Applying for a student visa in Thailand is quite easy if you know the rules set by the Immigration Bureau. Most students seeking an education visa in Thailand usually apply for language courses or look to study other skills such as scuba diving or Thai boxing. You need to find out the current visa processes since they are subject to sudden changes by the Immigration Bureau. There are several steps that you need take when applying for an education visa and this is what you need to do to ensure a successful process:
Apply For The Program Of Your Choice
Before you can apply for an education visa in Thailand, you need to find a learning institution that is registered in the Thai Ministry of Education and apply for a course. Application procedures differ from one learning institution to the other. You can simply apply for some programs by filling applications online and send copies of your transcript through email. You will have to include recent passport size photos and any other document they require before they can accept your application.
Letter Of Admission
Once a learning institution accepts your application, you receive a letter of acceptance known as “letter of admission”. The letter confirms your acceptance for a certain course and states the number of subjects to be studied in the semester as well as the date you are to begin. The education visa is a 1 year visa. This visa is granted only to serious students and therefore you are required to register for at least 3 courses per semester. The letter of admission will help you apply for an education visa.
Applying For Your Visa
When it comes to applying for your education visa, you need to have a copy of your passport which needs to be valid for at least 6 months, the letter of admission and recent passport size photos. You have to take these documents to a Thai consulate in your country for visa processing. The university or college you wish to join will send the necessary documents to help you process your visa. However, you need to understand that the university or college only plays a very small part in your visa application and you are required to do most of the work to acquire your education visa.
The First One-Year Visa Is Valid Only 90 Days
Thailand has strict immigration rules and they are so to ensure that non-immigrants don’t take advantage of their education visa to get into the country for other illegal reasons. Once your visa has been approved, you are given a one-year visa that is only valid for 90 days. Within these 90 days, you required to pay your tuition fee for the semester. You are then required to renew your visa after every 90 days. Before your visa can be renewed, officials will conduct a few tests to prove that you have been actually studying. You may have to provide some documents from your university to show your progress from previous semesters before your visa can be renewed.
Once a year has passed and you wish to continue studying in Thailand, you have to start the visa application afresh all over again. This time, the process can be a little faster since providing letters from your college or university showing your progress can greatly help. You have to visit the Immigration Bureau after every 90 days and give them your current address. Failure to do this will cost you a fine or in worst case scenarios, your visa can be considered null and void.
If it is your first time to apply for an education visa in Thailand, you need to look for an expert Thai visa agent who can help you with the process. Seasoned visa agents already know all that is required before you can apply for a visa and they will help direct you on what you need and what is supposed to be done. They are familiar with the immigration rules and they ensure they keep up with changes when they happen so that they can advise their clients appropriately. When you need to re-apply for a visa after your first semester, visa agents can help without you having to leave the country of study.