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wanderingsalsero
Joined: 23 Dec 2006
Location: Houston, TX.
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 Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2007 6:51 am Post subject: Got my e-2 visa in 2 days from Houston Korean consulate |
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I'm not sure anymore what this thread is about....something about Houston?
Anyway....somebody might be interested to know that I UPS'ed my passport, visa application and visa issuance number into the Korean consulate on a Saturday. They got it on a Monday, phoned me back to let me know that I didn't sign it so I sent them another one, signed.....then I phoned them back and asked them if they could mail my passport (with the visa) back to Bedford, TX. (where I'm waiting to catch my flight right now), then on Wednesday I received my passport, with the visa back here in Bedford.
I actually received it back by FexEx. They'd told me to include and additional $17 for that..which I did.
Point is, I think that's pretty good service. The young lady I talked to several times by phone at the consulate wasn't very expressive(I guess that's a Korean thing, right?) but she was always very nice and matter-of-fact.
So I'm very satisfied with the Korean consulate in Houston. |
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dogshed
Joined: 28 Apr 2006
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| Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2007 7:44 am Post subject: |
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| gyopogirlfromtexas wrote: |
I got my passport in the mail from the Korean Houston Consulate. I didn't know a visa was just a stamp. But I have another problem. Found out that I have to apply for "official proof of residence" before I come to Korea to not get taxed by the American IRS for the next 2 years, which takes 30 days. I guess I'm stuck in TX for another month.  |
You are confusing the Korean tax exemption with the US Income tax exclusion.
If you are at a public school you can get can be free from paying Korean taxes for two years. The from from the IRS does take awhile to get but it
is possible for you school to arrange that you don't need it. You can probably get it after you leave. Korean taxes are pretty low anyway.
The US tax exclusion is more complicated but if you use the physical presence test you can get out of paying taxes in both countries.
Here is the thread. If it seems to complex then print it out and show it to your tax person. (edit, fixed link)
http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?t=87567&highlight=
Last edited by dogshed on Thu Jun 07, 2007 7:56 am; edited 1 time in total |
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dogshed
Joined: 28 Apr 2006
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| Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2007 7:53 am Post subject: |
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| dogshed wrote: |
The from from the IRS does take awhile to get but it
is possible for you school to arrange that you don't need it. You can probably get it after you leave. |
I said they can. That doesn't mean they will. If you want to wait on the form before leaving I can understand that. If you tell your recruiter why you are waiting then maybe they can make some arrangements.
The IRS will send the form to Korea if needed. |
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gyopogirlfromtexas
Joined: 21 Apr 2007
Location: Austin,Texas
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| Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2007 11:15 am Post subject: Re: Got my e-2 visa in 2 days from Houston Korean consulate |
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| wanderingsalsero wrote: |
I'm not sure anymore what this thread is about....something about Houston?
Anyway....somebody might be interested to know that I UPS'ed my passport, visa application and visa issuance number into the Korean consulate on a Saturday. They got it on a Monday, phoned me back to let me know that I didn't sign it so I sent them another one, signed.....then I phoned them back and asked them if they could mail my passport (with the visa) back to Bedford, TX. (where I'm waiting to catch my flight right now), then on Wednesday I received my passport, with the visa back here in Bedford.
I actually received it back by FexEx. They'd told me to include and additional $17 for that..which I did.
Point is, I think that's pretty good service. The young lady I talked to several times by phone at the consulate wasn't very expressive(I guess that's a Korean thing, right?) but she was always very nice and matter-of-fact.
So I'm very satisfied with the Korean consulate in Houston. |
Yea, I sent mine priority;visa application form with a pic, my passport,prepaid express overnight mail with $16.50 stamp, envelope with 41 cent stamp (so they can mail me the giving away of Korean citizenship confirmation),$45 money order, hojuk, and a form that I'm denouncing my Korean citizenship which I thought I did in the 80's.
The lady I got on the phone from the Houston Korean Consulate several time was really really nice. I spoke Korean to her, and I had to write down lot of the stuff she was telling me I need to do in Korea. Because I wasn't understanding it well. I don't understand big Korean words. Every sentence she said, I would ask what is this word and what does it mean ? I would assume people would get frustrated, but she didn't. I guess to "continue" this visa process in Korea. I guess I did "half" part of it here in the states.
Last edited by gyopogirlfromtexas on Thu Jun 07, 2007 11:25 am; edited 1 time in total |
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gyopogirlfromtexas
Joined: 21 Apr 2007
Location: Austin,Texas
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| Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2007 11:21 am Post subject: |
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| dogshed wrote: |
You are confusing the Korean tax exemption with the US Income tax exclusion.
If you are at a public school you can get can be free from paying Korean taxes for two years. The from from the IRS does take awhile to get but it
is possible for you school to arrange that you don't need it. You can probably get it after you leave. Korean taxes are pretty low anyway.
The US tax exclusion is more complicated but if you use the physical presence test you can get out of paying taxes in both countries.
