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naturegirl321
Joined: 18 Jul 2006
Location: Home sweet home
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 Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2012 6:50 pm Post subject: |
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| raewon wrote: |
naturegirl321 wrote:
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| I tried. It was pointless. I told them that I just wanted to be in level 0, but they kept insisting that I needed to take the placement test on July 28th. I won't be in Korea. So I have to wait until the spring |
Well, that's odd. Did you question the information presented in FAQ 3 on their homepage?
http://www.socinet.go.kr/soci/main/main.jsp?MENU_TYPE=S_TOP_SY
Maybe I'm not understanding it correctly... but here is a loose translation of what I THINK it says:
"All participants in the SOCIAL INTEGRATION program must take the placement test and enter the level designated by the score you receive
on the test. However, anyone who has not received any education in Korean or who would like to learn Korean at a gradual pace from the very basics can be exempted from taking the placement test. In this case,
when you sign up for the SOCIAL INTEGRATION program and are asked (on the website) whether or not you want to take the placement test, you MUST check NO. You should note that once you have checked NO and applied for the program, you will NOT be allowed to take the placement test for a period of 6 months."
NOTE: Their site will not allow me to copy and paste any text, so I can't provide the Korean version here. But you can check the link I gave above
and find it yourself.
Naturegirl - I feel you should be able to enter the program without taking the placement test - so you wouldn't need to be in Korea. You would only have to apply online during the application window. If you've missed the application window because of incorrect information you were given (assuming the above is true) then you should appeal.
Good luck - and let us know what you find out. I hope the above will
help you. |
No, I didn't. I tried to reason with them. But, hey! thanks for that info. I'll try to sign up then. I won't be in Korea during sign up, so I hope the website will work. Thanks again! Signup starts in July. The 5th I think, which is the day I leave.
Yea, I guess there is hope. |
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Lolimahro
Joined: 19 May 2009
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| Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2012 10:14 pm Post subject: |
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| Son Deureo! wrote: |
| It turns out I was worried for nothing. My F-2-7 was approved five days after I applied, the day before I called to check the status. I got a printed certificate and sticker in my passport today. The new ARC will take a few more weeks. That was by far the most exciting visit to Immigration I've ever had. |
Son Deureo, did you have to submit a copy of your current contract when you applied? I did. Immi is also making a stink about the fact that my tax statement with my earnings from last year does not have an official school stamp on it or anything like that. So now I have to rely on our overworked administrator to fix that for me. They're also asking for an original, which means snail-mailing it to immi and it taking even longer... @.@ |
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naturegirl321
Joined: 18 Jul 2006
Location: Home sweet home
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| Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2012 11:05 pm Post subject: |
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| Lolimahro wrote: |
| Son Deureo! wrote: |
| It turns out I was worried for nothing. My F-2-7 was approved five days after I applied, the day before I called to check the status. I got a printed certificate and sticker in my passport today. The new ARC will take a few more weeks. That was by far the most exciting visit to Immigration I've ever had. |
Son Deureo, did you have to submit a copy of your current contract when you applied? I did. Immi is also making a stink about the fact that my tax statement with my earnings from last year does not have an official school stamp on it or anything like that. So now I have to rely on our overworked administrator to fix that for me. They're also asking for an original, which means snail-mailing it to immi and it taking even longer... @.@ |
Your original? Immi took my original when I applied for my regular visa. Original contract. Original marriage cert. Guess that means that's I can't apply.
