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Shintax
Joined: 31 May 2012
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 Posted: Mon Jun 24, 2013 9:56 am Post subject: Out of Country More than 365 Days, Visa Still Valid? |
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My F4 expires in January, 2014; however, I left Korea last September (2012) and won't be able to return by late November this year.
I read somewhere that visas will automatically expire if the person is out of the country for more than 365 days, even though it isn't according to the printed expiry date.
Can anybody confirm?
Thanks. |
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jjajangmyun
Joined: 31 Aug 2011
Location: way down south!
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| Posted: Mon Jun 24, 2013 10:34 am Post subject: |
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| do u remember if you got a multiple-entry visa back when you first applied for it? |
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Shintax
Joined: 31 May 2012
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| Posted: Mon Jun 24, 2013 12:59 pm Post subject: |
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| jjajangmyun wrote: |
| do u remember if you got a multiple-entry visa back when you first applied for it? |
No, I just assumed all visas are multiple-entry by default now. Unless that only applies to E2 visas.... |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Mon Jun 24, 2013 1:09 pm Post subject: Re: Out of Country More than 365 Days, Visa Still Valid? |
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| Shintax wrote: |
My F4 expires in January, 2014; however, I left Korea last September (2012) and won't be able to return by late November this year.
I read somewhere that visas will automatically expire if the person is out of the country for more than 365 days, even though it isn't according to the printed expiry date.
Can anybody confirm?
Thanks. |
Expiry of the ARC or 2 years whichever comes first in the case of F2,4,5,6.
IF you do not have an ARC then the visa expiry date (printed on the visa) and valid number of entries (single or multiple) apply.
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spaceman82
Joined: 01 Dec 2009
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| Posted: Mon Jun 24, 2013 5:29 pm Post subject: |
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| For whatever it's worth, I've been told by immigration officers a couple of times over the past few months that there is a 12-month limit on how long one can be out of the country on an F-2 visa. |
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YTMND
Joined: 16 Jan 2012
Location: You're the man now dog!!
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| Posted: Tue Jun 25, 2013 12:57 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| I've been told by immigration officers a couple of times over the past few months that there is a 12-month limit on how long one can be out of the country on an F-2 visa. |
If you are married to a Korean, why should it matter if you are out of the country? |
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spaceman82
Joined: 01 Dec 2009
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| Posted: Tue Jun 25, 2013 1:23 am Post subject: |
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| I wouldn't know. I'm not married to a Korean, though. |
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Shintax
Joined: 31 May 2012
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| Posted: Tue Jun 25, 2013 8:33 am Post subject: Re: Out of Country More than 365 Days, Visa Still Valid? |
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| ttompatz wrote: |
| Shintax wrote: |
My F4 expires in January, 2014; however, I left Korea last September (2012) and won't be able to return by late November this year.
I read somewhere that visas will automatically expire if the person is out of the country for more than 365 days, even though it isn't according to the printed expiry date.
Can anybody confirm?
Thanks. |
Expiry of the ARC or 2 years whichever comes first in the case of F2,4,5,6.
IF you do not have an ARC then the visa expiry date (printed on the visa) and valid number of entries (single or multiple) apply.
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Yikes...so two answers, 12 months (1 year) or 2 years.
ttompatz, could you plz provide a source? In fairness to you, I suppose immigration officials sometimes aren't a reliable source. |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Tue Jun 25, 2013 2:45 pm Post subject: |
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The information bulletin announcement from immigration dated Dec 2010 that announced the removal of the requirements for re-entry permits for registered foreigners and the terms of being outside the country for registered foreigners.
It should be on the immigration or hikorea website.
Basically it said that foreigners who have an ARC must return before their ARC expires.
If your ARC has a validity of more than 2 years then you MUST return before the 2 year mark.
IF you do not have an ARC then the terms of your visa (the thing in your passport) apply.
