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O-A visa notary requirements from Canada...


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On the Thai embassy website here in Canada, when you apply for an O-A visa, it says the Medical certificate, police clearance letter, and bank statements must be notarized. 

Sounds easy, but I took the documents to a Notary Public and he has told me they cannot be notarized. They are all original documents, and original documents do not get notarized.

Apparently there was a letter sent out to ALL the notaries here in Canada about this.  He thinks it's a misunderstanding about what they are asking for.

Taiwan has the same requirements, and it cannot be done.

It is getting frustrating to me, it should be easy to apply for this visa.

Anyone else run into this kind of problem?

I have written to the Thai Embassy in Ottawa about this, and am waiting their reply.

 

This is what it says:

  • A copy of a bank statement showing a deposit of the amount equal to no less than $ 25,000 or an income certificate (an original copy) with a monthly income of no less than $ 2,100 or a deposit account plus a monthly income of no less than $25,000 a year and must be accompanied with a letter of guarantee from the bank stating the monthly income from a source such as a pension or other sources and the letter from the bank must be certified by a Notary Public.
  • Verification stating that the applicant has no criminal record issued from the country of his/her nationality or residence (the verification shall be valid for no more than 3 months). The criminal record must be certified by a Notary Public.
  • A medical certificate issued from the country where the application is submitted showing no prohibitive diseases as indicated in the Ministerial Regulation No. 14 (B.E. 2535) (the certificate shall be valid for no more than 3 months). Medical Certificate Form. The medical certificate must be certified by a Notary Public.
  • You must also include a photocopy of the booked confirmation flights such as a travel itinerary or airline ticket when applying for the Visa "O-A".
  • In the case that the applicant wishes to have his/her spouse stay together in the Kingdom but the spouse is not qualified for the Non-Immigrant visa "O-A", their marriage certificate shall also be produced as evidence. (The spouse will be considered for the Visa for Temporary Resident under the "O" code). The marriage certificate must be certified by a Notary Public.

Note: Letter from the bank, medical certificate and police clearance certificate must be notarized individually.

 

Edited by Kirkster57
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You can write a statement  that the attached document is true and correct and have a notary stamp it that would be accepted for the originals.

The notary would then certify the copies of the documents.

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Hi Kirkster57 and @ubonjoe

 

Respectfully, I think the problem lies elsewhere; I have received 2 Non-Immigrant O-A Long Stay visas in Canada (Vancouver consulate), and I think there is a mistake on the website in Ottawa (I just looked at the Vancouver website and things are normal there).

 

When I applied for and received my O-A Long Stay visa(s), there was some notarizing required, but not for the documents that you mentioned. What was required to be notarized was your signature on the standard application form and on the extra, specific to the Non Imm O-A visa application form. The background check, the med clearance and the financial statement were not required to be notarized.

 

Can I suggest that you call the Embassy/Consulate and ask? What you have posted does not make sense and is, I am certain, in error.

 

Good luck and welcome when you arrive.

 

Cheers

 

PS for clarity...

 

It is YOUR signature which needs to be notarized (or you can have a lawyer with his/her stamp countersign) on the application form(s). Having the Med form, the Finance form and/or the Background check form notarized does not make sense.

 

I am certain whomever 'updated' the Ottawa Embassy website got things backwards and/or just plain wrong.

 

 

Edited by Samui Bodoh
clarity
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20 minutes ago, Samui Bodoh said:

Respectfully, I think the problem lies elsewhere; I have received 2 Non-Immigrant O-A Long Stay visas in Canada (Vancouver consulate), and I think there is a mistake on the website in Ottawa (I just looked at the Vancouver website and things are normal there).

I was writing about what others have done to overcome the requirement for the original supporting documents to be notarized that many embassies and official consulates want. The copies of the documents attached to the application forms are no problem to get notarized as certified copies.

I have never heard of an embassy or consulate wanting the signatures on the application forms to be notarized.

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Hi Joe

 

You are absolutely the last person I want to argue with regarding visas, but I have done this process twice.

 

Please have a look at the Vancouver (Canada) Thai consulate, Non-Imm O-A Long Stay requirements.

