Korean Job Discussion Forums

[rok_the-boat]

I was in Korea 11.5 years, now in NZ for the last 2.5 so out of touch.

A friend, married to a Korean lady, has just gone to Korea. They tell him his wife must give up her New Zealand residency if she is to get her ID number activated. Is that right? If he can get the Spouse visa he can easily work etc.

If she does not get her ID, I guess he'll have to find a job and get all the paperwork done, then go on a visa run to Osaka. Is it pretty much the same as up until about 3 years ago in that respect? Or have there been any changes?

[Huh Kyung-young]

If she holds New Zealand CITIZENSHIP, she would have to renounce that in order to obtain/"activate" a 주민등록번호 (citizen's ID number). But if she's merely a PERMANENT RESIDENT of New Zealand (i.e., she still holds an ROK passport), she shouldn't have to give that up (as far as I know).

The Republic of Korea does not allow its citizens to hold dual citizenship. If she's a New Zealand citizen and doesn't want to renounce, she should still be eligible for an F-4 visa. But F-4s can't sponsor spousal visas with working privileges (i.e., the F-2, a/k/a F-2-1).

If he has to get an E-2 visa, the process has changed considerably as of 2007.12.15. The regs are at http://www.hikorea.go.kr/pt/InfoDetailR_en.pt?categoryId=2&parentId=382&catSeq=385&showMenuId=374&visaId=E2 and there are numerous threads here on the forum relating to specific questions.

허경영

[rok_the-boat]

Thanks for that. She's a resident, not an NZ citizen.