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New F3 Visa Law?

 
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Baron



Joined: 30 Jun 2009

PostPosted: Tue Oct 18, 2011 7:24 pm    Post subject: New F3 Visa Law? Reply with quote

The paragons of efficiency at Suwon immi. were ever so helpful this morning as per usual.

I went to Suwon immi. this morning to transfer my wife's toursit visa to a F3 spousal visa.

I gathered up all the required documents and finally received my alien card this morning. They had told me when I applied for my ARC. approximately a month prior to today that I would be able to transfer my wife's visa when I received the ARC.

Of course, nothing is that easy.

I went to another desk in tow with my wife this morning to begin the process or changing her visa only to be informed that you can not change a toursit visa to a F3 spousal visa.

I have been researching this for months and they looked a little dumbfounded when I politely informed them that I had information suggesting otherwise.

I could tell they were unsure of their own laws; the guy dealing with me seemed reasonable; seemed like he genuinely wanted to help but unsure of the correct procedures. He asked both girls beside him who both adamantly said "anyio!"

One girl made a call and then said that the relevant laws changed in September and toursit visas can no longer be changed to spousal visas.

I was relatively confident they would eventually help but alas, they give me my documents back and refused to budge.

I then asked them what the procedure was if she couldn't change her visa and how I could get her the F3 visa. The woman started mumbling something about a Japan visa run and I figured out that I wasn't going to accomplish anything today and it was time to go.

Any advice? Ttompatz?
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jamesd



Joined: 15 Aug 2011
Location: Korea

PostPosted: Tue Oct 18, 2011 7:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Amazing!

My wife and our baby got here in August and got F-3 visas for both. I guess I got lucky.
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Baron



Joined: 30 Jun 2009

PostPosted: Tue Oct 18, 2011 7:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I hate to be so cynical but it sometimes seems to be me that they make it up as they go along.

They were so unsure of their own procedures that it was best to just say no was their attitude. My wife is entitled to live here; I am absolutely certain about this, I have a E2 visa and she is entitled to reside here with me. They had no problem telling me what I couldn't do this morning but when I asked them what my options were in order to acquire the F3 visa, they didn't have a clue.

Can this case really be that unusual? Somebody changing their tourist visa to a F3 visa?

Im researching information on the internet now but feel like Im wasting my time. I guess the laws will change again by the time I go back to Suwon immi. to apply for the visa issuance number now (which suddenly means that she must go to a Korean embassy in a foreign country to get the visa after all).
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I-am-me



Joined: 21 Feb 2006
Location: Hermit Kingdom

PostPosted: Thu Oct 20, 2011 1:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Where were you married? Was she already in korea? She might need to leave and apply for f3. What countr she from?
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adzee1



Joined: 22 Jul 2010

PostPosted: Thu Oct 20, 2011 2:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I went to the Busan immigration office about 2 weeks ago to do the same thing and they accepted my documents and didnt mention that i couldnt do it. Saying that though I still dont have my wifes visa yet but they have not contacted me or the school to say there is a problem...yet..
I also called Korean immigration on Sept 21st in Seoul before i flew out and they advised me to go for that option as it is cheaper than doing it in the UK. Good luck, will let you know what happens with mine.
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adzee1



Joined: 22 Jul 2010

PostPosted: Thu Oct 20, 2011 4:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Baron wrote:
I hate to be so cynical but it sometimes seems to be me that they make it up as they go along.

They were so unsure of their own procedures that it was best to just say no was their attitude. My wife is entitled to live here; I am absolutely certain about this, I have a E2 visa and she is entitled to reside here with me. They had no problem telling me what I couldn't do this morning but when I asked them what my options were in order to acquire the F3 visa, they didn't have a clue.

Can this case really be that unusual? Somebody changing their tourist visa to a F3 visa?

Im researching information on the internet now but feel like Im wasting my time. I guess the laws will change again by the time I go back to Suwon immi. to apply for the visa issuance number now (which suddenly means that she must go to a Korean embassy in a foreign country to get the visa after all).


