| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
chaz47
Joined: 11 Sep 2003
|
 Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2014 9:42 pm Post subject: |
 |
|
| I got everything ready to go except "US sized passport photos". Are they going to kick back my application for having Korean sized photos... seriously there should be an international standard for an international document. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
nicwr2002
Joined: 17 Aug 2011
|
| Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2014 11:50 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| chaz47 wrote: |
| I got everything ready to go except "US sized passport photos". Are they going to kick back my application for having Korean sized photos... seriously there should be an international standard for an international document. |
All you have to do is tell them the size you need and they can crop it for you at the photo shop. The size is listed on the printable form you have to send with your passport. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Troglodyte
Joined: 06 Dec 2009
|
| Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2014 1:45 am Post subject: |
|
|
| nicwr2002 wrote: |
| chaz47 wrote: |
| I got everything ready to go except "US sized passport photos". Are they going to kick back my application for having Korean sized photos... seriously there should be an international standard for an international document. |
All you have to do is tell them the size you need and they can crop it for you at the photo shop. The size is listed on the printable form you have to send with your passport. |
Any half decent photo studio (including the ones you find at supermarkets) can do this. Show them the size diagram so that he know how big the photo should be and how big your head should be in the photo. It's all done digitally now. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Troglodyte
Joined: 06 Dec 2009
|
| Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2014 1:48 am Post subject: |
|
|
| young_clinton wrote: |
| Go to the Korean Immigration office now and tell them your dilemma! When you're passport expires you're here illegally. The longer you hold of going to Immigration the nastier it will become for you. |
Do NOT do that! Get your new passport and keep quiet about it. If anyone at immigration asks, just say that you've always had a valid passport. There's no way for them to know otherwise. As long as you have one by the time you exit the country though, they aren't going to ask. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
tob55
Joined: 29 Apr 2007
|
| Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2014 3:27 am Post subject: |
|
|
My US Passport expires the 28th of July this year, so now would probably be a good time to schedule an appointment to go get another one. Glad this came up because I was putting it off thinking I have alot of time, but it goes quickly, and it's already close to May. Yikes!  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Okie from Muskogee
Joined: 30 Jan 2014
|
| Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2014 3:56 am Post subject: |
|
|
Folks, don't let your passport expire. Renew at least 6-9 months ahead of expiry date. And make sure you register your renewed passport at K-immigration (you have 14 days to register from issue date or you are subject to fine).
Roaming around in any foreign country with expired passport can cost you a lot of $. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
chaz47
Joined: 11 Sep 2003
|
| Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2014 4:29 am Post subject: |
|
|
Well, seriously guys... it's a hassle to do this if you live in Busan. Even Canada has a decent consulate down here that handles passports.
Case in point, the US Embassy's website says it only accepts documents couriered by Hanjin and Ilyang. The catch is Hanjin doesn't courier documents anymore, and hey... you know waiting 4 hours to learn that doesn't really seem acceptable when the US Embassy will only answer calls if you are being held hostage. It also takes days to respond to emails. Seriously, wtf. We can spend billions of taxpayer dollars policing the world but the Embassy doesn't answer the phone... anyway... I digress.
Sure, I could have solved all of this by renewing my passport just before it expired... but I trusted my wily Canadian friend who told me passports are only necessary to " pass ports ", hence the name. Well, it might work out that he was correct but this whole thing has given me a migraine for sure.
Back on topic, apparently the subway passport pics I got should suffice. The diagram says your head should fill an area between 1 and 1 3/8 inches with 3 centimeters converting to 1.18 inches. Golden! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
bucheon bum
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
|
| Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2014 12:57 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| chaz47 wrote: |
Case in point, the US Embassy's website says it only accepts documents couriered by Hanjin and Ilyang. The catch is Hanjin doesn't courier documents anymore, and hey... you know waiting 4 hours to learn that doesn't really seem acceptable when the US Embassy will only answer calls if you are being held hostage. It also takes days to respond to emails. Seriously, wtf. We can spend billions of taxpayer dollars policing the world but the Embassy doesn't answer the phone... anyway... I digress.
|
Ha.. I had to go to the US Consulate in Surabaya, Indonesia in February to get a document signed. I was the only person there. It still took them 30 minutes to call my number (which in itself was pointless since I was literally the only person waiting). When they finally did, it was an Indonesian who did the processing. Only when it was time to get the signature did the US government employee get up from his desk, come over and sign the paper. What he had been doing up until that point, who knows. Probably surfing the internet at his desk...
Point being I don't think it is a lack of funding that is causing the poor service, it is a bad workforce. I have a couple friends who have to deal with US foreign service people for work and they don't have the best things to say about them...
Just be glad you don't have to get a US visa! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Sector7G
Joined: 24 May 2008
|
| Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2014 1:57 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I actually had the opposite experience at the US Consulate in Shanghai just this past January when I had to add some pages to my passport.
