Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Patong Dong]

I know that there have been posters on here in the past who have had their Thai wives up in Korea on a spousal visa. My wife has been in Korea many times over the years, but this will be the first time we will try and do anything beyond the tourist visa.

I am wondering how easy/difficult it was to obtain the spousal visa? I am in Canada now and she is in Thailand, so I know I will have to get my ARC sorted before she begins the process, but beyond that wondering what it entails? What documents will she require, etc?

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks.

[soviet_man]

My impression after 5 or so years living in Korea, is that currently F3 visas are probably one of the more easy visas to get actually.

She would need to go to a Korean consulate armed with her birth cirtificate (and perhaps a copy of yours too), the marriage certificate, a photocopy of your visa (and ARC), a recent passport sized photo of her and payment of somewhere around $100 US.

You will need to do something at your end in Korea as well (eg. along the lines of going to immi and getting what they used to call a "blue paper" - eg. a piece of paper with an official number on it for visa issuance that you give to her to submit with her papers in Thailand).

I'd say allow 3 or 4 weeks for processing and as with everything else ... she will probably need to make several trips to the embassy to sort it out.

HOWEVER ... I'd factor this in to any plans: Thai passport holders get 3 months automatically for free without a visa. Doing a visa run to Japan for $500 after 3 months will buy her another 3. So straight off the bat she is good to go for 6 months automatically (provided she doesn't want to work) and you could get an F3 in Korea thereafter.

[losing_touch]

I brought my wife over from Thailand. She flew in with me on a one-way ticket. I had a letter from my boss explaining that I was employed and she knew my wife was coming here. They stamped me into the country. Then, they took my wife to an interrogation. They tried to speak to her in Thai, but she couldn't understand their accent and asked them to speak in English! After a few minutes, we were on our way. A friend who works at the airport in Bangkok claims that many Thais are denied entry everyday.

After she got here, I got my ARC quickly. Then, I took her down to immigration and changed her entry visa to an F-3. It was relatively easy.

[ttompatz]

[The German]

I agrre it's really easy. But to be really sure come together to Korea with your papers. When u arrive at the immigration couters at Incheon airport go together straight to the office. It's important to stay together. The first time I brought my Thai wife with me we got seperated and they questioned her for five hours in very bad Thai if she's a hooker or not. Officially Thai can stay on a tourist visa on arrival for 90 days but in reallity specially women got sent back. And this visa is very easy changed into a spouses F-3 visa at immigration office in omokgyo. If u got married in Thailand u need an english translation. If ur wifes english is good enough she can do it - no officially recognized translation is required.
And do ur wife a favour: use this forum to find some other thai wifes in Korea. There aren't so many Thai people in Korea or Seoul. We're leavin in February and definitely will never come back. Chok dee.

[Patong Dong]

Excellent, sounds like it will be easy enough. Thanks all.

[JZer]

I don't have a Thai wife so I am only throwing in my two cents but knowing Korea, are your really sure you want to subjugate your wife to a year in South Korea?

[Jeff's Cigarettes]

My wife is on her third year here and she likes it well enough. We go back home twice a year.