Korean Job Discussion Forums

[asiankidchou]

Yes, I've read all the posts in this forum on this topic before I asked this. I wanted to specify that I'm aware of all the rules and what not but there is one part I was wondering about.

So I was born to two Korean nationals in America, so I am an American citizen. I'm not listed on any hojuk either.

From what I understand, Koreans need to submit proof of complete removal from Korean citizenship via parents naturalization papers etc in order to apply for F4.

I've also heard that for an overseas Korean, their Korean citizenship is removed if they don't appear on the hojuk AND they don't renounce before 22.

I was wondering which is right? And if it's true that I need naturalization papers etc, is there a way around that? It seems tight in the sense that I need to prove my Korean blood, and the way to do that is with the Hojuk which is also the thing that could potentially lead to my service being reinstated.

I get different responses from the 3 main consulates in America and two of them in Seoul.

[lebenketten]

I got my F4 earlier this year, and used to work at an agency that helps people get visas. I've answered a similar question with the paragraph below.

Contact YOUR consulate. Find which consulate has jurisdiction over YOUR HOME STATE. http://www.planetesl.com/consulates.php has the list. If your PERMANENT ADDRESS is in Georgia, your consulate is Atlanta, and the Chicago or NY or LA consulate rules will NOT apply to you. Disregard all information you get from other consulates. There is temptation to double check information with other consulates or the embassy, but they will not give you the information you need as a resident of your state. Let me repeat: Contact YOUR HOME STATE'S consulate and follow their rules.

Contact them and explain your situation. You were born in America to Koreans (make sure you know whether or not they obtained US citizenship before or after your birth). YOU were never registered on the hojuk because YOU were born in the US and are a US citizen without claim to any other citizenship.

Your parents, even though they swore to give up other citizenship when they took the oath for US citizenship, are still considered Korean citizens. Why? Because they never submitted the paperwork to the register in Korea to have their names removed from the hojuk. That is the key here. The US Naturalization papers are NOT proof that your parents renounce Korean citizenship. Your parents must submit separate papers to remove their names from the hojuk so that you, a US citizen by birth, can get the F4 visa.

Follow me so far?

Your US birth certificate names your parents. The birth certificate proves that you were born in ths US and are a US citizen. Your parents names on there prove your Korean ancestry. You may need to provide their naturalization certificates, which will state their country of origin. Any and all name changes will also need papers to verify.

In the end, get in touch with YOUR consulate. The embassy in DC told me I wasn't even eligible for the F4, but my consulate is NY. They told me which papers to submit, and had the visa to me in two weeks. So you find out what your consulate says and go with that.