Korean Job Discussion Forums

[jizza]

Hey there, pondering this situation.

What happens to your existing F2 visa once you get married?
Is there any benefit/difference between the different F2 visas?
F2-S, F2-99, F2 (spouse)

Also lets say you are close the 5 years required for the F2-99 visa, and you get married. Would you wait another year and get F2-99? Because you can keep it if you get divorced, but if you switch to the F2 spousal and divorce later, you've reset the clock on the F2-99.

[theloneleaf]

The only difference is that you own the F2-S points and F2-99 yourself.
If you got divorced due to the fault of your Korean spouse (say they cheated on you)
then you'd actually qualify for an F5.

That said, the time to an F5 being married is only 2 years, and at that point you'd be better off than the other two.

The F2 spouse is now the F6, but more or less the same.

[jizza]

Hey thanks. So you're saying the F2's are all the same.

What about renewal procedures for the F2's? Are they different for the F2-99 vs. F2-S vs. spousal F2 ?

Also another scenario.

Lets say you're on E2 and want to go to University in Korea. Would you change to D2 (Student Visa) or would you go stick to E2? Apparently if you give up your E2 anytime in the 5 years the clock resets on your F2-99 eligibility.

[theloneleaf]

[Died By Bear]

What if you left Korea about 16 months ago on an F5 visa, have not yet returned to Korea, but your wife gets an officer commission in the Air Force, becomes an officer and is stationed Korea? She is no longer a Korean citizen, so your F5 spousal visa isn't really valid anymore is it? You'd lose the F5 anyway after being out of the country for over a year or two anyway, but what kind of visa would you get if the military gave her command sponsorship? I forgot what kind of visa they get - but even if you lose the F5, the one you get being a military spouse is just as good I think.

[Drew10]

The F6 visa hasn't been implemented yet AFAIK.

Also, I believe with the F5, once you leave the country you have 2 years in order to return or you lose it. So in that situation, you would be allowed to keep it as well as be placed on SOFA status.

The common name for the Military/Dependant visa is the SOFA visa, in terms of letter/number combo I believe it is A1 or A2. They don't get an ARC, but it is possible to be dual status. I met a GS worker on F5 status as well as SOFA.

[big_fella1]

I am pretty sure I read that if you have held an F5 and lose it because of being out of the country for 2 years, you qualify for an F2 anyway.