Korean Job Discussion Forums

[john110375]

And also it took me almost 6 months to finally get it!! They have alot more people applying these days!?

[economicmayhem]

[economicmayhem]

Just called Ministry of Labor and asked about the Labor law dealing with "two years employment" transfer from "contract" worker to "permanent" worker inside the company. F-2's stay contract workers forever. F-5's after two years should become "permanent" workers within the company.

[Spongebob Squarepants]

I submitted my paperwork (my wife came along) for the F-5 last week and I thought I would share the latest news we got after speaking with a very helpful man and woman at the Seoul Immi office.

As of February 2010 there are 2 types of F-5 permanent residency visas: the F-5-A and the F-5-B. Following is the rundown.

F-5-A: this one is for individuals that are on a visa that is not connected to marriage to a Korean but somehow qualify for permanent residency. All the D visas, C visas, E and H visas, if you qualify and are granted one this is the one you receive.

Most relevant example: you can apply for the F-5-A if you have been in Korea on an E-2 for 5 plus calendar years and can show you are capable of contributing to Korean society, speak a basic level of Korean, are not a financial liability, are not a criminal etc...

One amazing thing I discovered, and have since been spreading to my F-4 friends, is that F-4 visa holders are eligible to apply for the F-5-A after a minimum of 2 years on an F-4 visa. This is good news I believe, as I have some F-4 friends that are married to Korean citizens and have been here for 8, 9 or more years and they resent the fact that they are stuck on a yearly renewal of their F-4, when in fact they are now able to move to F-5 just like us F-2 people can.

F-5-B: this is the one we receive after we have been on an F-2-1 for 2 or more years. The paper requirements are straightforward, and their decision-making criteria factors into how long it takes to get one. Some will wait only 1 - 2 weeks, others might wait 3 months or longer. The higher your level of eligibility the faster they process your application. If you have kids, your chances of getting it in two weeks are high. Even if your financial situation is excellent and have been married for over 3 years, if you do not have kids (myself) you are unlikely to get it before 3 months.

Two more things. First, on paper and in practice, the Korean language requirement for the F-5-B appears to be much more lax than for the F-5-A. This is based on first-hand and anecdotal evidence. My wife went off to buy the 60,000 worth of stamps while I sat there with the immi officers. I was simply asked if I speak Korean and I replied confidently that I do. They proceeded to ask (this is Korea after all) why my wife and I don't have children yet ( in our 4th year of marriage). After 3 minutes wifey came back and they went back to ignoring me. Secondly, the money issue is a gray area for many, but they mainly want to know that you are not going to be a drag on the Korean economy. The 30 million is a rough guide, but they will accept tax returns showing annual income of more than that amount, Jonsae and Wolsae contracts that exceed that amount, etc...

What is remarkable (not good, just surprising) is how these people punched in our ID numbers into their computers and knew so much information about both myself and my wife. They knew where we had married (abroad), they knew where both of us went to school and college, they had a record of every single time my wife had left Korea in her life (to study, etc...), they knew my salary and tax information, they pretty much knew more about us than we even knew...darn

[tzechuk]

[Milwaukiedave]

Sponge Bob and Economicmayhem thanks for the very good information. This thread is one the few reasons I visit Dave's ESL anymore.

[raewon]

Spongebob Squarepants - thanks for the very informative post.

I wonder about the F-5-A visa and exactly what it takes to

[Spongebob Squarepants]

Get 'er done people! My wife got a call this afternoon saying that my F-5-B is good to go and that I should come pick it up at Omokgyo ASAP. I only found out when I got home late this evening. WTG!!

A little bit more browsing on the G4F immigration website led to a wealth of info on this topic which not even 2 helpful immigration officers got around to sharing.

There are not two, but a total of 12 different classifications of F-5 visas.

Point your browsers to http://www.hikorea.go.kr/ and follow this path.

Click the Information - 'Immigration Guide' drop down toolbar at the top.
Then click on the 'Foreigner Sojourn' link on the left hand side.
In the drop down menu click the 'Change Status of Stay' link.
If you have followed correctly you should see a page with a visual diagram of how to change the status of your stay.
At the top of this page you will see a light blue box and the words 'status of stay (27)'. Click the words 'status of stay (27)' and you will see a page with a box listing the many different statuses of stay.
Click the F-5 link in this box and then scroll down.
Click 'View' to see the details.

Briefly, for all...

F-5-A: Individuals who have resided in Korea longer than 5 consecutive years.

F-5-B: Spouse of Korean national; Spouse and/or children of permanent resident.

F-5-C: Individuals who have invested more than $500,000 in the Korean economy.

F-5-D: Overseas Koreans (F-4 holders)

F-5-E: Applicants for naturalization.

F-5-F: Overseas Chinese born in Korea.

F-5-G: PhD holders in high-tech industries.

F-5-H: BA plus license holder in high-tech industry fields.

F-5-I: Individuals with "brilliant ability" in specialized fields.

F-5-J: Individuals who have contributed to Korea through "distinguished service"

F-5-K: Eligible working visit (H-2) status holders.

and last but not least,

F-5-L: a retiree who is a pension beneficiary.

The criteria and application process/documents are listed for each one on the site, so extra reading for those who are interested.

Is it just me or did immigration just get freaky organized?! Snap

[raewon]

Thanks for the link. Since many here are on an E-1 or E-2 visa, you should also be aware of the following Criteria (for change of status to the
F-5 visa).

In addition to more than 5 consecutive years of residency in Korea under the E-1 or E-2 visa, you also need to meet the following criteria:

source: http://www.hikorea.go.kr/

[Milwaukiedave]

Spongebob,

Freaky indeed! At least it sounds like they are getting more specific about the requirements though.

[Welshguy]

Just went through the shuffle myself.

Took 4 months from start ty finish.

From F2-99 to F5-A.

Off to Immigration next month to get an F2 for my Philippina wife

[Welshguy]

[Stan Rogers]