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cuckoococoon
Joined: 11 Sep 2006
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 Posted: Thu May 08, 2008 7:30 pm Post subject: Here's a new story about visa rules.... |
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So, I have sitting around waiting for my US criminal background check. I got it (the whole process took like 2 months). I turn in all my papers and yesterday I found out that I have to go back to the States to get my visa.
Why? Because I have a criminal history in Korea.
Well, I have never done anything that bad. I don't teach privates and I have ALWAYS had a visa to work here. So, there must be some mistake, right?
wrong.
In 2004, I left the country 6 hours after my visa had expired. It was one of things that my school had me work until the last day and then bought me a ticket for the next day. I remember asking my boss about it and she said she called and found out that it was just fine, no problem at all.
At the airport there was, of course, a problem... but it was quickly resolved with no fee and I was able to get on my plane.
Because of that event, I now have a criminal history that I didn't know about until now.
So, my tourist visa is up on the 15th and I need to get out of the country. I was going to pop over to Japan and get my new E2 visa. Instead, I have to book a flight back to America! That adds at least 1,000 dollars to my visa fees. darn.
Well, I can get angry about it or just bite the bullet and pay the price for having my new sweet job.
So, what is the easiest city to get a visa in? I was thinking Seatle maybe..... |
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Ramen
Joined: 15 Apr 2008
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| Posted: Thu May 08, 2008 7:34 pm Post subject: |
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Sorry about that...
But I hope your new job is worth it. |
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Ut videam
Joined: 07 Dec 2007
Location: Pocheon-si, Gyeonggi-do
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| Posted: Thu May 08, 2008 7:45 pm Post subject: |
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The moral of this story is,
Never, EVER overstay your visa!
The OP could have gotten a free extension of stay (up to 30 days) from Immigration until his date of departure. Unfortunately, he relied on his boss's word and got bitten in the ass for it.
Corollary:
Never, EVER trust your boss with your personal legal/financial/immigration issues!
He/she isn't the one who pays the price for foul-ups like this; you are. Take matters into your own hands. Get help if you need it, but do not rely on the assurances of others that "it'll be okay." Find out what the rules are and comply with them.
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livinginkunsan
Joined: 02 Dec 2006
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| Posted: Thu May 08, 2008 7:50 pm Post subject: |
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| same thing happened to me my first year in Korea... I didn't believe my boss though, called immigration and then had to go get an extension for 8hrs (that or they suggested going to the airport 8hrs early and going through passport control.. lol, no thanks) |
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ceesgetdegrees
Joined: 12 Jul 2007
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| Posted: Thu May 08, 2008 8:23 pm Post subject: |
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| oh shit...i was busted by immigration a year or so back and was planning on heading to South east asiain a few weeks but may now have to go home, damn. Actually that's ruined my afternoon, i had a good vacation for a few weeks planned but i'm now thinking that i'm going to have to go home and sit round waiting for a few days till i can get the visa all for the sake of what will no doubt be a 3 minute interview. Can anyone give a difinitve answer on this topic? |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Thu May 08, 2008 11:18 pm Post subject: |
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| ceesgetdegrees wrote: |
| oh shit...i was busted by immigration a year or so back and was planning on heading to South east asiain a few weeks but may now have to go home, damn. Actually that's ruined my afternoon, i had a good vacation for a few weeks planned but i'm now thinking that i'm going to have to go home and sit round waiting for a few days till i can get the visa all for the sake of what will no doubt be a 3 minute interview. Can anyone give a definitive answer on this topic? |
If you had an immigration violation noted in your file
AND have not had a NEW E2 issued after Dec. 15,2007 (or an extension made AFTER March 15)
you WILL require a consular interview
BEFORE you can get a new E2. |
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ceesgetdegrees
Joined: 12 Jul 2007
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| Posted: Thu May 08, 2008 11:47 pm Post subject: |
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| shipbal, anyway of clarifying if i do indeed have a violation on my record? Thats pretty crazy, having to fly home and spend what will amount to a couple thousand dollars for a 5 minute interview. oh well. thanks anyway tom, you always produce the goods. |
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R. S. Refugee
Joined: 29 Sep 2004
Location: Shangra La, ROK
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| Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 1:15 am Post subject: |
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| ceesgetdegrees wrote: |
| shipbal, anyway of clarifying if i do indeed have a violation on my record? Thats pretty crazy, having to fly home and spend what will amount to a couple thousand dollars for a 5 minute interview. oh well. thanks anyway tom, you always produce the goods. |
I don't know if this applies to Immigration violations or not, but you can go into any police station in Korea and request that they print out a copy of your Korean CRC. It will show any criminal convictions in Korea. (You can be convicted of a crime in Korea without ever having been told that you need to come to court and defend yourself, by the way. Had that happen to a good friend here based on the rantings of a perjury-committing Korean woman professor who hated Mormons.   ) Will that record include violations such as overstaying? I have no idea.
