An Iranian couple overcome a visa rejection at the airport and secure long-term residency in Thailand through the Thailand Privilege programme
Client Profile
The client intends to relocate to Thailand with their wife. Their primary goal is to obtain long-term residency in Thailand through a visa program that offers a renewal residency visa.
As the client and their wife are seeking a long-term residency solution that can provide stable living in Thailand, Thailand Privilege visa is a suitable option. It enables the client and their wife to maintain a lawful immigration status, ensuring uninterrupted residence in Thailand.
Obstacles & Complications
Visa Rejection at the Airport — Watchlisted Nationality
The client and their wife both hold passports of the Islamic Republic of Iran. They had completed all standard procedures required for applicants of Thailand Privilege membership program prior to the affixation of the Thailand Privilege visa at the airport and had successfully obtained approval for mandatory background screening. Upon their arrival at the airport, a Thai immigration officer refused to affix the Thailand Privilege visa on their passports that had adequate empty pages required for the affixation.
We assisted the client and their wife in obtaining clarification on the grounds of this rejection. Thailand Privilege's officers later provided two clarifications: (i) Iranian citizenship is a watchlisted nationality and a Thai immigration officer may exercise discretion to apply more intensive background screening or reject to affix Thailand Privilege visa; (ii) The Thai immigration officer could not find a record of the client and their wife's mandatory background screening in the system and exercised discretion to request the client and their wife to undergo the mandatory background screening again as well as rejecting to affix Thailand Privilege visa on their passports.
We acknowledged the grounds for this rejection are at the discretion of Thai immigration officers and the relevant technical system issue, and we immediately assisted our client and their wife in proceeding with another mandatory background screening so that their qualifications satisfy Thai immigration officers.
Had They Tried Other Advisors?
No, they have selected HLG as their first choice of immigration counsel.
Our Approach
We immediately contacted the Thailand Privilege's officers to investigate the grounds for the rejection and conducted intensive legal research to assess the relevant regulations and laws related to the grounds of the rejection. We also assisted the clients in drafting and filing the demand of clarification letter with the Thailand Privilege's officers. This approach helped accelerate the consideration process and enabled us to keep the clients informed of the case's progress, allowing us to implement a corrective measure as soon as practicable by arranging for the clients to undergo another mandatory background screening and advising them on the potential risks.
What Made Our Approach Different
We acted as an intermediary between our clients and the relevant officers in Thailand, facilitating clear and transparent communication, proactively addressing any concerns that may arise, and coordinating all necessary matters to ensure that our client's qualifications meet the applicable requirements and the immigration officer's satisfaction. In complicated cases similar to our client's case, we, as lawyers, are able to draft and file a demand of clarification letter with the relevant officers to ensure a favorable outcome and accelerate the consideration process.
How We Overcame the Complications
We addressed the complications by immediately investigating the grounds for the rejection and conducting intensive legal research on the matter. This enabled us to implement a corrective measure in a timely manner by arranging for the clients to undergo another mandatory background screening, thereby positioning their case for a favorable outcome.
Results
| Start date | 9 February 2026 |
| Approval date | In process |
| Processing time | Approximately 30–45 working days |
| Investment | THB 650,000 (approximately USD 20,580.69) — Membership fee, Bronze Category |
| Family included | Spouse |
| Residency obtained | In process |
| Benefits | To reside in Thailand without any limitation on the period of stay. It is important to note that individuals staying in Thailand for longer than 90 days are still required to submit a 90-day report to the Immigration Office, regardless of the type of visa they hold. |
| Issues resolved | Intensive criminal background checks for watchlisted nationalities and countries; technical system issue of Thailand's Immigration department |
| Current status | They currently live outside Thailand — the criminal background checks are in progress. |
| Still working with Harvey? | Yes — Thailand Privilege visa |
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With over 30 years of immigration experience, each of Harvey Law Group’s lawyers carefully studies each client’s needs, resources and determines the immigration solution that best aligns with our client’s vision and values.