Retirement visa expires 19 August 2020

[RHolliday]

Got a one year retirement visa at Thai Consulate in Savannakhet, Laos last August, but have been unable to get local immigration to approve new visa (marriage) due to being unable to get US embassy in Bangkok to provide seal and signature on Verification of Pay letters.  Have all other documents that are required. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

[tonray]

You got a 1 year visa in Laos ? Maybe your visa was valid for 1 year but your permission to stay surely not unless you extended in Thailand.

[DrJack54]

OP, Think you obtained a non o (retirement).

Valid for 90 days. You then would of entered Thailand and obtained annual extension at immigration. 

Or seem to recall a ME retirement is available there?

One of few places that issue them

 

Edited August 4, 2020 by DrJack54

[ubonjoe]

I assume you got a multiple entry non-o visa that was valid for one year in Savannakhet.

You visas expiration means nothing now since you are in the country at this time. It is only the last day you can sue it to enter the country.

When did you last 90 day entry expire?

Do you have proof of transfers into the country from abroad that are 40k baht or more.

Immigration will not accept anything to prove your income  other that than those transfers. The letters you could be used for proof of the source of your income (no need for verification of them by the embassy).

 

[RHolliday]

4 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

OP, Think you obtained a non o (retirement).

Valid for 90 days. You then would of entered Thailand and obtained annual extension at immigration. 

I'm not understanding your post.

Sorry just realized. Think you can get multi entry (RE) in Savannakhet

Yes, a Non Imm O, but valid for one year, with multiple entries. Is that why immigration told me I had to do the 90 day reporting by crossing into Laos? Thanks for your help.

[DrJack54]

5 minutes ago, RHolliday said:

Yes, a Non Imm O, but valid for one year, with multiple entries. Is that why immigration told me I had to do the 90 day reporting by crossing into Laos? Thanks for your help.

When did you last enter Thailand. 

With your visa you need to exit every 30 days or less. In your passport you will see stamp with admitted untill date. It will be 90 days from entry date

Edited August 4, 2020 by DrJack54

[RHolliday]

6 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

I assume you got a multiple entry non-o visa that was valid for one year in Savannakhet.

You visas expiration means nothing now since you are in the country at this time. It is only the last day you can sue it to enter the country.

When did you last 90 day entry expire?

Do you have proof of transfers into the country from abroad that are 40k baht or more.

Immigration will not accept anything to prove your income  other that than those transfers. The letters you could be used for proof of the source of your income (no need for verification of them by the embassy).

 

Last 90 day expired 10 May 2020. Went to immigration, but they said no worry until 31 July 2020.  Proof of transfers of monthly income totaling 80,000+ baht to my savings account from Bangkok Bank 12 month printout, but immigration today still insisted that the verification of pay letters be stamped with seal and signature by US Embassy in Bangkok, or the agencies in the US that issued the letters  Thank you for your assistance UJ. Appreciate your help. 

[RHolliday]

5 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

When did you last enter Thailand. 

With your visa you need to exit every 30 days or less. In your passport you will see stamp with admitted untill date. It will be 90 days from entry date

Exited Thailand on 20 November 2019 and Feb 11,2020. Went to local immigration on May 10, 2020 and immigration said not worry until 31 July 2020. Today they said not to worry until 26 September 2020.

[ubonjoe]

3 minutes ago, RHolliday said:

Last 90 day expired 10 May 2020. Went to immigration, but they said no worry until 31 July 2020.  Proof of transfers of monthly income totaling 80,000+ baht to my savings account from Bangkok Bank 12 month printout, but immigration today still insisted that the verification of pay letters be stamped with seal and signature by US Embassy in Bangkok, or the agencies in the US that issued the letters  Thank you for your assistance UJ. Appreciate your help. 

I showed my SSA statement and the letter the COLA letter they sent me at immigration here last year to show immigration and attached copies of them to my extension application. I think they are asking more than is required according the rules.

The US embassy will not certify any document.

[RHolliday]

9 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

I showed my SSA statement and the letter the COLA letter they sent me at immigration here last year to show immigration and attached copies of them to my extension application. I think they are asking more than is required according the rules.

The US embassy will not certify any document.

Options?  Use a different immigration office or bite the bullet and get an agent?  When you say SSA statement...did you mean your 1099 or a verification of pay letter? Thanks again.

