Is the centeral 'Under Consideration' office running behind?

[Furryman]

Back in December it was time to do my second annual marriage extension, last year was my first time doing an extension for marriage, previously I had been doing the retirement extensions. I live in Roi Et and go the the office in Roi Et city.

 

We had all our paperwork in line, except for a couple small things (forgot the map, but that was easily remedied). After getting the front desk officer to arrange all our papers in their preferred order, and stamping all the copies for our signatures, we hung out while the office ladies looked over my bank statements and transfer receipts. Everything seemed fine. They said there was no need for them to come do an inspection like the first year, since we were in the same place, my wife's house.

 

I did notice that at the end my 'Under Consideration' stamp was for 60 days instead of 30, as had the couple in line ahead of us. I figured it was probably due to them working thru the surge of paperwork due to the pause on applications having ended not all that long before.

 

My 60 day UC stamp expires on the 24th, which is this Sunday, so I figured this week would be a good time to go in and check up, before my stamp expired. The regular front desk officer took my passport and handed it to the ladies in the back. A couple minutes later she brought my passport back out and gave it to the front desk guy. The front desk guy hands it back to me and says "Not approved". HuH? I asked him what he meant and he just said "Not approved" again. Just then his phone rang and he turned around walked away to take the call.

 

I'll admit I was a little stressed out over this, not knowing exactly what he meant, I looked in my passport, there was no denied stamp or anything like that. Just the same UC stamp from before. He got off the phone and I asked him what I should do next. He said come back next week or wait for the office to call. I asked him if that meant I was just still waiting for the approval to come back, and he sort of made a sound that sounded somewhat affirmative.

 

I went out to where my wife was waiting and asked her to come ask him in Thai what the story is. She bypassed him and caught one of the inner office ladies, and from what I understand, they are just waiting for my paperwork to come back and I should come back next week, or call next week, or wait for them to call.

 

I've always been super careful with my visas and extensions, and this is the first time I'll be here with an expired stamp, UC stamp expires Sunday, just before "next week", so I'm a little nervous.

 

Has anyone else had their extension paperwork coming back slowly recently? Is this something I should be actually worried about, or not?

 

Thanks.

[ubonjoe]

The is no central office that approves extension applications that are under consideration.

There are 5 regional Immigration Division headquarters that approve them.

You must applied for your extension that does not start the consideration period on the day your current permit to stay ends. If you got a total of 60 day it is due to you applying 30 days early.

Most offices do not get the approval sent to them from the headquarters until the last week of the under consideration period. It is not unusual for them not to be done before the report back date on the under consideration stamp. The report back date does not end the under consideration period. The stamp allows you to stay until the your extension is approved,

 

[Furryman]

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

The is no central office that approves extension applications that are under consideration.

There are 5 regional Immigration Division headquarters that approve them.

You must applied for your extension that does not start the consideration period on the day your current permit to stay ends. If you got a total of 60 day it is due to you applying 30 days early.

Most offices do not get the approval sent to them from the headquarters until the last week of the under consideration period. It is not unusual for them not to be done before the report back date on the under consideration stamp. The report back date does not end the under consideration period. The stamp allows you to stay until the your extension is approved,

 

Thanks for the info!

 

I did not know there were regional offices, I figured it went to one big office somewhere.

 

I applied about 3 weeks before my extension would have expired, and the UC stamps is dated 30 days after the expiration date. So that makes more sense to me now. My mind is much more at ease now, thanks really.

[Bobsuruncle]

Furryman, 

I recently switched to a Non O based on marriage and applied 30 days prior to my original visa's expiration date. Immigration told me to come back in 60 days (18 Dec) and that I would be under consideration until then. They also extended the original expiration date an extra 30 days, so that I would still be legal until they approved me. I had been under the assuption that it only took 30 days to consider the new extension. But I just figured that since it was my first time on the marriage visa (or extension of stay) that it probably took twice as long. So I waited the full 60 days.

On 18 Dec at immigration when my wife and I arrived at the front desk, my wife overheard one Immigration officer tell the other "oh his visa just arrived this morning".

So apparently the full 60 days was needed.

Yours will probably be there soon. They had told us that we could call to check to see if it was in the office before making the trip. This was Nakhon Phanom.

[MJCM]

6 hours ago, Furryman said:

Thanks for the info!

 

I did not know there were regional offices, I figured it went to one big office somewhere.

 

I applied about 3 weeks before my extension would have expired, and the UC stamps is dated 30 days after the expiration date. So that makes more sense to me now. My mind is much more at ease now, thanks really.

 

We applied on 7th Jan with expiration date of the extension on 16th Jan, took over an hour to got the consideration stamp (whch was quick) and the UC stamp was Feb 15th so that is 39 days from applying.

 

I applied in Buriram and AFAIK the application from there is send to Khon Kaen for approval

 

Retirement extensions are approved locally, but Marriage ones have to be send to these regional HQ's.

