What is the difference between a non-immigrant (O-A) visa and a retirement visa?

[Prairieboy]

My visa only states it is a retirement visa - no mention of non-immigrant (O-A).  There is a scribble on one stamp that says non-rs

 

[ubonjoe]

In reality there is no retirement visa. I suspect you have an extension of stay based upon retirement issued by immigration that is not a visa of any kind.

A OA is a special visa issued by embassies and consulate for being 50 or over.

[stevenl]

Do you have a visa or extension of stay? Sounds like the latter.

Edited May 20, 2019 by stevenl

[Rally123]

8 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

In reality there is no retirement visa. I suspect you have an extension of stay based upon retirement issued by immigration that is not a visa of any kind

Any stamp in ones passport giving permission of stay is legally called a 'Visa'. Call it what you want but it's still a 'Visa'. 

 

 

Quote

 

vi·sa

/ˈvēzə/

noun

 

1. an endorsement on a passport indicating that the holder is allowed to enter, leave, or stay for a specified period of time in a country.

 

1.  

Edited May 20, 2019 by Rally123

[Isaanbiker]

 Non-rs, you are not allowed to "research, or training, or teaching"

[overherebc]

Chalk and cheese.

A visa is issued outside Thailand, except in the case of conversion from some other stamp of entry to allow a conversion to an extension of stay. ( Non O single entry ) issued locally.1

Example

I've never hsd an extension of stay since early 90's, only visas issued outside of Thailand even when working because when the job ( contract ) finished I kept the 'visa' unlike an extension of stay that finishes the day you stop work.

As I've said before, you can call a goose a big chicken but it isn't, it's a goose. ????????

Edit.

I've never done a 90 day report at the local Imm' office.

Edited May 20, 2019 by overherebc

[onera1961]

5 hours ago, Prairieboy said:

My visa only states it is a retirement visa

You don't have a visa. The quality of posts in this forum just amazes me. 

Edited May 20, 2019 by onera1961

[overherebc]

This is an extension of stay based on being retired and an O-A visa.

Where does it say visa ???

[Pattaya46]

4 hours ago, Isaanbiker said:

 Non-rs, you are not allowed to "research, or training, or teaching"

More probably he has a NON-RE with bad writing 

It's what they gave me when I transferred my Visa to Non-O to get Retirement Extension.

[Geordie59]

5 hours ago, Rally123 said:

Any stamp in ones passport giving permission of stay is legally called a 'Visa'. Call it what you want but it's still a 'Visa'. 

 

 

1.  

So how do you define a visa waver?

It allows you to stay in Thailand for 30 days but it he name by your definition says it is not a visa. 

[fishtank]

5 hours ago, Rally123 said:

Any stamp in ones passport giving permission of stay is legally called a 'Visa'. Call it what you want but it's still a 'Visa'. 

No it is not.

[fishtank]

36 minutes ago, Geordie59 said:

So how do you define a visa waver?

It allows you to stay in Thailand for 30 days but it he name by your definition says it is not a visa. 

There is no Visa Waver.

You are probably referring to a Visa Exempt Entry.

[Goethe]

5 hours ago, Rally123 said:

Any stamp in ones passport giving permission of stay is legally called a 'Visa'. Call it what you want but it's still a 'Visa'. 

 

 

1.  

The confusion arises time and time again on this forum because of the way in which Thailand uses the word "visa". In Thai usage a visa is a document used to enter the country, not a document for staying in the country.

 

1. As a general rule a person travelling to Thailand must apply for a visa from a Thai Embassy or Consulate. Some countries do not have to -- these are granted a visa exemption and receive permission to stay for 30 days.

 

2. On arrival in Thailand an Immigration Officer decides on how long you may stay in the Kingdom (30, 60, 90 days -- or not at all) -- and he/she stamps your passport accordingly. In Thai usage THIS STAMP IS NOT A VISA! Your Visa was used to enter; now you have "permission to stay" and the Visa is a dead parrot (except for multiple entry visas which expire on the stated date). 

 

3. The phrase "retirement visa" is used in common parlance to indicate "permission to stay", but it is both inaccurate and misleading. 

