Korean Job Discussion Forums

mithridates · Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2004 7:46 am Post subject: F-2 visa again

I'm starting to run out of time on my Working Holiday Visa; it's almost been a year now. I was told the other day that I could get it again but I'd have to go aaaaall the way back to Canada to pick it up and I really don't want to go there. I'm looking at the F-2 visa right now and it's really vague. Here's what it says in Korean:

��ѹα�� Ͽ� ��Ȱ�� ٰŰ� �� ִ� ��, �� ڳ�� [��(F-2)�ڰ�� ִ� �� ڳ�μ� �̼�� ڿ� �� ó�μ� ��ѹα�� (F-2)�ڰ�� ִ� �� ó�� ڷμ� ��Ⱓ �̻� ��Ͽ� �� ü�� ڿܿ� ��ѹα�� Ư�� ְų� ��Ÿ ��Ͽ� �� ü��Ͽ�� ִٰ� ��Ǵ� ��

Rough translation by me: Can be obtained by: a person who will continue to live in Korea and whose life is base within the country, his/her spouse, children, etc. (not applicable to me), bunch of other stuff about dependants and so on, blah blah blah, finally, a person who has made a special contribution to Korea or who has a recognized proper reason to keep living in the country.

Here's something I found on an English site as well:

Residence
(F-2)
Persons who are granted a status of stay or who change the status require;
- Documents certifying that an applicant has continuously lived at his or her permanent address in Korea
- Letter of personal reference notarized (but a child of a person having residence status is excluded)
No documents for extension of stay are required

What could that letter of personal reference be?

Now for what I've done over the past year:

-half a year at a hagwon as an administrator
-Articles: Was interviewed for a literary magazine, Chosun Ilbo, wrote three articles for the Hankook Ilbo and three for the Segye Ilbo (those two are on a regular basis and the next two come out next week)
-TV appearances: Once on KSBS(I think that was the name of it), special guest on EBS's Morning Special, appearance on last week's SBS show (�ܱ��޼�� - �ѱ�� ?)
-Radio appearances: KBS FM (Korean) KBS International (English), EBS
-Did some translating but have no records for that so probably useless
-Have a one-year contract for an officetel that goes until December
-Passes a hanja test, level 2 (2000 characters)

I'm right in the middle of a lot of things right now and have no intention of leaving the country so I wonder what else I could do to convince them? They're usually quite hard-headed and want to see a contract from a big company over anything else which is what makes it a bit difficult...

Well then! Advice?

just because · Joined: 01 Aug 2003 Location: Changwon - 4964

bellum99 · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Location: don't need to know

It is very clear about who can get this visa and who cannot. When you talk to an immigration person they say at the very beginning you must be married to a korean. It is true that they may give it to someone who has contributed to Korea in a big way but you do not fit in this definition. They mean someone special like a national soccer coach who helped them play in FIFA (hint).

Holyjoe · Joined: 03 Mar 2003 Location: Away for a cuppa

mithridates · Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2004 4:57 am Post subject:

Hiddink was given Korean citizenship, wasn't he? I'm not a football coach, so that won't work.

I know it's a bit iffy which is why I asked. But since the definition of the visa is so vague I wonder if I could get a lawyer to pressure them if they don't give me a visa. I know a few Korean lawyers here...
I suppose the attitude I'm going to have when I go in will be "This is what I've done and this is what I intend to do; I don't intend to go anywhere else so give me something..."^^

As for the language, what helped the most was knowing Japanese, especially the writing. For those who are at the intermediate level it's probably time to go onto the hanja, which is the equivalent of having a dictionary inside one's head; you can figure out words you've never even heard before if you can guess at which hanja the word is made of.

bellum99 · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Location: don't need to know

I hope you can convince them to let you have the f2-1 visa because a lot of teachers here should have something more than an E2. If you have lived in Korea for a long time and have a lot invested here (time, money) then it is fair to give you some form of green card.
Please tell us if you can do it.

tokki · Joined: 26 Jul 2003

FierceInvalid · Joined: 16 Mar 2003

I know a guy who has been here 11 years, speaks flawless Korean, has been on tv numerous times and whatnot, has never been a hagwon teacher (he was in a semi-popular band and is now a music producer) but he still has to get new visas at regular intervals (not F2). I'm pretty sure he tried for an F2 and didn't get it (he was going for a visa that would "free him up" considerably if he got it - that must've been it).

Good luck man I hope you get it, but if this guy got denied after 11 years invested here doing stuff above and beyond the teaching I don't like your chances either....

lush72 · Joined: 18 Aug 2003 Location: I am Penalty Kick!

mithridates · Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2004 5:02 am Post subject:

Wow, did I ever *not* get that visa... when my number was called it was a man, which is always a bad sign for me. Not only did I not get the visa, but he found out that my visa now expires soon and told me to get out of the country quick. Also, he said that being on tv is illegal for a Working Holiday visa (which raises the question of what it's good for if tv, newspapers and English teaching are all no-nos) and wrote my name down on a sheet and told me that if he sees me on tv again he'll fine me...I then asked him what his name was and he wouldn't tell me, so I told him to tell me again and he asked me why; I said I just wanted to know for posterity, now tell me your name you %*&* and so I finally got it.
Lucky for me it looks like I done gone got masel' a wife...so I think I'm off to Japan for a day, will come back on a tourist visa and get a spousal visa (if her dad says okay). If everything falls through then I'm back in Japan, a country that gives visas according to ability, not ephemeral contracts and whatnot.
A bit bitter today.

phaedrus · Joined: 13 Nov 2003 Location: I'm comin' to get ya.

Gord · Joined: 25 Feb 2003

FierceInvalid · Joined: 16 Mar 2003

tokki · Joined: 26 Jul 2003

Mr. Pink · Joined: 21 Oct 2003 Location: China

Here's a couple things I am wondering:

1) were you paid when you went on TV? If NO, how in the world can it be illegal? Immigration guys are dumbasses of the highest magnitude I think.

2) Why not just get a 6mth tourist visa? Why do you need an F-2 visa?

3) Getting married just for a visa to KOREA? That is nuts bro. Think it over.

I remember you said you don't have an undergrad degree right? So E-2 isn't gonna happen for ya...how about studying visas?

You could always go back to Canada and reapply for a working holiday visa...however I'd be doing a day trip to Japan. You speak Korean, so when the guy asks ya why you are coming back, say it's to finalize shit with your financee...that line works all the time.