BOI-Endorsed Visa & Fast-Track Work Permits
A BOI promotion certificate unlocks a materially faster visa and work permit pathway through Thailand's One Start One Stop Service Centre, plus relief from the standard Thai-to-foreign-employee staffing ratio. DeeMED manages this process for BOI-promoted companies and their staff.
Last reviewed: July 2026
What BOI promotion unlocks on the immigration side
Staff of a BOI-promoted company process their visa endorsement and work permit through OSOS, the One Start One Stop Service Centre, rather than standard immigration and Department of Employment channels. A BOI-promoted company is also exempt from the 4:1 Thai-to-foreign-employee ratio that a standard Non-B sponsorship has to satisfy, a real structural advantage for a foreign-staffed operation. This isn't unconditional, though: since BOI Notification Por. 8/2568 phased in from October 2025 through January 2026, manufacturing projects with more than 100 staff must maintain their own 70% Thai-employment ratio, and sponsored foreign executives must clear a minimum salary floor, to keep visa and work permit sponsorship through OSOS.
OSOS processing timelines
OSOS's own published timelines, not the rounder "1 to 3 days" figure that circulates in secondary sources, are specific by request type: a position-duration extension (Form 11.1) runs 5 working days, a stay-duration extension (Form 11.2) runs 3 working days, and an urgent employment permit request can be processed within 3 hours, though that fast option is capped at 30 days' validity and can only be used once per employee.
The underlying visa code: IB
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs visa code underlying this pathway is Non-Immigrant IB (Investment through BOI), issued under the general Immigration Act B.E. 2522 visa framework rather than a separate numbered instrument of its own, which requires a BOI approval letter and staff name list submitted alongside the standard visa application, either 2,000 THB for single-entry (3-month validity) or 5,000 THB for multiple-entry (1-year validity). A work permit is still required before the employee begins working, the same as any other visa category, BOI promotion accelerates that process, it doesn't remove the requirement.
The fast-track advantage carries through renewal, not just initial issuance
A Non-Immigrant IB visa and its accompanying work permit still run on the same annual renewal cycle as any other Thai work visa, BOI promotion doesn't make the visa permanent. What it does is keep every renewal on the same accelerated OSOS timeline as the initial application, rather than reverting to standard immigration and Department of Employment processing once the first year is up. For a company with several BOI-endorsed staff on staggered start dates, that means a predictable, repeatable renewal process each year rather than a fresh negotiation with standard channels every time someone's visa comes due.
A pilot mobile visa service for select companies
As of 2026, BOI is piloting a Mobile Visa Service for selected BOI-promoted companies: visa endorsement and digital work permit issuance delivered outside normal office hours, at the company's own location. Availability depends on the company's promotion category and scale, DeeMED confirms eligibility as part of the BOI endorsement process.
DeeMED coordinates the BOI-endorsed visa and work permit process for promoted companies: OSOS filing for staff visa endorsement, work permit applications, and confirming eligibility for the mobile visa service pilot where it applies. This runs alongside our BOI promotion application service, the two are typically handled together for a new BOI-promoted entity. Talk to us once your BOI certificate is in hand, or while it's still in process, so staff visas are ready the moment the certificate issues.
