Korean Job Discussion Forums

[DHC]

I received my F-5 last month , 6 months after I applied in Incheon. Imm. officer said the delay was caused because the same persons investigating F-5 applications must now investigate F-2 applications as well. F-5 applications are delayed because the applicants possess F-2 visas and have no problems with employment , etc. An investigator did come to my home for a face to face interview with me and my wife. We were questioned about our marriage , financial status ,etc. and the interview was in Korean. The invetigator said that after more investigators are employed the time to process the F-5 application will be reduced. At present there are only two investigators assigned in Incheon.

The reason given for investigating F-2 and F-5 applicants is the increase in fradulant marriages to obtain these visas since the F-2 and F-5 visas give the holders essentilly the same rights as Korean citizens. After holding the F-5 for three years you are entitled to vote in local elections. There is talk of extending that right at a lter date to include all elections. As a final note , I would like to say that through the whole process the Imm. office in Incheon was very helpful and the investigator who came to my home was very professional and polite.

[tzechuk]

Interesting, DHC.

A couple of things re my case:

1. I am a woman. Came here on the invitation of the Ministry of info and tech back in 2000.

2. I've had my F-2 for 4 years.

3. We have a child.

When we first applied for my F-2, it was implied that I'd more or less automatically be given the F-5 after 5 years (that was back in 2002 before the law was changed).

I hope they are not going to take forever with this.

Incidentally, does anyone know if I can leave the country during the process?

[DHC]

Usually , a woman should have an easier time with the application but the majority of the fraudulant marriages have been with foreign women. I have a child also and in your case you should not have a problem.

Yes , you can leave Korea during the appliction process provided that you have a multple entry permit for your F-2. I left many time uring my application process.

[jinju]

DHC,

did it really take 6 months?! Thats unacceptable. I know you wouldnt want to piss off the guy processing your visa but you should have let them know your displeasure about it taking so long once you had the visa in your hand. 6 months is really absurd. It took me about 6 weeks to get it and there was no interview.

I do think that women will have a much easier time getting the visa than men. There is much less stigma attached to Korean men marrying foreign women than the othr way around. Also, you dont have to be the "provider" which means that they will probably be more lenient as far as the money stipulations go. Which office will you be applying to trzechuk? I went through Mokdong and they were very fast.

[tzechuk]

I've applied for it last week at Daejeon.

I was under the impression that they don't do many of them there.

[DHC]

Jinju,

Yes , it really took six months. Throughout that time we contacted Imm. several times. They were always apologetic and polite. Incheon has experienced a large increase in foreign workers and that has greatly increased the workload. A new Imm. building is being built now and additional staff are upposed to be hired. The explaination given and my holding a valid F-2 at the time is understandable although a bit longer than I liked. Hopefully , the processing time in Incheon will be reduced for future F-5 applicants.

[tzechuk]

I had a phone *interview* with an immigration officer on Tuesday that lasted for about 10 minutes (all in Korean) ... it was super easy. He didn't ask me anything that your average taxi driver ajosshi doesn't ask anyway, so I passed with flying colours. He kept saying *chok-shim-ni-da*...

So he talked with my husband for 10 minutes and said that the process is finished and I should get my visa within 15 days (from Tuesday), so I am hoping that I'll get it some time next week.

Today is exactly one month since I applied... so it took them 3 weeks to process my application to call me. Mind you, my husband called them, though, so may be they got on with it after the phone call my husband made?

[Southern Drawl]

Tzechuk,

Thanks for the update.

Could you give some specific examples of the questions you were asked?
I also live in Daejeon. I applied for my F-5 a couple of weeks ago and I need to get ready for the interview.

Thanks!!!!

[cmr]

Can anyone provide a link to get official information about the f-5 visa?

I didn't even know such a visa existed until I saw this thread. I checked the Immigration site but couldn't find information about it.

My F-2-1 will expire in about a month. I had it for two years. I want to know if I can get an F-5 right away, and if so what I need for it. Anyone can provide any information?

One more thing, having an F-5 visa, does one still need to go through the same process as with an F-2-1 when signing up for a new job?

[denverdeath]

[tzechuk]

[tzechuk]

[cmr]

[3baekwon]

I applied for my F5 a week or two ago in SuWon... I'd had the F-2-1 for 2 years and three days at the point of application. I had just renewed my F-2-1 the week before. I HAD to renew my F-2-1 then because you have to have had it for a full 2 years before applying for the F5 and I was just days short of that anniversary. The immi man was not unkind, but seemed uninterested in anything but the paperwork (no mention of a visit, etc.) I asked him (in Korean) about the language test and he just shrugged his shoulders and said not to worry about it. They kept both my ARC and my passport, so I sincerely hope it will not be a 6-month wait!!!!!

[tzechuk]

Yay, got my visa today! Took a total of 5 working days from the phone conversation I had with the immi officer who called to ask questions.

No more immigration visits for me from now on!!