New Personal Appearance Requirement for Foreign Nationals Changing Passports
Thailand
Foreign nationals and dependents sponsored under the Board of Investments (BOI) process are now required to file long-term visa extension applications at the One Stop Service Center (OSSC) after they obtain a new passport. Filing the application requires an additional personal appearance after the visa endorsement transfer.
Previously, foreign nationals under the BOI process could send a representative to file one application to transfer their visa endorsements and extend their long-term visas at the same time.
Summary of the Process
The new process is as follows:
- Foreign nationals and dependents, or their representatives, file an application at the OSSC to have the existing visa endorsement transferred from their old passport onto their new one;
- Foreign nationals appear in person at the OSSC to file an application to extend the long-term visa; and
- New visa extension stamp and re-entry permits are issued for the remaining work authorization period according to the BOI approval letter.
What This Means for Employers and Foreign Nationals
Foreign nationals sponsored under the BOI process now need to appear before immigration authorities when transferring their visa endorsements onto a new passport. Government processing can take four to five hours. Foreign nationals should contact their immigration professional for assistance with this process.
Even if the BOI approved a work authorization period longer than a foreign worker’s visa validity period, foreign nationals can only stay in Thailand only until their visa expiration date. Foreign nationals remaining in the country beyond this date are subject to fines and penalties.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to APCCInitiations@fragomen.com.