Korean Job Discussion Forums

[jiberish]

I've been trolling the forums and looked at the immigration site. But there are still a few things that I am unclear on and things I wanna confirm. Ok so here goes.

Firstly so when you get married to a korean you get an F2 visa. Meaning you can stay in korea. Now with this visa you can't work right? It's only to stay in the country. To work you need an F2-1 which you need to be sponsered for. Which basically means your stuffed and still need to teach in a school or a company that can actually sponser you. Can't get a local part time job or anything.

Then about 5 years later you can get an F5 visa which gives you the freedom to do whatever you want?

Is this correct? Basically what I want to do though is be free to pick and choose my employment. Kind of like a jack of all trades. I want to do some privates and modeling as my main source of income then do maybe some proof reading, voice overs or anything to keep it interesting. Is this feasible on a F2 or F2-1 visa? Or can I never be a free man here. Eventually I want to get into business and investing.

Cheers

[kprrok]

Um, no.

When you get married, you apply for the F-2(1). To get this, you have to show that you are supported by your wife (money or a job) and are legitimately married. Your spouse is your sponsor and you are not tied to one job like many of the others here. You are bound by contracts, though.

This is a VISA for both living and working in Korea.

After you've been on the F-2 for 2 (or maybe 3 depending on the office you go to), you can apply for the F-5, which is the same as a US green card. This is permanent and can't be lost due to divorce. They can revoke it if you're not in the country or commit some heinous crime, though I've heard.

KPRROK

[jbpatlanta]

With a F2 visa you are automatically given permission to work anywhere you like. You can quit and get a new job without a release letter. You can teach private students as long as you register with the gu office and get a tutor's license. You can even be unemployed. Once you get a F2 visa you no longer have to be sponsered by an employer. I have had a F2 myself for about 3 years now. I can quit my job without worrying about a release letter or exit order, I can work extra part time jobs, and I can teach private students since I have a tutor's license.

Any questions PM me.

[jinju]

SEARCH FUNCTION

[jiberish]

hell good

cheers for that, appreciate it

[jiberish]

Jinju mate I did search and I got varied responses on different posts.

as for the questions about F2 and F2-1. They came from reading this

"F-2 visa - Persons married to Koreans "

"F2-1 visa - Persons married to Koreans, and who are allowed to work"

where is also states for the F2-1 you need

"a notarized document saying that you are who you are your schools business registration your contract a certificate of employment from your school "

http://korea.wikia.com/wiki/Korean_visa_types

as for the 5 year point

http://shc.seoul.go.kr/page/?section=hotline/view&brd_cd=h001&page=1&seq_no=2903&kw=

there it states 5 years

Sooooo reading this then reading different information on the forum I was confused which is why I asked. So just relax, don't need to be so negative.

[BigBuds]

That's very out of date info.

[SuperFly]

[tob55]

SuperFly

Immigration is yanking your chain if they told you you have to wait until next year. The current rule is that if you have been married to a Korean national for 2 calendar years and can provide evidence of a marriage certificate, 30 mil KRW through a rental contract, an employment contract, or other monies you have in the bank, pass a criminal background check, and show that you are contributing to Korean society in some way, i.e. you are gainfully employed, then you can apply for an F5 visa...How do I know? I am going through the process right now.

Here is the process:

1. You apply
2. Give them proof of the things I mentioned above.
3. Schedule an interview so they can visit with you and your spouse. (Not sure how fluent you have to be in Korean, but they will ask you some questions, so the better you speak Korean the more it will help you)
4. Wait for the immigration office to process your paperwork and make a determination. (this could take any where from 2 weeks to 3 or more months depending on the immigration office)

This isn't rocket science, but the regional immigration offices all decide what they are doing in regards to processing these documents. This is why there is such disparity between the different areas of the country. I had an acquaintance who said it took him only 2 weeks to process his F5. Another friend told me he had to wait 5 months to receive notice. It's a crap shoot depending on where you live and who you work with...

I will say this, don't walk into the immigration office with a chip on your shoulder...They do not have to give you an F5 just because you meet the requirements...I know of a couple of people who were refused simply because they went in demanding that they receive their F5 because they were entitled to it...Talk about stupid...Be kind to the immigration people and it will get you along in the process much faster than the forceful give it to me methods some people try to use...

[SuperFly]

But we lived in America all those years. We've only been back in Korea for nine months.

[tob55]

In your case immigration is probably correct to have you reside in the country for two years...