[ubonjoe]

10 minutes ago, RHolliday said:

Options?  Use a different immigration office or bite the bullet and get an agent?  When you say SSA statement...did you mean your 1099 or a verification of pay letter? Thanks again.

I used the SSA 1099 for 2018 and the COLA letter for 2019 when I applied.

This year it will be the 1099 for 2019 the COLA letter for this year I received last December.

[scammed]

i am in a similar predicament.

my retirement extension expired a few days ago,

i gave passport to agent to renew it,

but got informed the passport was about to expire.

i have applied for a new passport and its going to come

in another 2 weeks.

 

is there any complications to pick up where i left off

when i finally get my passport back ?

Edited August 4, 2020 by scammed

[DrJack54]

1 hour ago, scammed said:

i am in a similar predicament.

my retirement extension expired a few days ago,

i gave passport to agent to renew it,

but got informed the passport was about to expire.

i have applied for a new passport and its going to come

in another 2 weeks.

 

is there any complications to pick up where i left off

when i finally get my passport back ?

There seems to be 2 opposite opinions re your situation. Some very experienced guys say that your on amnesty and hence can obtain your annual extension anytime. I'm in the other camp that thinks you need to do it as per usual. Meaning prior to your permission of stay in your passport.

Personally I would attend your imm now and ask about your situation. Also explaining the situation with your expiring pp. It has been difficult to renew passports in recent times.

Good luck

[hotandsticky]

1 hour ago, scammed said:

i am in a similar predicament.

my retirement extension expired a few days ago,

i gave passport to agent to renew it,

but got informed the passport was about to expire.

i have applied for a new passport and its going to come

in another 2 weeks.

 

is there any complications to pick up where i left off

when i finally get my passport back ?

 

 

You will have to start from scratch as I understand it.

 

 

Two schoolboy errors........  1. The expiring passport. Immigration will ONLY grant an extension to the expiry date of a passport. 2. Allowing the extension date to pass - it is not covered by the amnesty. Academic in your case because of the passport expiry date.

 

You are potentially up sh!t creek; I hope you get the new passport back before 26th September as you will be on overstay. Hopefully, you will get it back before then and your agent can get a Non O visa arranged as a necessary prelude to the extension. It is going to cost you more.

Edited August 4, 2020 by hotandsticky

[scammed]

16 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

There seems to be 2 opposite opinions re your situation. Some very experienced guys say that your on amnesty and hence can obtain your annual extension anytime. I'm in the other camp that thinks you need to do it as per usual. Meaning prior to your permission of stay in your passport.

Personally I would attend your imm now and ask about your situation. Also explaining the situation with your expiring pp. It has been difficult to renew passports in recent times.

Good luck

the agent took the passport to immigration in due time, it was immigration that noted that it was going to expire within a year.

worst thing is i new it was going to expire within a year, i just thought i need to get a new passport by then and transfer the visa, but alas i fessed up.

to complicate things i also couldnt just make half a year visa in the mean time because my driving license has also expired and need a one year visa to get a 5 year extension,

it sucks to not be home

Edited August 4, 2020 by scammed

[DrJack54]

2 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

Hopefully, you will get it back before then and your agent can get a Non O visa arranged as a necessary prelude to the extension. It is going to cost you more.

Report of someone with valid pp and did not extend prior to expiry of POS in pp being hit up for 11k.

The guys that state this was a stitch up and he was on "amnesty extension" hence did not need to apply prior to until date I think are wrong. I've been singing from the rafters all along ....do your extensions as per usual

[DrJack54]

19 minutes ago, scammed said:

the agent took the passport to immigration in due time, it was immigration that noted that it was going to expire within a year.

worst thing is i new it was going to expire within a year, i just thought i need to get a new passport by then and transfer the visa, but alas i fessed up.

to complicate things i also couldnt just make half a year visa in the mean time because my driving license has also expired and need a one year visa to get a 5 year extension,

it sucks to not be home

Don't go home. 

First up imm should have issued you extension of stay up to date of expiry of passport. 

If worse comes to worse look into agent options.

If your happy to go home fine, but don't count on "normal reentry" for a LONG time.

[Rob3016]

The US Consulate has not been issuing verification of income for more than one year. 

