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v88
Joined: 28 Feb 2010
Location: here
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 Posted: Fri Aug 27, 2010 4:55 am Post subject: Immigration strangeness |
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or strange Korean logic.
I went to immigration the other day for my yearly visit. I really love this time of year. Look forward to it like a kid does Christmas. Wake up early with glee and get all my paper work together and spring out the door on my way to Incheon.
I have all my paper work in order. I called 3 times, checked 3 sources on the internet and felt pretty confident I had everything. Load up the wife and newborn and head on down to try and get my F-5.
Every year I go down about 2-3 days before my visa expires because I really do not wish to risk the harsh penalties.
Everything seems to go fine then suddenly the lady says I can't do this today because I haven't been in Korea for 2 full years on my F-2.
So I have to go back exactly on the day...No, she says I have to get a new F-2...."Why?" I ask. Because they issued my visa 10 days after I applied for it even though it expires on the day that I applied. So my visa is really good for a year -10 days...
So I get to go to immigration twice this year and pay for 2 visas....hooray!!!
The immigration officer was very kind though...and like many things in Korea I knew there would be absolutely no arguing this one. Talking to her superior would do nothing because this verdict is about as solid as the word of god to Jimmy and Tammy Faye Bakker faced with a parishioner gagging to drop a 1,000,000$ check in their lap.
I asked my wife about this on the way home and she just said..."Well, you haven't been here for 2 full years on an F-2 have you?"
I just don't get it, hell sometimes my western mind doesn't get Korea. I'm really glad my wife does though, I just wish she could explain it...perhaps someday she'll figure out how to explain fan death, or eating sea-weed soup for a month after a pregnancy, or the power of dog meat, or why rice is healthier than bread, or why Korean medicine is so awesome...
By Korean logic I was in the country for 10 days illegally while they processed my F-2. I hope no one figures this out.
Anyone else have one of these strange immigration black holes? |
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john110375
Joined: 30 Jul 2007
Location: seoul
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| Posted: Fri Aug 27, 2010 6:26 am Post subject: |
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| Same thing happened to me and I think it's the same for everyone switching from the F-2-1 to the F-5-B. |
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Princess Soraya
Joined: 30 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Fri Aug 27, 2010 10:52 am Post subject: |
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 And I thought having a Korean spouse helped make things more logical! |
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Epik_Teacher
Joined: 28 Apr 2010
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| Posted: Fri Aug 27, 2010 11:36 am Post subject: |
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| Logic and Korea are mutually exclusive terms! |
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Richard Krainium
Joined: 12 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Fri Aug 27, 2010 3:23 pm Post subject: Re: Immigration strangeness |
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| v88 wrote: |
or strange Korean logic.
I went to immigration the other day for my yearly visit. I really love this time of year. Look forward to it like a kid does Christmas. Wake up early with glee and get all my paper work together and spring out the door on my way to Incheon.
I have all my paper work in order. I called 3 times, checked 3 sources on the internet and felt pretty confident I had everything. Load up the wife and newborn and head on down to try and get my F-5.
Every year I go down about 2-3 days before my visa expires because I really do not wish to risk the harsh penalties.
Everything seems to go fine then suddenly the lady says I can't do this today because I haven't been in Korea for 2 full years on my F-2.
So I have to go back exactly on the day...No, she says I have to get a new F-2...."Why?" I ask. Because they issued my visa 10 days after I applied for it even though it expires on the day that I applied. So my visa is really good for a year -10 days...
So I get to go to immigration twice this year and pay for 2 visas....hooray!!!
The immigration officer was very kind though...and like many things in Korea I knew there would be absolutely no arguing this one. Talking to her superior would do nothing because this verdict is about as solid as the word of god to Jimmy and Tammy Faye Bakker faced with a parishioner gagging to drop a 1,000,000$ check in their lap.
I asked my wife about this on the way home and she just said..."Well, you haven't been here for 2 full years on an F-2 have you?"
I just don't get it, hell sometimes my western mind doesn't get Korea. I'm really glad my wife does though, I just wish she could explain it...perhaps someday she'll figure out how to explain fan death, or eating sea-weed soup for a month after a pregnancy, or the power of dog meat, or why rice is healthier than bread, or why Korean medicine is so awesome...
By Korean logic I was in the country for 10 days illegally while they processed my F-2. I hope no one figures this out.
Anyone else have one of these strange immigration black holes? |
Yes, I had the same experience. My first F-2 was for 2 years minus one day. Had to renew the F-2 for another 2 years to be eligible to apply for the F-5. Applied for the F-5 two days after renewing the F-2. No big deal. F-5 came 3 weeks later and now I'm done with it.
BTW - Congrats on the new baby! |
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Princess Soraya
Joined: 30 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Sat Aug 28, 2010 7:51 am Post subject: |
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| Epik_Teacher wrote: |
| Logic and Korea are mutually exclusive terms! |
Touche! |
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engrishprease
Joined: 22 Oct 2009
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| Posted: Sat Aug 28, 2010 8:20 am Post subject: |
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| Epik_Teacher wrote: |
| Logic and Korea are mutually exclusive terms! |
It's not just Korea though.. logic and beaurocracy are the ones that are mutually exclusive.
