Korean Job Discussion Forums

[endofthewor1d]

okay, so anything involving governments and embassies are a pain in the ass, but this is ridiculous.
we tried playing by the rules. we got all of our papers in order. we got married on paper in both countries. we're having our ceremony in november, but my parents won't be able to make it because they're still dealing with katrina-related issues. but we thought it wouldn't be a huge deal to visit my parents after we got married, for our christmas break. we were told by travel agents, and the guy at the window in the embassy that being married would up our chances of getting a successful non-immigrant visa for my wife to the states. she's been working in a crummy job that she hates for the past six months just because we were also told that this would give her a better chance. everything was in order. so we went to the embassy last week and applied. they told us it wouldn't be possible. why? because we're married. they said a lot of people get married, take a trip to the states, and decide they don't want to come back. fair enough. i understand their point of view, particularly if this is a regular occurrance for them. but nobody told us about that before. grrr...
silver lining... they said if we apply for an immigrant visa, we'll have a better chance at getting a non-immigrant visa. this is what puzzles me. the only way we can convince them that we don't want to stay and live in the u.s. is by pretending that we do. personally, i think it's just a ploy to squeeze another 200 bucks out of us. if that was the case, i wish they'd just tell us as much and we could be done with it. but no, we've got to get up early and go through all of the headaches involved with applying for a visa that we don't even want in order to get a 'maybe' for the visa that we do want.

it's really kind of annoying. i can see how some couples might not be able to hack it here, and might want to move back to the states. this country certainly isn't for everyone. but i've been in the hakwon system for three years, and have finally had my first year with a college job. i'm happy as a clam. we just bought an oven, a washing machine, a new refrigerator, and a kimchi refrigerator. these are not the purchases of a couple who isn't intending to stick around.
we aren't fleeing any religious persecution or potato famines. there's not a pot of gold waiting for me in america. my only marketable skills are that i'm white and i can fluently speak my native language. the only job i held in the states with any potential upward advancement opportunities was at one of the mississippi gulf coast casinos, and those have all recently been wiped out. my wife doesn't have a lot of promising career opportunities in the states either. and i would be the only person she knows there. it's as clear as day. we're coming back. why can't they see this?

anyway... wish us luck tomorrow.

[crazylemongirl]

Sorry to hear about this. Getting a visa for a Korean to visit the states is damn near impossible. A lot of it comes down to how many sejongs you have in the bank.

As people from rich white countries, I often think we don't realise how much more freedom we have to travel internationally than other places. I was telling my minder I was planning on visiting the states, and she was concerned about me getting a visa and she had such a hard time. She wasn't at all impressed when I told her that Canadians nor Kiwis need a visa to enter the states.

[Ekuboko]

One of the teachers (Korean) at my school visited the States in August (her brother and his family live there). Before she went to have the interview to get granted a visa, someone told her she shouldn't let on that she is an English teacher, so she spoke the bare minimum needed to answer the questions!

[dulouz]

Its good to see that immigration restrictions are working although if it impedes your good intent, I regret it. Its time to move onto the Mexicans. Americans got tired of the abuse like The Koreans pull off. They have babies in The US to hedge bets and the actions are not altruistic.

I've read that these have sent plenty of people away but the Mexicans still hold the reins. Giving away US citizenship is giving away a winning lottrery ticket and we don't have to pretend to pretend it doesn't matter. That is folley.

After Mexico, comes China. In order to be fair to everyone we have to move a million Chinese. That will be very unpopular. China is rich now, China can feed its poor. They don't need China town immigrants to wash dishes.

[endofthewor1d]

I just wrote this letter. it says pretty much what i just wrote here on the board. but i'm wondering if it's appropriate to give to an embassy worker. what do you think? would you change anything, or just scrap it all together?




To whom it may concern:
As I am a more gifted writer than a speaker, I would like to express our plea for a Non-Immigrant Visa in written, rather than spoken, words. We attempted to apply for this last week, but were told that it would not be possible for my wife to get such a visa because we are married.
I can understand your concern, particularly if it��s true that many couples opt to stay in the states rather than make good on the returning to Korea part of the visa stipulations. However, if our case is looked at individually, it��s not difficult to see that we are not a high risk of dishonoring such stipulations.
We were told that you need to see evidence that we are compelled financially to come back to Korea. I believe the evidence we can provide should be more than adequate.
1. I have lived in Korea for the past four years. The first three of those were in language institutes. This is not a particularly satisfying line of work. I worked difficult hours and had to play a lot of politics with employers and students�� parents. But I stuck with it for three years. Now I��ve moved on to work at ***** College. This is much more satisfying. I��m respected there, and I enjoy my job. I have no desire to leave. Reason 1: I��ve been here long enough to prove my sincerity in wanting to stay.
2. I��ve been out of the U.S. workforce for quite a while. Even when I was in, I didn��t have much to look forward to. The only job I ever held in the U.S. with any advancement potential was at the Beau Rivage casino on the coast of Mississippi. That casino, along with all of the other ones on the gulf coast, has been wiped out by hurricane Katrina. I have a BA in English. My only marketable skill is that I can fluently speak my native language. Reason 2: I��m all but unemployable in the U.S.
For my wife:
1. She doesn��t know anyone in the States, and she doesn��t speak enough English to make it on her own. Reason 1: She, too, is unemployable in the U.S.
2. She and I have recently purchased an oven, a new refrigerator, a washing machine, and a kimchi refrigerator. We have the receipts with us. Reason 2: We wouldn��t buy all of these things if we didn��t intend to come back.
3. We aren��t fleeing religious persecution or a potato famine or anything. We��re both very happy here. She just wants to meet my parents for Christmas, as they can��t make it to our wedding because they are still dealing with issues in the wake of hurricane Katrina. Reason 3: We��ve got nothing to run from.
Like I said, I can appreciate the situation you��re in, but the advice I received from the embassy last week seemed somehow counterintuitive. In order for my wife to receive a Non-Immigrant Visa, we need to apply for an Immigrant Visa. In other words, in order for you to believe that we don��t intend to stay in the U.S., we need to pretend that we do. I thought I would have one more crack at reason and sincerity before we walk down that path. Thank you for your time.