 

The Thai Government website miraculously explains it all very clearly:

 

http://www.mfa.go.th/main/en/services/4908/15405-General-information.html

[onera1961]

6 hours ago, Rally123 said:

Any stamp in ones passport giving permission of stay is legally called a 'Visa'. Call it what you want but it's still a 'Visa'. 

Visa is a document your present the the IO at the border to allow you to enter the country. How long you can stay in the country is decided by the IO and an entry stamp in your passport should say so. In some instances, they may not even mention the date, that means you are allowed to stay to the maximum number of days allowed by the law for your your passport country. 

[overherebc]

1 hour ago, Goethe said:

The confusion arises time and time again on this forum because of the way in which Thailand uses the word "visa". In Thai usage a visa is a document used to enter the country, not a document for staying in the country.

 

1. As a general rule a person travelling to Thailand must apply for a visa from a Thai Embassy or Consulate. Some countries do not have to -- these are granted a visa exemption and receive permission to stay for 30 days.

 

2. On arrival in Thailand an Immigration Officer decides on how long you may stay in the Kingdom (30, 60, 90 days -- or not at all) -- and he/she stamps your passport accordingly. In Thai usage THIS STAMP IS NOT A VISA! Your Visa was used to enter; now you have "permission to stay" and the Visa is a dead parrot (except for multiple entry visas which expire on the stated date). 

 

3. The phrase "retirement visa" is used in common parlance to indicate "permission to stay", but it is both inaccurate and misleading. 

 

The Thai Government website miraculously explains it all very clearly:

 

http://www.mfa.go.th/main/en/services/4908/15405-General-information.html

The main reason some of us try to tell people about visas and extensions is to help them when they post asking questions on here 'TV'.

Typical question.

I am on my 4th retirement visa and can't do 90 day reports on line. What can I do?

Is it an extension of stay or do you have a 4th O-A visa issued in your home country?

From there it becomes I HAVE A VISA because it's a stamp in my passport so it must be a VISA.

Some people cannot be helped.

[Prairieboy]

15 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

In reality there is no retirement visa. I suspect you have an extension of stay based upon retirement issued by immigration that is not a visa of any kind.

A OA is a special visa issued by embassies and consulate for being 50 or over.

My original visa issued before I left my home country was a non immigrant category B after three months it was revised to retirement.

[SpokaneAl]

I also think that people get confused because their extension of stay is stamped on the Visa page of their passport. 

[ThaiBunny]

An O-A visa is for those 50+ and is described on every Thai consulate site in Australia as a "retirement" visa

[Kerryd]

Everyone that has an "Extension of Stay" has a visa. Period.

 

The initial Visa granted entry into the country for a temporary period. When that period expired, you applied for an Extension of the temporary stay granted by that visa.

 

NO Visa = NO Extension of Stay.

That is why when you get a new passport, Immigration "transfers" the visa (and Extension) from your old passport. The first 2 pages of my current passport are taken up by the stamps needed to "transfer" the Visa (and Extension) from my previous passport to the new one.

That is why, at Jomtien, I have to include a photocopy of that page when I renew my Extension as they want to see the VISA (or the transfer stamps).
 

That is why when you apply for a new Extension of Stay, you have to fill in the part that says "Type of Visa" on the form.
That is why the Tm.7 form is titled "APPLICATION FOR EXTENSION OF TEMPORARY STAY IN THE KINGDOM". You are applying to extend the temporary stay initially granted by the Visa.
The Visa hasn't "expired". The length of stay initially permitted by it has.
 
That is why, if you leave the country without getting a Re-Entry permit - your VISA is voided and as previously mentioned - No Visa=No Extension.

 

That is why if someone is busted and being deported, they (sometimes) note that their VISA was cancelled. They may deny an "Extension of Temporary Stay" but if they are going to deport you, they cancel your VISA.

You are not here on an "Extension of Stay".

 

You are here because you have a visa and have been able to extend the stay granted by that Visa.

[soisanuk]

I will chime in with my agreement - a visa is not the same as a permission to stay.  In 2002, I obtained an Non-Immigrant "O" Visa with multiple entry valid for one year from dater of issue.  This type of visa allows on to stay 90 days upon entry and as many entries as one wants during the one year period the visa is "valid for entry".  I planned to use that Visa to stay at least 6 months to determine if I really wanted to live in Thailand. I did have to leave and re-enter Thailand in order to do this.

