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Guide Book for Foreign Spouses of Korean Nationals

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Page 1: Guide Book for Foreign Spouses of Korean Nationals
Page 2: Guide Book for Foreign Spouses of Korean Nationals

Preface Korea is changing rapidly from the traditional

homogeneous society to the multi-racial

heterogeneous society in line with the increasing

international personal exchange. Marriage-immigrants'

families stand in the heart of this change.

As of Oct. 30. 2006. there are 90,210

foreigners (except those naturalized) married to

Korean nationals in this country. It is remarkable

that the number of intenational marriage reached

up to 13.6% of all the marriages in Korea, 2005.

In the midst of such a change, many marriage-immigrants well integrate into

Korean society, but some fail to settle down in the new environment because

they have to face so many difficulties : differences in language, culture, way of

living and lack of information, friends, support organizations.

I'm confident that the settling down is not solely the marriage-couple's job,

but some should be shouldered by the government, civil society, and citizens

alike.

Thus, the Seoul Immigration Office organized conventions for interracial

families four times throughout Seoul city and its satellite cities in

August-September, 2006, under the title, " I with U ". Through the I with U

(Immigration with You) convention, the Office encouraged the immigrants to form

a network for helping each other, and initiated public support network jointly run

by public entities and NGOs. Besides, the Office distributed Korean guidebook for

international-marriage couple at that time.

Page 3: Guide Book for Foreign Spouses of Korean Nationals

Now, I'm very pleased to inform that we translated the Korean guidebook into

the multi-language version and come to publish it. The languages include English,

Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai, Mongolian, and Russian. I wish the

multi-language guidebook would help marriage-immigrants obtain useful informa

tion more easily so that they could successfully settle down in Korea.

To marriage-immigrants,

I'd like to take this opportunity to remind you of two such cases. They are

golfing hero Tiger Woods, and Hines Ward, the hero of the super-ball games.

Both of them, who were born to interracial marriage, have become leaders who

everybody respect, making the most of their society's diversity. I hope you and

your family set such a good role model in Korea. The diversities your family is

making now could be a blessing to Korea in the future.

I think each of you arrived in Korea with precious dreams. My wish is for

you to have a happy family life and to realize your dreams in Korea. The Seoul

Immigration Office is always with you, until your dreams come true.

I with U, Immigraion with You ! Thank you.

Nov. 30. 2006

Min Kwang-sikThe Chief of the Seoul Immigration Office

Page 4: Guide Book for Foreign Spouses of Korean Nationals

64

CONGRATULATORY MESSAGE BY

H.E. SUSAN O. CASTRENCE

I wish to congratulate the Seoul Immigration Office for successfully coming up with this invaluable English brochure for foreign spouses of Korean nationals. This publication will no doubt help many Filipinos to be more aware of their

rights and privileges and facilitate an easier integration into Korean society.

I am proud of the close cooperation between the Embassy of the Philippines and the Seoul Immigration Office. Being a country that has approximately 50,000 of its nationals currently residing in South Korea, the Philippines Embassy actively monitors their conditions and regards their welfare with utmost significance. Regular consultations and an open relationship with the Immigration Office therefore become mandatory in order to maintain a smooth working relationship essential in the mutual protection of our respective countries' interests.

I have always been proud of the adaptability and strength of character of Filipinos. Filipinos are in almost every corner of the world, living as students, spouses or workers whose hard work is directed towards their families back home.

Many of those married to Korean nationals today enjoy successful marriages, but there are also those who need support and help. I hope that this brochure will help Filipino women, as well as women from other countries, better adjust to life in Korea by providing useful information on the resources available at their disposal and the institutions they can turn to for support.

To my kababayan, I wish to leave you with the reminder that knowledge of relevant customs, laws and other practices will further empower you as independent, strong-willed individuals and homemakers. I am confident that you will meet the challenges of raising a multicultural family head on. We in the Philippine Embassy will always be ready to assist you.

The Republic of the Philippines

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. Guide to immigration service1. Concept of immigration service ·························································· 662. General information on residence ······················································ 673. Permission to stay of foreign spouses ··········································· 694. Invitation of families and relatives to Korea ·································· 725. Permanent residency by foreign spouses 756. Nationality and Naturalization 78

. Q & A on foreign spousesOverview on the Seoul immigration office ······································ 84Employment ····························································································· 89Naturalization ··························································································· 97Invitation of relatives ··········································································· 101

. Excerpts in Multi-languagesChinese(中国) ························································································ 105Japanese(日本) ····················································································· 109Vietnamese ···························································································· 113Monglian ································································································· 117Thai ········································································································· 123Russian ··································································································· 127

. Counselling organizations for foreign spouses ·················· 131

. Support programs by public entities ········································ 132

Contents

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66

Ⅰ. Guide to immigration service

1

1. What is Immigration service To secure national interest and social security, we exercise border control at

airports, harbors, and land

We also deal with such services as issuing pre-visa, alien registration,

residence permission, investigation into unlawful foreigners or immigration law

offenders, detention or removal of unlawful foreigners, refugee recognition,

naturalization, control on overseas Koreans staying in Korea, etc.

2. Entry of foreigner○ Anyone who intends to enter Korea should have valid visa and passport

3. Stay of foreigner○ Foreigners may stay only within their status of stay and period, but if they

engage in other activities without additional permission, they shall be punished

○ If foreigners want to engage in vocations in Korea, they should possess the relevant status of stay, and work at a designated place

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67

Classification Time to report Documents Fee

Alien registration

Apply for registration at a local immigration office having the jurisdiction over the place of your stay, within 90days from entry date

application form (integrated form)passportKorean family tree register resident register of Korean2 color photos(3*4)

10,000

Extension of length of stay

Apply for permission to extend stay at a local Immigration office within two month prior to expiration dateYou should apply no later than expiration date

application form (integrated form)passport, alien registration cardKorean family tree register resident register of Koreanreference(the form is furnished in the immigration office, no need notary)

20,000

Additional activities under

currentstatus

According to the Immigration Enforcement Ordinance Revision(25.Sep,2005), F-2-1 holders can engage in employment without immigration's permit

F-2-1 : a foreign spouse of a Korean national

It is possible for a F-2-1 holder to engage in employment activities without additional permit

Still,If relevant laws other than Immigration law require a certain qualifications, those condition should be met

