Employment Non-B
Foreign staff hired by a Thai company: employer pack, WP3 pre-approval, visa issue and work permit in one managed sequence.
Non-Immigrant B · Work permit route
Thailand Non-B business visa and work permit
The visa and the work permit are one project, not two. We audit the employer file first, secure the WP3, then run the visa, blue book and one-year extension in a single sequence.
Why Non-B files get refused
Refusals rarely come from the applicant. They come from the employer file: capital below the threshold, Thai staff ratio unmet, social security filings missing, or a job title on the visa application that does not match the one on the work permit. Foreign degrees arriving without legalisation is the second cause. We fix both before filing, because a refused work permit leaves you holding a visa you cannot legally use.
Non-B routes we handle
BOI-promoted companies
Filing through the One Stop Service Centre, where the Thai-staff ratio does not apply and processing is materially faster.
Business (non-employment) Non-B
Directors, investors and those attending business in Thailand without a Thai payroll position.
Teachers
Non-B for schools and language institutes, including teacher licence waivers, degree legalisation and criminal record checks.
Work permit and extension
Blue book issue, one-year extension of stay, re-entry permits, 90-day reporting and address registration.
Document legalisation & translation
Apostille or embassy legalisation of degrees and police checks, followed by certified Thai translation accepted by the Department of Employment.
How the Non-B process runs
1. Employer and applicant audit
We check capital, staff ratio, social security filings and financial statements before anything is submitted, so the file is not rejected on a structural issue.
2. WP3 pre-approval
Position approval filed with the Department of Employment to support the visa application.
3. Visa filing
Embassy e-Visa abroad or in-country conversion, with a full document set and consistent job title throughout.
4. Work permit
Blue book application with legalised degrees, certified translations and medical certificate.
5. One-year extension
Immigration extension against the employer's compliance evidence, plus re-entry permit.
6. Ongoing compliance
90-day reports, address notification, permit amendments on job change and annual renewal tracking.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Non-B visa?
The Non-Immigrant B is the visa category for working, being employed by a Thai entity, or conducting business in Thailand. It is the visa a work permit is attached to: immigration grants the stay, the Department of Employment grants the right to work, and the two must stay aligned at all times.
Do I need a job offer before applying?
Yes for the employment route. A Thai employer must issue an invitation and employment letter and provide corporate documents — company affidavit, shareholder list, VAT registration, financial statements and social security filings. Without an employer file, an embassy will not issue an employment Non-B.
What is a WP3 and do I need one?
The WP3 is a pre-approval issued by the Department of Employment confirming that the position may be filled by a foreigner. Many embassies require it before issuing the Non-B, and it makes the later work permit application far faster. We normally obtain it before the visa application rather than after.
Can I convert a tourist visa to a Non-B inside Thailand?
Conversion is possible at immigration if you hold sufficient remaining permission to stay and the employer file is complete, but the requirements are stricter and the discretion is real. Where timing allows, filing at an embassy abroad is the lower-risk route.
What are the Thai staff and capital ratios?
An ordinary Thai company generally needs registered capital of two million baht and four Thai employees per foreign work permit holder, with lower requirements where the applicant is married to a Thai national. BOI-promoted and Treaty of Amity companies are treated differently. The ratio is checked when the work permit is issued and again at extension.
How long is the visa valid?
A single-entry Non-B usually gives 90 days initially. Once the work permit is issued, immigration can extend the stay to one year at a time, with re-entry permits needed for travel. The extension is granted against the employer's continuing compliance, not automatically.
Which documents must be legalised and translated?
Degrees, professional licences, employment references and criminal record checks issued abroad usually need apostille or embassy legalisation, then certified Thai translation. This is the step that most often delays a work permit, because the officer will not accept an uncertified translation.
What happens if I leave my job?
The work permit is cancelled and the permission to stay is shortened, typically leaving a short window to change employer or depart. A new employer must file a fresh work permit and extension. Letting the old permit lapse without cancellation creates problems at the next application, so we handle the cancellation formally.
Official sources
Related services
One team handles the full chain — translation, notarisation, MFA legalisation and embassy attestation — so your document is accepted the first time.
Certification & legalisation
Translation
Personal records & immigration
Not sure which route your document needs?
Send a photo or scan and our staff will confirm the exact steps, supporting documents and realistic turnaround under the receiving authority's current rules.
Free Non-B eligibility check
Send us the employer's registered capital, staff numbers and your qualifications. We reply with the route, the documents needing legalisation and a realistic sequence.