Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 27, 2018 16:11:23 GMT 7
US Embassy in Thailand to cease providing income affidavit BANGKOK: Effective Jan 1, 2019, the United States Embassy in Bangkok and the US Consulate General in Chiang Mai will no longer provide an income affidavit and will not notarise previous versions of the income affidavit, the embassy announced in a statement today (Oct 26).“The Royal Thai Government requires applicants to meet a minimum income threshold to obtain a non-immigrant long-term stay visa. While the Thai government has previously relied on income affidavits to demonstrate this fact, the US government has no mechanism to confirm individual incomes and cannot legally claim to do so,” the statement read. (Click here.) “Because the US government has no means of confirming a US citizen’s income, a notarised affidavit from the US Embassy has never met the requirement to prove a minimum income level for a non- immigrant ‘O’, ‘O-A’, or ‘O-X’ long-term stay visa,” the statement continued. However, the embassy noted, “There are other methods for US citizens to demonstrate they are eligible for this Thai visa category. “US citizens residing in Thailand should refer to the Thai government for information about verifying their income moving forward. For the most current information, US citizens should check with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Thai Embassy in Washington, D.C., or their local immigration office.” the embassy advised. The move for the US Embassy to cease issuing income affidavits follows the British Embassy in Bangkok announcing on Oct 8 that it will no longer provide British nationals with letters confirming their income, also effective from Jan 1 next year. www.thephuketnews.com/us-embassy-in-thailand-to-cease-providing-income-affidavit-69127.php
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 27, 2018 16:22:25 GMT 7
British Embassy Bangkok to stop Certification of Income letters The British Embassy in Bangkok from Jan 1 next year will no longer provide British nationals with letters confirming their income, the embassy announced in a statement today (Oct 8).A letter confirming income previously served as a supporting document for obtaining a Thai retirement or marriage visa (‘permit-to-stay’), the embassy noted. “The British Embassy Bangkok is stopping the certification of income letters because it is unable to fulfil the Thai authorities’ requirements to verify the income of British Nationals,” the statement said. British nationals should now demonstrate that they have an amount of at least B800,000 in an account in Thailand for no less than three months prior to the visa application, or a monthly income of at least B65,000 transferred into an account in Thailand for a retirement visa, the embassy advised. “For a marriage visa, the amounts are B400,000 in an account in Thailand for no less than three months prior to the visa application, or a monthly income of at least B40,000 transferred into an account in Thailand,” the statement said. “A bank statement should be used as the supporting document for obtaining a Thai retirement or marriage visa. “All British Nationals concerned should note that the last date for income letter applications is Dec 12, 2018,” the embassy explained. According to the embassy statement, the requirements for a retirement visa are as follows: – Must be at least 50 years old; – Must have an amount of at least B800,000 in an account in Thailand for no less than three months prior to the application for a visa, or a monthly income of at least B65,000. For further information potential applicants were directed to specific webpage for the requirements for a retirement visa on the Royal Thai Police Immigration Bureau website. (Click here.) The requirements for a marriage visa were given as: – Must be legally married to a Thai national; – Must have an amount of no less than B400,000 in an account in Thailand for two months prior to the visa application, or an average annual income of no less than B40,000 per month. For further information potential applicants were directed to specific webpage for the requirements for a marriage visa on the Royal Thai Police Immigration Bureau website. www.thephuketnews.com/british-embassy-bangkok-to-stop-certification-of-income-letters-68911.php#e3cvFjPoYyhj5DQF.97
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 27, 2018 16:32:40 GMT 7
Just a heads up! Better to know it could happen to us too I guess.
Whether the Yanks & Brits had to pay, would be an unanswered question. Hopefully by paying we can escape this BS.
I don't know why a printed bank statement showing pension going in every fortnight for three months, couldn't suffice for source of income, and at immigration open your banking app for positive proof.
That's just common sense, cheers bear
|
|
|
Post by nomadic on Oct 28, 2018 7:36:58 GMT 7
i have never had one of these anyhow. bank statement and clink letter head with fortnightly payment on it plus local bank book has always been enough. mever questioned. I only knew of these forms from the forum. Head to Savanakhet if it happens. Mai pen lai = no probs. (TOUCH WOOD AS ALWAYS THOUGH).