Hey Baron,

Did you have any more news on your situation ? Im interested to find out as after reading your post I am now expecting immigration to call me and tell me the same as you.
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Baron



Joined: 30 Jun 2009

PostPosted: Mon Oct 24, 2011 10:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Not really I am afraid.

I am pretty sure Korean Immi. have actually made a mistake re. their own regulations and laws and have chosen not to proceed with the change of status from C32 to F3 for the simple reason that they are unsure of their own procedures.

They told us both at Suwon Immi. that a C32 visa is a tourist visa and thus can not be transferred to F3. This makes little sense to me since aren't all C3 visas tourist visas?

Plan B was for my wife to return to her home country; I would apply for a visa issuance number for her and she could get the F3 visa from the Korean Embassy in her home country. Voila!

They maintain however that I can NOT apply for a visa issuance number for my wife once she leaves Korea to return to her home country. They insist that my boss should have applied for her F3 visa at the same time as when he applied for my E2 visa. Seemingly, I can not apply for her F3 visa myself!

This is slightly infuriating as the same people at Suwon Immi. told my wife and I approx. 6 weeks ago we could NOT apply for her F3 until AFTER I receive my ARC card which of course was a number of weeks AFTER my boss applied for my E2.

I am sure something is lost in translation here but the same people at Suwon Immi. have told me that you can only apply (I am only referring to a spouse already in Korea) for a F3 visa for your spouse at the same time as when you apply for your E2 visa. However, you must also wait until AFTER you get your ARC card before you can apply for the F3 visa!

If that doesn't make sense to anyone reading this; it's because it does not make sense, in any language. It would be hilarious if it wasn't so serious.

I have come to the conclusion that they are grossly incompetent at their jobs; lack awareness of their own procedures and seem unwilling to help beyond offering the following platitude - "Sorry no, impossible..." to someone who is legally resident in Korea and who knows fine well that my wife IS entitled to reside here legally with me as long as I am entitled to reside legally here (assuming she hasn't any previous visa transgressions which she does not).

The plan as of now is for her to return to her home country, apply for a general C3 visa, return to Korea, apply for a change of status to F3 and if that doesn't work out, maybe I'll take it as as sign from the man above that Korea just is not meant to be.

Be aware though however that my experience is totally unique even if your circumstances are identical to mine.

Go to another office, another officer, another day and I'm sure the Immi. officer will interpret the law in his own unique way!

So I advise you to go in with your fingers crossed, a smile on your face, a positive attitude and maybe things will turn out differently.

I've heard or numerous other posters with the exact same circumstances as me who had more favorable results.

That's the beauty of Korea!
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jamesd



Joined: 15 Aug 2011
Location: Korea

PostPosted: Tue Oct 25, 2011 12:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just out of curiosity, what country is your wife from?
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enature



Joined: 29 Sep 2011

PostPosted: Sat Feb 16, 2013 3:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

May be it depends on what type of tourist visa your wife has.
Once I tried to change tourist visa to D4 (student studying Korean) and the Immigration office refused to do it because she had C32 visa.

If she had C31 tourist visa, she could have changed without leaving the country. She actually had to do "visa run" to Hong Kong to get her F3 outside of Korea.

The funny thing is that no one tells you the difference between C31 and C32, both are tourist visas. And the university thought there will be no problem getting D4 in Korea.
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paldal



Joined: 05 Apr 2018

PostPosted: Wed Apr 11, 2018 8:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

We have a different experience last week at Suwon Immigration Office.

We registered our marriage at local Gu office last month, received 수리증명서 (Certificate of Acceptance or Korean Verification of Registration of Marriage).

Both of us are non-Koreans by the way. If one of the spouses is Korean, I understood that they will issue 혼인관계증명서 (Marriage Relation Certificate) instead.

Anyway, we attempted to convert my wife's C-3-1 (short term visitor) visa to F-3 spouse visa by presenting 수리증명서, it was turned down by the Immigration officer.

He said that 수리증명서 was not a legal document.

We are kind of shocked to hear that a Korean document, written in the Korean language, issued by a Korean Gu office, does not have any legality in this country.

Any similar experience from non-Korean couples?
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