Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Olivencia]

Want to bring my wife and unadopted child (grammar school age) to Korea. They are from the Philippines. From what I heard immigration won't let my child to come with me - no prob with the wife.
Was thinking...if I enrolled my child at an international school in Korea would immigration allow her to come? I was thinking of either teaching at the same school or one nearby.

Any advice?

Thanks
Olivencia

[lifeinkorea]

[Olivencia]

My wife was a single mom before I met and married her.

[lifeinkorea]

You don't have to adopt a child in that case, LOL, "her child" is good enough. My "unadopted" biological sister would agree, LOL.

[Olivencia]

Is it true immigration will not let our child in though? That is, being a native speaker (American) I would have no problem nor would my wife even thoug she is Filipina but my unadopted child would. I hope I am wrong about that but that is what I think is the case.

Thanks
Olivencia

[lifeinkorea]

I don't understand why you use the word "unadopted" (1. not adopted: not adopted by new parents - http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_561511245/unadopted.html )

There is no need to call the child adopted or not because one person is the biological parent, your wife. It might be true that YOU can't bring the child, but I don't see why your wife, the child's biological mother, couldn't bring him to Korea as a dependent.

[CentralCali]

There very well could be a legal reason why the mother cannot bring the child to another country. There is, after all, another parent concerned and that parent also has parental rights unless those rights were terminated by a court.

By the way, OP, the term you're looking for isn't unadopted, it's stepchild.

[lifeinkorea]

Yes, but if there is another parent around, which do you think would have a greater chance of getting legal authority, the biological mother or the stepfather?

That's the term we use in English, when you marry someone and they have a child we call them either "stepson" or "stepdaughter", not "unadopted child".

[Cerriowen]

While it's akward to call her an unadopted child, perhaps a "stepchild I haven't adopted" may make more sense.

And that's a perfectly normal situation... Father and mother split, but father retains legal authority over the child, or maybe the new parent just hasn't chosen to legally adopt the child.

The guy has a right to bring his wife along, but not necissarily a child that isn't his. She gets "tag along" rights with her husband, but her child doesn't.

I don't know the answer to your question, but I'd suggest calling the embassy. They should know.

[Draz]

[CentralCali]

[lifeinkorea]

[CentralCali]

I'm not discussing the stepfather having more rights than the biological mother. The two parents I referred to above are, and I thought it was obvious, the biological parents. I'm simply stating that for international travel, there is more involved than simply having custody of the child. For instance, depending on the court decree, the biological mother of the child may be prohibited from taking a child out of the country without the permission of the biological father of the child.

Also, the "supporting role" the stepfather in this instance would play is as the sponsor of the child.

[lifeinkorea]

[Olivencia]

I am so used to saying "my child". Thing is my wife and I have been married for almost two years now and we are on are way to being able for me to legally adopt.
I wrote "my child" out of love that I have for my family.

Thanks for your information that you supplied - and to everyone else.

Olivencia