Korean Job Discussion Forums

[fizban]

Looking online, I was unable to find out the business hours for the Seoul Immigration Office. Are they open on Saturday?

And for a F4 Visa do you need the same documentation as an E2 Visa holder? Or are the documents you need to bring different.

And I'm a public school teacher if that makes a difference.

Thank you in advance.

[ttompatz]

[HAITAITIGERZ]

for an F4 visa you will need 2 identification pictures, us passport (assuming ur us that is), citizenship, and hojok papers ...

you can get your hojok papers at the local 7/11 or "All i buy"

[aphong420]

Yeah I am also wondering about the ARC. My school isn't telling me how to get it..... I need this stupid card to get internet at my apartment.

[fizban]

Aphong,

For an E2 Visa, Dave's FAQ has good ARC resources.

You can also google "korean immigration" and be taken to their american website.

Apparently if you have an E2 Visa, you need some documentation from the school.

[aphong420]

I found out some more info - for F-4 Visa holders, you should get a "Domestic Residency Report" as opposed to an Alien Registration Card.

I found information on this site: www.g4f.go.kr - and it appears that F-4 holders dont' get this ARC..... Correct me if I'm wrong.

[fizban]

I don't know about that. But you go to the same place. When I was at the Korean Consulate in Atlanta, they told me I had to go to Immigration within 90 Days.

So even if the card is different, the location is the same. But possibly different paperwork. When I get mine, I'll post the result.

[aphong420]

I believe F-4 Visa holders are suppose to (should) get the Domestic Residence Report. I just asked someone who has already been through it - and that's what he told me.....

The website, however, also states that domestic reporting is NOT mandatory - and that if you don't - that you should do alien registration (within 90 days). The advantages of domestic residence reporting are as stated:

"The system has its significance in offering convenience for and supporting all kinds of activities, i.e. departure and entry, stay, real estate transactions, financial transactions, foreign exchange transactions, medical insurance, pension, indemnity payment to persons of distinguished services to the State and persons of distinguished services to independence and their families by making the report card have the same force and effect as national identity card or foreign registration card"

[aphong420]

There are also extra steps you need to take... For one, you should call your local immigration office and ask what "additional documents" they will need to process your paperwork. I guess they ask for these on a case-by-case basis. You also need a copy of your family registry...

[aphong420]

Also ... if you're coming here on an F-4 Visa ... Make sure you bring ALL the documents you already handed into the Korean Consulate. I'm having a hell of a time with all this because immigration wants:

- a copy of my passport
- a copy of my parents' passports
- a copy of my birth certificate
- a copy of my parents' american citizenship
- a copy of family registry
- 10,000 won
- 2 passport photos

and probably my heart, *beep* and tongue.... grrrr

[kalkamagi]

ps. immigration also accepts scanned copies of parents' passports, birth certificate, parents' naturalization papers. (just in case you get here and realize you missed something.)

i think if you file the residence report, you could vote after 3 years. by think, i mean i heard it somewhere, maybe.

all they want is 10,000? when i got it, it was 60,000. i renewed it this morning and the renewal fee alone was 30,000.

[aphong420]

The whole procedure just seems silly and redundant since the consulate in the US won't even issue the visa without all these documents.

[maybe]

The process of getting your F4 visa is quite simple, being that your family helps out a bit. You are correct in that you need:

1. 2 passport photos
2. your passport
3. your birth certificate
4. hojok deun no
5. 60,000 won

You don't need your parents' passports. Instead of just your "hojok" you need the "hojok deun no" (family registry). They are two different types of family registries. I had to learn the hard way of going to immigration twice... That paperwork proves that you have ancestry in Korea and then your birth certificate proves that you are your parents' child. Depending of where your family has their registry (mine was friggin' in the boonies somewhere in the outskirts of Gongju City), that's the only time situation. And another is that you must be 22 years old in Western age.

If you have all that, all you need to do is go down to your local immigration office, fill out the form, and wait for your number. They will take your passport for the time being and give you a piece of paper that will serve as your temp. passport until they mail it back to you with a stamp in it and your alien card.

Hope that helped ^^.