[Max69xl]

16 hours ago, scammed said:

i am in a similar predicament.

my retirement extension expired a few days ago,

i gave passport to agent to renew it,

but got informed the passport was about to expire.

i have applied for a new passport and its going to come

in another 2 weeks.

 

is there any complications to pick up where i left off

when i finally get my passport back ?

Just out of curiosity, why didn't you apply for the 1 year extension before the permission to stay expired? Say 30 days before, which is quite normal for long stayers? The reason for doing it 30 days before is to avoid problems like almost expired passports etc etc. 

[Max69xl]

1 hour ago, Rob3016 said:

The US Consulate has not been issuing verification of income for more than one year. 

Since January 1 2019 to be exact.

[Max69xl]

15 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Report of someone with valid pp and did not extend prior to expiry of POS in pp being hit up for 11k.

The guys that state this was a stitch up and he was on "amnesty extension" hence did not need to apply prior to until date I think are wrong. I've been singing from the rafters all along ....do your extensions as per usual

I agree with you,and if you read the first few announcements when the automatic extensions started, it said it applied only to people affected by the coronavirus. No one on 1 year extensions is affected by it and should do the extensions as usual. Imo, there's been some bad advises here on TV about no need to do them. For many it will now depend on pure luck and to which immigration office they belong to. 

[JusticeGB]

With the problems of covid19 the issues of passports in many countries is taking longer than usual. You have two alternatives. 

 

1. Pray that your new passport will come in time which in the UK involves sending in your old passport to get a new one.

 

2. Get your Visa to expire at the same date that your passport expires and then apply for a new passport when you will have to apply for  a new one year Visa. Old Visas are not transferable to new passports and in any event can only be given for the time left on your existing passport. 

[Peter Denis]

19 hours ago, RHolliday said:

Last 90 day expired 10 May 2020. Went to immigration, but they said no worry until 31 July 2020.  Proof of transfers of monthly income totaling 80,000+ baht to my savings account from Bangkok Bank 12 month printout, but immigration today still insisted that the verification of pay letters be stamped with seal and signature by US Embassy in Bangkok, or the agencies in the US that issued the letters  Thank you for your assistance UJ. Appreciate your help. 

So you entered on a ME Non Imm O retirement Visa of which the 90-day permission to stay you received on entry obviously expired already (10 May).

And you are now on the Amnesty extension, and IO confirmed that you can stay till 26 September (end of Amnesty).

YOUR OPTIONS >

Did you already apply for a 60-day extension of stay for reason of visiting your thai wife or thai dependant child?

If not, you could do that now already and your IO would - according to the IO InfoGraphic Announcement - issue it to you with start-date 27 September, providing you with a valid permission to stay till 24 November.

Note: If you have a rogue IO that would issue it on day of application, you can simply wait till end of September to apply for it.

With that 24 November expiry date you would then have sufficient time to transfer 400K to your personal thai bank-account (not a joint one, it must be on your name only) and keep it there for TWO months before applying for the 1-year extension of stay.  Using that method to meet the financial requirements there is NO need to prove the foreign origins of the funds nor the source of these funds.

If you cannot get 400K on your personal thai bank account TWO months before application (can be done until last day of your permission to stay), you need to use the monthly-income transfer method, and prove that you made at least TWO transfers of +40K in each of the two months preceding your application.  However, that method requires that you need to provide evidence that the funds originated from abroad (which would not be a problem, as your bank can provide that evidence).  But it seems that your IO is also insisting on evidence from the SOURCE of that monthly foreign income.  If you can show e.g. a pension statement, or other proof of monthly income to your foreign bank-account (which you used to transfer the money to your thai bank-account) you will be OK.  Contrary to what your IO seems to state, there is no need for your Embassy certifying these documents (which in your case as US citizen would be impossible anyway), providing evidence of foreign origins and source of the transfers is all what's needed.

But if your IO insists on that for you impossible evidence, the 400K will be a 'fool-proof' method to meet the financial requirements of your 1-year extension of stay marriage application (but it now needs the 60-day extension of stay 'intermediate' extension in order to provide you with the time to season those 400K for two months before application).

 

 

[ubonjoe]

43 minutes ago, JusticeGB said:

1. Pray that your new passport will come in time which in the UK involves sending in your old passport to get a new one.

When you apply for a new UK passport here in the country at VFS they give your old passport back to you.