Korean Job Discussion Forums

[bassexpander]

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2009/05/117_44447.html

I wonder if this means anything to us? Maybe not. How many of us would apply for Korean citizenship?


By Park Si-soo
Staff Reporter

A court issued a ruling acknowledging a foreign national's temporary stay here as part of their period of residency in South Korea, making it easier for foreigners pursuing Korean citizenship to meet the three-year residence period.

The period of residence on a G-1 visa ㅡ a temporarily residential visa issued to foreigners involved in a lawsuit or receiving medical treatment here ㅡ had not been acknowledged as part of the official residency period in the country.

But the Seoul Administrative Court ruled Wednesday the period on G-1 should be added when the immigration office calculates a foreigner's period of residency in South Korea.

It's the first ruling of its kind. With some similar suits pending in courts, the Korea Immigration Service will review the ruling statement and, if necessary, amend relevant regulations.

An ethnic Korean in China, identified as Park, whose father is legally Korean, arrived here on an F-1 employment visa on Oct. 29, 2005, and reported his residence to the government. The man changed his visa type to a working-visit H-2 visa on April 10, 2007. With the new visa, he was set to leave the country by Oct. 28, 2008.

In early October of 2008, Park asked immigration authorities to extend his residential period, citing a lawsuit in which he was involved, and the authorities issued a temporarily residential G-1 visa.

While in Korea on G-1 visa, Park applied for Korean citizenship on Jan. 19, insisting he is eligible to apply for Korean citizenship since he has lived here for more than three years since October 2005.

The immigration office rejected the application, saying his residential period on his H-2 and G-1 visas cannot be put together. The office claimed the issuance of H-2 or G-1 visas was based on completely different backgrounds and therefore, each residential period on H-2 and G-1 cannot be combined when determining the residential period.

He filed a suit against the authorities with the Seoul Administration Court and the court sided with the ethnic Korean.

Presiding Judge Kim Jong-pil said, ``Current law stipulates certain residential period to apply for citizenship. But it doesn't refer to any specific visa types, meaning foreigners residing here on any visa for more than three years are all eligible to apply for Korean citizenship.''

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[Otherside]

What are the other requirements to apply for Korean citizenship?

The case in question, seems pretty confusing. The guy's father is Korean, thus wouldn't he atleast be eligible for an F-4 visa right from the get-go? (Which is a far "better" visa than the others mentioned). In most countries having parents who are citizens of a country almost always streamlines the process in obtaining citizenship.

After hearing about Ttompatz's difficulties obtaining an F-5 visa, wouldn't citizenship naturally be harder to obtain - if one doesn't have a blood or marriage link to Korea?

[cdninkorea]

I met a Pakistani guy a few years ago who told me Korean citizenship was a few months away for him. He said you had to prove some contribution to Korea (he owned a business) and had to pass a test in Korean (his uni major was Korean). So apparently you don't have to be of Korean descent to become a citizen.

But I do wonder what an F-1 visa is... anyone know?

[Otherside]

[OculisOrbis]

i thought one of the requirements that most hindered people was 10 years on continuous employment. if you change jobs, then you start back at zero...at least in the case of e-series holders.

[TheUrbanMyth]

[TheUrbanMyth]

[crossmr]

[cdninkorea]

[TheUrbanMyth]

[Otherside]

[Xuanzang]

It would also mean your kids would have to do military service. The boys at least.

[crossmr]