N/A

Reporton address

change

When you move to a newaddress, it is imperative to report the fact to an immigration office or local governments(i.e. Si, Gun, Gu) within 14 days after move

passportalien registration card N/A

2

1. Residence procedure overview○ Extension of period : 1 year granted each for the initial two years. Afterward,

2 years granted each time

○ Personal reference (guarantee) : maximum period of reference is 4 years

※ Where to find forms : http://www.immigration.go.kr→ download of application form

※ If necessary, immigration officers could demand more documents than those written below

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68

Classification Time to report, Documents Fee

Report on change of

status

In accordance with both Korean law and foreign law, the marriage should be effective and be registered with the family tree register as a Korean's spouse

application formpassportalien registration cardfamily tree register of Korean (showing the fact of marriage)resident register of spouseeffective marriage certificate issued from homeland country (marriage certificate) evidence of financial capacity(certificate of employment, the lease of house contract, etc) reference (by a Korean spouse)

50,000( 60,000, w h e n alien card re-issued)

Re-entry permit

if anyone temporarily leaves Korea, he/she needs to get "re-entry permit" from any local or port immigration offices, prior to departurerequired documents : passport, alien registration card, application formKorean's spouse can apply for multiple permit at an immigration office at airport / harborextension of re-entry permit : if one couldn't enter within re-entry deadline, it is possible to extend the deadline within 15days at the overseas Korean embassies or consulates.

30,000( s i n g l e journey)

50,000(multiple)

2. Alien registrationA. Carrying and presenting an alien registration card ○ Foreigners should always carry passport or alien card (except foreigners

under the age of 17 )

○ In the event that an Immigration officer, during his official duty, or a public servant who has the relevant authority, ask you to present passport or alien card, you must obey

B. Return the alien card

○ When leaving Korea finally, you should return your alien registration card to an Immigration officer at air/sea ports

○ When you abandon your foreign nationality and acquire Korean nationality (return the alien card to an immigration office within 14 days from the date of nationality acquirement)

Otherwise, you will be fined

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69

3

1. General standard of sojourn permission ◦ If there is a need to confirm whether the couple live together or not, we

could demand attendance of Korean spouse before granting visa extension

◦ The holder of Residency status(F-2-1) is not restricted from employment activities.

The foreigner in F-2-1 status can enjoy nearly full access to job opportunities in Korea.

However, employment is not allowed for F-1 status holders whose aims are to divide

property or settle household affairs

2. Visa extension in case of death or missing of Korean spouse○ Required documents

- Reference : sponsor shall be altered from Korean spouse into a third party with guarantee capacity, or a spouse's relative or an intimate friend

※ evidence documents of financial capacity : letter of employment, certificate of tax payment, certificate of property tax payment, etc)

- Death certificate( substantiating death)

- Substantiating documents for the adjudication of missing in accordance with Civil law article 27.

- Statement(supporting parents, rearing of children)

- Application documents

○ Permission procedures

- Permit to stay as F-2-1 status, after immigration's scrutinizing

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3. Visa extension in case of divorcing with Korean spouse ① When causes of divorce lie in Korean side, or when you rear the children

who were born through the marriage, or support parents or families of Korean spouse, we can permit F-2-1 status

② In case of property partition or household affairs settlement, we can change your visa to F-1 status(visit or join families), until you solve the problem(less than 2years)

○ Required documents

- Reference : sponsor can be altered from Korean spouse into a third party with guarantee capacity, or spouse's relatives or intimate friends.

Documentation of financial capacity : letter of employment, certificate of tax

payment, certificate of property tax payment, etc

- Documents proving divorce( divorce judgement letter, family tree register, letter of divorce by mutual consent)

- Confirmation documents proving supporting children and families (letter of neighbor's guarantee, confirmation of residents, judgement letter)

- Other documents which verify inevitable circumstances of domestic stay(statement, etc)

4. Visa extension in case of being separated from Korean spouse① When causes of separation lie in Korean side(example : Korean's

disappearance from home, violence, grave troubles at home, etc), or when you rear the children who were born through the marriage, or support parents or families of Korean spouse, we can permit F-2-1 status.

② When there is inevitable need to stay longer, such as filing a divorce suit or settling household affairs, we can permit F-2-1 status every 3months and we urges parties to solve the problem as soon as possible

○ Required documents

- Reference : sponsor can be altered from a Korean spouse into a third party with guarantee capacity, or spouse's relatives or intimate friends.

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Documentation of financial capacity : letter of employ- ment, certificate of tax

payment, certificate of property tax payment, etc)

- Evidence documents which verify reasons of separation

- Confirmation documents proving supporting children and family (letter of neighbor's guarantee, confirmation of resident, judgement letter)

- Other documents which verify inevitable circumstances of domestic stay(statement, etc)

5. In case foreign spouse in G-1 status completed divorce lawsuit○ In cases of disruption of marriage lie with Korean spouse, or when

,irrespective of cause of divorce, you rear the children who were born through the marriage, we can allow change of status and visa extension with F-2-1 status (period of stay: 1year) after field investigation by immigration officers, in principle

○ Required documents

- Reference : sponsor could be altered from a Korean spouse into a third party with guarantee capacity, or spouse's relatives or intimate friends

Documentation of guarantee capacity : letter of employment, certificate of tax

payment, certificate of property payment, etc

- Evidence documents of divorce (divorce judgement letter, family tree register, etc)

- Documents proving that you support children and families (letter of neighbor's guarantee, confirmation of residents, ruling of divorce)

- Other documents which verify inevitable circumstances of domestic stay(statement, etc)

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The I with U convention session 1 jointly organized by the Seoul Immigration Office and Yeongdeungpo-gu Office on Aug. 30. 2006.

