Your Visa: An E-to-F Guide

 

Many if not most foreigners living here in Gwangju are in Korea on an E-2, or Foreign Language Instructor visa. These are renewable one-year visas, but they limit what the holder can legally do for employment in Korea. What many foreigners are perhaps unaware of is a program the government instituted in February of 2010 that allows foreign nationals possessing “professional” visas (the E-2 is included in this categorization) to change their visa status to F-2, or Long-Term Resident.  Applicants need to have lived in Korea for at least a year and meet certain other requirements in a point-based system.

Some foreigners may have heard of the existence of the process, but they also may have heard that, like most things involving governmental bureaucracy, it’s difficult to the point of being impossible. However, U.S. national and Seoul resident Devin Whiting successfully completed the process in September 2011, and has shared his insights on obtaining an F-2 visa.

“Foreigners who have looked at the point system for the F-2 visa and said it was an extreme hassle are pretty much right,” said Whiting. Points are allotted for different categories, such as age, academic career, Korean language ability, income and social integration. Whiting advises that the first step for someone wanting to obtain an F-2 visa is to download the document from the Ministry of Justice’s website that fully details the point system, so that individual can calculate whether he or she has the minimum number of 80 points.

“Korean ability is essentially a must,” said Whiting, adding that most people without an advanced degree or a degree earned in Korea do not achieve the required number of points. He advised, “If you find yourself short eight or ten points, you’ll probably have to enroll in the Korea Immigration Integration Program (KIIP).”

Whiting describes the KIIP as being “like a five-level Korean language course where you learn about Korean culture and civics.” It includes a written exam and interview at the end, similar to a naturalization test. The program was developed in part for foreign spouses of Korean nationals, and Whiting added that he was the only Westerner in a class otherwise comprised of South Asian, Southeast Asian and Chinese immigrants. Information on signing up for the KIIP is available at www.kiip.kr, but the site is only in Korean and described as “daunting” by Whiting, who advises having a Korean friend help foreigners navigate through the site.

Whiting warns that the KIIP might be “impractical for some because it takes anywhere from six months to two years to complete.” The first step for beginning the program is taking a placement test. “This test is crucial because if you do poorly, you’ll be in class the full two years. But if you do well you could be done in a matter of months.”

However, his overall impression of the program was favorable. “It appeared to me that the Korean government, more than trying to put up barriers with KIIP, is trying to bring people in. The material was focused on giving [recent immigrants] a slightly better understanding of their new country and making them feel welcomed.”

Completion of the KIIP is worth ten points toward the 80 required to be eligible to apply for an F-2 visa. A table detailing the point system is available at www.hikorea.go.kr/pt/index.html (click on “Announcements,” then “Notices,” then “Notice of Point System for Excellent Human Resources”).

One may ask what the advantages are in obtaining an F-2 visa, that they justify jumping through so many bureaucratic hoops. Acquiring Resident status allows the visa holder to pursue employment opportunities other than teaching. For those looking at starting a business, the F-2 visa also exempts the holder from the stipulation of having to bring the equivalent of 100 million won in foreign currency into Korea to do so. Also, the spouse and children of someone that obtains an F-2 visa will also gain resident status. In addition, instead of the one- year, renewable conditions of an E-2 visa, the F-2 visa is valid for up to three years. For foreigners who are looking to remain in Korea even longer, the holder is eligible to apply for a permanent F-5 visa after staying in Korea for three years through the F-2.

For Whiting, the impetus to obtain an F-2 visa was related to his work in broadcasting. “It quickly became apparent to me that many people in the broadcasting field had far more opportunities than me because they were married to a Korean and thus had an F visa. As soon as the point system was announced, I knew that’s what I had to do. And sure enough, [after obtaining an F-2 visa] I found many new opportunities.”

He also warned that the most difficult part of the process was navigating the bureaucracy. “When I started on that path, not many people had yet done it, so no one on the immigration hotline was able to give me much help. It was quite stressful.”

However, once his documents were submitted, the process was surprisingly smooth. “I finished the KIIP in September 2011 and went to immigration the very day my results came out. I was able to get the visa processed that day and picked up my new ARC card a couple of weeks later.”

Whiting does advise being vigilant with the governmental offices after submitting the necessary documents. He warned, “Bug them constantly to make sure they’re processing everything correctly, because one little mistake by them can throw off your F-2 by six months.”

Despite all of the bureaucratic hurdles, Whiting feels the process was worthwhile. “If I hadn’t done it, I know my options in Korea would have been much more limited. Not to mention [the KIIP] is like a free Korean language class!”

To find out more, E-series visa holders can contact immigration directly at (02)1345.