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behindtheveil
Joined: 19 Sep 2006
Location: Gimpo
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 Posted: Thu Nov 30, 2006 11:50 pm Post subject: Question about Tourist Visa |
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I plan to come to Korea in about a month to look for a job. So i'm going to get a tourist visa. My question is does it last from the date it's issued or from the date of my arrival in the country?
Also i'm going to be flying in on a one-way ticket. If anyone has any advice for me in case i'm questioned as to my reasons for coming to Korea on a one-way ticket that would also be appreciated.
thanks.
jared |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Fri Dec 01, 2006 12:30 am Post subject: Re: Question about Tourist Visa |
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| behindtheveil wrote: |
I plan to come to Korea in about a month to look for a job. So i'm going to get a tourist visa. My question is does it last from the date it's issued or from the date of my arrival in the country?
Also i'm going to be flying in on a one-way ticket. If anyone has any advice for me in case i'm questioned as to my reasons for coming to Korea on a one-way ticket that would also be appreciated.
thanks.
jared |
Are you actually going to get a 90 day C3 visa or just a visa waiver tourist stamp on arrival?
What is your country of origin? |
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behindtheveil
Joined: 19 Sep 2006
Location: Gimpo
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| Posted: Sat Dec 02, 2006 10:54 pm Post subject: |
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| I'm American. But i thought it would be a good idea to get a visa beforehand for two reasons. First i was under the impression that the on-arrival visa was only 30 days, but i've just read that it's 30-90 days. Second i thought i would get asked less questions on arrival if i arrived with the visa. Let me know what advice you have. Thanks. |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Sat Dec 02, 2006 11:44 pm Post subject: |
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| behindtheveil wrote: |
| I'm American. But i thought it would be a good idea to get a visa beforehand for two reasons. First i was under the impression that the on-arrival visa was only 30 days, but i've just read that it's 30-90 days. Second i thought i would get asked less questions on arrival if i arrived with the visa. Let me know what advice you have. Thanks. |
You are correct, as an American you only get 30 days for your stamp. (Other nationalities get 90 and Canadians get 180).
Your best bet, if you are job hunting is to arrange a C3 tourist visa ahead of time. It will be 90 days instead of the 30 on your visa waiver stamp.
You still technically require a ticket OUT of Korea and the airline MAY check and may not allow you to board without one. Immigration never checks but the responsibility/cost for your removal falls on the airline so they are usually pretty anal about it, especially from the states.
Be prepared to purchase a refundable ticket to anywhere. Guam works great for Americans because the ticket is cheap and you don't need to worry about passage out because it is an American territory.
So get the cheapest ticket to Seoul and a refundable ticket from Seoul to Guam (or anywhere else that may be cheap - like Taiwan). When you get here, cash in your ticket to Guam. |
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thebum
Joined: 09 Jan 2005
Location: North Korea
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| Posted: Sat Dec 02, 2006 11:46 pm Post subject: |
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| ttompatz wrote: |
| behindtheveil wrote: |
| I'm American. But i thought it would be a good idea to get a visa beforehand for two reasons. First i was under the impression that the on-arrival visa was only 30 days, but i've just read that it's 30-90 days. Second i thought i would get asked less questions on arrival if i arrived with the visa. Let me know what advice you have. Thanks. |
You are correct, as an American you only get 30 days for your stamp. (Other nationalities get 90 and Canadians get 180).
Your best bet, if you are job hunting is to arrange a C3 tourist visa ahead of time. It will be 90 days instead of the 30 on your visa waiver stamp.
You still technically require a ticket OUT of Korea and the airline MAY check and may not allow you to board without one. Immigration never checks but the responsibility/cost for your removal falls on the airline so they are usually pretty anal about it, especially from the states.
Be prepared to purchase a refundable ticket to anywhere. Guam works great for Americans because the ticket is cheap and you don't need to worry about passage out because it is an American territory.
So get the cheapest ticket to Seoul and a refundable ticket from Seoul to Guam (or anywhere else that may be cheap - like Taiwan). When you get here, cash in your ticket to Guam. |
bull shit, if you have a visa, even a tourist visa, you don't need a ticket out of korea. i checked this with korean immigration and even with the airline. i came to korea on a 90 day tourist visa with a one way ticket. |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Sat Dec 02, 2006 11:58 pm Post subject: |
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| thebum wrote: |
| ttompatz wrote: |
| behindtheveil wrote: |
| I'm American. But i thought it would be a good idea to get a visa beforehand for two reasons. First i was under the impression that the on-arrival visa was only 30 days, but i've just read that it's 30-90 days. Second i thought i would get asked less questions on arrival if i arrived with the visa. Let me know what advice you have. Thanks. |
You are correct, as an American you only get 30 days for your stamp. (Other nationalities get 90 and Canadians get 180).
Your best bet, if you are job hunting is to arrange a C3 tourist visa ahead of time. It will be 90 days instead of the 30 on your visa waiver stamp.
You still technically require a ticket OUT of Korea and the airline MAY check and may not allow you to board without one. Immigration never checks but the responsibility/cost for your removal falls on the airline so they are usually pretty anal about it, especially from the states.
Be prepared to purchase a refundable ticket to anywhere. Guam works great for Americans because the ticket is cheap and you don't need to worry about passage out because it is an American territory.