Here is the thread. If it seems to complex then print it out and show it to your tax person. (edit, fixed link)
http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?t=87567&highlight= |
So the official proof of residence thing is just so I won't pay Korean taxes for 2 years? Not American taxes? |
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gyopogirlfromtexas
Joined: 21 Apr 2007
Location: Austin,Texas
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| Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2007 3:02 pm Post subject: |
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| merkurix wrote: |
| gyopogirlfromtexas wrote: |
| I got my passport in the mail from the Korean Houston Consulate. I didn't know a visa was just a stamp. But I have another problem. Found out that I have to apply for "official proof of residence" before I come to Korea to not get taxed by the American IRS for the next 2 years, which takes 30 days. I guess I'm stuck in TX for another month. |
When did this law come into effect? As far as I know the IRS will not tax your overseas income as long as you file yearly and your gross income does not exceed $75,000. I know Canada has that rule, but now the U.S.? |
I don't know. I'm somewhat confused. I've just read on Epik website that I need the "official proof of residence" paper to not pay taxes for 2 years. I don't know if they mean American or Korean tax? I have a friend going to Japan on JET, and they need their's before they arrive. He doesn't know if that's to be exempt from Japanese or American tax either.
Is this piece of paper mandatory for everywhere you work in Korea? Or you just need it in "some" places? Will I just be wasting $35 bucks to get this and 30 days of my time? |
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gyopogirlfromtexas
Joined: 21 Apr 2007
Location: Austin,Texas
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| Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2007 3:10 pm Post subject: |
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| dogshed wrote: |
| dogshed wrote: |
The from from the IRS does take awhile to get but it
is possible for you school to arrange that you don't need it. You can probably get it after you leave. |
I said they can. That doesn't mean they will. If you want to wait on the form before leaving I can understand that. If you tell your recruiter why you are waiting then maybe they can make some arrangements.
The IRS will send the form to Korea if needed. |
Did you receive your's under 30 days? I'm worried because I hear it can take up to 6 months. My friend filed 3 weeks ago, and it's still not here. But it hasn't exactly been 30 days. maybe they mean business days. |
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gyopogirlfromtexas
Joined: 21 Apr 2007
Location: Austin,Texas
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| Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2007 3:19 pm Post subject: Re: Houston isn't so bad......and a question of my own. |
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| wanderingsalsero wrote: |
Myself, right now......I'm trying to figure out how many sticks of deodorant I can take on my NW flight next week. I saw something on their site about everything having to fit into a quart baggie so it seems it'll be difficult to take several months supply like I've seen recommended here.....not to mention the cold remedies and other toiletries I might want to take. Do they really limit you to a quart baggies? |
What is a quart baggie? I'm just throwing in mostly clothes, underwear, shoes, makeup, perfume, body spray, french manicure set, and my laptop bag. I think they might take away my manicure set because of the acetone, and the hardening liquid for the acrylic to set when mixed with acrylic powder.
I thought you can take 50 lbs total weight with you, and you can have 2 of them,but you can take only one with you to board. |
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OiGirl
Joined: 23 Jan 2003
Location: Hoke-y-gun
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| Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2007 4:03 pm Post subject: Re: Houston isn't so bad......and a question of my own. |
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| The quart baggie is only for your carryon. It's just a sandwich bag. Go get a box at Wal-mart for $1. You can have liquids in checked luggage. However, I would not travel with acetone. That could be banned in any case. It's available in Korea, but I have no idea of the quality. |
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dogshed
Joined: 28 Apr 2006
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| Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2007 4:15 pm Post subject: |
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| gyopogirlfromtexas wrote: |
| dogshed wrote: |
You are confusing the Korean tax exemption with the US Income tax exclusion.
If you are at a public school you can get can be free from paying Korean taxes for two years. The from from the IRS does take awhile to get but it
is possible for you school to arrange that you don't need it. You can probably get it after you leave. Korean taxes are pretty low anyway.
The US tax exclusion is more complicated but if you use the physical presence test you can get out of paying taxes in both countries.
Here is the thread. If it seems to complex then print it out and show it to your tax person. (edit, fixed link)
http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?t=87567&highlight= |
So the official proof of residence thing is just so I won't pay Korean taxes for 2 years? Not American taxes? |
That is correct. The proof of residence is a statement saying the IRS considers you a resident of the US for tax purposes which will allow you to get out of paying Korean taxes. I never got mine and yet they don't take out the tax. I'm not sure how the school managed that.
With or without the proof of resident form from the US if the Korean government considers you a non-resident (resident of the US) for tax purposes then you cannot pass the Bona Fide residence test on the 2555 form part 2 and must use the significant presence test in part 3.
When I read my contract before I left I thought the form mentioned in
the contract was some kind of Korean form. I didn't hear about the
form from the IRS until after I got here. By then my school had already
made other arrangements. I really wish I could tell you what to do. One option is to order the form from the IRS and have them send it to your
school in Korea. Maybe they would take it late. |
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