Korean Job Discussion Forums

[elliemk]

A friend of mine's ARC expires on July 5th. But her visa expires on July 2nd. She is in the process of applying for an extension of her visa so she can stay at her school until Feb. 2009. However, her criminal background check hasn't arrived yet and won't do so in time before the visa expires. Also, she needs to get a health check, and the results won't be in before her visa expires.

Can someone explain to me what I should tell her about all of this? What does she need to do? Make a visa run to Japan and come back on a tourist visa?

Ttompatz, are you there? Thanks for advice here, folks.

[DongtanTony]

Her period of stay is calculated by the dates on the ARC...she will be able to stay in Korea until that date.

Two options exist:

1. Exit the country...return on a tourist visa...do the visa run when her documents are finalized.

2. Short term extension on her current visa. If your friend, or friend's employer, purchases some type of travel ticket out of the country...it may be possible for your friend to obtain a short-term extension on her current visa. She will need to go to the immigration office with her employer...and travel ticket in hand stating that she is in fact leaving the country on day "X."

She might be able to plan it so she'll be able to leave for the visa run the day her extension expires.

As for the limitations of that extension...or if it still exists under the new guidelines...I'm not 100% positive of either. Do I know for a fact that this option existed in the past....yes. It may require your friend...and her employer...to give the immigration office a call to find out more information.

Good luck.

[Ut videam]

Medical results should be back in 2-3 days. There's no way they "won't be in" before July 4 (the last business day before her status of sojourn expires). If that's what your friend was told, she should go to another hospital and get the check redone. Problem #1 solved.

Problem #2, the CRC, is more difficult. But if your friend can produce some evidence that it's on its way (mailing receipt, copy of the cover letter for the request, etc.), Immi might accept that on a provisional basis. It might be worth swearing a declaration/affidavit at the embassy that she has no criminal record and that she has requested her CRC from back home, and getting it notarized. Enough documentation like this, and Immi can probably be persuaded to grant her the extension.