4

1. Application procedure ○ The foreigner who intends to enter Korea shall apply for his/her visa directly

at and get it issued from Korean embassy & consulate overseas

○ In some cases inviters in Korea could apply for visa issuance at immigration offices, namely 'certificate for recognition of visa issuance' , which leads to a pre-visa status

○ When foreigners want to visit Korea through pre-visa procedure, Inviters in Korea should apply for pre-visa at local immigration office and notify the serial number of pre-visa to foreigners abroad so that the foreigners inform Korean embassy or consulates overseas of pre-visa issuance

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2. The cases in which the Certificate for recognition of visa issuance(= pre-visa) is available

○ In case that an ethnic Korean, who obtained Korean nationality, wants to invite relatives ( within certain degree)

○ In case that an ethnic Korean, who has yet to obtain Korean nationality, wants to invite his/her children ( under 20 years old)

○ The foreigner, who is given child custody and the fact is verified by the ruling of divorce, enjoy the same procedure as the ethnic Korean does

3. Required documents○ Application for certificate for recognition of visa issuance (pre-visa)

○ Invitation letter

○ Korean spouse's family tree register & resident registration transcript , copy of Korean's identification card

○ Reference, and Color photo(3Cm × 4Cm)

○ Copy of passport, copy of residence certificate(in case of Chinese)

○ Original copy and duplicate of family population register(in case of Chinese)

○ Certificate proving relationship with the family, photos featuring family

○ Copy of alien registration card

(In case the inviter is a foreigner who has yet to get Korean nationality)

○ The letter of consent on invitation by Korean spouse

○ Certificate of divorce or ruling of divorce (infomation about child custody included)

4. In the cases below you should apply for visa in Korean Embassy & Consulate overseas

A. Mongolian relatives' visit

○ Documents needed for visa applicant

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74

- application form for visa issuance

(color photo attached )

- copy of passport

- copy of I.D card(residence registration card, or driver's license)

- letter of employment(by emplyer) or a certificate of studentship(by school)

- certificate indicating all the family members

- letter of employment of sponsor with financial capability

(address or phone number of sponsor written)

- certificate of bank balance or bankbook copy of the sponsor with financial capability

○ Documents needed for inviter's part

- notarized letter of invitation, reference, certificate of employment, written pledge to guarantee invitee's return

- original copy of family tree register of inviter

ln case of marriage, wedding invitation letter, contract of wedding hall should be

added

B. Vietnamese relatives' visit

○ If Vietnamese spouse complete the alien registration, the father (mother)-in-law could be invited by Korean spouse. However, in case there are no parents alive in Vietnam, brothers or sisiters (older than 50) could be invited

○ Required documents

- invitation letter(Korean notary)

- reference (Korean notary)

- family tree register(officaial copy)

- copy of alien registration card of Vietnamese spouse

- photo featuring inviters & invitees

- birth certificate of Vietnamese spouse(English translation notary)

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C. Filipino relatives' visit

○ Required documents

- Korean family register issued within the latest 3months

- Copy of Korean's passport

- Copy of foreign spouse's passport

- NSO marriage certificate issued from Philippines government

- Invitation letter from Korean

D. Above-mentioned documents should be submitted to Korean Embassy

or Consulates overseas

5

1. Who is eligible ?○ Residency(F-2) status holders, who have been married and lived in Korea for

over two years, can apply for change of status to permanent residency(F-5) status, while maintaining original nationality

2. Requirements○ Korean's foreign spouse who has resided in Korea over 2 years with

Residency(F-2-1) status is eligible, on the condition that one of the followings is satisfied :

○ The person who has been married to and lived with a Korean spouse

○ The person whose Korean spouse died or was acknowledged to disappear by courts

○ The person, being under divorce or separation, who is able to prove that the blame of the disruption lies with a Korean spouse

○ Even if the marriage no longer continues, the person who rear child(ren) under 18, the offspring of the marriage

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3. Documents required are as follows (except when additional documents required by immigration officials)

O Universally required,

- Application(uniform form), Passport and alien registration card,

- Copies of spouse's family registration(indicating the fact of marriage) and resident registration, fee ₩50,000

- Documents proving financial ability(Select one among following documents indicating financial ability equivalent to ₩30 million) :

- Certificate of bank account under the name of applicant or applicant's family members

- Copy of real estate registration

- Copy of house lease contract

- Certificate of employment of applicant or applicant's spouse

Those Japanese spouse who acquired F-2 status prior to Aug. 4. 2002, is immune

from submitting documents showing financial ability and a guarantee letter

O Required on a case by case basis

- In case of missing : Verdict of disappearance issued by court

- In case of divorce or separation due to Korean side's fault : Official documents upholding foreign spouse's argument

- In case of rearing child under 17 who was born during their marriage : Family registration of the child, resident registration, court's decision(divorce report and confirmation), and confirmation letter written by a relative of Korean spouse or a head of village( tong jang or ban jang )

4. How to calculate period of domestic residence ○ In principle, if you leave Korea before your sojourn period has expired, the

sojourn period ends and calculation of period begins all over again upon re-entry. However, if you return to Korea with a re-entry permit ( issued for trip overseas shorter than 3 month) and are recognized to have continuity in

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residency, the periods you have lived in Korea before and after departure will be summed up together

5. Those not qualified are as belows :○ Those who violated Korean immigration law in the latest past of 3 years.

However, those who already paid fine causing from breach of duty of reports or article 79 of immigration law can apply

○ Those sentenced confinement or more severe punishment

6. Privileges for permanent resident○ Exempt from duty of extension of sojourn period

- No need to visit immigration office for extension of stay

○ Applicants who wishes to go abroad for shorter than 1 year, re-entry permit is not needed. However, when applicants wishes to go abroad for more than 1 years, re-entry permit is required

○ Free economic activities are allowed

○ Immune from compulsory deportation except the following cases

- Committing treason stipulated in chapter 2 of Criminal act

- Being sentenced imprisonment or confinement more than 5 years

- Organizing, instigating, or helping illegal immigration or emigration en masse

○ In the case of 3 years' passing since obtaining permanent residency, applicants have the right to vote in local elections. Hence, applicants may elect city mayor, province governor, local assembly man. The first-ever exercise of voting by such foreigners was realized on May 31. 2006.

7. The flow of permanent residency application and follow-upsApplication → screening and interview → field investigation (fact-finding) → criminal record check → opinion submission by local immigrations to headquarters → opinion gathering by the Justice Ministry (Division of Nationality & Refugee ) → decision

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6

1. Preface○ We investigate foreign spouses who applied naturalization, because disguised

marriages sometimes cause social problems and bona fide Korean national falls victim to fake marriage

○ It takes long time for naturalization applicants to be given the final answer, because once the nationality is given, it can hardly be deprived. Therefore, it is handled with proper discretion

2. The Precess of naturalization by marriage

Application, field investigation Local immigration Nationality&Refugee division

of Justice Ministry

Screening N&R division

Decision of permit or reject N&R division

Informing to applicants, announce through

official gazetteN&R division Ministry of Administration

Family registration Applicant local go'vt(district office)

Abandonment of original nationality Applicant Embassy in Korea applicant

Confirmation of abandonment of original

nationalityApplicant immigration applicant

Korean resident registration card issuance Applicant town office applicant

Hand in alien registration card Applicant immigration

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3. Acquisition of nationality by foreign spouseA. Foreign spouse married to Korean prior to Jun,14,1998

○ Foreign wife : automatically given Korean nationality at the same time as she was married and can be enrolled on husband's family register

○ Foreign husband : given Korean nationality on the condition that the Ministry gives approval

B. Foreign spouse married to Korean posterior to Jun,14,1998

○ Regardless of sex, either side can be granted Korean nationality if one is qualified to the 'simple naturalization' requisite, stipulated in the article 6 of Naturalization act

"Simple naturalization" requisite, stipulated in the article 6 of Naturalization act

Foreign spouse must be married to a Korean spouse and live in Korea for over two years ; or be married to a Korean spouse for over three years and stay in Korea continuously for over a year.