Why should your taxes have the school stamp on them? It's from the tax office. At least you should have it by the end of the sumemr! |
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Lolimahro
Joined: 19 May 2009
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| Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2012 11:57 pm Post subject: |
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| naturegirl321 wrote: |
| Lolimahro wrote: |
| Son Deureo! wrote: |
| It turns out I was worried for nothing. My F-2-7 was approved five days after I applied, the day before I called to check the status. I got a printed certificate and sticker in my passport today. The new ARC will take a few more weeks. That was by far the most exciting visit to Immigration I've ever had. |
Son Deureo, did you have to submit a copy of your current contract when you applied? I did. Immi is also making a stink about the fact that my tax statement with my earnings from last year does not have an official school stamp on it or anything like that. So now I have to rely on our overworked administrator to fix that for me. They're also asking for an original, which means snail-mailing it to immi and it taking even longer... @.@ |
No, I gave them copies of everything else (I let them see the originals of everything except the contract, which they already have because I gave it to them when renewing my visa). So I don't know why they need an original, either. I will probably call them later and ask if I can fax or e-mail a copy of it.
I don't know why they even need my contract, since the visa isn't tied to my job. Probably they want to make sure I didn't make the money doing illegal work. It would've been nice to know these details before applying, though. Oh, well - I hope it doesn't slow down the process too much.
Your original? Immi took my original when I applied for my regular visa. Original contract. Original marriage cert. Guess that means that's I can't apply.
Why should your taxes have the school stamp on them? It's from the tax office. At least you should have it by the end of the sumemr! |
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naturegirl321
Joined: 18 Jul 2006
Location: Home sweet home
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| Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2012 12:34 am Post subject: |
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I should make copies next time. Guess I can't apply. They probably threw away my original contract. You're probably right. They just want to make sure none of the money was made illegally.
Did they say how much longer it'll take? |
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Lolimahro
Joined: 19 May 2009
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| Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2012 5:41 pm Post subject: |
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^ As I said before, you don't need your original contract - just bring a copy (that's what I did). Immi has all my documents from even 3 years ago so you could go to the office (or call them) and check. You can still apply. Your boss should have an additional copy of your contract even if you don't.
I have no idea how much extra time it will take. It depends on if our admin can get it together soon. |
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naturegirl321
Joined: 18 Jul 2006
Location: Home sweet home
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| Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2012 6:48 pm Post subject: |
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| Lolimahro wrote: |
^ As I said before, you don't need your original contract - just bring a copy (that's what I did). Immi has all my documents from even 3 years ago so you could go to the office (or call them) and check. You can still apply. Your boss should have an additional copy of your contract even if you don't.
I have no idea how much extra time it will take. It depends on if our admin can get it together soon. |
I'll have to check. I don't think I have a copy. I have the English original. I might be able to get a Korean one. Still have to take the TOPIK though. |
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Son Deureo!
Joined: 30 Apr 2003
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| Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2012 1:09 am Post subject: |
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| Lolimahro wrote: |
| Son Deureo! wrote: |
| It turns out I was worried for nothing. My F-2-7 was approved five days after I applied, the day before I called to check the status. I got a printed certificate and sticker in my passport today. The new ARC will take a few more weeks. That was by far the most exciting visit to Immigration I've ever had. |
Son Deureo, did you have to submit a copy of your current contract when you applied? I did. Immi is also making a stink about the fact that my tax statement with my earnings from last year does not have an official school stamp on it or anything like that. So now I have to rely on our overworked administrator to fix that for me. They're also asking for an original, which means snail-mailing it to immi and it taking even longer... @.@ |
Sorry I didn't notice this earlier. I showed them an original of my contract, and it's bilingual. My school has us sign two identical originals, they keep one and I keep the other.