Try dealing with [name any other country in the world]'s immigration rules and you'll find out it's the same the world over. |
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Who's Your Daddy?
Joined: 30 May 2010
Location: Victoria, Canada.
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| Posted: Sat Aug 28, 2010 11:52 pm Post subject: |
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When I went to get my F2 the worker filled the box for it to be good for 3 years. When it arrived it shows an expiry in 1 year?
Are most new F2's only issued one year? What happened between the officer filling in the boxes for a 3 year visa, and it's issuance?
My wife was pissed. I said, "welcome to my world of Korean immigration. There's no explanation, and no one to ask." |
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Vagabundo
Joined: 26 Aug 2010
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| Posted: Sun Aug 29, 2010 12:10 am Post subject: |
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| Princess Soraya wrote: |
| Epik_Teacher wrote: |
| Logic and Korea are mutually exclusive terms! |
Touche! |
+2 on original comment |
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v88
Joined: 28 Feb 2010
Location: here
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| Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2010 2:56 am Post subject: Re: Immigration strangeness |
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| Richard Krainium wrote: |
Yes, I had the same experience. My first F-2 was for 2 years minus one day. Had to renew the F-2 for another 2 years to be eligible to apply for the F-5. Applied for the F-5 two days after renewing the F-2. No big deal. F-5 came 3 weeks later and now I'm done with it.
BTW - Congrats on the new baby! |
I expect when I go back it won't be a big deal either...these things just catch me off guard sometimes in Korea...what seems to be a no-brainer to me often isn't. Drives the wife nuts.
Thanks!!! Will be buying the little guy his first bike ASAP! |
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v88
Joined: 28 Feb 2010
Location: here
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| Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2010 3:04 am Post subject: |
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| Who's Your Daddy? wrote: |
When I went to get my F2 the worker filled the box for it to be good for 3 years. When it arrived it shows an expiry in 1 year?
Are most new F2's only issued one year? What happened between the officer filling in the boxes for a 3 year visa, and it's issuance?
My wife was pissed. I said, "welcome to my world of Korean immigration. There's no explanation, and no one to ask." |
As far as I know they usually only issue F-2s for a max of 2 years and they did the same thing to me for some reason too. I got two 1 year visas instead of a 2 year. I asked why, but no reason was given...however my coworker on an E-2 was granted a 2 year to match his 2 year working contract...go figure.
The worst is when they tell you on the phone or at immigration what forms you need, then when you go back they add more. Once I was missing a document so I had to go home and get it...I was a little POd cause the lady on immi hotline had given me pretty good instructions. To be sure I asked the officer at immi if I had all the other forms correct. She said yes, then when I went back the next day to the very same officer and she looked at me like I was an idiot for not bringing yet another form and then had the nerve to comment in Korean to her co-worker how waeguk stupidity really got on her nerves.
I just shook my head. |
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daeguowl
Joined: 06 Aug 2009
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Thu Sep 02, 2010 2:09 am Post subject: |
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| Who's Your Daddy? wrote: |
When I went to get my F2 the worker filled the box for it to be good for 3 years. When it arrived it shows an expiry in 1 year?
Are most new F2's only issued one year? What happened between the officer filling in the boxes for a 3 year visa, and it's issuance?
My wife was pissed. I said, "welcome to my world of Korean immigration. There's no explanation, and no one to ask." |
Typically one year to begin with, one year for first renewal and two years after that... |
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v88
Joined: 28 Feb 2010
Location: here
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| Posted: Thu Sep 02, 2010 3:00 am Post subject: |
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| daeguowl wrote: |
| Who's Your Daddy? wrote: |
When I went to get my F2 the worker filled the box for it to be good for 3 years. When it arrived it shows an expiry in 1 year?
Are most new F2's only issued one year? What happened between the officer filling in the boxes for a 3 year visa, and it's issuance?
My wife was pissed. I said, "welcome to my world of Korean immigration. There's no explanation, and no one to ask." |
Typically one year to begin with, one year for first renewal and two years after that... |
Are you sure about that? I've heard of plenty of folks getting a 2 year right off the bat while I was forced to get a 1 year for 2 years in a row. I think it must be up to the whim of the immi officer. |
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Captain Corea
Joined: 28 Feb 2005
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Thu Sep 02, 2010 3:32 am Post subject: |
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| I've heard of 2 years off the bat if kids are involved. |
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Jane
Joined: 01 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Thu Sep 02, 2010 7:15 am Post subject: |
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I was at immigration today. I had a reserved time slot so I didn't have to wait long to see an official. The whole paperwork process took 10 minutes.
Took a seat by the pick up desk to pick up my passport and was given a number. Waited 50 minutes! Finally, I asked the guy how long it was going to take. It was a mistake, he says, and handed me my passport from some box. I sat there for 45 minutes too long!
Also, lady on the phone said a multiple entry visa was 50,000won. Got to immigration and they told me it's now at no charge if you get an F visa.
Oh, and don't get me on the time they charged me 50,000won for an entry visa only to be valid for one month until I needed to extend my visa for another year and then PAY FOR ANOTHER ENTRY VISA!
Alas, I only have to see the inside of immigration once every two years. |
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