Yaayyyy! We got 'em!
After a lot of stress in the spring over what to do about PapaFish and TheFry's visa status while in Korea, and finding next to no information on the great-wide Internets about it, I kind of blindly leapt towards Korea with very little information and hints about how to get things done. Well, we figured it out, and it wasn't that bad. The worst that happened is that we originally went to the wrong floor of the immigration office, only to be redirected after 15 minutes of waiting.
So, do YOU have dependents that are following you to Korea but not working? Here's whatcha do:
1. Apply for a C-3 tourist visa. I think ours cost about $45 apiece. They are valid for 90 days. You shouldn't need to give them proof of return airfare to get it.
2. Come to Korea, get your Alien Registration Card (ARC). Do this as soon as possible.
3. When you get your ARC, leap for joy, cry a few tears of merriment, kiss it, and plan an excursion to Immigration early the next morning.
4. Go to immigration...and early. The earlier, the better. If your local office opens at 9, expect there to be at least 30 people in there waiting by 10. Often, it is more. We had to make 2 trips to immigration just to hand in our applications so you have been warned.
When you go to your local immigration office, bring your ARC and the passports for everyone in your family who needs their C-3 switched over. This includes the wee babes. Also, bring proof of relation, such as a copy of a birth certificate or marriage certificate. Ours did not have to be noticed or apostilled, and they made the copies right there for us. Also bring at least 1 passport-sized photo for everyone who will be applying. Make sure you know your address and phone number. Also bring money - the application fee for us was 60,000 won per applicant. It might be a good idea to pack some snacks and drinks - you could be waiting for quite a while.
5. Purchase "Revenue Stamps". At the Seoul Immigration Office in Mokdong, these can be purchased in the basement. The stamps will be pasted to the application because 0the immigration officer upstairs on the first floor will not have a cash register.
6. When you fill out the application, select "4" - "Change the status of sojourn". Fill out the app, paste the revenue stamps and passport-sized photo on with a glue stick (provided for you), take a number and wait your turn. Wait and wait and wait. Eat and hydrate and entertain yourself in the meantime.
7. When your number is called, hand your stuff over to the immigration officer. They will take your applications and make copies of all your documents (your ARC, marriage/birth/etc. certificates, and so on) and take the passports of the applicants (my husband and son in my case).
8. They will give you a receipt and a date/time you can return to pick up your passport. At that time, go in the same room, take a number (it will be a different category than when you originally applied; for example, in Mokdong, press button "4" on the number machine. This is for Pickup Only). When it's your turn, they will return the passports with the new visa stamps and also issue ARC cards for the applicants. Then you can do a little Irish Jig of Happines!
9. Eat Samgyupsal for breakfast on your way back home. You deserve it!
Our next little Alien Adventure: Obtaining National Health Insurance!
Monday, September 7, 2009
Alien Adventures, Part 1: F-3 Visa - Dependent Visa for Family Members
Posted by Lolimahro at 8:22 AM
Labels: Alien Registration, ARC, Immigration
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4 comments:
DO you happen to know if there are any nationalities that NEED a return ticket? My husband is Peruvian, so he doesn't need to apply for a tourist visa, just automatically gets 90 days upon entry, do you think they'd ask for a return ticket?
Hm...I didn't think about your husband's nationality as making a difference. I think there is a Korean embassy in Peru - were you planning on using them to process your visas? Here is a website with some contact info for them (if you don't have it already, and I'm not sure how updated this is): http://south-korea.visahq.com/embassy/Peru/
I think the best bet would be to contact whichever consulate or embassy you plan to use to process your tourist visas. We used the Korean consulate in Chicago was not as helpful as it could have been. The best way to contact these places is by phone if you can; every time I sent an e-mail it was never answered.
Also, in getting an E-2 visa, you're supposed to have an in-person interview with your nearest Korean consulate or embassy, but you can do this by webcam (I did my interview by webcam with the Chicago consulate).
Good luck!
Can this visa be used for siblings under the age of 18?
Justine - I'm not sure about a minor sibling; that may be F1? Please contact Korean immigration for more information. If you are already in Korea, you can just dial 1345. Otherwise you can visit their website hikorea.go.kr. Good luck!
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