Thread: Non-B Immigrant Cancellation, Found New Job

Hello!

I arrived in Thailand about a month ago, and was given permission to stay for 30 days upon landing. After a couple of weeks, I got a single-entry, non-b immigrant visa from Laos using the paperwork from my first teaching job. I did the visa run and paid for all the expenses. I was given permission to stay until mid-August. I haven't extended the visa. I believe the school hasn't applied for a work permit either.

Things got rough and I decided to quit my first job last week. Under the presumption that I am not looking for another job, the school did not bother to cancel my non-b. However, they emphasized that I may be in trouble if I start looking for work. I recently found a new job, and I'm wondering how this situation will affect my paperwork.

I would really appreciate your insight regarding the following:

1. Do I need to go to immigration to cancel my non-b (single-entry, not extended)? Do I need my employer to cancel it for me? Can I apply for a new non-b using the paperwork from my new school immediately?

2. I really want to avoid paying any sort of penalty. I've read that the cancellation may retroact to the day of resignation, and the teacher may be asked to pay 500 Baht a day. Is this rule applicable to may case?

3. What is the cheapest and most convenient way to do this? Can I change my visa in Thailand? Do I need to do another Visa run? Do I need to switch to a tourist visa first?

Again, thank you very much for your help!

As long as you are on the original visa, it hasn't been extended, you are okay.
You can use that visa to apply for a WP for another employer.

Once the visa has been extended, then it is no good as of the last day of the employment it was based on.

Thank you Terry and Phil! Good to know that I am not in trouble of sorts.

Employers often don't know the rules, or say what they want to to try and keep the 'folks' in line.
Empty threats in this case.

Terry

Hi,

Similar situation with me - I've just found a new job and handed in my month's notice but as the wheels were in motion with regards applying for the Non-Immigrant visa by current employer (been there 2 months) is still going ahead to get me the visa as they want me to work 'legally' until August 1st. My new job starts on August 1st (I will be starting a day late as requested by my current employer - they see it as me helping them out although I would ideally leave sooner). Can my current employer cancel my visa then after I've left or can they just leave it be and therefore save me a headache while my new employer seeks about getting me a work permit? I dread the thought of having to leave the country again having just gone to KL last week.

Any advice here much appreciated - hope what I've written makes some sense.

Originally Posted by BHOY01

Any advice here much appreciated - hope what I've written makes some sense.

Is it a single entry non-immigrant B that expires on 1 August?

If it's an actual visa that you recently got in KL, then you are good for 90 days. Take a look at the stamp with the 'permission to stay until' date.

If it was a visa that was extended by an immigration office, it is no good as of the last day of work with your current employer.

It sounds like the former, but your post makes it a bit confusing.
You say the employer is going ahead with getting you a visa, yet you also say you just got one a short time ago.

Terry

Originally Posted by TerryLH

Terry

That's also in your profile on the left on each of your posts.

Sorry to clear the confusion up a bit I am now currently on a 30-day tourist visa and will go to Bangkok immigration next week apparently to have this visa converted. I am presuming then I will have a non-immigrant B visa issued. Without naming the school all teachers are having their visa status changed this way as the school's status is changing itself. So presuming I then have a non-immigrant B visa am I right to say it should be good for 90 days as long as it doesn't get cancelled when I leave the school on August 1 to take up my new position? That would then provide me with some time to sort things in my new position rather than having to leave the country yet again. Sorry again for the confusion.

"Sorry to clear the confusion up a bit I am now currently on a 30-day tourist visa..."

That sounds like a visa exempt entry, not a visa.

I think, but am not positive, that with a conversion from immigration, you'll have an extension of your current permission to stay, for work purposes.
If that is the case, the permission to stay will end your last work day for the employer.
It sounds like the employer wants to tie the employees to them, making it a bit more difficult to leave on a whim.


"That's also in your profile on the left on each of your posts."

Well, gee whiz, thanks.

Terry

Originally Posted by TerryLH

I think, but am not positive, that with a conversion from immigration, you'll have an extension of your current permission to stay, for work purposes.
If that is the case, the permission to stay will end your last work day for the employer.

Today I asked my colleague to bring the passport because like you I'm not positive whether it's a non-immigrant B visa valid for a single 90 days stay or a 90 days extension of stay based on work purposes. If the latter, BHOY has to go abroad to apply for a new non-immigrant B when terminating his current job.

Tell tomorrow.

Originally Posted by TerryLH

Well, gee whiz, thanks.

You're welcome.

petch01

Cheers for the replies. It seems I will be getting a non-immigrant B visa in a week's time and even though I will be leaving my job a matter of weeks after my current employer has said that will not cancel that visa. They are unsure whether that then means my new employer can just convert sponsorship (I go to immigration and show them a letter from my new employer) or I still have to leave the country and get another non-immigrant B visa for the new position. That obviously would be a major hassle - especially as I will have a non-immigrant B visa that is only a matter of weeks old. So the question now is quite simply can you keep your existing non-immigrant B visa when switching jobs or is it automatically cancelled when you leave any post and therefore requires you to leave the country and apply for a new one when starting a new position?

Originally Posted by petch01

Tell tomorrow.

I saw my colleague's passport and noticed that there is the common single entry non-immigrant B stamp. However, on the admission stamp the name of the employer is explicitly written. Having said that, the conversion hasn't resulted in a 90 days extension of stay but a common non-immigrant B visa.

Originally Posted by BHOY01

So the question now is quite simply can you keep your existing non-immigrant B visa when switching jobs or is it automatically cancelled when you leave any post and therefore requires you to leave the country and apply for a new one when starting a new position?

Simple question but difficult to answer. Having the common non-immigrant B visa means that you can go to another employer within the period of 90 days but the explicit mentioning of the school in the admission stamp is what worries me.

The only thing what I could advise you is to go to the immigration office and ask them.