Good luck. |
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moosehead
Joined: 05 May 2007
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| Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 1:51 am Post subject: Re: Here's a new story about visa rules.... |
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| cuckoococoon wrote: |
So, I have sitting around waiting for my US criminal background check. I got it (the whole process took like 2 months). I turn in all my papers and yesterday I found out that I have to go back to the States to get my visa.
Why? Because I have a criminal history in Korea.
Well, I have never done anything that bad. I don't teach privates and I have ALWAYS had a visa to work here. So, there must be some mistake, right?
wrong.
In 2004, I left the country 6 hours after my visa had expired. It was one of things that my school had me work until the last day and then bought me a ticket for the next day. I remember asking my boss about it and she said she called and found out that it was just fine, no problem at all.
At the airport there was, of course, a problem... but it was quickly resolved with no fee and I was able to get on my plane.
Because of that event, I now have a criminal history that I didn't know about until now.
So, my tourist visa is up on the 15th and I need to get out of the country. I was going to pop over to Japan and get my new E2 visa. Instead, I have to book a flight back to America! That adds at least 1,000 dollars to my visa fees. darn.
Well, I can get angry about it or just bite the bullet and pay the price for having my new sweet job.
So, what is the easiest city to get a visa in? I was thinking Seatle maybe..... |
this post sounds a bit fishy - first of all - who told you all this info anyway? the school? people applying for an E2 rarely talk to immi directly (if ever?)
I'd not be so quick to hop on a plane back home if I were you - have you been to immi in person? spoke to an officer in charge or only a clerk?
the reason I'm asking these q's is a couple of years back I also overstayed by 2 weeks from a misunderstanding; long story, irrelevant, immi was pissed as hell - it was in Pusan, I was going to Japan. I missed my boat and immi actually made arrangements for me to be on the next one while they processed the forms and yes, I had to sign them.
BUT, despite sweating bullets about my next E2, nothing ever happened - zilch, nada, absolutely nothing. I wasn't fined anything but I did sign papers and I'm pretty certain it was noted in my file.
I've never asked about it because I didn't want to draw attention but OP if I were you I'd get a second and even a third opinion before flying all the way home - that's a really long flight!
good luck! |
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Ut videam
Joined: 07 Dec 2007
Location: Pocheon-si, Gyeonggi-do
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| Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 1:56 am Post subject: |
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It doesn't sound fishy in the slightest. The new regulations are clear: visa runs are only available to those who have a clean record in Korea. That means criminal record AND immigration record. What happened in the past is immaterial: we're now living in a post-12/15 world.
You can go to the Immigration office and request a printout of your immigration record. This will include a log of your Korean arrivals and departures, as well as any violations that have been noted on your file. If you're planning a visa run and you have any question about what's on your Immigration file, it would probably be a good idea to do this so as to avoid any surprises.
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smedini
Joined: 02 Apr 2008
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| Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 9:37 am Post subject: |
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Ok, I really try not to be a thread jacker but I have to ask...what are all these visa rules and when did they come into action? When I first went to Korea there was no criminal check, no medical, nuthin'! And you could all but murder someone, pull a runner head for Japan for a weekend and come back to a new job a few days later. I sent my degree to the nearest consulate for them to photocopy and stamp that they were certified true copies, faxed my employer my certification and bada-boom, bada-bing I was on a plane for Korea. What gives with these new rules?
~smedini |
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cuckoococoon
Joined: 11 Sep 2006
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| Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 5:57 pm Post subject: |
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| smedini wrote: |
Ok, I really try not to be a thread jacker but I have to ask...what are all these visa rules and when did they come into action? When I first went to Korea there was no criminal check, no medical, nuthin'! And you could all but murder someone, pull a runner head for Japan for a weekend and come back to a new job a few days later. I sent my degree to the nearest consulate for them to photocopy and stamp that they were certified true copies, faxed my employer my certification and bada-boom, bada-bing I was on a plane for Korea. What gives with these new rules?
