Case study: a work permit delayed by an uncertified foreign degree
A work permit needs the employer’s and the applicant’s documents to line up, especially foreign degrees and experience letters, which must be certified and translated as required. An incomplete chain means the file is held for additional documents before review.
The situation
A foreign hire in Thailand and the employer filing on their behalf
The applicant used plain copies of an overseas degree and reference letters, and the job title in the contract did not match the duties described in the filing.
What actually blocked the file
- The overseas degree and reference letters were neither certified nor translated.
- Contract title and duties did not match the filed job description.
- Some employer documents were older than the accepted issuance window.
- Passport details and the application form disagreed.
The sequence we ran
- Checked both employer and applicant lists against current requirements.
- Started the certification chain for the overseas degree immediately.
- Aligned the employment contract and duties with the filed position.
- Refreshed employer documents that fell outside the accepted window.
- Verified name spelling and passport numbers across every form.
Outcome
The bundle was rebuilt into a complete, consistent chain and entered review without another return.
What to watch next time
- Overseas documents take the longest — start them first.
- The employment contract anchors the whole file; write it to match the real role.
- Check the age of employer documents before the filing date.
Questions this case raises
- Which visa is needed before a work permit?
- Generally a visa category that permits employment; confirm the current visa status before sequencing the filing.
- What happens when changing employers?
- It affects both the permit and the stay, so the new employer’s documents must be sequenced without a gap.
- Where do foreign documents get certified?
- Through the issuing country’s chain and whatever step the receiving office requires, then translated in an accepted format.
- What if I don’t want to coordinate it all?
- We advise both employer and applicant — document review, certification, translation, filing and follow-up.
Would rather not run this yourself?
We act as advisers from the first document review: we map which authority must sign in which order, prepare the file, and courier it for you. Fifteen-plus years of certification and legalisation work means we flag the usual rejection points before submission, not after.
Related reading
Last reviewed: 2026-08-11