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camaroclow
Joined: 10 Apr 2008
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 Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 12:15 am Post subject: Arriving on a tourist visa |
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| My girlfriend is arriving next week from the states for a few work interviews. Does immigration require her to have a departing plane ticket since she is arriving as a tourist? If so, would it suffice to have a ferry ticket in hand and simply cancel it after she arrives? Do people who midnight run and return have departing tickets? Thanks for any help. |
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CentralCali
Joined: 17 May 2007
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| Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 12:35 am Post subject: |
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Legally, yes. If the airline personnel at the point of departure are on the ball, your friend will not be permitted to board the airplane without proof of onward travel. After all, the airline is subject to a penalty, too, if they knowingly bring someone who is not allowed entry.
People who do a midnight run, at least the ones I've known personally, do not require round trip tickets as they are returning to their own countries. If they do come back to Korea, then they'll be subject to the same restrictions: long-term visa in hand before arrival or proof of onward travel.
You say your friend is arriving for work interviews. Is this for a teaching job? If so and she has never had an E-series visa, then she will be wasting her money and time because she will be required to have a consular interview at a Korean consulate in her home country. |
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northway
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 2:40 am Post subject: |
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| CentralCali wrote: |
| You say your friend is arriving for work interviews. Is this for a teaching job? If so and she has never had an E-series visa, then she will be wasting her money and time because she will be required to have a consular interview at a Korean consulate in her home country. |
Not necessarily, as Guam is an option if she's American (and roundtrip is still cheaper than flying someone over from elsewhere).
For the OP: tell her to get the cheapest refundable ticket she can find that will get her out of the country. It shouldn't end up costing her more than $100 or so with the cancellation fee, and it's better than risking having them turn her back at the airport. I flew in on a tourist visa without an exit ticket, but it wasn't the greatest idea. |
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camaroclow
Joined: 10 Apr 2008
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| Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 5:49 am Post subject: |
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| Thanks for the input. The interviews are for non-teaching, with the company sponsoring an E-7 if she gets it. |
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CentralCali
Joined: 17 May 2007
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| Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 11:48 am Post subject: |
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| northway wrote: |
| CentralCali wrote: |
| You say your friend is arriving for work interviews. Is this for a teaching job? If so and she has never had an E-series visa, then she will be wasting her money and time because she will be required to have a consular interview at a Korean consulate in her home country. |
Not necessarily, as Guam is an option if she's American (and roundtrip is still cheaper than flying someone over from elsewhere). |
Well, Guam is America. But I see your point about her not necessarily wasting her time and money as she won't have to fly all the way back to the contiguous 48 states. |
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kraggy
Joined: 06 Mar 2011
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| Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2012 9:21 pm Post subject: |
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Can I butt in here and ask something related?
If I leave Korea now and come back in on a tourist visa next year to find a job, I'll obviously have to leave once I get a job offer in order to get a visa right?
But will I have to go home to my country to get it or can I just fly over to Shanghai or over to Japan or something? I've been on an E2 already if that makes a difference. |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2012 11:06 pm Post subject: |
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| kraggy wrote: |
Can I butt in here and ask something related?
If I leave Korea now and come back in on a tourist visa next year to find a job, I'll obviously have to leave once I get a job offer in order to get a visa right?
But will I have to go home to my country to get it or can I just fly over to Shanghai or over to Japan or something? I've been on an E2 already if that makes a difference. |
Yes, you would need to do a visa run to change from a tourist entry (B1 - visa waived or C3 - actual visa) to an E2.
If it is NOT your first E2 AND you have no immigration violations against you then you can do a visa run to almost anywhere.
Japan, BKK or Manila are the easiest (no visa required to enter those places to do your visa run at the Korean embassies/consulates there). Mainland China, unless you are already there, gets more difficult due to the visa required to enter China.
If you are out of Korea for more than 90 days you will need a new set of documents (CBC / degree copy) as well.
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northway
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2012 11:26 pm Post subject: |
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| CentralCali wrote: |
| northway wrote: |
| CentralCali wrote: |
| You say your friend is arriving for work interviews. Is this for a teaching job? If so and she has never had an E-series visa, then she will be wasting her money and time because she will be required to have a consular interview at a Korean consulate in her home country. |
Not necessarily, as Guam is an option if she's American (and roundtrip is still cheaper than flying someone over from elsewhere). |
Well, Guam is America. But I see your point about her not necessarily wasting her time and money as she won't have to fly all the way back to the contiguous 48 states. |
You knew what I meant. |
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Chalmers
Joined: 20 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2012 3:01 am Post subject: |
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| CentralCali wrote: |
Legally, yes. If the airline personnel at the point of departure are on the ball, your friend will not be permitted to board the airplane without proof of onward travel. After all, the airline is subject to a penalty, too, if they knowingly bring someone who is not allowed entry.
People who do a midnight run, at least the ones I've known personally, do not require round trip tickets as they are returning to their own countries. If they do come back to Korea, then they'll be subject to the same restrictions: long-term visa in hand before arrival or proof of onward travel.
You say your friend is arriving for work interviews. Is this for a teaching job? If so and she has never had an E-series visa, then she will be wasting her money and time because she will be required to have a consular interview at a Korean consulate in her home country. |
I just came back last week after three consecutive E2 visas. I went home for the holidays etc etc...anyway I am here on a one way ticket/tourist visa. The Korean Airlines employee at San Fran International airport simply asked me how long I was planning on staying, I said "2 months". I am here looking for jobs and doing in-person interviews. |
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mariaanceney
Joined: 07 Jan 2011
Location: 840 UNITED STATES
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| Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 3:13 am Post subject: |
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| Can you really get turned back at the airport? Has that ever happened to anyone you know? |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 5:16 am Post subject: |
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| mariaanceney wrote: |
| Can you really get turned back at the airport? Has that ever happened to anyone you know? |
I have known (personally) many people who have not had an actual visa or ARC and have been denied boarding for the flight to Korea from YVR, YYZ, LAX, SFO, ATL, ORD, KIX, MNL, CEB, HKG, and BKK. All of them had to purchase a new flight to Korea AND have an exit ticket as well.
I know several (~50ish) people who were required to purchase onward passage before being allowed to board the aircraft for their flight to Korea.
I know about 50 who were allowed to board and were never asked but many of them had multiple Korean entry stamps in their passports already.
I do not know anyone who was denied entry to Korea by immigration for not having onward passage.
It is typically the airline who checks and will cause problems since they are responsible for your repatriation if you are denied entry and they are the ones who will be fined for allowing you passage if there are any immigration problems.
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
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| Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 7:31 pm Post subject: |
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Always have come in on a tourist visa.
Never have bought onwards passage.
Never been denied boarding.
Never been denied entry.
Then again the multiple entry and exit stamps from and to Korea in my passport might have something to do with it. |
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asutrack
Joined: 05 Jul 2007
Location: Busan
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| Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2012 3:46 am Post subject: |
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| Thought I would chime in.... I have had this issue come up 2x most recently 2 days ago flying from JFK to Busan ( the first time it happened I was questioned in Tokyo after already flying in from LAX!). Each time was asked by the ticket agent at check-in. Both times I told the agent I was staying for about 60 days and then departing to Japan by ferry and then onward to other SE Asian countries. I was allowed to board but I was worried. I also want to add that I have flown in and out of Korea on tourist visas about 6 times over the last 5 years while in between jobs. |
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