Korean Job Discussion Forums

[ulsanchris]

my gf and I just got married in Canada and will be heading back to korea in a couple days. what do we need to do to declare our marriage in korea. My wife is korean. any info would be great.

[kangnamdragon]

Congratulations.

[fidel]

I would find the tallest building, grab yourself a bullhorn and preferably at 6:00am shout to the world your marital status. You could possibly intersperse it with some bell ringing and "Ojinga Sasesyo!!" shouts.

[bigfoot]

Do not leave Canada unless you have your permanant resident immigrant card. Otherwise, you cannot gain re-entry on a commercial flight without applying for a trip permit from the Canadian consulate.

If you have not obtained permanent residency status for your wife, then she cannot re-enter Canada as your spouse and will be detained at the border when she attempts to do so.

If you have not applied for her permanent resident application, then she will have to meet requirements outside of Canada when you apply in Korea. If she is within Canada with you, the requirements (except Quebec) are different.

If you are leaving while an permanent resident application is being processed, it will be questioned by the officer in Vegreville or Mississauga and potentially flagged.

**If you have done these things, go to your provincial office and obtain ***2-3*** copies of your official marriage certificate. This will cost between $100 - $200 depending on rush or standard mail. The document from the church or minister is not enough for Korean official or Canadian purposes.

When you come to Korea, you will need to give one copy of the marriage certificate to the office that registers marriages. Keep one for F-2-1 visas when you go to immigration, and the final copy for emergencies.

All the best! Don't come to Korea unless you have followed these instructions for the legal status of your wife.

[bellum99]

She can go back to Canada and will not be detained at the border. A korean can go to Canada on a tourist visa and then apply in Canada. All the other advice was correct though. Only in Quebec are the rules different.

[bigfoot]

Bellum 99 wrote:
**A korean can go to Canada on a tourist visa and then apply in Canada.**

>>>If she returns to Canada as your DECLARED wife, she MAY be asked to step aside at the border because she already married you in Canada.

At that time, you will have to explain WHY you did not apply for her permanent resident application while in KOREA *OR* when you were in Canada. Sponsorship Requirements for outside of Canada require financial requirements.

To re-iterate: The moment you leave Canada with her as your husband, without completing the permanent resident applications, then you will have to meet outside requirements. Second, she cannot return to Canada as your DECLARED wife: "Hi, my name is XXX, and this is my Canadian husband...here is my Korean Passport. I'd like to come as a tourist please on a 6 month visa."

I quote from my last message: "If you have not obtained permanent residency status for your wife, then she cannot re-enter Canada as your spouse and will be detained at the border when she attempts to do so."

In the event of a war, or a sudden change in Canadian visa issuance policy between Canada and Korea, your citizenship cannot protect her and assure her re-entry in Canada BECAUSE her permanent residency was not established. She enters Canada based on her own merits as a Korean under a Korean passport.

Canadian immigration does not look favorably on the situation of Koreans married to Canadians re-entering the country as tourists for the PURPOSES of applying from within Canada for permanent residency. That is why there are two types of applications, and I hope you understand that point is clear.

[jazblanc77]

Does anyone know the process if you were married in Korea, registered in Korea but want to go back to Canada for vacation or living?

[bigfoot]

Vacations are easy enough...Just go back with your wife and have her Korean Passport ready.

Going back to settle in Canada, that is a totally different can of worms. Read above for details.

[ulsanchris]

Bigfoot your advise was useful, but unfortunately came a bit too late to be of much use to us. We didn't have that much time in Canada. Also I didn't really get what you were talking about until you clarified what you were saying.
However I was asking about declaring our marriage in Korea to the Korean government.
Turns out we have to show our marriage certificate to the local Gu office (with a translated copy as well). Not sure what happens after that but will let you know.

[bigfoot]

It is easy to declare your marriage in Korea. Just make sure you have at least 3 copies of your Canadian marriage certificate (It will be at the Provincial government building).

In Korea, your wife can take care of the rest. She will need a Korean family census form, and passport ID for you and her. Bring your Canadian marriage certificate, as they will keep it (in my experience). I remember that the Korean government wanted the Canadian Marriage Certificate translated - easy, your wife or a friend can undertake that part.

Best of luck!

[bigfoot]

As you recently married in Canada, the province will require time to update it in their records. So I would wait until your official marriage certificate is entered into record.

I don't think you have your official provincial marriage certificate yet. You may have marriage papers from the church or justice of the peace (not the same), but not the official marriage certificate.

A marriage certificate is basically a certified copy of your marriage license, except at the bottom, it shows that you are a married couple. I remeber it took about 2-3 months before it became an official entry in the Provincial record system.