Undocumented migrant laborers may remain ’til 2025

Both migrant workers with legal status and those without it will be able to extend their stay, which will extend their time in the country until February 13, 2025. By August 1, 2020, employees who already have a Thai work visa are eligible to apply for the long-term extension before February 13 of the following year. The strategy offers illegal workers a way to acquire some sort of legal standing. The decision was taken in order to address Thailand’s labor shortages, notably in the industrial and service sectors. The Thai Cabinet extended the permission of migrant workers from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam to remain in the nation until early 2025, giving them a reprieve for the following few years. Employers of these undocumented migrant workers must provide the Department of Employment with the identities of their employees, who then have 60 days to apply for work permits. The issue of migrant workers from other countries is now more secure and standardized thanks to this action. According to data from October 2020, there are approximately 2.34 million legally registered migrant workers in Thailand. Those employees can sigh with relief knowing that their jobs are protected till 2025. After the August 1 deadline, those who will receive new permits or whose permits are up for renewal can still apply before their present permits expire and will receive a maximum of two 1-year extensions. According to government estimates, this will essentially grant the 120,000 unauthorized workers permission to remain in Thailand through February 13, 2023.

According to a government spokeswoman, people who wish to speak must submit an extension request. From these 4 nations, there are now 1.69 million documented migrant workers employed in Thailand. The number of undocumented workers is unknown, and trafficking and smuggling of these people has become an increasingly serious issue. Once their employer has completed the legalization procedure, these formerly undocumented migrant workers will be eligible to petition for one-year extensions up to two times with a cap on their stay on February 13, 2025.