Can switching embassies and visa categories help after a DTV refusal in Brussels?

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Refused DTV in Brussels over company legalisation - would switching embassy and category work?
Following up on my earlier post. Quick recap: Belgian, applied for the DTV under workcation at the Royal Thai Embassy in Brussels. I run a Wyoming LLC serving European clients. Proof of funds, proof of location, professional portfolio and 5-year plan all passed without a single question.

The only sticking point was proving the company is mine. Wyoming doesn't name LLC members in its public filings, so I sent the IRS CP-575 (which names me as sole member), a Certificate of Good Standing from the Wyoming Secretary of State with online verification, and the Articles of Organization.

Their final request was: "Request for legalised version of applicant's business registration certificate by the concerned authorities of the USA."

Refused three days later. From the answers I got here, "legalised" means the full chain: certified copy from the Wyoming Secretary of State, then authentication by the US Department of State, then legalisation by a Royal Thai mission in the US. That takes months, which kills my timeline.

So I'm now considering reapplying at a different embassy, Paris for example, and under Soft Power instead of Workcation. I've also been approached by an agent who would handle the whole file and enrol me in a school, for 1,500 EUR.

Questions:

1. Does a refusal at one Thai embassy show up when you apply at another? Is the rejection visible in the e-Visa system, and does it realistically get held against you?

2. Does Soft Power avoid the company documents entirely? My understanding is you provide proof of enrolment in a Muay Thai gym, Thai cooking school or similar, and nothing about your employment or company is asked. Is that right in practice?

3. Has anyone actually switched category after a refusal, and did it work?

4. Is 1,500 EUR a normal price for an agent doing a Soft Power DTV including school enrolment? That feels steep to me when the visa fee itself is 350 EUR, but I have no benchmark. Has anyone used an agent for this, and was it worth it? Any red flags to watch for when choosing one?

5. Jurisdiction: I'm Belgian and deregistered from my commune, so I have no fixed address anywhere. Brussels accepted that with a proof of current location. Would Paris or another embassy take an applicant who isn't resident in their jurisdiction?

6. Is there any embassy known to be more reasonable about US LLC owners? Brussels seems unusually strict on this.

Any experience appreciated. Thanks!

Refused DTV in Brussels over company legalisation - would switching embassy and category work?

Ask Thailand · Answer

The user, a Belgian national, faced a refusal for a DTV visa application at the Royal Thai Embassy in Brussels due to challenges in legalizing their Wyoming LLC documentation. They seek advice on whether applying at a different embassy, such as in Paris, and switching to a Soft Power visa could be successful. Key questions include the impact of prior refusals on new applications, whether Soft Power visas require company documentation, the fairness of agent fees for visa applications, and residency requirements for applying in various jurisdictions. Community comments provide varying insights, emphasizing the difficulty of the application process and the necessity of attending courses if enrolled in Soft Power activities.

 · Answer

I wouldnt do it

Rob ********* · Answer

Get the certificate of incorporation and you're in.  Use chat gpt to figure out how ot get it.

John ********** · Answer

If you plan to work remotely from Thailand you need to apply using the Workation option to do so legally.

With regards the LLC this is a pass through entity for the purposes of tax, the tax responsibility falls to you the individual so if you can show that you are both registered for tax and pay tax on your income from the LLC in Belgium I suspect you won't have a problem

Sam ********** · Answer

I applied for mine while in the US they were asking for documents we don’t even have. I paid an additional $99 usd to have a firm look over my application which I made the selected changes.

Still rejected and I’d been self employed over 10 years. I just paid a visa service to do it for me this round. Yeah it’s steep but over 5 years the it’s worth it to me if you got it .

Optimistic*********** · Answer

You can do it yourself. It’s not that difficult, but just requires a bit more patience with the paperwork, The agent is severely ripping you off.

Hakuna ******** · Answer

I've double check the docs with dtv-thailand.com, he's a french based. God, don't use an agent for that with 1500e 😬

GrayWal******** · Answer

If you get enrolled to a Soft Power activity, you should also attend to the courses and not just pay the money and get enrolled just to be able to live in Thailand. And if you get questioned by the Thai Immigration you don’t even know where your Muay Thai school is🙄

DTV_Be******* · Answer

Almost all embassies in Europe require you to be a national or official resident in the jurisdiction that you are applying via.  I don’t think Paris is an option

Can switching embassies and visa categories help after a DTV refusal in Brussels?

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