Foreigners must be an adult on the basis of Korean Civil law

Must act civil

Must be able to make a living by property or craft of one's own, or by help of other family members who live under the same roof

Must have essential knowledge such as Korean language, and Korean tradition

In principle, the foreign spouse is exempt from taking the written test. If you apply for naturalization at the Justice Ministry(Division of Nationality & Refugee), you will undergo an investigation by immigration officers about your actual condition of sojourning and eligibility inspection as well. And then you will be notified of approval or rejection

4. Required documents (simple naturalization by marriage) ○ Naturalization application form (available at the Ministry of Justice's Division of

Nationality & Refugee or local immigration offices and immigration's web site(

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http://immigration.go.kr http://seoul.immigration.go.kr )

- Application should be submitted only following local offices : Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Gwangju, Daejeon, Masan, Chuncheon and Jeju immigration

○ Statement

○ Passport, alien registration card

○ Fees and 3 color photos

○ Copies of spouse's family registration(indicating fact of marriage) and resident registration

○ Letter of guarantee

○ Documents proving financial ability(Select one among following documents indicating financial ability equivalent to ₩30 million) :

- certificate of bank account under the name of applicant or applicant's family members

- copy of real estate registration

- copy of house lease contract

- certificate of employment of applicant or applicant's spouse

- If the above-mentioned documents of finance are not available, financial guaranty by a Korean national can be submitted instead

○ Other materials such as pictures, letters, which could be help in supporting the evidence of real marriage

And additional documents could be required by Immigration without prior notice

5. Notice ○ When apply for naturalization in the immigration office, you need to

accompany Korean spouse to show that you are in normal state of marriage. However, if there is any inevitable reasons, you could visit alone with an ID card of the spouse

○ The burden of proof of the inevitable situation lie with applicant (e.g. certificate of hospitalization)

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6. The subsequent procedure○ After application is submitted, if change occur, such as address, phone

number, etc, you must inform those to the Justice Ministry's naturalization and refugee department (tel: 031-478-5027~8. location: Pyeongchon-dong in Anyang city). Otherwise it will cause serious harm to the process

○ In ordinary cases, immigration officers visit the applicant's home or surroundings. But in the case that there are child(ren) between the applicant and spouse, the field inspection can be omitted.

○ Following the field inspection, the applicants will be given the message from the Justice Ministry's naturalization and refugee department to undergo interview procedure. Interview is done in the naturalization and refugee department(Pyeongchon-dong in Anyang city)

7. After acquiring permission of naturalizationEven you are given notification of permit to naturalization, the procedure is not finished.

Nor is Korean resident card automatically issued. Therefore, in order to exercise rights to the fullest as a Korean, you should undergo the procedures as below :

A. Report of family registration

- Within a month of receiving notification of permission to naturalization, you must hand in the 5 copies of the notification to family registration department of local government office (city, district office)

B. Renunciation of foreigner's original nationality

- You should immediately notify the foreign embassy in Korea on renunciation of your original nationality, and be issued a "foreign nationality renunciation certificate

- If you do not perform renunciation of nationality within six months after the date of notification of naturalization, you automatically lose your newly-gained Korean nationality

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C. Confirmation of renunciation of foreign nationality

- You must visit the local immigration office and submit your "foreign nationality renunciation certificate", copy of family registration, and naturalization permission notification. You will then be issued by immigration office a written confirmation of foreign nationality renunciation

- However, if you do not give up your original nationality within six months due to unavoidable circumstances, you must be issued by immigration office a written confirmation on reserve about foreign nationality renunciation

- In such a case, reservation period is given shorter than 2 years

D. Application for Korean resident registration card (i.e. Korean ID card)

- You must bring naturalization permission notification, a copy of family registration and written confirmation of your foreign nationality renunciation to your local town office (i.e. Dong-samuso), report resident registration and apply for issuance of Korean resident registration card

E. Return alien registration card

- The alien registration card should be returnd to the local immigration office. When you visit immigration, you need to bring your naturalization permission notification, a copy of family registration, Korean resident registration card and alien registration card. This is the final stepl of the entire procedure.

Until you finally return your alien registration card to immigration office as a sign

of completing the whole process, you should extend your visa in the immigration

like ordinary foreigners

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Ⅱ. Q A on foreign spouse

1. General questions regarding Seoul Immigration Office & residence information

1-1. Please tell me the location (the main office and the annex building) and business hour of the Seoul Immigration Office.

- Seoul Immigration Office is located on Shinjeong-dong, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, (Phone number : 2650-6399)

<The Main office>

o Address : 319-2, Shinjeong-6-dong, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul

- You will find a 7-floor-building of immigration next to a cluster of public offices such as Yangcheon-gu Office, Yangcheon Police Station, Yangcheon Tax Office, Mokdong middle school, and Yangcheon Park

o How to get to the main building of the Seoul Immigration Office (by public transportation)

- Bus : 5012, 6619, 6624, 6640, 6620, 571.

- Subway : Omokkyo-station on Line #5 (Exit number 7, walk straight about 10 minutes)

- Car : Please refer to the map on our web site

(http://seoul.immigration.go.kr)

<Annex building>

o Address : Yangcheon building, 330-11, Shinjeong-dong, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul

o How to get to the annex building

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- Bus : 571, 5012, 5630, 6613, 6640, get off at the stop at the back gate of Galsan Elementary School

< Sejongno branch >

o Address

- 2nd floor, SK hub building, 89-4, Gyeongun-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul

o How to get to the branch

- Subway : Anguk-station on Line # 3 (Exit number 6, next to Jongno police station)

o Jurisdiction

- Residents of Jongno, Jung, Dongdaemun, Jungrang, Noweon, Gangbuk, Seongbuk, Eunpyeong, Dobong-gu

- Beginning January,1, 2007. the Sejongno branch exclusively covers the above-mentioned 9 regions. Therefore, those who resides in the region should visit the Sejongno branch, instead of the main building in Mokdong

< Business Hour >

From 9 am to 6 pm (including lunch time), from Monday to Friday

Detention room : morning (09:30~11:30), afternoon(13:30~16:30)Tip : The civil application departments are open during lunch time, but other departments are closed from 12:00~13:00

1-2. Would a foreigner who gets caught by immigration officers due to illegal stay be subject to a deportation order ?