 

http://www.thaiconsulatevancouver.ca/retirement-visa/

 

I had to have my signature on the the 2 separate application forms notarized and/or counter-signed (with stamp) by a lawyer. The supporting documents had to have some kind of stamp, but did not need to be notarized. I did my Med form here in Samui (hospital stamp), my Finance docs in Canada (letter from my broker on the firm's letterhead and their business card attached), and the background check doc was a certificate provided by the company that does it; no notarizing required for Health, Finance or Criminal.

 

I have done this twice successfully.

 

Honestly, I think (as above) that the person who updated the Ottawa Embassy website simply got mixed up.

 

 

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1 hour ago, Samui Bodoh said:

Please have a look at the Vancouver (Canada) Thai consulate, Non-Imm O-A Long Stay requirements.

That is an odd requirement specific to the  consulate in Vancouver. Other embassies and consulate do not require the signatures on the application forms to be notarized. Some do not require anything to be notarized.

The embassy in Ottawa has the standard requirements without the signatures needing to be notarized.

See: http://www.thaiembassy.ca/en/visiting-thailand/visas/types-visas-periods-stay-fees/non-immigrant-visa-temporary-residents

 

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Hi Kirkster57

 

The above is why I say that I do not want to (ever!) argue with Ubon Joe. I see that you are new to the Forum, so I'll let you know that Joe is the resident expert on all things visa, etc. 

 

Notwithstanding the above, the requirements that you quoted do not really make rational sense to me, and I am used to Thai bureaucracy. I would still recommend a call, or better yet, an in-person visit to the Embassy/Consulate (there is also a consulate in Toronto if you are there) to ask what might be accepted and/or what specific form it would be required in. And, if you are anywhere west of Ontario then I recommend dealing with the Vancouver consulate; I have used them for 20 years and they take the attitude of trying to help you get what you want as opposed to not giving a rats' ass.

 

You are in for a... ahem... er... treat dealing with Thai bureaucracy. The good news is that after a relatively short time you will get the hang of it, the bad news is that at your stage it might be prudent to put a case on ice in advance of any dealings.

 

Good luck!

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This silly notary requirement is in effect in the US at Los Angeles and Chicago Consulates only.  Not required at NY Consulate or Washington Embassy

 

As ubonjoe state the cover letter is what is used by those forced to use LA or Chicago and is the only way around the requirement .  Thailand treats their foreign operations much the same way Immigration does in Thailand, every office is their own little fiefdom and they make up the rules as they want 

 

If you want your visa then you had better follow their rules or come here and obtain a visa on arrival and then deal with Thai Immigration here 

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9 hours ago, arithai12 said:

I would go to the notary with the original document and a photocopy, ask them to notarize the copy, bring the notarized copy to the Embassy.

Hat is exactly what would do too, make a copy of the originals and have them notarized. 

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When I went to the Notary, he said it doesn't make any sense.  He said it's an ASIAN thing...they don't know what they are asking....lol.

What I copied and pasted up top is EXACTLY what is on the O-A application form. I brought the Notary a copy of it, and he read it.

I'm still waiting for a response from the Thai embassy in Ottawa.

BTW...........I didn't deal with the Thai consulate in Vancouver. This is from the Ottawa website...

But everyone, thanx for all the advice. I really appreciate it !!!!!!

I will wait for 1 week, then try these other methods, (like making copies of originals)...  Pretty crazy!

 

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I faced the same issue in Los Angeles at the Thai Consulate.  I took everything to a Notary and had them certified as true copies.  The notary has me sign a statement that said, in so many words, this is a true copy of the original document.  She stamped it, signed it and attached it tot the documents.  When I went back to the Consulate with the documents that told me that what I had done was exactly what they wanted!

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ok...I checked on the posting from Samui Bodoh....

The Thai consulate in Vancouver has different requirements from Ottawa!

 

Only 2 copies needed of visa appication form, and 2 photos  (Ottawa wants 3)

Notarize only the application forms.....nothing else!

 

Edited by Kirkster57
removed some information that was not relevant
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Do OA Visas 5 times. Never have problems! My notary signs & puts his red seal on all documents. Send by registered mail & return envelope for the passport to the Embassy of Ottawa & 2-4 days receive it all. As a bonus, I'm 2 years in a row with Visa.

Edited by tilou46
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For what it's worth, I decided to end the annual retirement extension process (a.k.a. clusterf**k) and go with the O-A process. At least you get almost two years out of it (plus Re-entry Permit cost in the second year). And I can deal with the application process in a Canadian environment. 

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