Korean Job Discussion Forums

[propaganda_machine]

My wife and I recently renewed our contracts with our employer for an add'l 6 months. Knowing our alien resident cards and E2 visas were expiring, our employer took our passports and ARCs to the local immigration office and said she "would take care of it." Well, our ARCs have been extended but, surprisingly, our passports have not.

Here's the problem: we're taking a week's vacation in China in December and we're worried about re-entry. We can't get a single entry permit b/c our visas are expired and we can't really come back on a tourist visa b/c we currently don't have a return trip ticket home (an issue we're sorting out with our employer). We should do a visa run in Beijing but we don't have the new type of paperwork (crim'l and med'l check) now required to get the visa issuance number.

So here's the question:

Does the extension (not renewal) of an alien card mean that our visa has been extended as well? The answer seems obvious but any info/confirmation would be helpful.

Also, is it possible to get a tourist visa without a return trip ticket? It's confusing since we're re-entering from China and still do not have our one-way ticket back to Canada. For either situation, we don't have a return ticket. Again, any info would be greatly appreciated.

[tzechuk]

From what I understand, if you are extending your contract with your current employer, then yes, you can just extend your period of sojourn without having to do another visa run. And all they do is to renew your ARC, to add the extended period on it (your *visa* is the stamp you need to get into the country. Once you are here, you need only two thiings: re-entry permit, if you intend to leave and reenter the country, and your ARC, which states your reason for sojourn. Your visa is void after you enter the country because you are already here).

If you do not have a valid multiple re-entry stamp in your passport, then you need to renew that.

[valkyrian2]

If your status of sojourn was extended (the marks on your ARC) then you only need to worry about getting a re-entry permit.

Everything appears to be fine if you have the new dates on your ARC.

If you did NOT get a re-entry permit there are NO additional marks made in your passport when you extend your stay.

You do NOT need to do a visa run if you have extended your period of sojourn (new dates on the back of your ARC).

You DO need to get a new re-entry permit BEFORE your trip to China.

You also need to get a tourist visa for China.

[normalcyispasse]

Be careful. I thought I extended my visa, but when I went on holiday and came back they detained me and interrogated me. Apparently my tourist visa was extended, not my working visa. They confiscated my ARC. Bad juju.

[propaganda_machine]

thanks fer the info valkyrian2 and tzechuk. it's a load off our shoulders.