Korean Job Discussion Forums

last goodbye · Joined: 13 Aug 2006

Has anyone had any problems recently entering on a tourist visa? I have done before with no probs....but was 18 months ago...and I herad its a little harder now...

Lizara · Joined: 14 Apr 2004 Location: Seoul

Twice in the past month. No problems.

Pak Yu Man · Joined: 02 Jun 2005 Location: The Ida galaxy

Yep...Korea no longer aloows tourists in the country. Only Koreans and people with proper visas may enter.

See how silly you sound now.

PortHardy · Joined: 16 Aug 2006

You have to have a return ticket home. You can't enter on a oneway ticket. This happened to a buddy of mine as they wouldn't let him board the flight until he purchased a return ticket. The cheap Bast@rd didn't have enough cash and his credit cards didn't have enough room so missed his flight. I ended up buying his return ticket with my credit card the next day. Maybe he was pulling a fast one on me? Who knows? He paid me back after a month here as a tourist. Canadians get 6 months but I think Americans only get a month? Why is that?

dimnd · Joined: 19 May 2005 Location: Western USA

Americans can have a 30-day tourist visa without turning in passport to Korean Consulate.

If we want a 90-day tourist visa ..we...as Americans...have to turn our passport in to the Korean Consulate that services the state one is in...and then have it overnighted back to us..It takes two days by mail to get done.

ttompatz · Joined: 05 Sep 2005 Location: Kwangju, South Korea

michinkorea · Joined: 27 Jul 2006

I just got here 2 days ago with my full work visa. There was another couple on the plane with me that ended up inline in front of me at immigration. They had no visa and were going to Pusan to teach. They had no return ticket and were going to go on a visa run to Japan next week. They said that their boss said that 50% of his teachers do this. They walked right through immigrations without any questions. It could have been that it was 3am and the guy didn't care though....

Wangja · Joined: 17 May 2004 Location: Seoul, Yongsan

The issue is usually not with immigration but the airline at check-in.

If they had been turned back, the airline would have been fined and obliged to fly 'em out.

TheUrbanMyth · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Location: Retired

Wangja · Joined: 17 May 2004 Location: Seoul, Yongsan

bobohawke · Joined: 16 Jul 2006 Location: Seoul

yeah no problems, just try to have an address where your goin to be staying this will help when going through immi..

Wangja · Joined: 17 May 2004 Location: Seoul, Yongsan

OK.

"I'm a Korean. Can I enter USA on a tourist visa with a one-way ticket while I try and find a job?"

Does this alter your perception?

lastat06513 · Posted: Sun Aug 20, 2006 10:07 pm Post subject:

Hey Wangja- My wife (a chinese) came with me from Kuwait into JFK and they didn't ask for her ticket, though she had one.

They just asked why she was there and then after a second stamped her in- poof!

Does that answer your question?

As the other posters had mentioned, usually it is not the immigrations policy to check, but the airlines or other modes of transportation that you are taken.

But, then again, there are also unexpected surprises- When I go to Japan, they DO ask to see my return ticket....

just because · Joined: 01 Aug 2003 Location: Changwon - 4964

Neil · Joined: 02 Jan 2004 Location: Tokyo

Yes, it depends on if the check in person at the departing airport is a stickler for the rules or not.

All anecdotal so don't take this as fact but I've not had problems when flying to Korea from Asian countries but I think most western airports won't let people fly on a one way (Heathrow for sure). I reckon it's because western airlines are losing so much money thesedays they are uber paranoid about getting fined (no matter how small the chances).