As for proving taxable income, Immigration told me to submit proof of taxable income (in Korean 근로소득원천징수 영수증), which is issued by the employer. My school told me it would take a week, so I went to my local tax office to ask for it instead. They couldn't issue the 근로소득원천징수 영수증, but gave me another document (sorry, the name escapes me and Immi kept the only copy) showing my taxes paid over the last year instead which they said was the next best thing. I submitted it to Immigration, and they accepted it grudgingly, but it worked for me so it might work for you too if you're trying to get your docs submitted quickly and your school is not cooperating. |
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Lolimahro
Joined: 19 May 2009
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| Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2012 3:16 am Post subject: |
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| Son Deureo! wrote: |
| Lolimahro wrote: |
| Son Deureo! wrote: |
| It turns out I was worried for nothing. My F-2-7 was approved five days after I applied, the day before I called to check the status. I got a printed certificate and sticker in my passport today. The new ARC will take a few more weeks. That was by far the most exciting visit to Immigration I've ever had. |
Son Deureo, did you have to submit a copy of your current contract when you applied? I did. Immi is also making a stink about the fact that my tax statement with my earnings from last year does not have an official school stamp on it or anything like that. So now I have to rely on our overworked administrator to fix that for me. They're also asking for an original, which means snail-mailing it to immi and it taking even longer... @.@ |
Sorry I didn't notice this earlier. I showed them an original of my contract, and it's bilingual. My school has us sign two identical originals, they keep one and I keep the other.
As for proving taxable income, Immigration told me to submit proof of taxable income (in Korean 근로소득원천징수 영수증), which is issued by the employer. My school told me it would take a week, so I went to my local tax office to ask for it instead. They couldn't issue the 근로소득원천징수 영수증, but gave me another document (sorry, the name escapes me and Immi kept the only copy) showing my taxes paid over the last year instead which they said was the next best thing. I submitted it to Immigration, and they accepted it grudgingly, but it worked for me so it might work for you too if you're trying to get your docs submitted quickly and your school is not cooperating. |
I submitted the 근로소득원천징수 영수증 at the office before, but the school hadn't stamped it. I guess they needed the original stamp, because they wouldn't allow me to just fax it back in, so I snail-mailed it. Anyway, it should get there by Thursday.
So, for anyone who applies in the future: make sure your school uses an official stamp on your income statement or it might not be accepted by the immigration office. |
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Daniel1981
Joined: 30 Dec 2009
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| Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2012 8:08 am Post subject: |
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Hi everyone,
My question is - how are people mostly achieving the points limit?
I looked at the points breakdown a few months ago, and then again came across this helpful graphic that shows the breakdown, although I found it linked on a blog so not 100% sure how accurate it is. It looks official though - http://recruiterinkorea.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/20100517001096_01.jpg?w=300&h=210
Anyhow, when I add up my points, I can only seem to get to 71. I'm wondering if any Bachelor-degree holders are managing to get up to 80?
For those of you who did make the threshold, I would be really interested to know where you were able to find the points. Maybe I am doing the math wrong with regards to the language/culture courses. For me, I show:
age 30-34 --> 25
bachelor's degree --> 10
korean proficiency --> 20
salary --> 5 points
culture class --> 10 points
korean language program --> 1 points
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71
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furtakk
Joined: 02 Jun 2009
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| Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2012 6:49 pm Post subject: |
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Don't think the numbers are right on that blog...
Here is the latest notice from hikorea re: the points visa:
http://i.imgur.com/tV6bO.jpg |
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Daniel1981
Joined: 30 Dec 2009
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| Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2012 10:55 pm Post subject: |
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The points allocation I was using appears to be really outdated. With the above link, I seem to max out at 91, but that is with max korean language and social integration points as well as work experience outside of korea.
Providing my 5 years as a programmer / project manager count, I get the 5 points there. I have a computer science degree and want to work in the computer business here in Korea once I get an F Visa.
Then, the only discretionary / unsure bits are the 20 points for korean language and 10 for social integration.
I need to find out more about those 30 points... Suffice it to say, I am feeling much better about the points approach this morning.. |
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Lolimahro
Joined: 19 May 2009
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| Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2012 2:23 am Post subject: |
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| Daniel1981 wrote: |
The points allocation I was using appears to be really outdated. With the above link, I seem to max out at 91, but that is with max korean language and social integration points as well as work experience outside of korea.
Providing my 5 years as a programmer / project manager count, I get the 5 points there. I have a computer science degree and want to work in the computer business here in Korea once I get an F Visa.