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 28, 2018 10:33:22 GMT 7
i have never had one of these anyhow. bank statement and clink letter head with fortnightly payment on it plus local bank book has always been enough. mever questioned. I only knew of these forms from the forum. Head to Savanakhet if it happens. Mai pen lai = no probs. (TOUCH WOOD AS ALWAYS THOUGH). Thanks nomadic just trying to go by the book to get an extension in the country. But if I can save going to C-M and paying the consulate I'll do that. Ninety day almost due; if it doesn't work online again will have to go to immigration, so will quzz them about it all. Surely the printed letter from My Gov, Bank Statement; both also available to view on phone plus bank book and bank letter from here will get me through. draw-doo=wait & see, will keep updating when I know more. I'm not as nomadic as you, but will do what ever i need too, to stay! Cheers bear
|
|
|
Post by nomadic on Oct 28, 2018 10:54:30 GMT 7
But you don't need anything for the 90 day check do you? Only for the yearly visa. Never been to immigration for this as always leave country every 90 days.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 28, 2018 11:49:17 GMT 7
No just fill in online or hard copy form providing the information they have on file. If all the ducks are in a row, in and out in ten minutes if you get there at 4.30-5.a.m. and are first, second, third etc. off the rank at 8.30 in C-M. Hope online works!
|
|
|
Post by pady on Oct 28, 2018 15:24:31 GMT 7
Just a heads up! Better to know it could happen to us too I guess. Whether the Yanks & Brits had to pay, would be an unanswered question. Hopefully by paying we can escape this BS. I don't know why a printed bank statement showing pension going in every fortnight for three months, couldn't suffice for source of income, and at immigration open your banking app for positive proof. That's just common sense, cheers bear Hi Bear, that printout would show our pensions to be well short of the required 65 k. Ours is around 40 k The oz embassy has an announcement on their website acknowledging that the British have stopped issuing income letters however the oz embassy will continue issuing statutory declarations Not sure what to make of that now that the USA have stopped issuing affidavits which is basically there version of a stat dec
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 28, 2018 16:44:25 GMT 7
Yes pady well short. At extension I'll be looking at combining pension and bank account here; that's not monopoly money, it's for the express purpose to get my yearly extensions through combining, as that is allowed. Will see what I can find out about it either in a couple of weeks or early January. If we weren't to young to get married the pension would cover that one, and perhaps that's is why they were pushing in that direction in one of those articles. Cheers bear
|
|
|
Post by nomadic on Oct 28, 2018 19:29:11 GMT 7
I'm repeating but to get the yearly visa you need to show you have 800,000 baht over the next year. This can be made up of current bank balances in either Thai or Oz banks plus the total of your yearly pension. Any single one or all three are fine.Pension alone not enough. I usually need all three. Depends on exchange rate at the time.
|
|
|
Post by pady on Nov 2, 2018 14:34:47 GMT 7
Australian embassy is no longer issuing statutory declaration for 65k income method so using the pension for retirement in Thailand is for now finished. Had to happen after USA and Britain did the same
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Nov 2, 2018 15:23:35 GMT 7
I'm repeating but to get the yearly visa you need to show you have 800,000 baht over the next year. This can be made up of current bank balances in either Thai or Oz banks plus the total of your yearly pension. Any single one or all three are fine.Pension alone not enough. I usually need all three. Depends on exchange rate at the time. Agreed nomadic; if you are renewing outside. How to renew inside by combining is what I need to find out about and want to know for sure. Getting my visa was a straight forward process, and extending it before this debacle came to light, the same; now though it is beginning to look shaky, unless I sell up in the next several months and probably take a big hit! Cheers bear
|
|
|
Post by pady on Nov 2, 2018 15:32:27 GMT 7
Everything is dependent on Thai immigration now. Embassies say you should be able to use your bank book for verification but immigration is saying nothing. Currently you can use an agent for around 20 k but they are cracking down on them as well
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Nov 2, 2018 15:35:45 GMT 7
I expected it, but I'm stumped for words now it's happened, and don't know how we will be able to renew in the country if we don't have the full amount of cash in the bank or an approved income. If anyone has to extend early in the New Year, a breakdown of procedure will be appreciated by many I'm sure!
So we've got two months basically to get some sort of a response from immigration here. Don't like our chances with that. Bear
P.S. I've always been pretty good at telling when I'm not wanted, and have always given the benefit of doubt to expats who said we weren't. I've been run around by immigration for six months and Lao, Myanmar, Vietnam are looking pretty good at this particular moment.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Nov 2, 2018 15:39:48 GMT 7
Everything is dependent on Thai immigration now. Embassies say you should be able to use your bank book for verification but immigration is saying nothing. Currently you can use an agent for around 20 k but they are cracking down on them as well pady the 20k ones put up the money if you don't have it. There's an agent in Promenada that will do it for Bht. 7,500 if you do. How that will work now though is anyone's guess! Cheers bear
|
|