Korean Job Discussion Forums

loudjosh81 · Joined: 06 Apr 2009 Location: seoul

Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 11:34 pm Post subject: F2 Visa - please read first before getting bent out of shape

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I am trying to get my F2 visa now. I went to immigration and the embassy and did all the crap hoop jumping they want, and it turns out the us embassy no longer hands out marriage certificates (as of January 1st, 2011)

IN THE PAST 18 DAYS has anyone tried to apply for an F2 visa (american citizens only please, im sure you fine ozzies and canucks dont have to deal with the american consulate/embasy) and have you had any luck with the marriage certificate. Is there any other paper work i can get to make immigration happy, or do i just have to go to america to get married.

Thanks for helping

Chokse · Joined: 22 May 2009

When my wife (Korean) and I (American) got married 10 years ago, the US Embassy did not give out marriage licenses. That started some time after we got married, though I am not exactly sure which year. Anyway, yes, we had to go to the US and get married there and then bring that certificate back to Korea. We decided to make the trip worthwhile and visited my family for a few weeks while we got all the certificates and paperwork we needed.

My guess is that you will have to do the same. You might look at the possibility of Guam. You might be able to do it there, and if so, it will cost less and will be an easier flight.

loudjosh81 · Joined: 06 Apr 2009 Location: seoul

The dont give out a license, if i want that i have to go to america. I need a marriage certificate, which they did give up until dec 31st, 2010, at midnight. all the certificate says is that they recognize that i am married, but it doesnt give me an legal precedence for america. anyhow, they are denying the F2 right now, until i have this paper. we do plan to go to america in the summer to get married and do the paperwork in america, but until now, there was never a problem to get the F2 visa.

The immigration has no idea what the embassy is doing, the district office has no idea what immigration is doing, and the embassy has no idea what they are doing...It makes things difficult to get an answer from anybody there.

Chokse · Joined: 22 May 2009

I meant certificate... I just typed the wrong word. I just looked at the document that we had to bring to get the F2, and it does say Certificate Of Marriage.

I'm pretty sure that you are going to have to go back to the US if the embassy is no longer doing this.

Ice Tea · Joined: 23 Nov 2008

It doesn't make the tiniest bit of sense why they want an American marriage certificate anyways. If you got married here, you have a Korean marriage certificate from the Gu office. Isn't that good enough? A marriage certificate from their VERY OWN country!

But they don't care. Who's going to hold them accountable anyways? No one. Everyone's too preoccupied with gun rights and gay marriage.

loudjosh81 · Joined: 06 Apr 2009 Location: seoul

the best part of everything....is that in korea nobody knows what anybody else is doing..every office i call has a different story, every time that i call them, and it changes if i call or if my fiance calls.

I dont mind going back to the us to get married...but i didnt want to go back. i was wondering if it might be possible to do something on the army base as well....the army base is american soil...so that should mean if i get something from there...i dont know though...im not army, so i have to find that information out from somewhere as well

Captain Corea · Joined: 28 Feb 2005 Location: Seoul

Died By Bear · Posted: Wed Jan 19, 2011 6:43 pm Post subject:

PEIGUY · Joined: 28 Mar 2004 Location: Omokgyo

Drew10 · Joined: 31 Mar 2009

loudjosh81 · Joined: 06 Apr 2009 Location: seoul

Darkray16 · Joined: 09 Nov 2008

I just called both the US embassy and Korean immigration office. It looks like nothing has changed, the US won't give out a marriage certificate anymore and immigration is still requiring it.

How are the rest of you guys going to deal with this? Just wait and hope immigration will work this out?

Although it doesn't make sense for the US to give out the marriage certificate if we get married in Korea, you'd think they would have tried to work this out BEFORE making a huge change like this, and if they needed more time, they would hold off on the change.

I'm so frustrated at this point.

mosesmoses · Joined: 22 Nov 2007 Location: Edae, Seoul

i got married here 2 years ago and the US embassy didn't give marriage certificates then either. you go to the embassy and they declare that you are single. then you get married at the local neighborhood office IN KOREA and bring that marriage certificate back to the embassy. then they give you the paper saying you're married. the korean marriage certficate and that paper from the embassy TOGETHER give you legal rights in the US and will will give you the right for an F2 here in Korea.

Darkray16 · Joined: 09 Nov 2008

The problem now is that paper that the embassy gives you after you show them a marriage cert. is no longer being issued.

waygooktim · Joined: 26 Sep 2010

I am having similar issues. The British embassy also stopped handing out marriage certificates after jan 1st. Korean Immigration say i need a marriage certificate issued from the UK to apply for a F-2visa, the British embassy say the marriage certificate from the Korean authorities will be accepted as a legal marriage certificate in the UK and overseas wherever you go.