 

I then returned to USA for a couple months to put things in order for my move, returned in June 2003 again receiving a 90 day "permission to stay."  In July 2003, I applied for an "extension of stay" (not of the visa) and received a one year permission to stay based on retirement.  Since that "visa" expired one year after it was issued, I had to get a Re-Entry permit to keep my "permission to stay" valid when I returned to Thailand as the "visa" had expired.  I have continued to apply annually for another one year "permission to stay" to this day with my current stay expiring in July when I will again apply to extend my stay for another year.  Each time, Immigration wants a copy of the "visa" as it was the basis upon which all the extensions have been granted (now it is the stamp that transferred the visa information into my subsequent passports) as well as each extension of my permission to stay (the data transferred to current passport plus each extension stamp subsequently obtained) when I apply for another extension.

 

While it is true, calling the extensions a visa is very common, even by Immigration Officers. But, to be technical, the extensions are not visas.  Yes, I know, many will say it is just semantics, but I disagree. I do my best to keep up with Immigration issues here in Thailand and often sought out by other expats for advice.  In each of these cases, I often need to ask several questions or view their passport stamps in order to determine their "technical" status because, without that information, I might offer the wrong advice to their detriment.

 

To answer the original question, technically their is no such thing as a "retirement visa" - to obtain a long stay extension, one must have a Non-Immigrant Visa (there are several categories depending on the reason for coming to Thailand, e.g., "B" for business, "E" for education, etc.  The "O" designation is for "other" that is not covered by the other categories - this is usually the one used for purpose of retirement, married to a Thai, etc.).  Category "O-A" is usually referred to as a "long stay" visa by Thai Embassies/Consulates and to qualify, one must meet the criteria for entering Thailand for the purpose of retirement - thus, it is often referred to as a "retirement" visa.  It is obtained form a Thai Embassy/Consulate in the applicant's country of residence, issued with a one year validity period (enter by date), and is designated "M" for multiple entry (allowing one to leave and reenter Thailand during the one year validity period of the visa, receiving a one year permission to stay upon each entry).

 

As mentioned, there is no such thing as a retirement visa.  One receives a permission to stay depending on the type of visa (or 30 days if visa exempt) - applying for a one year extension based on retirement, the stamp Immigration puts in the passport will show the date to which the stay has been extended (usually one year from expiration of the previous permitted stay) and has a stamp that states "retirement" to show the purpose for which the extension is granted (since retirees are not permitted to work in Thailand, that stamp also acts as an alert for Dept of Labor so the holder cannot obtain a work permit).

 

 

 

 

 

 

[transam]

8 minutes ago, Kerryd said:

Everyone that has an "Extension of Stay" has a visa. Period.

 

The initial Visa granted entry into the country for a temporary period. When that period expired, you applied for an Extension of the temporary stay granted by that visa.

 

NO Visa = NO Extension of Stay.

That is why when you get a new passport, Immigration "transfers" the visa (and Extension) from your old passport. The first 2 pages of my current passport are taken up by the stamps needed to "transfer" the Visa (and Extension) from my previous passport to the new one.

That is why, at Jomtien, I have to include a photocopy of that page when I renew my Extension as they want to see the VISA (or the transfer stamps).
 

That is why when you apply for a new Extension of Stay, you have to fill in the part that says "Type of Visa" on the form.
That is why the Tm.7 form is titled "APPLICATION FOR EXTENSION OF TEMPORARY STAY IN THE KINGDOM". You are applying to extend the temporary stay initially granted by the Visa.
The Visa hasn't "expired". The length of stay initially permitted by it has.
 
That is why, if you leave the country without getting a Re-Entry permit - your VISA is voided and as previously mentioned - No Visa=No Extension.

 

That is why if someone is busted and being deported, they (sometimes) note that their VISA was cancelled. They may deny an "Extension of Temporary Stay" but if they are going to deport you, they cancel your VISA.

You are not here on an "Extension of Stay".

