Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Undercover]

Hello,

I am going to visit my girlfriend in the Philippines soon and I think that we will get married, though I have not yet proposed. I have researched here the requirements to bring her back here with me should we decide to get married, however all the posts that I have seen seem to reference someone who does not yet possess a working visa.

I have my visa and my ARC. Do I need an invitation letter from my school? Can't she just receive a spousal visa directly from the Korean embassy in Manila?

Thanks,

[Teachurrrr]

Undercover, you have your visa and ARC. Yes, she can receive a spousal visa directly from the Korean Embassy in Manila, but everything is based on your current work visa (not the school's invitation) and your marriage contract.

In my case (2005), we did not need a letter of invitation from the school for my Filipina wife. Yet I'm sure you have heard or know that each immigration office could have a different request. When my wife came to Korea, I was working at a college. This was the procedure we followed:

1) I went to the local immigration office with my passport, ARC, and copy of work contract (E-2). They gave me a paper to fill out. They told me what document copies were required by the Korean Embassy in Manila.

2) I DHL'ed them to my wife in Cebu. She took these documents, her passport, and a copy of our marriage contract (Just a copy of the one you get from the local Hall of Justice ((City Hall)) or from the local parish church) to the Korean Embassy.

Note - The Korean Embassy did not require the NSO (National Statistics Office) certified copy (green paper) of our Marriage Contract which will take some time to process (all cases vary).

3) After 3 working days, they put a big sticker (just like our work visas) in her passport for a spouse visa with multiple re-entry. It was valid for the same duration as my work visa (if memory serves).

4) She flew to Korea and had a nice stay. I picked her up at the airport. No hassles. No problems. Everyone was courteous and helpful throughout step 1 - 4.

I recommend checking with your local Korean immigration office before you leave to get the facts. Once you have the marriage contract, theoretically you both could go to Manila and process the spouse visa in 3 working days provided she already has her Filipina passport.

I hope this helps. Good luck with the proposal!