○ After a fact-finding investigation, if there is just cause for the deportation order in violation of the article 46 of the Korean Immigration law, the person is subject to a deportation order

○ In special cases, however, such as foreign spouses married to Koreans, they

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may obtain permission of stay after paying a fine. For further and personal questions regarding foreigners under the custody of the immigration detention room, please call the competent immigration office

1-3. When a foreigner married to a Korean national applies for an alien registration card or extension of stay, should the person visit the immigration office accompanied by the Korean spouse ?

○ If the couple have a child born during their marriage or is living together with the parents of the Korean spouse, they may not be required to accompany the Korean spouse to the immigration office.

○ Only, in the case that there is anything questionable about their marriage, like the report of runaway or needs of confirmations of place of stay, may an immigration officer require accompanying the Korean spouse for the application or conduct fact-finding investigation before deciding residence permit

1-4 . If a foreign spouse leaves home due to the violence of the Korean spouse and the Korean national reports runaway of the foreign spouse, would it lead the foreign spouse to become an illegal stayer ?

○ No. If a Korean spouse reports a runaway, we receive the application of incident report and input the reported contents into our computer file as a reference. However, it does not directly lead the foreign spouses to become illegal stayers. When the foreign spouses are violated by home violence : there is concern for their protection

○ In the case of living separately due to domestic violence, etc., please submit the document which proves violence occured. After confirming the document and actual fact, the foreign spouse is able to obtain permission for stay. It is important is to prove the reasons of separate living with proper evidence

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1-5. In case of death/divorce/separation, it is required to submit a letter of guarantee. Can anyone else except for the relatives of the Korean spouse write the guarantee letter ?

○ In the past, when a Korean spouse has died or divorced or separated, only relative of the Korean spouse could write the guarantee letter. .

○ However, considering reality, now the 3rd person who is eligible to write guarantee can write a guarantee letter.

○ If a women's organization with public trust or the 3rd person submits documentary evidence which proves capability of guarantee, they are able to write a guarantee letter. The documentation may include certificate of employment, certificate of tax payment, property tax certificate, etc.

1-6. If the court judges irrevocable divorce, the foreign spouse is obliged to leave Korea ?

○ Divorce does not lead to immediate measures such as deportation. The residence permit depends on who brought the marriage to an end or who would raise the children

○ In the case that the Korean spouse caused the divorce, the foreign spouse may obtain a permit for keeping F-2-1 status. Even if both parties are responsible for the divorce or the foreign spouse is, if the foreign spouse raises their children in Korea, he/she can obtain permit for extension of F-2-1 status

○ Regardless of the imputation of divorce, even if the couple has children and the foreign spouse does not raise the children, immigration office could permit F-2-1 after its fact-finding procedure when the foreign spouse intends to stay in Korea and to exercise the right to meet the children

○ Despite a divorce by mutual agreement or for cause on the foreign spouse's account, if the foreigner has an inevitable reason to stay in Korea, he/she may obtain a change of status to F-1 and stay a maximum period of 2 years

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1-7. I'd like to visit my friend who's detained in Seoul Immigration Office due to illegal stay, when and where should I visit him/her ?

○ Please come to the 5th Floor of Seoul Immigration Office during the following hours ;

Weekdays 9:30 ~11:30, 13:30~16:30, Saturdays 9:30 ~ 11:30,

Sundays and Holidays : visitors are not permitted

○ If Seoul Immigration detention room is overcrowded, they may be transferred to the 'Hwasung Detention Center' in Hwasung-si, Gyeonggi-do

1-8. I live in Seonnam city. It takes too much time and energy for me to visit the Seoul Immigration Office. Please tell me if I can visit any other nearer immigration office

○ From 10:00~16:00 on Thursdays of 2nd and 4th week of a month in the general civil application room on the 1st floor of Seongnam City Hall, we are running a moving immigration office. It is convenient for the residents of Seongnam, Hanam and Kwacheon

○ However, Chinese people are not able to file an application at Seongnam City Hall and will be required to come to the Seoul Immigration Office main building at Shinjeong-dong, around Omokkyo station

1-9. Since there are too many visitors coming to the Seoul Immigration office, I usually wait for more than 1 hour. How can I save time?

○ Please use our on-line reservation service. Please visit

http://www.immigration.go.kr/indeximmeng.html and click on-line reservation service. You can make a reservation for the department and the hour you plan to visit. It will save you time

○ Please be advised that we have far more clients on Mondays and Tuesdays. We recommend you to visit our office on Thursdays or Fridays. Afternoons,

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rather than mornings, are better. ※ Busiest time : Monday morning, Tuesday morning and Wednesday morning

○ Also noteworthy is the No-rush hour informing service provided on our homepage. If you visit the website in advance, you could gain infomation about which time is comfortable for visit

○ In addition, Korean immigration authorities run e-portal on web site. The portal is the G4F(http://www.g4f.go.kr, abbreviation for government for foreigner) where you can apply for 5 types of E-application such as Re-entry permit, Extension of short-term stay, Extension of stay for preparing departure by registered foreigner, etc. If you use E-application, you don't need to visit an immigration office personally

2. Inquiries for various types of residence in Korea

2-1. A Chinese national who married a Korean in Korea and has their marriage registered at government offices of both nations. The Chinese wishes to change his/her visa status to Spouse of a Korean national visa. Please inform me of the necessary documentation and process

○ The foreign spouse married to a Korean national and completed the marriage registration process may apply for a change of visa status

○ If a foreign spouse is in E-9 status or has the possibility of a false marriage, the petitioner may go through a thorough inspection and fact-finding investigation, if needed.

2-2. A foreigner arrived in Korea with F-2 visa (90 days) obtained for marriage with a Korean national. How can a person process an alien registration and extend his/her visa?

○ The person is required to apply for the alien registration and extension of the status within 90 days from the entry into Korea to the immigration office

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having jurisdiction over the foreigner's place of residence

○ You may obtain a 1 year extension of the status with the initial application. After that, you may be able to obtain 2 years extension after going through fact-finding investigation

2-3. If my period of status expires while in the process of a divorce lawsuit, can I extend my period of status ?