 

You are here because you have a visa and have been able to extend the stay granted by that Visa.

I think you are wrong....An extension to stay is all it is, not a Visa...

[jacko45k]

16 hours ago, Rally123 said:

Any stamp in ones passport giving permission of stay is legally called a 'Visa'. Call it what you want but it's still a 'Visa'. 

The 'legal' definition I looked up is:

An official endorsement on a passport or other document required to secure an alien's admission to a country.

[brewsterbudgen]

An O-A visa is for those 50+ and is described on every Thai consulate site in Australia as a "retirement" visa

Maybe you can get them to change the misleading wording. As the O-A visa is only valid for one year, it can hardly be for retirement!

Sent from my SM-G930F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[ThaiBunny]

Just now, brewsterbudgen said:

Maybe you can get them to change the misleading wording. As the O-A visa is only valid for one year, it can hardly be for retirement!

I'll leave it in your capable hands

[brewsterbudgen]

Everyone that has an "Extension of Stay" has a visa. Period.
 
The initial Visa granted entry into the country for a temporary period. When that period expired, you applied for an Extension of the temporary stay granted by that visa.
 
NO Visa = NO Extension of Stay.

That is why when you get a new passport, Immigration "transfers" the visa (and Extension) from your old passport. The first 2 pages of my current passport are taken up by the stamps needed to "transfer" the Visa (and Extension) from my previous passport to the new one.

That is why, at Jomtien, I have to include a photocopy of that page when I renew my Extension as they want to see the VISA (or the transfer stamps).
 
That is why when you apply for a new Extension of Stay, you have to fill in the part that says "Type of Visa" on the form.
That is why the Tm.7 form is titled "APPLICATION FOR EXTENSION OF TEMPORARY STAY IN THE KINGDOM". You are applying to extend the temporary stay initially granted by the Visa.
The Visa hasn't "expired". The length of stay initially permitted by it has.
 
That is why, if you leave the country without getting a Re-Entry permit - your VISA is voided and as previously mentioned - No Visa=No Extension.
 
That is why if someone is busted and being deported, they (sometimes) note that their VISA was cancelled. They may deny an "Extension of Temporary Stay" but if they are going to deport you, they cancel your VISA.

You are not here on an "Extension of Stay".
 
You are here because you have a visa and have been able to extend the stay granted by that Visa.

You couldn't be more wrong, as countless other people on this thread and others have explained.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[sometimewoodworker]

44 minutes ago, Kerryd said:

The initial Visa granted entry into the country for a temporary period. When that period expired, you applied for an Extension of the temporary stay granted by that visa.

 

The permission to stay is issued by the immigration officer while considering your visa (or nationality if you have no visa). It is not granted by the visa.

 

Visas have a fixed limited validity and CAN NEVER BE EXTENDED they expire or are used, they do not grant entry. That is the IOs function.

 

A permission to stay is not a visa and can be extended.

Edited May 21, 2019 by sometimewoodworker

[AsiaCheese]

17 hours ago, Rally123 said:

Any stamp in ones passport giving permission of stay is legally called a 'Visa'. Call it what you want but it's still a 'Visa'. 

 

 

1.  

To be more precise and technical: "the visa" is what you originally received at a Thai consulate/embassy abroad and which allowed you to stay in Thailand for 3 months in order to apply for a one-year extention of same on grounds of retirement...

[sometimewoodworker]

1 minute ago, AsiaCheese said:

To be more precise and technical: "the visa" is what you originally received at a Thai consulate/embassy abroad and which allowed you to stay in Thailand for 3 months in order to apply for a one-year extention of same on grounds of retirement...

To be even more precise "the visa" suggested to the admitting border Immigration officer that deciding that a 3 month permission to stay was the correct period in your case. 

[rott]

Extension of permission to stay is not an extension of a visa..

It is an extension of stay, it is not a visa. Which is why the stamp does not say visa.

Edited May 21, 2019 by rott

[ThaiBunny]

14 minutes ago, rott said:

Extension of permission to stay is not an extension of a visa..

It is an extension of stay, it is not a visa. Which is why the stamp does not say visa.

The original entry using the visa gives permission to stay. Thereafter every extension is extension of the preceding permission to stay