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Korean Job Discussion Forums
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thomas pars
Joined: 29 Jan 2009
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 Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2011 5:17 pm Post subject: Coming to Korea early |
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I got a job with GEPIK. Job starts in September. I am coming to Korea in the next two weeks, though. And will do a visa run to Japan sometime in August.
I have lived in Korea for several years before this. But this is the first time I am coming back without a visa. I have some questions:
I can get a tourist visa for 3 months correct?
Should I just tell the immi officer that I want a tourist visa and not mention the job?
Will there be a hassle at immi if I only have a one way ticket?
Thanks much. |
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winterfall
Joined: 21 May 2009
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| Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2011 5:52 pm Post subject: |
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Yes tourist visa is 90 days but, you have to request it at immigration or they're just give you the 30 day one.
Yes there will be a hassle with a one way ticket.
Telling or not telling airport immigrations about the job doesn't matter. What matters is if you've got the visa in your passport or not
Things to consider: tourist visa's are extremely restrictive. You won't be able to get a phone, medical insurance, pension, and you can open a bank account with your passport (Depending on the bank) BUT, you can only get an ATM card. No debit card unless you've got an E-2 or F class, or any of the stronger visas.
I'm pretty sure the C-4 visa (Short term visas) are treated the same as a tourist visa. |
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imGosu
Joined: 25 Apr 2011
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| Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2011 6:09 pm Post subject: |
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| Why do you need a visa? I thought you could visit Korea up to 90 days without a Visa. |
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koreatimes
Joined: 07 Jun 2011
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| Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2011 6:25 pm Post subject: |
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| you can only get an ATM card. No debit card unless you've got an E-2 or F class, or any of the stronger visas. |
I don't know how true this is. When I was in Korea, I opened an account solely on the premise they needed my passport. I showed them my ARC card, but I didn't have my passport and they refused to open an account just with an ARC card. It was at a travel agency and a tourist visa for China was being processed. So, they accepted a scanned photo of the front part of my passport.
You might think because there is an E-2 visa in my passport this allowed me to get a debit card, but how did they know with only a scan of the front part of my passport? I didn't have a scan of the E-2 visa, but they got me a debit card anyway.
However, they did tell me to get a credit card it would take 4 days to process which I didn't have. |
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winterfall
Joined: 21 May 2009
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| Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2011 8:04 pm Post subject: |
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| koreatimes wrote: |
| Quote: |
| you can only get an ATM card. No debit card unless you've got an E-2 or F class, or any of the stronger visas. |
I don't know how true this is. When I was in Korea, I opened an account solely on the premise they needed my passport. I showed them my ARC card, but I didn't have my passport and they refused to open an account just with an ARC card. It was at a travel agency and a tourist visa for China was being processed. So, they accepted a scanned photo of the front part of my passport.
You might think because there is an E-2 visa in my passport this allowed me to get a debit card, but how did they know with only a scan of the front part of my passport? I didn't have a scan of the E-2 visa, but they got me a debit card anyway.
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The bank doesn't scan the E-2, they don't need to. Your visa status is on your ARC.
Anyways, that's been my experience with nothing but a passport, atm cash withdraw card was fine. But debit card was a no go cause they don't come from the bank, they're issued by credit card companies. (At least that's what they told me) |
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koreatimes
Joined: 07 Jun 2011
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| Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2011 8:36 pm Post subject: |
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| winterfall wrote: |
| koreatimes wrote: |
| Quote: |
| you can only get an ATM card. No debit card unless you've got an E-2 or F class, or any of the stronger visas. |
I don't know how true this is. When I was in Korea, I opened an account solely on the premise they needed my passport. I showed them my ARC card, but I didn't have my passport and they refused to open an account just with an ARC card. It was at a travel agency and a tourist visa for China was being processed. So, they accepted a scanned photo of the front part of my passport.
You might think because there is an E-2 visa in my passport this allowed me to get a debit card, but how did they know with only a scan of the front part of my passport? I didn't have a scan of the E-2 visa, but they got me a debit card anyway.
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Anyways, that's been my experience with nothing but a passport, atm cash withdraw card was fine. But debit card was a no go cause they don't come from the bank, they're issued by credit card companies. (At least that's what they told me) |
There are actually 3 kinds that I have had and the 4th one being a credit card, which I haven't gotten yet. I got a NH card which I could only use at ATM machines. However, I could use my US debit card at supermarkets but not restaurants or stores.
Then, I got a KB bank card. This allowed me to use it at stores, so I only put enough to pay bills and a little extra in case I lost it. I think this is what you mean by debit card.
Then I went to KEB and I got another debit card, but it only works as a debit card in Korea. It doesn't allow me to use them at stores in China. So, it functions like an ATM card while I am out of Korea.
The card I think you are referring to is a credit card which you can charge against if you don't have funds already. In that case, I can see why they wouldn't allow you to open one. However, they were willing to issue me one knowing that I could not stay in the country for 4 days. I could have picked it up when I returned to Korea with my tourist visa because all they wanted was a passport.
They never asked for the ARC card, and in fact said the ARC card doesn't help because when you return it to immigration, you only have your passport. I have experienced the same in China when opening bank accounts. They only want to see your passport.
| Quote: |
| The bank doesn't scan the E-2, they don't need to. Your visa status is on your ARC. |
But they don't ask for the ARC card, they only want the passport, and if you are on a tourist visa, you definitely won't have an ARC card. At least I have never seen or heard of someone on a tourist visa with an ARC card. The passport again trumps the ARC card since you might have given it to immigration before returning to Korea. |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2011 9:08 pm Post subject: Re: Coming to Korea early |
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| thomas pars wrote: |
I got a job with GEPIK. Job starts in September. I am coming to Korea in the next two weeks, though. And will do a visa run to Japan sometime in August.
I have lived in Korea for several years before this. But this is the first time I am coming back without a visa. I have some questions:
I can get a tourist visa for 3 months correct?
Should I just tell the immi officer that I want a tourist visa and not mention the job?
Will there be a hassle at immi if I only have a one way ticket?
Thanks much. |
Tourist visa or visa waiver entry stamp? Depending on your nationality you will get either 30 days (S.African), 6 months (Canadian) or 90 days (the rest of the E2s) on a visa waiver entry stamp. If you are from S.Africa you can apply for a 90 day tourist visa.
Immi doesn't care. They don't issue a visa. The visa is obtained at the Korea consulate when you do your visa run.
Immi won't give you problems without a visa and no exit ticket but the airline probably will (depends on where you are boarding from and the particular airline).
They can and often do deny boarding for those without a visa or onward passage (or may make you purchase an exit ticket before they give you a boarding pass). This is especially true if you are boarding from a North American airport.
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