○ If a period of status expires while in the process of a divorce lawsuit, you may provide the documentation that can prove you are under the process of a divorce lawsuit and apply for the extension of status

○ The person may be allowed to obtain extension of a F-2-1 status until the divorce case is decided. After divorce, the kind of status and period of stay may vary according to the fact of who is responsible for the divorce

2-4. If a Korean spouse of a foreigner dies while still married or the couple divorces or separates, would it be still possible to extend my period of stay in Korea ?

○ After registering marriage to both nations, if the Korean spouse of a foreigner dies due to a disease or accidents, etc. and the foreign spouse wishes to stay in Korea, he/she may obtain an extension

○ However, if a foreigner divorces or separates from his Korean spouse, permission for the residence depends on who is accountable for the divorce

○ If a Korean spouse is responsible for the divorce or separation and the foreign spouse intends to raise a child in Korea who was born through the marriage, the person may obtain permission for residence

○ If both parties are responsible for the divorce or separation or even if the divorce is on the foreign spouse's account, in the cases that the foreign spouse raises the child in Korea given birth between the Korean spouse and himself/herself or supports parents or family of the Korean spouse, he/she

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may obtain permit for a residence

○ Except for the aforementioned reasons, if the foreign spouse has other inevitable reasons for staying in Korea such as division of properties, preparing a divorce lawsuit, arranging household affairs, etc., he/she may get a permit for the extension of period of stay until problems are resolved

○ In the case of death of the Korean spouse or divorce, a 3rd person may write a letter of identity guarantee for the foreign spouse, other than kith and kin of the Korean spouse

2-5. If a foreign spouse is living apart from a Korean, How can the person obtain a permit for the extension of period of stay?

○ A foreigner in F-2-1 status is living apart from the Korean due to a runaway, violence or troubles of the Korean spouse, he/she may maintain the F-2-1 status

○ Only, a permit for the period of stay may vary according to the cause of divorce on who's account as well as the fact who is raising the child, etc. For instance, if both parties are responsible for the divorce or the foreign spouse is accountable for the divorce while bringing up a child or supporting parents or family of the Korean spouse, he/she may obtain a permit for the extension of period within the limit of 1 year if the couple has married and lived for less than 2 years. If their marriage lasted more than 2 years, they may obtain a permit for residence within the limit of 2 years

○ In the cases of preparing a divorce lawsuit or in the process of a lawsuit and other inevitable reasons for staying in Korea, a foreign spouse may get an extension of F-2-1 status at a maximum period of 3 months each time

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2-6. When a foreign spouse is married to a Korean national in G-1 Status, can the person stay in Korea, even after finalizing a divorce suit?

○ It depends on who is responsible for the divorce

○ If the Korean spouse brought the marriage to an end or the foreign spouse intends to raise the child in Korea regardless of the responsibility of the divorce, he/she may get a permit for the change of status to F-2-1

○ In a case that both parties are responsible for the divorce or in a case that foreign spouse doesn't raise child while the cause of divorce is on the foreign spouse's account, the foreigner is regarded as having no ground to stay in Korea. Therefore, he/she can't get visa extension and should leave Korea voluntarily

2-7. In the case that a Korean spouse dies or is missing, can the foreign spouse get a permit for the extension of period?

○ While living in Korea, after alien registration to the local office, in the case that the Korean spouse dies due to a disease or accidents, etc. or is missing, the foreign spouse may obtain an extension of period

2-8. How can I report a change of residence ?

○ Registered foreigners are required to report a change of residence within 14 days from the date of their residence move, carrying passport and alien registration card, to City/Gun/Gu or to the Immigration Office having jurisdiction over the place of the foreigner's current residence

- Even if a new residence is located on the same province as the previous one, a foreigner is required to report a change of residence

○ Failing to the report within 14 days from transference, the foreigner may be

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fined (up to ₩1,000,000) for the violation of the article 98 of the Korean Immigration Law

2-9. I have been living in Korea in F-2 status for more than 2 years, married to a Korean national. Can I obtain a permanent residence status instead of naturalization?

○ As a foreign spouse married to a Korean national, if the person is holding a F-2 status and staying in Korea for more than 2 years, a person falling in one of the following cases may apply for a permanent residence ;

- Maintaining a marriage to a Korean national in real life

- The Korean spouse died or the court gave a verdict of missing

- In the case of a divorce or separation from the Korean spouse, if it can be proved that the cause of divorce was on the Korean spouse's account

- Even in the case of discontinuance of marriage, if the foreign spouse raises a minor-aged child who was born to a Korean national and the foreign spouse, he/she may apply for a permanent residence

<Inquiries about an employment of a Foreign spouse married to a

Korean national>

2-10. I'm in F-2-1 status. Do I need to get a work permit to work in Korea ?

○ According to the Amendment to the Korean Immigration Law on 25th September 2005, foreign spouses of Korean nationals do not need to obtain a permit to work in Korea, once they adjust to a F-2-1 status

○ Still, if a foreign spouse, without a relevant license, takes up an employment in the business that requires a specific license such as a doctor, lawyer or pharmacist, etc., you will be punished for the violation of relevant laws such as the medical law

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2-11. I'm holding a F-2-1 status. If my Korean spouse dies or lives separately from me, can I still work in Korea ?

○ If a Korean spouse dies while keeping F-2-1 status, the foreigner may go on with extensions of period (F-2-1). In the case of separation, he/she may keep F-2-1 status until the divorce is finalized

○ If both parties are responsible for the divorce or if the cause of divorce is on the foreign spouse's account and the status has been changed to F-1, the foreigner is not allowed to take up employment

2-12. I'm holding F-2-1 status but divorced my Korean spouse. Can I still work in Korea?

○ It depends on who brought the marriage to an end or who would raise a child

○ If a Korean spouse is responsible for the divorce, or regardless of imputation of the divorce, the foreign spouse intends to raise a child in Korea, he/she may keep a F-2-1 status and thus take up employment without additional permit for work

○ If both parties are responsible for the divorce or the foreign spouse is and does not bring up a child, the foreign spouse may have to adjust to F-1 status to stay in Korea. F-1 status does not cover the right to work. Thus, to work in F-1 status, you may apply for the permit for ' the activities not covered by the current status of sojourn'. However, it is applied to the professional business in limited fields such as teaching a foreign language. In F-1 status, you are not able to take up employment in the simple labor field

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2-13. I'm holding F-2-1 status. If I raise a divorce suit against the Korean spouse, can I still continue to work?