[ubonjoe]

4 minutes ago, MJCM said:

I applied in Buriram and AFAIK the application from there is send to Khon Kaen for approval

All offices here in the Isaan that is under Division 4 in KK start the under consideration stamp from the day your current permit to stay ends. All 13 of mine have been done that way.

[Tanoshi]

23 hours ago, Furryman said:

The front desk guy hands it back to me and says "Not approved". HuH? I asked him what he meant and he just said "Not approved" again. Just then his phone rang and he turned around walked away to take the call.

That would have been the supervisor then, an arrogant, ignorant IO with appalling English speaking ability.

 

UC stamps are always dated 30 days from the end of your extension date.

You can apply up to 45 days in advance of your renewal date at Roi Et, in which case your UC stamp would be dated 65 days from the date of your submitted application.

 

Roi Et tend to ring you the day before your UC stamp expires, to advise your application is approved and you can return for the stamp - not unusual.

[Furryman]

19 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

Roi Et tend to ring you the day before your UC stamp expires, to advise your application is approved and you can return for the stamp - not unusual.

This is only my second marriage stamp with them, last time I showed up the day before the UC stamp date and they stamped me and I went home.

 

Never waited on a call for a stamp before, this is new territory for me.

[Tanoshi]

2 minutes ago, Furryman said:

This is only my second marriage stamp with them, last time I showed up the day before the UC stamp date and they stamped me and I went home.

 

Never waited on a call for a stamp before, this is new territory for me.

Depends how far your travelling, but you can always ring them beforehand.

043 515 179.

 

Last year (2020) I applied 2/6 (extension due 10/7) and was given an UC stamp until 9/8.

They rang me on 16/6 to say approved.

I returned for the stamp the following day (17/6) some 23 days before my current extension expired.

That was a first!

Previously they always called me the day before the UC stamp expired.

 

Your under consideration until 'approved' or 'rejected' regardless of the UC date stamp.

If your IO accepts the application for processing, I've never heard of it being rejected at divisional level.

[Furryman]

1 minute ago, Tanoshi said:

Depends how far your travelling,

 

Conveniently for me, I'm only a handful of Kilometers outside the ring road.

[Tanoshi]

10 minutes ago, Furryman said:

Conveniently for me, I'm only a handful of Kilometers outside the ring road.

Don't worry, I'd bet on you getting a call from the girl in the back office, tomorrow or Monday.

[gavlar]

Hi...I am trying to sort out my own process and would be grateful if someone could clarify my thinking is correct.

Currently on a non O based on my son ( going through legitimise process with court).

Current visa finishes 17th February and planning to extend 60 days to 17th April using either Covid (if available) or based on son.

I realise (thanks to Ubonjoe) if I dont complete legitimise process I can apply for 1 year retirement extension (funds in place) anytime up to 16th April.

I would prefer to get a 1 year extension based on son and from this thread I've just realised that I may not get my extension until 17th May (assuming I get 60 day extension to 17th April) even if I apply 17th March. Is this correct?

I'm asking as I need to go back to UK early May and therefore retirement extension may be my only option.

Thanks in advance for replies.

[chilly07]

Find this all rather puzzling. I always make my Jomtien marriage extension application 30 days before expiry (they won't accept 45) and get an under consideration stamp that coincides with my expiry. Sometimes they don't have approval on the expiry date just a few days later so I return on the day they suggest. 60 days has never come into it?

 

[tgw]

yes, one time I didn't get my extension until 6 days after the "under consideration" date.

 

I asked what would happen in a police check, they said I would get arrested for overstay.

 

their advice? "don't get arrested"

 

[Tanoshi]

10 minutes ago, tgw said:

their advice? "don't get arrested"

'Immigration isolation'.

 

A German national living adjacent came on a VE 26 years ago.

Self isolated and avoided Immigration and Police until he passed away last year.

At that point they chose not to deport him.

[tgw]

33 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

'Immigration isolation'.

 

A German national living adjacent came on a VE 26 years ago.

Self isolated and avoided Immigration and Police until he passed away last year.

At that point they chose not to deport him.

 

I guess one has to be alive to be eligible for deportation.

[2530Ubon]

Has there been any news about covid extensions continuing past the 29th Jan? I've been waiting and waiting for the BOI freelancer visa to come out, but it's still not available.

 

I saw an immigration announcement extending the period of time for residents outside Thailand who have yet to re-enter, as the COVID situation still prevents people from travelling easily. Perhaps they will also extend the covid extensions?

[ubonjoe]

21 minutes ago, 2530Ubon said:

Has there been any news about covid extensions continuing past the 29th Jan?

Nothing yet. I am sure it will be extended but when they get around announcing it is another question.

We learned about the last extension from info provided by an agent who had gotten it from immigration.

[Furryman]

On 1/21/2021 at 10:05 AM, Tanoshi said:

Don't worry, I'd bet on you getting a call from the girl in the back office, tomorrow or Monday.

They called mid-morning today, Friday 22nd. Picked up stamp in the afternoon. Wife brought the office ladies some massive papayas. all is well.