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Savant
Joined: 25 May 2007
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 Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 4:29 am Post subject: New F-6 Visa Regulations |
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In the midst of my journey to obtain the elusive F-6, I am now almost faced with the ambiguous bureaucracy that is Korean Immigration.
Apparently, with the new rules it is now required that a Marriage Certificate from the Non-Korean Spouse's home country needs to be submitted alongside the Korean Marriage Certificate. An idea that must have been thought up by some immigration official on a week night drinking binge. Yeah, let me spend over 1000 pounds to go back to the UK with my fiancée for a quick marriage service just to get a marriage certificate that will just be filed away so the Immi official can check off a box.
From reading through some recent Korean expat posts on this issue it would seem that some document can be given from your country's embassy (British, in my case) that would just confirm that they accept that you are married to a Korean citizen.
The British Embassy also said that a verified copy of my "Affidavit Of Eligibility For Marriage" could also be possibly accepted. Though, I am unsure given how incompetent Korean Immigration officials appear to be.
Anyone out there going through the same process or just gone through it?
What documents did you end up submitting? |
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nicwr2002
Joined: 17 Aug 2011
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| Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 4:38 am Post subject: |
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| Your embassy is right, but they need to put a raised seal on that piece of paper. I had the same problem last year with the American embassy. |
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artyom
Joined: 28 Jul 2007
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| Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 6:33 am Post subject: |
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I was told the same by the immigration official - that I needed a copy of the British marriage certificate. However, this was not true.
When you went to the British Embassy, you should have been given the option for them to send your Korean marriage certificate to the FCO - If you have done this, then you can obtain a copy of your Korean marriage certificate that has been stamped by the FCO. In fact they copy it on to their headed paper and then stamp that. This should be acceptable - at least mine was. I think it costs around a tenner to get the marriage cert from the FCO.
Not sure about the "Affidavit Of Eligibility For Marriage" |
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Savant
Joined: 25 May 2007
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| Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 4:57 pm Post subject: |
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| artyom wrote: |
I was told the same by the immigration official - that I needed a copy of the British marriage certificate. However, this was not true.
When you went to the British Embassy, you should have been given the option for them to send your Korean marriage certificate to the FCO - If you have done this, then you can obtain a copy of your Korean marriage certificate that has been stamped by the FCO. In fact they copy it on to their headed paper and then stamp that. This should be acceptable - at least mine was. I think it costs around a tenner to get the marriage cert from the FCO.
Not sure about the "Affidavit Of Eligibility For Marriage" |
I have only received the Affidavit Of Eligibility For Marriage from the British Embassy and will apply for the Korean Marriage Certificate this week.
In their reply to me the British Embassy said (bolded below by me):
"I understand that the Korean Immigration office will accept the "Affidavit Of Eligibility For Marriage" from the Embassy (or a verified copy from this Embassy, fee KRW 54,000=£30) if you still have it with you. Please double check with the Immigration office in your area where you contacted.
Otherwise, we can *provide a marriage letter for Korean visa purpose (*by the end of July as we will stop this service from 1 August).
Following documents are required for;
1) Original/a photocopy of your marriage certificate (translated in English & notarised one by a lawyer)
2) a photocopy of you /your wife’s passports(data page only)
3) current fee KRW 81,000=£45(Our Consular exchange rate is subject to change without notice)"
I think this "marriage letter" is what you are referring to and it seems they are stopping this service from August 1st. Hope I can get everything done before that time. |
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modernseoul
Joined: 11 Sep 2011
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2014 5:42 am Post subject: |
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| artyom wrote: |
I was told the same by the immigration official - that I needed a copy of the British marriage certificate. However, this was not true.
When you went to the British Embassy, you should have been given the option for them to send your Korean marriage certificate to the FCO - If you have done this, then you can obtain a copy of your Korean marriage certificate that has been stamped by the FCO. In fact they copy it on to their headed paper and then stamp that. This should be acceptable - at least mine was. I think it costs around a tenner to get the marriage cert from the FCO.
Not sure about the "Affidavit Of Eligibility For Marriage" |
This process also worked for me. They also accepted a photocopy of the FCO document. |
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chungbukdo
Joined: 22 Aug 2010
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| Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2014 9:01 pm Post subject: |
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I just got my f6 this week.
I didn't do anything in my home country. I got a sheet of paper at the Canadian embassy when I declared that I am not currently married in Canada. Paid 60 bucks for that.
Then I came back there and they also stamped my Korean marriage forms for $60. |
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CrikeyKorea
Joined: 01 Jun 2007
Location: Heogi, Seoul
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| Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2014 5:20 am Post subject: |
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| "Affidavit Of Eligibility For Marriage" is all that is required... no need for the overkill korea sucks, incompetence speech until there is an actual problem... |
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nicwr2002
Joined: 17 Aug 2011
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| Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2014 6:30 am Post subject: |
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| If you are American, make sure to get two copies of the Affidavit of Eligibility for Marriage because immi will want that raised seal as proof you are married back home. That other document the embassy gives you will cause you a lot of problems with immi. |
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Yaya
Joined: 25 Feb 2003
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Fri Jul 25, 2014 6:29 am Post subject: |
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| nicwr2002 wrote: |
| If you are American, make sure to get two copies of the Affidavit of Eligibility for Marriage because immi will want that raised seal as proof you are married back home. That other document the embassy gives you will cause you a lot of problems with immi. |
I got the affidavit but just one copy. The doc costs 50 bucks and I'm sure the embassy will charge you for each doc (please say I'm wrong). |
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nicwr2002
Joined: 17 Aug 2011
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| Posted: Fri Jul 25, 2014 8:06 pm Post subject: |
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| Yaya wrote: |
| nicwr2002 wrote: |
| If you are American, make sure to get two copies of the Affidavit of Eligibility for Marriage because immi will want that raised seal as proof you are married back home. That other document the embassy gives you will cause you a lot of problems with immi. |
I got the affidavit but just one copy. The doc costs 50 bucks and I'm sure the embassy will charge you for each doc (please say I'm wrong). |
I'm not sure exactly, but I wouldn't doubt it. My wife was able to strong arm one of the immigration newbies to go ahead and process the visa as is with the one document that the embassy gives you. Before that there was an issue about the document saying that America doesn't have a registry and that they take your statement in good faith about not being already married in the States. So, immigration didn't like that statement and asked for a marriage certificate from the States. |
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hellofaniceguy
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Location: On your computer screen!
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| Posted: Sat Jul 26, 2014 7:46 am Post subject: |
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On my wife's korean passport...is her maiden name. Right next to it in parenthesis is "wife of XXXXX."
we were married in the U.S....she submitted the marriage certificate to the local family registry office and applied for a new passport and it was issued with the above info.
Seems to me...having to submit certificates from both countries...makes no sense. |
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