○ Even in the process of a divorce suit, you are able to keep a F-2-1 status until the court judges an irrevocable divorce. While in F-2-1 status, you may work

○ However, in the case of staying in Korea for the purpose of division of properties or organizing households, etc., the foreign spouse is not allowed to take up employment

2-14. I'm in the process of a divorce suit, injured (home violence) by my Korean husband. I'm holding G -1 status. Can I work?

○ G-1 status does not cover the right to work

O Only, if the court judges the cause of divorce on the Korean spouse's account, you may apply for a permit for change of status to Residence (F-2-1) to the immigration office having jurisdiction over your place of residence. After obtaining F-2-1 status, you have a right to stay and work in Korea

2-15. I'm living in Daejeon City with Residence (F-2-1) status. Can I take up an employment in Seoul?

○ Yes. Persons in F-2-1 status are able to work anywhere inside Korea, without the restrictions on the categories of "Status permitting employments"

○ Still, if a registered foreigner changes a place of residence, according to the article 36 of the Korean Immigration Law, the person should report the alteration of residence within 14 days from the date of changing residence, carrying passport and alien registration card, to City/Gun/Gu of the residence or the Immigration Office having jurisdiction over the place of the foreigner's

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new residence. In case of the violation of this article, the foreigner will be fined according to the Korean Immigration Law

O Therefore, if you are moving from Daejeon to Seoul in line with taking up employment in Seoul, you need to report the alteration of residence to competent Gu Office or Seoul Immigration Office

2-16. I departed from Korea after obtaining a permit for re-entry but I'll not be able to come back to Korea within the period of re-entry. What shall I do ?

○ In the case that you are not able to return to Korea within the period of re-entry due to inevitable reasons, you may visit Korean Embassy or Consulate in the country you're staying and apply for the extension of re-entry deadline, providing a document proving the reason of not being able to return to Korea in due time

○ The head of Embassies or Consulates abroad may extend the period of re-entry within the limit of 15 days. In the extraordinary case that a special approval is granted from the Minister of Justice, you may extend the re-entry to a maximum period of 3 months

○ When you want to extend re-entry deadline in a foreign country, you may apply the extension during 3 months prior to expiration date of original re-entry permit as long as the extension not exceed the expiration date of your Korean visa

2-17. I'm a Chinese departed from Korea after obtaining a re-entry permit, but lost my passport while I'm staying in China and got my passport newly reissued. Do I need to apply for a new visa to re-enter Korea?

○ In the case of obtaining a newly reissued passport while traveling outside Korea, you may obtain a confirmation for the re-entry permit from a Korean Embassies or consulates abroad, instead of obtaining a whole new visa. For a confirmation of re-entry, you need to provide your newly reissued passport

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O In the case that you overstayed a period of re-entry, you need to obtain a new visa abroad in order to re-enter Korea. In this case, you lose your previous visa status. For further information on an issuance of a new visa, please contact Korean Embassy or Consulates abroad

2-18. I'm a Chinese married to a Korean national and holding a Residence (F-2) Status. Since I travel China a lot, can I obtain a multiple re-entry permit?

○ Chinese may not be able to obtain a multiple re-entry permit according to the reciprocality, but in the case of a Chinese married to a Korean national, he/she may obtain a multiple re-entry permit exceptionally.

○ However, in the case of a person who is prohibited an entry into Korea or a visa issuance or regulated by the Minster of Justice needs to obtain a special permit for an re-entry from the Minister of Justice as an exceptional case

○ You may apply for a re-entry permit to an immigration office having jurisdiction over the place of your residence or immigration offices at the airport or harbor. You need to take the following document with you : application form, passport, alien registration card, revenue stamp (fee for a multiple re-entry : ₩50,000)

3. INQUIRIES ON NATURALIZATION

3-1. I'm a Korean married to a Chinese woman. She arrived in Korea with F-2-1 status on 20th January 2005 and we are living together now. When can my wife apply for a naturalization?

○ According to the article 6 of the Korean Nationality Act, to acquire a Korean nationality, a foreign spouse of a Korean national must have a residence in Korea for a minimum period of 2 years continuously. "To have a residence in Korea for a minimum period of 2 years continuously" implies the period that

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he/she stays in Korea without departing, so it does not include a period staying outside Korea. Therefore, your wife may apply for naturalization after 2007.1.20. and it will take 6 months to 2 years before the whole process of naturalization complete

○ For documentation requirements and procedures for a naturalization, please contact the Division of Nationality & Refugee (Tel: 031-478-5027~8)

3-2 . I got married to a Chinese on 2004.1.10. and she arrived in Korea on 2004.5.10. with F-2-1 visa to live with me. I got the dispatch order from my company to work at the branch Office in China from 2005.7.1. to 2005.12.31. My wife is leaving for China to stay with me. In this case, when is my wife able to acquire a Korean nationality and dose she need to obtain a new visa when she re-enters Korea ?

○ For the foreign spouses married to a Korean to acquire a Korean nationality, the following conditions are essential ; ① to have a residence in Korea for more than 2 years continuously while still married, ② a lapse of 3 years since married and have a residence in Korea more than 1 year while still married (the clause 2 of the article 6 of the Korean Nationality Act)

① "To have a residence in Korea for more than 2 years continuously" implies the period that he/she stays in Korea without departing, so it does not include a period staying outside Korea.

- Hence, the 6 months that your wife is staying in China will not be included in the period staying in Korea and your wife is eligible to apply for a naturalization only after 2006.11.10.

- In addition, please be advised that if your wife obtains a re-entry permit at a competent immigration office or immigration offices at ports or airports before departing from Korea, she may re-enter Korea without obtaining a new visa abroad. Re-entry permit is given only within the period of a stay, so if your wife's visa will be expired during the stay in China, please apply for a permit for the extension of period while in Korea in advance, together with a permit for a re-entry

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3-3. If a F-2-1 holder, a foreign spouse married to a Korea, departs from Korea temporarily while living in Korea, does it annul a 2-year period of stay in Korea, which is essential for the application of naturalization ?

○ In principle, in the case of departing from Korea, the period of residing in Korea (counted from the date of entry) is discontinued and one should count 2 years from the date of recent re-entry all over again

○ Only, if there are continuity in the domestic residence and routine maintenance before and after leaving Korea, such as a temporary travel after obtaining a re-entry permit and re-entering Korea, it can be regarded as living continuously. The travel period, however, will not be counted in the period of stay in Korea

3-4. I acquired a Korean nationality but mistakenly, did not give up my the other nationality within 6 months from the date I acquired a Korean nationality, which led to lose my Korean nationality. In that case, can I re-acquire aKorean nationality?

