Korean Job Discussion Forums

[IlIlNine]

This thread will detail the process I followed (well, am following, really) for attaining the F2 Visa for Professionals.

For those that don't know, the Korean Immigration has opened up a new path for people who would like to get an F2 without getting married. In order to qualify, you must score at least 80 out of 120 points on immigration's qualification rubric. This visa is available to basically ALL E-series visas, including E2. The application procedure should be the same for all visa types.

There have been a couple threads about this subject, but they all seem to have been reduced to threads debating the merits of this visa - I would rather this thread contain more facts than debate so that when everything is finalized it can be moved into the FAQ forum.

~~

First of all, here is a link to the immigration page containing the latest point break-down:
http://immigration.go.kr/HP/COM/bbs_01/Download.do?FileDir=/attach/imm80/f2010/&UserFileName=point%20system.docx&SystemFileName=20100903103047_1_pointsystem.docx

(the file is a Word file and not an HWP file like before, thank goodness)

Note that it has been amended as of September 1/2010.

Here are the required documents needed to apply:

Standard stuff: Copy of- and Original Employment Contract, Passport, Alien Card, Fill out immigration form #34, and 50,000won

Education: 학위층 or original diplomas for all relevant claims

Salary: 근로소득 원천징수 영수증 (tax receipt - available at the tax office)

Language: TOPIK Completion Certificate (I've seen references that say other exam results (KPE, KLPT) are accepted, but when I called, they only mentioned TOPIK. Level 1/2 for 10 points, 3/4 for 15 points, and 5/6 for the full 20 points.

The 'Cultural Integration Program' (for 10 points) is called 사회통합프로그렘 and the official website is here: http://www.kiip.kr/. The program consists of language lessons and cultural integration classes for a total of 150 hours. As far as I know the program is free. It's offered in a variety of locations which you can find on the website.

Professional working experience outside of Korea (for 5 points) requires some kind of completion certificate. I'm not too sure what's acceptable here.

Other categories (volunteering, etc) I'm not sure about - but if they were done in Korea, you should be able to get some kind of official completion certificate they they'll accept.

[Mr. Pink]

I doubt professional working experience outside Korea is that hard to validate. If you weren't in your home country, you would have a contract and visa stamps in your passport. If you were in your home country, you would have pay stubs and letters of reference, no?

[themagicbean]

Thank you

The link to the Immigration doc seems broken (I get a non-.doc doc that opens as jibberish)

Anybody know if a JD counts as a doctorate? And can you take tests other than TOPIK (that is, does immigration have their own tests?)

[bbud656]

Nice, I just started a thread asking this same question.

Volunteer work seems to be ambiguous. What does less than 1 year mean? How many hours, etc.

The website that details the culture class all seems to be in Korean.

And what does professional work experience mean? I have an HR certificate and worked in HR for a couple years. Or are they only looking for engineers or something technical?

Is there a certain amount of time you have to have your E2 for?

[bbud656]

Since I couldn't navigate the culture class website, does anyone know how the classes are laid out? Some one said it was 150 hours, how does it break down a week. 5 hours a week?

[IlIlNine]

Here's the link to the original page:

http://www.moj.go.kr/HP/COM/bbs_03/ListShowData.do?strOrgGbnCd=109000&strFilePath=&strRtnURL=ENG_4020&strNbodCd=noti0035&strWrtNo=82&strAnsNo=A

... but it looks like the file link is dead!

Hopefully they haven't changed their minds!

I was successful with my application, btw - with:

Full points for age,
Basic Korean Ability (TOPIK level 2 certificate)
Minimum Salary
PhD in Korea

For a total of 83 points.

[bbud656]

Nice job. Most people aren't going to get 10 points for doing a PhD in Korea.

When you said you need a certificate of completion for work experience what does that mean? How is it possible to get details for these things? These documents seem very vague.

[Who's Your Daddy?]

OP what is your job, if you're comfortable saying? [Basically I think immi doesn't consider English teacher "Professional"]

==

Oh for the overseas work experience, maybe you can show your tax records with your employer name?

[bbud656]

nActually on the word doc it lists English teacher as professonal, both E1 ad E2

[naturegirl321]

[Malislamusrex]

trip to the immigration office on Monday I think.

[smileyjkl]

I'm getting so fed up with immigration. I went there last week to register something else and while I was there I grilled the woman behind the desk about the F-2-7. She gave me the paper (same one which I had downloaded online) and told me that after I had finished 100 hours of the social integration program (level 3) I would receive 10 points. Upon telling this to another friend trying to do the same as me, I found out he had been told you need to finish through level 5. So, today I called and asked and the woman told me that EITHER I could get 15 points for completing the social integration program through level 5 OR I could get 15 points for completing the TOPIK 증급 but I couldn't receive 10 points for the social integration program because the point system had changed. I asked her where I could get a copy of this new one (since it was clearly different from the one that I received last week in the immigration office) and she told me that there was no copy, the information was not available in print nor online. WTF? Has anyone gotten it? Do you need to finish level 5 or just 100 hours? And is it true that finishing level 5 is only equivalent to 15 points for the korean level and you don't get an extra 10 points for the cultural integration program?