~smedini |
You didn't know there were new rules? Where have you been 
I did know about them, but I didn't know about the criminal history in Korea part of it... and I didn't know I had a criminal history.
I called the immigration office in Seoul and they are the ones that say I have to go back to the States. I didn't understand until just now that I had to have an interview. darn.
Anyone know anything about the interview? Do I have to book that in advance? Does it make the process take longer? |
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Ut videam
Joined: 07 Dec 2007
Location: Pocheon-si, Gyeonggi-do
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| Posted: Sat May 10, 2008 6:09 am Post subject: |
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| cuckoococoon wrote: |
| I did know about them, but I didn't know about the criminal history in Korea part of it... and I didn't know I had a criminal history. |
You don't have a criminal history. You do, however, have a "black mark" on your immigration file, which precludes you from obtaining an E-2 visa in a third country (visa run). Apparently, there is a sort of "statute of limitations" on these black marks after which they disappear. I believe it's 4 or 5 years.
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| Anyone know anything about the interview? Do I have to book that in advance? Does it make the process take longer? |
Your home address in the US determines which consulate you'll have to contact about your interview. You do have to book in advance. If there's no problem, the visa will be issued within a day or two of the interview. Expect to be asked about the overstay. Other than that? It's pretty much vanilla. Don't be an ass, and you should be fine.
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ceesgetdegrees
Joined: 12 Jul 2007
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| Posted: Sun May 11, 2008 5:05 pm Post subject: |
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| cuckoococoon wrote: |
| smedini wrote: |
Ok, I really try not to be a thread jacker but I have to ask...what are all these visa rules and when did they come into action? When I first went to Korea there was no criminal check, no medical, nuthin'! And you could all but murder someone, pull a runner head for Japan for a weekend and come back to a new job a few days later. I sent my degree to the nearest consulate for them to photocopy and stamp that they were certified true copies, faxed my employer my certification and bada-boom, bada-bing I was on a plane for Korea. What gives with these new rules?
~smedini |
You didn't know there were new rules? Where have you been
I did know about them, but I didn't know about the criminal history in Korea part of it... and I didn't know I had a criminal history.
I called the immigration office in Seoul and they are the ones that say I have to go back to the States. I didn't understand until just now that I had to have an interview. darn.
Anyone know anything about the interview? Do I have to book that in advance? Does it make the process take longer? |
Did the immigration tell you when you rang them if you had a violation on your redord or not? This is worrying for me as my visa is up in a week, i've just had all my documents sent to my new school for e2 processing and i have a flight booked to thailand for next tuesday. I need to know by the end of this week if i have to go home or not, will i have to go to the office in person? |
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jdog2050
Joined: 17 Dec 2006
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| Posted: Sun May 11, 2008 10:27 pm Post subject: |
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| ceesgetdegrees wrote: |
| cuckoococoon wrote: |
| smedini wrote: |
Ok, I really try not to be a thread jacker but I have to ask...what are all these visa rules and when did they come into action? When I first went to Korea there was no criminal check, no medical, nuthin'! And you could all but murder someone, pull a runner head for Japan for a weekend and come back to a new job a few days later. I sent my degree to the nearest consulate for them to photocopy and stamp that they were certified true copies, faxed my employer my certification and bada-boom, bada-bing I was on a plane for Korea. What gives with these new rules?
~smedini |
You didn't know there were new rules? Where have you been
I did know about them, but I didn't know about the criminal history in Korea part of it... and I didn't know I had a criminal history.
I called the immigration office in Seoul and they are the ones that say I have to go back to the States. I didn't understand until just now that I had to have an interview. darn.
Anyone know anything about the interview? Do I have to book that in advance? Does it make the process take longer? |
Did the immigration tell you when you rang them if you had a violation on your redord or not? This is worrying for me as my visa is up in a week, i've just had all my documents sent to my new school for e2 processing and i have a flight booked to thailand for next tuesday. I need to know by the end of this week if i have to go home or not, will i have to go to the office in person? |
Sh!!tt!!!!! This is one more thing for me to worry about. This past year I worked for EPIK, and for some weird reason, the Chicago Korean Consulate only made my VISA for three months instead of a year. Well, I go on vacation to Thailand in February, had a bruhaha with immi, but the officer just gave a stamp on my Passport (it reads 67-1, if anyone is familiar with that code), and waved me on like everything was gravy...but it totally might not have been.
Damnit! |
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