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Shintax
Joined: 31 May 2012
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| Posted: Wed Jun 26, 2013 12:27 pm Post subject: |
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| ttompatz wrote: |
The information bulletin announcement from immigration dated Dec 2010 that announced the removal of the requirements for re-entry permits for registered foreigners and the terms of being outside the country for registered foreigners.
It should be on the immigration or hikorea website.
Basically it said that foreigners who have an ARC must return before their ARC expires.
If your ARC has a validity of more than 2 years then you MUST return before the 2 year mark.
IF you do not have an ARC then the terms of your visa (the thing in your passport) apply.
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Thanks. |
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tob55
Joined: 29 Apr 2007
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| Posted: Wed Jun 26, 2013 12:53 pm Post subject: |
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| YTMND wrote: |
| Quote: |
| I've been told by immigration officers a couple of times over the past few months that there is a 12-month limit on how long one can be out of the country on an F-2 visa. |
If you are married to a Korean, why should it matter if you are out of the country? |
Visas are regulated by immigration and the fact that someone is married to a Korean is of no consequence to immigration. They are looking at the visa, and unless you have full or dual citizenship, as in my case, then you must follow the rules regarding re-entry into the country. Also, as spaceman82 mentioned, he is not on the F2 as a spouse, but has it on his own. The visas have changed a lot for foreign residents in the past couple of years and so have the regulations. Marriage visas (old F2 and current F6) are sponsor visas making the Korean spouse responsible for the legal and criminal actions of the foreign spouse if they should break the law in some way, and simply indicate the type of stay a person has in the country. The visas have nothing to do with being married and allowed back into the country if you leave. The re-entry regulations have changed a lot since I received my first F2-1 back in 2005. Back then even F2 visa holders had to purchase the multiple re-entry stamp. Then, immigration relaxed the requirement, making the stamp necessary only for those not on F-visas. Now, the requirement has included re-entry for most if not all visas with annual, bi-annual or those with a longer renewal period.
So the short answer is that being married to a Korean has nothing to do with re-entry into Korea, this is an immigratin concern. |
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Shintax
Joined: 31 May 2012
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| Posted: Thu Jul 25, 2013 8:42 am Post subject: |
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| Is it TWO months or THREE months before the expiry date when you can renew the visa? |
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tob55
Joined: 29 Apr 2007
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| Posted: Thu Jul 25, 2013 12:51 pm Post subject: |
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| Shintax wrote: |
| Is it TWO months or THREE months before the expiry date when you can renew the visa? |
The expiry date on your visa does not prohibit you from renewing it at any time. when I applied for my F5 visa many years ago, my old F2 visa sitll had one year remaining on it before it was due to expire. I chose to go on the F5 at the time, because it meant not having an expiration date on my ARC after that time. So, if you want to go in early and renew, go ahead and do it. |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Thu Jul 25, 2013 2:38 pm Post subject: |
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| Shintax wrote: |
| Is it TWO months or THREE months before the expiry date when you can renew the visa? |
Typically, you can extend your ARC (status of sojourn)up to 60 days prior to expiry.
You cannot extend a visa (the thing in your passport). You'd have to get a new one.
Immigration has some leeway and can do it up to 90 days early if there is some compelling reason to do so (going to be out of the country on vacation for 80 days prior to expiry as an example).
tob55 - extending an ARC and a change of status (F2 to F5) are not the same. |
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Shintax
Joined: 31 May 2012
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| Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2013 4:37 am Post subject: |
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| ttompatz wrote: |
| Shintax wrote: |
| Is it TWO months or THREE months before the expiry date when you can renew the visa? |
Typically, you can extend your ARC (status of sojourn)up to 60 days prior to expiry.
You cannot extend a visa (the thing in your passport). You'd have to get a new one.
Immigration has some leeway and can do it up to 90 days early if there is some compelling reason to do so (going to be out of the country on vacation for 80 days prior to expiry as an example).
tob55 - extending an ARC and a change of status (F2 to F5) are not the same. |
Yes, my mistake--I meant ARC.
OK, thx, I'll just be safe and return to Korea two months prior to the expiry date. |
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