Korean Job Discussion Forums

[danseonsaeng]

In order to acquire residency, one must 'have had a domicile address in ROK for more than five consecutive years' (from the immigration website).

My question - how do I prove I've had a domicile address in Korea for more than five years? I'm currently in the middle of my first contract with SMOE; plan to stick around while completing the MA TESOL program at Sookmyung Women's University. I will, most likely, stick it out with the same school (assuming conditions remain more or less the same). Same school, same address for the next 3-4 years; that leaves just one more year in Korea before I can apply for residency.

Anyway, it's something I'm considering, but I need to know more about the process.

Since SMOE's providing the housing, does that mean it doesn't 'count' towards acquiring residency? Must the lease or contract or something be in my name? I have absolutely no idea how this works.

Can anyone help clarify the issue? Much appreciated.

[Juregen]

If you are legally "registered", that means they know you are here, the proof is then already given.

I do suggest making sure that officially your domicile is always IN Korea for a consecutive 5 years.

[gteacher]

Read the fine print very carefully as well. In many cases they consider a new visa a re-start of the 5-year counter. A vacation outside Korea, a re-start of the 5-year counter.

Korean Immigration makes it difficult for anyone not married to a Korean to gain residency, unless they are a football star.

[polonius]

It is not only a matter of living and having worked at the same place for 5 years. When I enquired, they said that I needed to earn 3 times the average Korean salary, plus have a level 2 proficiency in Korean.

Take a look at the thread that Ttompatz wrote regarding his difficulties in aquiring an F5 visa. He tried to jump threw all the hoops and was not successful, so he finally gave up and left.

I would make an attempt to get an F5 visa, but I have a feeling that once I prove the criteria they ask for, they would pull something else out of their magic book for me to comply with.

[IlIlNine]

[bluelake]

A colleague of mine (teaching in a university), who is not married to a Korean, received an F-2 visa after spending the required time employed at the same place. AFAIK, he did not have to pass a language test. I would imagine after he spends two years as an F-2 he will qualify for an F-5.

[BigBuds]

I've also heard, and I'm pretty sure Tompatz said it too, that you have to stay in Korea at the same location without leaving for vacations or visa runs for the whole 5 years.

[danseonsaeng]

I wonder why it is that you have to stay at the same location for five years.

Does this mean that my five years starts over if I move from one SMOE middle school to another? Or from a middle school to a high school? Or is it just if I leave SMOE and move to a hagwon? Does anyone know?

Strange, too, that the immigration website doesn't mention this little nugget of info.

[ttompatz]

[bluelake]