Korean Job Discussion Forums

[benharing]

so this morning i got a phione call from my girlfriend at the airport. She was heading to London from seoul for a death inthe family and has a return flight booked next week. However, she has a single entry visa, which she got about 2 weeks ago, and as a consequence no ARC card. Will she be able to fly back next week? Can she go to the London Korean embassy, explain the extraordinary circumstances(you can't plan a death and you can't rush an ARC card) and get her visa reinstated. Any advice would be great, cux I'm kindof freking out here, not sure what to do, a the flights are paid for, she's in the air to UK now, and I'm not sure what has transpired at the airport(maybe reentry permit sans ARC from nice immi offish?) thanks.

[chris_J2]

From memory, a multiple re-entry permit was 50k won, & a single re-entry permit was 30k won. I see no reason why Immigration would decline a multiple re-entry permit, providing that your friend having 50k won was not an issue.

[benharing]

well, i'm not sure what happened, but on the phone she was in tears and i think since she did not have the ARC card( she had the money) it might not have happened. She's a uk citizen, btw.

[chris_J2]

She should be able to re-enter Korea on a 90 day tourist visa, then get her ARC. She could start the ball rolling, by visiting a Korean consulate in the UK, & making any necessary applications. She should take all documentation with her (eg work contract, passport, E2 visa, Health card etc).

Also check with Korean Immig at your end here in Korea, if a girlfriend or spouse can be given special status. The phone # is on your ARC card.

http://www.immigration.go.kr/HP/IMM80/index.do

[benharing]

she'll be going to the embassy in london tomorrow and hopefully that will solve it. If need be, I'll give the immi a call and see if i can pull strings. Visa reiisuance shouldn't be a problem with her svhool, but a major headache..leaving country again, so on an so forth. I'm in the thick of intensives too. Anyway, thank you, thank you, for your solid advice, i'll follow up with what happens when i know. Maybe she managed to get a reentry and i don't know it. We'll deal, whatever happens.

[ttompatz]

No ARC = no re-entry permit on a single entry visa.

Her E2 was cancelled when she left and she will have to go through the whole process for re-issuance of a new visa complete with new apostilled documents.

She should have made a trip to her local immigration office and got a new ARC. They CAN and have in the past issued them (along with the re-entry permit) ASAP in extreme circumstances.

It cannot be done at the airport.

I feel for her but .... she has to start again.

[benharing]

UPDATE: Upon landing in UK, my gf headed straight to the Londan Korean embassy. She was told she'd need about 3 weeks to be issued a new visa, but after cajoling and crying, the embassy employee spun the beauracratic wheel and said she'd issue her a new e-=2 visa in 3 days for 35 quid. Which she did!! Small miracle, but I think the circumstances were in her favor(she wasn't derelict or callous about not having the required paperwork for a reentry, the visa issuance over the holidays). She arrived back in Seoul tonight. Thanks for your guidance, you posters. Ben.

[tzechuk]

UK citizens get multiple-reentry permit automatically (at local immigration office) and free of charge.

But you might have to have done that here in Korea, though.