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psymist
Joined: 22 May 2009
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 Posted: Sun Oct 10, 2010 4:25 am Post subject: Korean girlfriend travelling to America |
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| Does anyone have any experience (or know of any Korean with experience) getting a visa or using the visa-waiver program to travel to America? Since it is important that we go during Christmas break, I just wanted to make sure we did everything right, so that our trip goes on without a problem. If anyone could help explain the best way for her to apply, please let me know. Thanks. |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Sun Oct 10, 2010 7:58 am Post subject: Re: Korean girlfriend travelling to America |
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| psymist wrote: |
| Does anyone have any experience (or know of any Korean with experience) getting a visa or using the visa-waiver program to travel to America? Since it is important that we go during Christmas break, I just wanted to make sure we did everything right, so that our trip goes on without a problem. If anyone could help explain the best way for her to apply, please let me know. Thanks. |
Korean passport and return ticket = no visa required. 90 day stamp on entry (visa waiver).
She may need to do the ESTA approval. ( http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/without/without_1990.html ). There should be details on the Korean side of the American Embassy website or go direct to ESTA http://cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/id_visa/esta/ .
Have a good vacation.
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northway
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Sun Oct 10, 2010 8:41 am Post subject: |
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| My girlfriend's best friend is married to an American marine and he told her she needs a visa to go the States so they can't be together yet. I told her otherwise, but she doesn't believe me. I'd prefer not to cause relationship drama, but I'm not sure how to progress... |
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runthegauntlet
Joined: 02 Dec 2007
Location: the southlands.
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| Posted: Sun Oct 10, 2010 2:50 pm Post subject: |
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My gf went with me to the U.S. a few months ago.
Just fill out the ESTA online; it takes about 2 minutes. Now, though, I think they've instituted a $14 'fee' for filling it out.
Then print it out, have proof of a return ticket, answer a couple of immi questions, and you're through the gates.
I think I was asked more questions than she was. She'd been worried about going through immigration but afterward said it was no big deal at all.
Oh, to get the ESTA Koreans MUST have a biometric passport. My gf had to get a new one. |
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CentralCali
Joined: 17 May 2007
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| Posted: Sun Oct 10, 2010 10:02 pm Post subject: |
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| northway wrote: |
| My girlfriend's best friend is married to an American marine and he told her she needs a visa to go the States so they can't be together yet. I told her otherwise, but she doesn't believe me. I'd prefer not to cause relationship drama, but I'm not sure how to progress... |
If your friend's friend intends to stay in the US permanently with her USMC hubby, then she does need to have a visa, an immigrant visa, to join him. The Immigration folks frown on showing up as a tourist and then deciding to stay there.
The best way to proceed is to suggest that the FOAF check with the people actually involved in approving travel to the US. That would be the consular personnel at the US Embassy. |
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northway
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Sun Oct 10, 2010 10:28 pm Post subject: |
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| CentralCali wrote: |
| northway wrote: |
| My girlfriend's best friend is married to an American marine and he told her she needs a visa to go the States so they can't be together yet. I told her otherwise, but she doesn't believe me. I'd prefer not to cause relationship drama, but I'm not sure how to progress... |
If your friend's friend intends to stay in the US permanently with her USMC hubby, then she does need to have a visa, an immigrant visa, to join him. The Immigration folks frown on showing up as a tourist and then deciding to stay there.
The best way to proceed is to suggest that the FOAF check with the people actually involved in approving travel to the US. That would be the consular personnel at the US Embassy. |
Theoretically can't a person go to the States and get married there, thus getting around the issue of the ludicrously expensive marriage visa? |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Sun Oct 10, 2010 10:55 pm Post subject: |
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| northway wrote: |
| CentralCali wrote: |
| northway wrote: |
| My girlfriend's best friend is married to an American marine and he told her she needs a visa to go the States so they can't be together yet. I told her otherwise, but she doesn't believe me. I'd prefer not to cause relationship drama, but I'm not sure how to progress... |
If your friend's friend intends to stay in the US permanently with her USMC hubby, then she does need to have a visa, an immigrant visa, to join him. The Immigration folks frown on showing up as a tourist and then deciding to stay there.
The best way to proceed is to suggest that the FOAF check with the people actually involved in approving travel to the US. That would be the consular personnel at the US Embassy. |
Theoretically can't a person go to the States and get married there, thus getting around the issue of the ludicrously expensive marriage visa? |
If she enters as a tourist and gets married then she has to leave to begin the K3/CR3 visa process.
IF she obtains a fiance visa (with the intent of getting married) then she goes the immigration process first, then she enters the states, marries then normalizes her status (applies for a green card).
Either way it is a long, laborious and expensive process. The US is probably the worst country to try to import a wife to.
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CentralCali
Joined: 17 May 2007
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| Posted: Sun Oct 10, 2010 11:01 pm Post subject: |
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In addition to what ttompatz posted, the friend's friend above is already married to the US citizen.
There is some light on the horizon, though, for her. Under the Expeditious Naturalization Program, once she's admitted to the US as an immigrant and if her husband's still in the service and is then posted overseas, she can be naturalized immediately--no waiting time--and then join her husband overseas. Of course, this requires that the servicemember be posted on an accomponied tour. Immigration doesn't muck around with this either. I personally witnessed one case where upon naturalization, the spouse decided she didn't want to go overseas. She was stripped of US citizenship and her immigrant visa canceled. |
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northway
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2010 12:33 am Post subject: |
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| Thanks for the help. So essentially, cost is the same regardless? The thing I was curious about is that she's been to Saipan, which, as far as I knew, had the same immigration laws as the States. I'm just trying to figure out what the cheapest/fastest option for her would be, as I know the marriage visa is ludicrously expensive and takes a ridiculously long time. |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2010 3:48 am Post subject: |
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| northway wrote: |
| Thanks for the help. So essentially, cost is the same regardless? The thing I was curious about is that she's been to Saipan, which, as far as I knew, had the same immigration laws as the States. I'm just trying to figure out what the cheapest/fastest option for her would be, as I know the marriage visa is ludicrously expensive and takes a ridiculously long time. |
If she is married to an American there is NO easy way.
They won't let her in as a tourist (in case she makes a fuss to stay) so she needs to obtain her spousal visa.
If she is married to a service man then he should contact the legal office. they can often expedite things for duty personnel beyond what John Q Public has to deal with. (There are certain privileges that they can avail themselves of).
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CentralCali
Joined: 17 May 2007
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| Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2010 4:50 am Post subject: |
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| I'm not aware of any expediting that the base legal office can provide, other than providing general legal information at no cost to the military community. The servicemember and spouse do have an advantage in that the base medical facilities can perform the required health exams at minimal cost. |
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psymist
Joined: 22 May 2009
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| Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2010 1:33 pm Post subject: Thanks! |
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| Thanks for the advice! That clears things up. I will look into ESTA and hopefully everything will work out well. |
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