So get the cheapest ticket to Seoul and a refundable ticket from Seoul to Guam (or anywhere else that may be cheap - like Taiwan). When you get here, cash in your ticket to Guam. |
bull *beep*, if you have a visa, even a tourist visa, you don't need a ticket out of korea. i checked this with korean immigration and even with the airline. i came to korea on a 90 day tourist visa with a one way ticket. |
I don't care what the ramp agent told you. If you get a new counter agent and they check they WILL see the following:
http://www.timaticweb.com/cgi-bin/tim_website_client.cgi?SpecData=1&HEALTH=1&VISA=1&page=health&NA=US&AR=00&EM=US&PASSTYPES=PASS&DE=KR&selDest=Korea%28Rep.%29&selTrans=Use+ctrl-key+to+select+or+deselect+transit+point%28s%29+above&selVisi=Use+ctrl-key+to+select+or+deselect+visited+countries+above&Submit=Submit&user=NWB2C&subuser=NWB2C
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In all cases:
1. visitor must hold:
- return/onward ticket (if not advised otherwise) and all
documents required for next destination; and
- sufficient funds for maintenance; and
- contact address in Korea Rep.
==============================================
The only exceptions are working/residencial visas.
Like I said... be prepared....
Last edited by ttompatz on Wed Dec 13, 2006 8:42 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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emmajane
Joined: 30 Sep 2006
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| Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2006 1:46 am Post subject: |
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| Im British and came in with just my passport and one-way ticket and they gave us 90 days no Q's asked. |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2006 2:59 am Post subject: |
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| emmajane wrote: |
| Im British and came in with just my passport and one-way ticket and they gave us 90 days no Q's asked. |
And some years you catch a cold and some years you don't.
Just because you didn't get one last time doesn't mean you won't get one next time. |
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behindtheveil
Joined: 19 Sep 2006
Location: Gimpo
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| Posted: Wed Dec 06, 2006 8:06 pm Post subject: |
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Hey, thanks for everyones advice. I think its important to know both what the rules are and also what it's possible to get away with.
Does anyone know if when i'm issued a visa from the Korean embassy if the countdown towards expiration begins then or if its when i enter the country?
Thanks again.
Jared |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Wed Dec 06, 2006 8:31 pm Post subject: |
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| behindtheveil wrote: |
Hey, thanks for everyones advice. I think its important to know both what the rules are and also what it's possible to get away with.
Does anyone know if when i'm issued a visa from the Korean embassy if the countdown towards expiration begins then or if its when i enter the country?
Thanks again.
Jared |
Your have 90 days in which to enter the country or it will expire and you will have to get another one.
Once you enter the country you have 90 days IN the country before you have to leave. |
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princess
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: soul of Asia
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| Posted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 7:02 pm Post subject: |
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| As an American, can I get an extension on my 30 day tourist visa which ends Dec. 30th? I have a job already, but I am worried that I may go over my 30 day visa while waiting to get sent to Japan for my E2. The school told me they once had a teacher go 3 days over her tourist visa while waiting for the school to get going on the E2 visa. Luckily, she was not fined. I'd still like to CMA though. |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 7:23 pm Post subject: |
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| princess wrote: |
| As an American, can I get an extension on my 30 day tourist visa which ends Dec. 30th? I have a job already, but I am worried that I may go over my 30 day visa while waiting to get sent to Japan for my E2. The school told me they once had a teacher go 3 days over her tourist visa while waiting for the school to get going on the E2 visa. Luckily, she was not fined. I'd still like to CMA though. |
I think they are lying to you.
You WILL be fined at the time of departure if you overstay your visa waiver stamp.
You CANNOT to the best of my knowledge get an extension on a tourist waiver stamp.
They have NO excuse for being late. It is currently taking only 4 working days to process your visa confirmation number. Osaka still does overnight visa processing. Get thee on a plane princess.
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princess
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: soul of Asia
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| Posted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 7:51 pm Post subject: |
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| Thanks, ttompatz! They told me the school wrote some kind of letter for this girl to give to immigration and she wasn't fined. But my impression has always been that you CAN get fined 100,000 for each day you go over, so it is hard to believe she wasn't fined 300,000. I am waiting on my school to tell me when to come in and sign the contract so I can give them all my documents. So, if I do this by the 18th, I shuld get the visa number in a few days. It shouldn't take past the 30th to get it. The Canadian manager acts like it could take longer than the 30th, but I don't think so. |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 8:38 pm Post subject: |
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| princess wrote: |
| Thanks, ttompatz! They told me the school wrote some kind of letter for this girl to give to immigration and she wasn't fined. But my impression has always been that you CAN get fined 100,000 for each day you go over, so it is hard to believe she wasn't fined 300,000. I am waiting on my school to tell me when to come in and sign the contract so I can give them all my documents. So, if I do this by the 18th, I shuld get the visa number in a few days. It shouldn't take past the 30th to get it. The Canadian manager acts like it could take longer than the 30th, but I don't think so. |
Good luck to you. You are pushing the envelope a bit with the holidays in there. Any delays can leave you stuck holding the bag.
Whatever you do, DON'T overstay. Catch a ferry or plane to somewhere. Even after you pay the fine and get your visa this time an overstay can still come back to haunt you later.
Last resort, jump to Japan on the 30th and wait in a capsul room until they get your confirmation number. If it takes more than 5 working days, find another school cause they are pulling your chain. |
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dimnd
Joined: 19 May 2005
Location: Western USA
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| Posted: Mon Dec 18, 2006 7:59 pm Post subject: 90 day and onward ticket |
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| I arrived on a 90-dayer the end of November..rest assured..my ticket agent at United was not a newbie..and I had to have an onward ticket...worth paying 45 at the consulate for a 90-day and worth paying for the r/t...hence..no expensive shocks at the ticket counter..... |
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