Retirement Visa change to Marraige/Support visa

[JimmyGreaves]

If I get an extension of stay to a retirement visa on my O visa that expires August 2012 can I then apply for a marriage / child support visa during the period of my retirement visa.

Basically I do not want to do a visa run and have to wait for the courts to give me custody of my own daughter. Damn complicated!

[nanyang]

A retirement visa lasts for one year with no requirement to do visa runs.

[JimmyGreaves]

A retirement visa lasts for one year with no requirement to do visa runs.

That I understand, I don't want to do visa runs on my O Visa. My question is as per the thread heading.

Thanks anyway.

[lomuamart]

Bit mixed up there, JG.
On what basis would you get the extension in the first place prior to August 2012?
If it's on the basis of retirement, then it's good for a year. If, at the end of that year, you wanted to extend again but this time on the basis of marriage/child support then you can. However, if you still qualified for a retirement extension then Imm would probably be reluctant to do so as it involves more work for them. And I can't see why you'd want to do so if you could continue with retirement extensions.
I would think it extremely unlikely that you'd be able to change the reason for the extension whilst one was running. Again, I can't see the point in thinking about it until that year's extension is coming to an end. You're already legal.
However, I'm finding your post confusing. You mention extension of stay, retirement visa and O visa in the same breath.
What exactly do you have now? On what basis are you going to apply for the extension before August 2012?
If you can be a bit clearer, I'll try and help more.

[lomuamart]

Bear in mind that the annual extension is not a visa. That you have already with the O visa.

[JimmyGreaves]

Ok, I'll try again :-)

My 1 year 'O' visa runs out August 2012. My next visa run is April 2012, I've had enough of doing them and am not going to do the April one.

I tried to get an extension of stay based on supporting my daughter at the beginning of this month but failed as I need to obtain custody which could take a while. So am going to get the extension of stay based on retirement.

Now my main gripe is I don't want to have to keep looking over my shoulder every year for 800K Baht so I want to get an extension of stay based on supporting my daughter at 400K.

How I see it, let me know if I'm wrong, the extension of stay is obtained against the O visa, my O visa will have expired by the time my new retirement extension expires. So can I turn the retirement into support extension when O visa has expired. To get a new O visa back in the UK they have tightened up and want the custody doc.

Hope there is a bit of sense in that explaination.

[advocate]

I am currently here on a O visa granted as I have a Thai son to support. On my last extension I was informed that as I would be turning 50 during the term of this extension they want to issue me a retirement visa on my next extension. They mentioned it would mean less paperwork for them. However, the income requirements are double what they are for the support extension. Shouldn't be a problem for me, but it may be for some people with the current exchange rates.

I am not sure if this was a suggestion or a requirement, but it seems they are at least reluctant to issue a visa to support a Thai dependant if you are over 50, and prefer to issue you a retirement visa.

[JimmyGreaves]

Yes, less work for them. But if the requirements change to say 1200K for retirement and 600K support. I prefer to be in the support or marriage group. That's my main reasoning behind not wanting to stick with the retirement visa until my daughters 21 and no longer needs supporting As IF!

[advocate]

Jimmy Greaves

Your post is a little confusing. It seems to me that your visa remains valid as long as you obtain an extension before your last extension expires. If you obtain an extension based on retirement, then you keep extending the visa that way until you obtain custody. After custody obtained then you can try for extension based on supporting your Thai child.

However, as per my earlier post, they may be reluctant to issue a support extension if you have already qualified for a retirement extension.

If you let the extension expire, you will have to apply out of the country for another O visa.

[lomuamart]

Much clearer, JG.
You won't ever need another visa as long as you keep extending annually at the right time. For instance, the O visa I extend off expired in 2008. Essentially, your always extending off that original visa and have to supply photocopies of it and any previous extensions whenever re-extending. Imm look to see that there hasn't been any break in continuity. So, no need to worry about another visa once you have the retirement extension.
The only question is whether Imm will allow you to change from a retirement extension to a custody one once your retirement extension has run out in a year's time. The answer to that is that you can change but as I said before Imm will want to know why as the retirement extensions are easier for them to grant.
I suggest that when the time comes, you just say that your circumstances have changed and you can no longer meet the 800K requirement. You therefore want to change the reason for the extension. They may not like it, but they really have to do it. If I were you, I'd go and talk to them well in advance of the change, prepare them for what's going to happen and see what they want from you.
I wouldn't think about trying to change the reason for the extension whilst you have the retirement one running. I don't think it's possible and you'll certainly raise a few eyebrows at Imm.

[advocate]

I also understand that retirement extensions are done locally, but support extensions require approval from head office in Bangkok. This may account for some of the reluctance in processing the support visa.

[lomuamart]

Advocate,
The visa dosn't remain valid but it's that that started the process and therefore always needs to be seen when re-extending.
Correct about retirement extensions being issued locally and there and then. Marriage/child support have to be granted by BKK but processed locally. And that's exactly the reason why Imm will always push you towards retirement if you qualify. It's actually a whole lot easier for the applicant as well in terms of paperwork and waiting time - 30 days for approval or otherwise from BKK. You get a temporary 30 day extension locally to cover you for that.

[advocate]

Lomuamart is correct. Seems the extensions remain valid rather than the visa itself. There is also no purpose in changing the extension before it expires, as you will have already qualified for that year, and why pay the fees twice.

Best to contact immigration at least 2 months before expiry and get a list of requirements for the support extension and confirm they will grant it if requirements are met. I would go down there in person. The male officer that mans the applications desk is a nice fellow and can likely help. The female with the long hair will want tea money.

There is a good possibility that it will take far longer for you to obtain custody than what you are advised. My case took over 1 year, and there may be more of these cases on the docket with the recent rule change.

[JimmyGreaves]

Thanks all. Yep we got to the bottom of it in the end.

I'm going to ask when I get the retirement about it.

Be interesting to hear how much pressure they put on you advocate to go the retirement route.

[lomuamart]

If I were you, JG, I wouldn't ask about the change when you get the retirement extension. You'll confuse matters. Just get it and go back much later. 2 or even 3 months before re-extension as advocate says.
As far as "pressure" is concerned, I asked about a marriage extension 8 months before I turned 50. Imm made it very difficult for me to get it. They wanted to see the 40k a month coming into a Thai bank account and there was absolutely no need for that. "It's our local rules etc etc". I was offered the alternative of going to Penang three times for single entry Non Os on the basis of marriage and then going and getting the retirement extension when 50. Basically, I had to do as they said unless I wanted to bring the money into Thailand which I didn't. Mind you, they knew I'd qualify for the retirement extension as I'd taken along UK bank statements. It all worked out.