I had made an appointment online for 10:15am, but arrived about 30 minutes early. They started processing my passport within minutes, even though the room was packed with people who were there before me. (I'm guessing they did not have appointments). Anyway, I was out of there before my original appointment time. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
|
| Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2014 6:45 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Troglodyte wrote: |
| young_clinton wrote: |
| Go to the Korean Immigration office now and tell them your dilemma! When you're passport expires you're here illegally. The longer you hold of going to Immigration the nastier it will become for you. |
Do NOT do that! Get your new passport and keep quiet about it. If anyone at immigration asks, just say that you've always had a valid passport. There's no way for them to know otherwise. As long as you have one by the time you exit the country though, they aren't going to ask. |
I would imagine the lack of any visa or for the matter the lack of ENTRY stamps would attract their attention. If he strolls up to Immigration and hands them a perfectly new blank passport...they are going to want to know what is going on.
Then they can call up the record on their computers...which will show them that the passport you gave them does not match numbers...and they will easily be able to find out when it expired and when the new one was issued...the dates are right there in the passports.
And I'm fairly sure you are still required to notify Korean Immigration if/when you get a new passport within the country. I believe within 14 days or some such regulation (it's been a while.) |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
ghostrider
Joined: 27 Jun 2011
|
| Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2014 8:01 pm Post subject: |
|
|
You have to provide immigration with a photocopy of your passport page when you apply for a visa issuance number. You also have to write down the issue and expiration dates of your passport on the visa application form that you submit to the consulate. So of course they can access information about when your passport expires.
I would just go to immigration to register your new passport when you get it. You can find out then if they notice that there is a gap between the expiration date of your old passport and the issue date of your new passport. If they do notice it, then it is better to get the problem taken care of then than at the airport. You don't want to end up missing your flight. I guess the worst thing that could happen is that you would be fined, deported, and banned from working in Korea again. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
young_clinton
Joined: 09 Sep 2009
|
| Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2014 8:19 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Troglodyte wrote: |
| young_clinton wrote: |
| Go to the Korean Immigration office now and tell them your dilemma! When you're passport expires you're here illegally. The longer you hold of going to Immigration the nastier it will become for you. |
Do NOT do that! Get your new passport and keep quiet about it. If anyone at immigration asks, just say that you've always had a valid passport. There's no way for them to know otherwise. As long as you have one by the time you exit the country though, they aren't going to ask. |
Once the visa is expired because the passport has expired doesn't iit stay expired? I don't know really, but Immigration might know and it might cause problems later. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
chaz47
Joined: 11 Sep 2003
|
| Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2014 10:43 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| What if it had been lost or stolen? Would Immigration be looking for the same numbers on a new passport in that case? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
nicwr2002
Joined: 17 Aug 2011
|
| Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2014 11:03 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| chaz47 wrote: |
| What if it had been lost or stolen? Would Immigration be looking for the same numbers on a new passport in that case? |
I'm sure you are fine, just get it done ASAP. I doubt immigration has a countdown on their computer that gives them a Facebook notification that your passport expired. You just can't leave the country unless you get that new passport. I got my new passport and didn't register it for over two weeks. I went on vacation, so I don't think there is a set time for a fine if you don't register it within two weeks. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
chaz47
Joined: 11 Sep 2003
|
| Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 9:57 pm Post subject: |
|
|
This is so completely ridiculous. I had to go out to some weird loading dock in the middle of an industrial area to use the only courier in my area that they will work with. Now, two days later they (US Embassy) have returned my documents saying that I have the wrong amount of money ($184.85 the extra amount is for expedited service) and the wrong size photos.
Both of these are false, and now I have to repeat the whole process and send it off again... and... they don't answer the phone or reply to email.
I had the money order made out exactly for the amount specified by their Passport Wizard... wtf. The photos match the guidelines for 1" to 1 3/8" for the face in their little diagram... it just doesn't have the perfect 2" x 2" of space around it.
Utterly retarded. I mean, I can kind of understand the photo... kind of. But the money issue, this seems like they don't even know their own procedures.
This was my email, I doubt I'll ever get a response...
Hello,
I emailed your office about a week ago to get some sort of guidance on my passport renewal as my time is limited until my departure. I still have yet to receive a reply.
Lacking any correspondence, I used your website's Passport Wizard to prepare my documents. I filled out the forms and requested "Expedited Service" as a result I was instructed to attach an international money order in the amount of $184.85 in USD, which I did. I also obtained passport photos which matched the stated guidelines of having my face between 1 and 1 3/8 inches from chin to crown.
Now the documents were returned to me a day later with a form letter stating the amount of money is incorrect. The letter states I should send the basic fee of $110 and that the photo must fill the 2" x 2" box (even though the diagram in the box doesn't indicate that is necessary. So, I am at a loss. Was there a mistake made in your office?
And, I have to pay to ship the documents again?
Do you have a manager? I think I'd really like to speak with that person.
Regards,
*********************
p.s. You need to update your website, Hanjin no longer couriers documents to your offices. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
