FTA Between Australia And Thailand

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The Thailand-Australia Free Trade Agreement (TAFTA) was signed on 5 July 2004 and came into effect on January 1, 2005. This agreement implements to ensure greater access for Australian products, enhances prospects for services trade and investment, improves the regulatory environment and promotes increased business mobility. This report focuses on two sections which include immigration policy and transfer of funds and earning from Thailand back to Australian. Immigration policy under Free Trade Agreement The immigration policy under TAFTA provides the temporary entry of natural person who needs to perform engagement on business purpose. Natural person must be a person who is a national or a permanent resident of Australia. This natural person should be employed or signed service contract with company that registered in Australia or Thailand. Furthermore, this person should also meet the criteria on immigration formality in order to have a right to receive temporary entry visa. The eligibility and duration of each stay depend on different business purpose. 1. Business visitors - Thailand does not require a work permit for Australian citizens who are business visitors conducting business meetings in Thailand for up to 15 days, and up to 90 days for APEC Travel Card Holders. This condition is available for service seller, investor and natural persons who are employed by an investor. Service sellers or sales representative of the service firm are people who want to visit Thailand for negotiation about business without make direct sale to the general public or supply service directly. Those Australian investors seek investment opportunity in the territory of Thailand. It also can be natural persons who employed by an investor who seek to perform investment in the territory of Thailand. 2. Intra company transfers - Thailand will grant a visa and work permit for up to five years’ stay for all Australian citizens transferred to work in Thailand within the same company. The visa and work permit will be renewed annually. These people should be work as a manager, executive or specialist only. 3. Contractual service suppliers - Thailand will grant a visa and work permit for up to three years’ stay for all Australian citizens entering Thailand to work on the basis of a contract with an Australian or Thai company. The visa and work permit will be renewed annually. Again, these people should work as a manager, executive or specialist only.

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