Korean Job Discussion Forums

beekeeper3000 · Joined: 13 Jun 2005 Location: Seoul, South Korea

History:

I'm not in the military so I'm not sure what restrictions apply there, but I suspect they are the same as for a civilian. I've been dating my girlfriend for almost 7 months and am about to end my contract and return to America to begin a new job. I'm not ready to marry her yet, but want to know how our relationship would function if I was; i.e., marriage is a possibility IMO.

Problem:

She's not my wife, so it may be difficult to bring her abroad. She has a steady job (and hence income) and she is property owners. She does not speak a great deal of English. Obviously she is not a prostitute and she would only be going to the States for a month and then returning (seeing where the relationship goes from there).

Considerations:

It has been suggested that we purchase a fake visa (which apparently can be bought for as little as $3000). I have no interest in involving the shady side of legality and wish to go by the books.

I have heard that it can be difficult to pass the interview (even though English isn't a requirement).

The major obstacle is that she would be traveling alone since I'd already be in the States.

Ideas? Suggestions?

Serious replies only.

RACETRAITOR · Joined: 24 Oct 2005 Location: Seoul, South Korea

Be honest with yourself and her. Don't take her halfway around the world into a country where she certainly won't fit in if you aren't sure the relationship is going somewhere.

animalbirdfish · Joined: 04 Feb 2004

inkoreaforgood · Joined: 15 Dec 2003 Location: Inchon

Milwaukiedave · Joined: 02 Oct 2004 Location: Goseong

I agree, bad idea. And if you get caught, you can pretty much write off any chance she would have of staying. Add to that the fact you will probably be doing some time in a federal prison.

I'm not sure whether I can say 7 months is long enough or not. My wife and I dated for about that long before we married. I'd just make sure it's what both of you want.

And by the way...here is where you should be looking for info:

http://seoul.usembassy.gov/importance_notices.html

Buff · Joined: 07 Apr 2004

Look into a visitor's visa if she's only planning to stay a month.

ontheway · Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2006 6:43 am Post subject:

Your girlfriend should be able to get a tourist visa to go to America and visit. The purpose of visa interviews is to make sure that the visitor is planning to return to her home country. They do not want to give visa's to people who might want to stay or look for a husband. As long as she's going for tourism, a vacation and to visit friends etc. no problem.

bellum99 · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Location: don't need to know

I HAVE A BUDDY WHO CAN SNEAK HER IN FOR $5000 BUT SHE WILL HAVE TO WORK OFF THE DEBT.......

Just joking. Really the fake visa thing sounded almost as bad.

spinario · Joined: 24 May 2006 Location: daegu

M-I-S-T-A-K-E

she'll run as soon as the plane touches down on the tarmac....like the roadrunner, with his legs spinning like a windmill during a hurricane

oh, and good luck

p.s. i'm waiting for the "should I eat yellow snow?" post.

EdInstead · Joined: 20 Jul 2006

The USA scans/enters numbers of visas now.

Try to enter with a fake, and you're in big trouble.

If she is able to get a legal Tourist Visa from the USA Embassy, then she will be fine. Just make sure you don't walk next to each other when you exit the plane, or the security guys will jump on you and ask 10 questions about if you plan to marry. Even still, you will probably be fine if she has the proper visa.

Qinella · Joined: 25 Feb 2005 Location: the crib

There was a lady who came to my hagwon last year looking for help to get a visa so she could visit her gyopo son in Alabama. She got the deal closed pretty quickly, less than a couple months. Tourist visa.

OCOKA Dude · Joined: 04 Oct 2004 Location: Seoul

SeoulFinn · Joined: 27 Feb 2006 Location: 1h from Seoul

kermo · Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2006 2:12 pm Post subject:

djsmnc · Joined: 20 Jan 2003 Location: Dave's ESL Cafe

My girlfriend is in the States with me now. We came here not so long ago, and the way we did it was by having her enroll in classes full time at a local school well in advance. Doesn't hurt her at all, since an American degree of any kind will be respected back home in Korea, and her English is good enough that she placed well on her preliminary exams. If her English were poor, it still wouldn't have been a problem...

Where are you from? If you 2 are truly in love, help her find an ESL program at a community college or private school. I know Kaplan and Berlitz have English programs. She'll need English anyway to avoid feeling isolated.

BELIEVE ME. Unless she is so westernized that she can really eat oily crap everyday, or salads, which seem to be the only alternative here.

You should also have a good relationship with your family, because family is pretty important to a lot of Koreans. My girlfriend likes to have time with the moms sometimes so they can go shopping and my love has an '언니' in a way.

Why do I stay on Dave's when I am not in Korea some might ask? Because I plan to go back.

Anyhow, my girl gets a good response from people, and I've seen some guys really check her out, which makes her think a lot of American guys are pretty 느끼해.

Be read to babysit and expect that she'll need lots of help opening accounts, driving, etc...

Good luck