Finally Approved!
Update on previous posts (Los Angeles):
Application #1: January 24, 2024
Rejected on February 15, 2025, for the following reason:
> "Please reapply visa, the name on the application is incorrect. Please fill in the name/middle name/surname/suffix or “-“ or spacing, no more no less, exactly as it appears on the travel document /passport."
When I filled out the next application, I discovered that the system had deleted my middle name before the final submission. Going back to the beginning and filling everything out again made the names stick.
Application #2: February 15, 2025
On February 20, they emailed requesting the following documents:
> —Business portfolio
I thought I had already given this in the form of a cover letter with links to much of my work. I just expanded it with a bit more commentary. I also included my entire CV, just to give them more background.
> —Business registration of the company
My main employer is a non-profit, so I just used their public records available on Propublica.org
> —Your recent tax return
I hadn't filed yet, so I rushed to file and paid more than I should have. I was a little worried about this because I only had the return form from TurboTax that said "unofficial copy" on it. I tried to get the "official transcript" through the IRS site, but it was a huge hassle. I had to order a new social security card to access it because I couldn't find my original social security card. I gave up and just used the "unofficial copy," and that worked out.
> —Guarantee letter from the company implies that you work remotely
I requested this from my employer. They just had to give a few sentences spelling out that I work remotely and do not have to report to an office. This was only implied in my contract and not explicitly stated.
> —Employment contract or employment certificate from company
This I had already given. I just resubmitted the same documents here.
Finally, on March 6, 2025. I was approved.
In the meantime, not knowing what would happen, and since my life and things are here, I returned to Thailand on a standard 60-day visa exemption. I was prepared to go through an agent if things didn't work out.
At the airport, for the first time ever, they asked me what my visa status was. Since I had previously been in Thailand for 2 years on an ED visa, I was prepared for questions and had printed out the page from the DTV site showing that my application was pending. This satisfied the passport-control person.
Now, all I have to do is leave Thailand sometime before the end of April and come back on my DTV to activate it.
Overall, it was a frustrating and nerve-wracking process, especially the first rejection over a technical glitch. But I'm glad it's over, and now I can continue to live and work here in peace!