[nrvs]

[kimchikowboy]

Been there, done that. Check your PM.

[canuckistan]

Our experience with the US Embassy in Seoul concerning immigration matters was less than stellar and efficient--in fact their bumbling misinformation wasted a lot of time for us....and our case was an American marrying a Canadian!

[Wangja]

Why do Koreans not apply the same rules to Americans?

How many US visitors, especially young unmarried women, would there be if they had to show a bank deposit of around 10,000 USD and continuing employment etc?

Recirpocity. That works.

[mindmetoo]

[Hater Depot]

Consider writing to your Senators or Representative in Congress, especially if they have a good reputation for consitutent service. They're not unused to helping people with visa issues, and they have the clout to get results.

[Wangja]

[Thunndarr]

To the OP: I am in your exact situation. The wife and I would like to head home for Christmas. We were also told, through the grapevine, that we should begin the immigrant visa process though we have no intention of moving back to the U.S. in the near future.

Anyway, my wife went to the embassy on Friday with all her painsakingly-prepared documents. They told her to come back on Monday with me. I don't know why. Anyway, we went there this morning, waited in the yellow section upstairs for about five minutes and talked to the same guy my wife talked to on Friday. Our conversation was pretty simple.

"You're the husband."
"Yes."
"Do you have your ARC."
"Yes." (Passes it under the window. He scans it, checks for the F-2-1 scrawled on the back, hands it back.)
"Your wife's passport will be delivered by taek-beh next week."
"That's it? We're done?"
"Yeah, that's it."

So, unless he's just being really cruel and leading me on, my wife got a tourist visa for Christmas vacation.

[BigBlackEquus]

Americans intending on marrying a foreign girl and moving to the USA soon after need to follow the best route for doing so. That is generally getting a marriage visa for their future spouse. Takes 3 to 7 months, last I heard. Since 9/11, this has become more efficient at some offices, less at others. Once she gets the visa, you marry in the USA, and she must file for adjustment of visa status. A few years after that, she can go for citizenship (I think).

Unless this has all changed since 9/11 (I think it's just a bit tougher, but similar) it is really a bad thing to marry someone FIRST instead of waiting for the visa to have her do it. It's all set up to penalize people -- literally -- for marrying overseas on a whim or without filing proper papers first. Those like the OP, who actually gave marriage some time, get penalized as well. These laws literally exist to "protect" guys from the sexy young asian girls who prey on older men for visas. Far too many of them used the men as a ticket to the USA, ran off, and became hookers/etc., because they don't have the skills/education/language level to live there on their own. It used to be that if you married a foreign woman overseas, you could expect to wait nearly 2 years for the visa approval to bring her over. The fiance'visa wait was typically 5 to 7 months. So it's a no-brainer which one is best to do (if you know about it, which the OP didn't! It's not like we are told this stuff in advance, so I feel for him). And once you married, you had to have proof establishing your relationship, including photos, e-mails, or whatever you could muster to increase your chances of getting approval.

This goes for women as well.

As someone mentioned, Korea is on the "bad list" as being one of the countries where it is more difficult to get a US tourist visa. There is good reason for this, as was also mentioned. Prostitution, gangs, etc., Korea has created its own international reputation. Or rather, the bad ones who left Korea and did bad things ruined it for all of the good Koreans.

The immigration crap Americans face in Korea is reciprocity at its finest.

[kidcharlemagne]

everybody seems to have their own opinion of the best way to go about getting the visa for the spouse to the states. me too.
i was told that if the spouse already has a tourist visa (mine did), then it is best to wait two years before applying for the non-immigrant visa. after two years, the process is very easy - you don't have to prove anything, like how much money you have.
my wife and i registered our marriage at the embassy but didn't apply for her visa yet. whenever we go to the states, she just goes through the foreign visitor line and shows them her tourist visa, making no mention of her american husband.
if you have been married at least two years, the spouse can receive a permanent non-immigrant visa. less than two years, the visa will be temporary and you'll have to reapply after your second anniversary. who needs that additional headache?
apparently this process isn't really ligit, but the chances of getting caught are pretty much nill.
to the op, good luck with whatever process you choose.