Then, the only discretionary / unsure bits are the 20 points for korean language and 10 for social integration.
I need to find out more about those 30 points... Suffice it to say, I am feeling much better about the points approach this morning.. |
If you complete the social integration course you will get 25 points (15 for language proficiency and 10 for completion of the course). Here is how I qualified:
Age = 23 points
BA = 26 points
Korean Proficiency (via Social integration course) = 15 points
Yearly income = 6 points
Social Integration program = 10 points
Total = 80 points.
With the completion of the social integration course it's really easy to qualify - read more on this thread and the "Update on the F-2 Points Visa" thread and you'll find lots of information there. The website for the Social integration course is: socinet.go.kr |
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Son Deureo!
Joined: 30 Apr 2003
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| Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2012 6:46 am Post subject: |
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Here's how I qualified:
Age (37): 23 pts
Education (M.S.): 30
Korean language ability (intermediate TOPIK, also automatic w/ completion of KIIP): 15
Income (under W35mil/yr): 5
Integration Program: 10
Study in Korea (university Korean program): 3
This brought me to a total of 86 points, and obviously that was 6 points more than I needed.
If you're between 25-39 years old (Western age, not Korean age)and here on an E2 with a BA, it's not hard to qualify for this as long as you pass the Integration Program
Age (25-29, 35-39): 23 (add 2 if 30-34)
Education (BA): 26
Korean: 15
Income (minimum): 5
Integration program: 10
Total: 79 points
If you're one point shy you can get credit for "less than a year" of volunteer work by doing at least 20 hours of volunteer work, but you might also be able to get it either by age, income, or prior professional work experience.
For any E-2 visa holder here in who isn't under 25 or over 40, the biggest obstacle to getting the F-2-7 visa is language ability and the time investment required to complete the Integration Program. It took me almost a year to test into and complete the integration program at the rate of 5-6 hours of class every Saturday or Sunday, and I tested into level 4 (out of 5).
Daniel, do I understand you correctly that you have passed the advanced TOPIK test (level 5/6) and graduated from a university language program like the one at Sogang or Yonsei? If so, here are your points according to the current scheme (linked to by lohlimaro, and it is correct):
age 30-34 --> 25
bachelor's degree --> 26
korean proficiency --> 20
salary --> 5 points
korean language program --> 3 points
Total: 79 points. As long as you do at least 20 hours of documented volunteer work or can document your professional work experience to Immigration's satisfaction (call Immigration at 1345 to find out about how to do that, I didn't have to do this), it looks like you qualify for the F-2-7 now. Well done, sir. |
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Daniel1981
Joined: 30 Dec 2009
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| Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2012 8:54 pm Post subject: |
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Hi Son Deureo!, Lolimahro
Thanks for your replies.
I agree, the key component is the language and social integration points. So after reading all I could find on these two components yesterday, I've restarted my korean language learning in force. I have a bunch of TOPIK test books and through self testing in the winter was in the 3/4 level range. I hope I can test into level 3 or 4 of the integration program, and do the 12-18 months required. With that, I am good to go.
I pick up points for age (30-34 age group) and I think I can get 5 points for previous work experience so I'm feeling good.
I registered at socinet yesterday, and from reading this thread, it looks like I can register for the program in July..
On the site, I found links to a) register for the program and a seperate link for b) assessment registration.. The assessment portion registration expired on Saturday, only 2 days ago  and the assessment is next Saturday.. So, I'm not sure if that means I missed a testing window that prevents me from program registraiton in July, or if I am still okay to start in July.
Does anyone know about the summer/July program and associated dates for placement/assessment registration, program registration, etc?
Thanks again everyone!
PS - Son Deuro, I have not tested TOPIK yet, so instead of the second point suggestion you made, I am going to attack it using the first point strategy you posted above. The 15 points for korean, and 10 for integration program  The only question I have yet to resolve is, when I can start the program |
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