nationals

 

On the face of it - another great idea that might attract much needed expertise in many areas that are severely lacking. 

[maxpower]

[Raymonddiaz]

I think they wanna do it because Chinese are coming for the high speed train ?. Me think......

[Moonmoon]

Well i guess the rest of us on yearly extensions r not that "smart" after all.. 

[fforest1]

This will be the VIP red carpet visa...For quality people in select government approved fields with select government approved companies......All the rest of the working riff-raff can just get the regular work visa....

[gandalf12]

2 hours ago, Luckysilk said:

See my post above 5555555

I appreciate your humour but it would be interesting to know exactly what the powers to be consider as professional

[gandalf12]

2 hours ago, maxpower said:

My boss is a systems engineer and qualifies for this visa.

Lower grade dogs like me will remain on regular work permits I have been told.

So I guess as a professionally registered Telecommunications Engineer I would probably qualify. The lower grade dogs you refer to are essential to every project.

[maxpower]

5 minutes ago, gandalf12 said:

So I guess as a professionally registered Telecommunications Engineer I would probably qualify. The lower grade dogs you refer to are essential to every project.

That would very much depend on the ass you choose to penetrate. "Sorry boss no disrespect intended"

[maewang99]

this is absurd... the 90 day thing. 

 

it doesn't make any sense that anyone would be exempted... because no one can explain what it's purpose is for those who are not exempted. 

i.e. quite obviously, unless you post it, you can give them any address at all... which makes a purpose to it.. any purpose at all... absurd.  

how do you exempt someone from an absurdity?

 

Edited August 18, 2017 by maewang99

[Dobredin Ghusputin]

Quote

To be eligible, applicants must be investors, startup entrepreneurs, high-level executives or highly skilled professionals. The announcement did not detail which skills would be considered.

 

What, no Chinese hi-speed train builders?

[smutcakes]

For most people working in proper jobs in proper companies the visa and 90 day reporting is a complete nothing. It takes you or an assistant 30 seconds to fill out a form and anyone can drop it in at Chamchuri Square. 

 

The once yearly medical is slighly less convenient but you can do that in one hour and then pop in to meet the immigration. All complete within a morning. Hardly tough or cumbersome.

[gk10002000]

4 hours ago, gandalf12 said:

What do they consider as "Highly Skilled"?

Well, I have a Bachelor's degree in Engineering, and a Master's degree in Math.  I would love to tutor high school or college level people.  I don't want to work full time, and have no desire to work under a strict university system.  But I do have teaching experience and do like to teach and help.  Teaching/tutoring part time would keep me occupied as I would be bored just being purely retired.  Plus the tutoring keeps the brain active.   I would be very interested in this type of visa

[Paul944]

So if you are considered to meet the highly skilled professional "requirements" you can get a 4 year visa. With this visa you are allowed to work, but what if you do not want to work?

[gandalf12]

36 minutes ago, gk10002000 said:

Well, I have a Bachelor's degree in Engineering, and a Master's degree in Math.  I would love to tutor high school or college level people.  I don't want to work full time, and have no desire to work under a strict university system.  But I do have teaching experience and do like to teach and help.  Teaching/tutoring part time would keep me occupied as I would be bored just being purely retired.  Plus the tutoring keeps the brain active.   I would be very interested in this type of visa

Like you I have a degree in engineering and i am charted. Would love to do some consultancy/ advisory work

[KhaoNiaw]

51 minutes ago, Paul944 said:

So if you are considered to meet the highly skilled professional "requirements" you can get a 4 year visa. With this visa you are allowed to work, but what if you do not want to work?

Just guessing but even without a work permit, I'd assume it would be connected to a particular job / company. You'll have to go through all the paperwork to prove your a genuine investor or start up or are taking up a position if you're a highly skilled professional. They're not going to give you the visa just because you're a skilled professional. The annual reporting (which is really going to be a renewal) will let them weed out anyone who no longer meets the original basis on which it was given. So if your start-up fails or you've given up the job to lead a life of leisure, it will probably be cancelled.

[Dave67]

Might qualify if they include railway industry I'm highly experienced rather than highly skilled. An expert wouldn't be too much of a reach. I'd be a black belt 3rd, Dan if the railway industry awarded belts

[Dave67]

55 minutes ago, KhaoNiaw said:

Just guessing but even without a work permit, I'd assume it would be connected to a particular job / company. You'll have to go through all the paperwork to prove your a genuine investor or start up or are taking up a position if you're a highly skilled professional. They're not going to give you the visa just because you're a skilled professional. The annual reporting (which is really going to be a renewal) will let them weed out anyone who no longer meets the original basis on which it was given. So if your start-up fails or you've given up the job to lead a life of leisure, it will probably be cancelled.

yeah I don't think you could just rock up with your CV and ask for a 4 year visa

[Nord X]

It sounds pretty much like the visa I have already, No work permit required and no 90 day reporting, and I don't need to renew the visa, I just get a permit to remain.