Korean Job Discussion Forums

pailorin · Joined: 08 Jun 2011

My husband came to Korea on a tourist visa and we put off going to the Alien registration office to get his permanent visa..now i have lost my passport and will not have it in time to get him registered before he HAS to leave Korea.
There are very very old forums saying that he can take a ferry and come back the same day and his tourist visa is renewed. Has anyone dealt with a similar situation such as this and could you tell me if this still works. I really dont want to have to send him back home to the states if i can spend 1/3 less on him going to Taipei or Thailand..
Any and all help is appreciated.

northway · Joined: 05 Jul 2010

I know a Mexican guy who has been here for a year or two doing visa runs every couple months. There's no reason for your husband to go back to the States.

ttompatz · Joined: 05 Sep 2005 Location: Kwangju, South Korea

pailorin · Joined: 08 Jun 2011

Drew345 · Joined: 24 May 2005

Just a point of semantics but it sounds like he is here on a "visa waiver" rather than a tourist visa. This point becomes important below.
If he flies to Thailand and back, then on his return flight (from Thailand to Seoul), he MAY not be meeting the requirements for a "visa waiver" entry to Korea. The requirement for a visa waiver entry is that the person must have a ticket for onward travel out of Korea within the time limit of the visa waiver (90 days). In practice, Korean immigration doesn't care a bit about this onward travel, but the airline may not let him board the plane if he doesn't have that onward travel ticket (out of Korea).
Some other ways to meet the onward travel requirement for visa waiver entry are to have an open ticket out of Korea (no date set), or to sign a form at the airline desk stating that you have sufficient funds for onward travel. These other alternatives may or may not be allowed depending on the check-in agent's understanding of the Korean immigration rules.
If your husband still has his original return ticket to your home country, that may be good for your onward travel requirement (if it is open or within 3 months).
If you are actually from a county that requires a "tourist visa" and not a "visa waiver" entry, then check and see if it is a multiple entry visa. If it is multiple entry, he can come and go as he please. If not multiple entry, he would need to make a new tourist visa at the Korean Embassy in Bangkok or where ever. But if you are from a western country, he is probably here on a "visa waiver".
Edit, now I see he is from America, nevermind about the "tourist visa", and see above about the "visa waiver". That is what applies to Americans.

pailorin · Joined: 08 Jun 2011

can he apply for a tourist visa then and stay another 90 days?

Drew345 · Joined: 24 May 2005

short story: nope, needs to go out of Korea and come back.

long story: there is no more tourist visa for Americans since we were added to the "visa waiver" program. Now, if we don't have work or marriage visa, Americans enter with a "visa waiver" and get a 90 day visa waiver stamp.
Even back when there was a tourist visa for Americans, that visa could only be attained from an embassy outside Korea, not from inside Korea. The 90 day visa waiver stamp can't be extended.
Boat to Japan and back is best bet. If he has an open ticket back to America, trips to Thailand or PI could also be nice and cheap.

pailorin · Joined: 08 Jun 2011

we dont have an open ticket back to the states. I want him here.
I apologize if i sound whiny or very confused but the information i'm receiving here is completely different than what people told me and the Korean website isnt worded well for me to understand what the heck is going on.

If he takes an airplane he might not be allowed to board the plane because he would need an open ended ticket? but if he takes a ferry to japan he doesnt need proof of leaving and will get another 90 days and in that time we can file for her visa to stay with me?

Sorry i just want to make certain he and I have a clear plan of action.

Drew345 · Joined: 24 May 2005

I don't know anything about the changing the visa part, but ttompatz seemed to have that part pretty well covered above. "If YOU have your ARC and can prove you are married (wedding certificate) he can change his status to F3."

Yes, if he flies out and back, he might not be allowed to board the airplane returning to Korea without some kind of ticket for "onward travel". That ticket for "onward travel" could be an open ticket (out of Korea) or any ticket out of Korea within 3 months. Some people have come up with creative ways around this "onward travel" ticket, but I don't want to get too far sidetracked.

If he takes the boat to Japan and back, the ferry workers don't seem to care about the "onward travel" requirement. I have never done that boat trip, but many posters mention "knowing someone" who does it over and over for years. So it seems pretty straightforward. If I were him doing this I would still try to bring something to show valid address and support without working (married to someone working), jut in case immigration did ask.

pailorin · Joined: 08 Jun 2011

Drew345 · Joined: 24 May 2005

And just for completion, after he gets a one year Korean visa in his passport (F3 or whatever), he can fly out and back into Korea without needing the "onward travel" ticket. Just need to make sure to get a re-entry permit on the one year visa, then no onward travel ticket worries anymore.

ttompatz · Joined: 05 Sep 2005 Location: Kwangju, South Korea

pailorin · Joined: 08 Jun 2011

THANK YOU ALL! Our major issue was people here in Jeonju saying i couldnt register him with just my ARC but the immigration office took it and he has a visa now! THANK THANK THANK YOU for all being such wonderful and helpful people.

ttompatz · Joined: 05 Sep 2005 Location: Kwangju, South Korea

Fraser · Joined: 09 Mar 2011

I'm in somewhat of a similar boat but I'm Canadian so I wonder if anyone can serve up some advice.

My wife took a job teaching in Seoul this August and her school never properly ensured that I, her husband, was to be attached to her visa as a dependent (F3)

So now it's early July and my wife has her E2 visa settled but I'm left with nothing so far. The Korean consulate in Canada initially told us that I could fill out an application connected to her issuance number. Well, we walked into the consulate today and found out that immigration told the consulate this was not the case.

The girl at the consulate suggested I get my F3 visa once I land in Korea. Ok, fine, I thought. But that would mean I land as a tourist without a visa. The problem is we both have one way tickets purchased to Korea on Asiana and apparently I, as a tourist, need a round-trip ticket according to her.

I'm trying to find work in journalism/media/PR and if all else fails work in ESL. The girl told me I could apply for a work-seeking visa as well. Or she could (and is going to) call immigration and see if I can get a C-3 visa since I only have a one-way ticket.

Ultimately the problem is that I don't have a job lined up so I never got a visa issuance number. Then my wife's work botched her visa application.

So the question is, if I come as a tourist can I use, say, a ferry ticket from Busan to Japan booked within six-months to show as proof of onward passage?

I'll obviously look into this more - and probably call my airline to see if I can get a return open-ended flight (albeit i booked through Expedia so Im sure that's a problem too!) - but if anyone can help share similar experiences that would be tubular...