○ When you give up your original nationality within 1 year from the date you lost the Korean nationality, you may re-acquire a Korean nationality, if you submit a report form for a Nationality Acquisition to the Minister of Justice

3-5. In the case of a divorce by mutual agreement, can the foreign spouse apply for a naturalization?

○ In the case of a divorce by mutual agreement, the person may not be able to apply for a "Naturalization by Marriage". As per conditions of the "General Naturalization", if he/she has been residing in Korea lawfully for more than 5 years, the person may apply for a "General Naturalization", instead of "Naturalization by Marriage"

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3-6. In the case of a divorce by arbitration, can I acquire a Korean nationality?

○ If the written conclusion of arbitration says "a Korean spouse is required to pay money to his/her foreign spouse as a consolation money", it is regarded as the testimony of a Korean spouse's responsibility for the divorce and thus, the foreign spouse is eligible for an application of naturalization

3-7. Can a Korean spouse start a divorce suit against a runaway foreign spouse ?

○ A Korean spouse may bring a divorce suit against a foreign spouse for the reason of runaway or other problems

○ In principle, a divorce suit must be notified to a foreign spouse, but if the foreign spouse's place of residence is unknown due to runaway, etc., it should be notified to him/her in the way of "conveyance by public announcement". After that, all the contents that the Korean spouse claimed could be accepte and the ruling of a divorce could be given

○ A foreign spouse may raise an appeal within 2 weeks from the date he/she learns about the divorce ruling of the court proceeded in the way of conveyance by public announcement, providing documentation reversing the verdict or proving reasons to receive a consolation money from a Korean spouse

3-8. In the case of discontinuance of marriage due to death of a Korean spouse, can the foreign spouse apply for a naturalization?

○ Residence period necessary : If a foreign spouse has a residence in Korea for more than 2 years continuously while still married ,or it has passed 3 years since married and a foreign spouse has been residing in Korea more than 1 year continuously while still married,

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○ Conditions to be met : While still married to a Korean spouse and have a residence in Korea, the Korean spouse dies or is missing ,OR the foreign spouse is not able to maintain a marriage life with no responsibility for his/her side, OR the foreign spouse is raising a minor-aged child given birth to the Korean spouse and himself/herself by marriage or intends to raise a minor-aged child, after fulling the rest of period,

3-9 . In the case of an adopted foreign child under the age of 18, what does he do if he wishes to acquire a Korean nationality?

○ If he/she was under 18 when adopted, he/she may acquire a Korean nationality by naturalization procedures (Special Naturalization). He/she is eligible to apply for a naturalization right after entry into Korea.

○ If he/she was an adult when adopted, after residing in Korea fore more than 3 years lawfully, the person is eligible for the application of naturalization

4. INVITATION OF RELATIVES AND THEIR RESIDENCE IN KOREA

4-1. I invited my mother in law and father in law from Vietnam and they arrived in Korea with C-3 visa. Can they extend a visa and take up employment?

○ If parents of a foreign spouse needs to stay in Korea for more than 90 days from the entry, for the reasons such as to take care of their child who gave birth or got sick or to look after their grandchild or they got sick and need to get medical treatments in a Korean hospital, they may apply for a permit to change a status to F-1. But in F-1 status, the person cannot take up an employment.

○ Documentation requirements for a change of status to F-1 are as follows;

- document proving the inevitableness to stay in Korea such as a medical

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certificate, a statement, family register, birth certificate to prove family relations, etc.

4-2. My wife is a Filipino. I invited my mother in law and father in law from Filipine and they arrived in Korea with C3 status (short-term visa). Can they stay in Korea for a long time?

○ If parents of a foreign spouse married to a Korean national needs to stay in Korea for more than 90 days from the entry, to take care of their child who gave birth or is sick or to look after their grandchild or they got sick and need to get medical treatments, they may apply for a permit to change a status to F-1. But in F-1 status, the person cannot take up an employment

○ Documentation requirements for a change of status to F-1 are as follows ;

- document proving the inevitableness to stay in Korea such as a medical certificate, a statement explaining reasons to stay in Korea in detail, family register, birth certificate to prove family relation, etc

○ Please be advised that your mother in law and father in law are not allowed to take up an employment in Korea in F-1 status

4-3. I filed the application for a naturalization on 2005.05.10. but there's no result come out till now. How much time should I wait?

○ After completing several procedures including investigation on qualifications (Reviewing documents submitted and conducting a fact-finding investigation by an immigration office) and qualification interview to decide whether to grant a naturalization, a naturalization of a petitioner is decided. Since the number of applicants, mostly Korean-Chinese, are dramatically increasing recently, it takes approximately 1 year and a half to complete those essential procedures for granting a naturalization

○ In the case of marriage naturalization, fact-finding investigation is one of the essential procedures to judge the qualification for a naturalization, which

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possibly takes considerable time

○ There is no time limit fixed for processing a naturalization and the process period may vary depending on situations to carry on essential procedures

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※ The below message is from the General-representative of marriage immigrants, Patricia, from the Philippines, who was elected in the first time rally of international marriage families, I with U. 2006.

I am very happy to know that there are lots of people and welfares surround international families who are concern, willing and ready to give their hands and support for us to live successfully in this land.

I, Patricia Amaranto, soon will change a name into Korean which is Han Eugene (HAN YU-JIN) was elected as President of foreigners married to Koreans, in which it was hosted and organized by the Seoul Immigration Office, entitled "I With U" (Immigration with You).

I entered here eleven years ago, it was October in 1995. Iam married to Kim Cheon Jung (KIM CHEON-JUNG). We are blessed of having two children, a ten years old cute sweet girl and a smart six years old little boy. After a couple of years of staying here I renounced my citizenship without any doubt. This is because I know clearly the purpose of establishing a family here. I'm a liar if I will say that I didn't ever experience any difficulties during my early years of stay in this land. Specially, on that times crisis arouse terribly in Korean Economy and it gave so much impact on my husband's job. I accept that trials positively and I can say that I'm living here with satisfaction and without any regrets.

I would like to once again take this opportunity in behalf of the represntatives from different nations to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Seoul Immigration Office for pioneering a campaign of "networking foreign spouses of Koreans to make open-society with foreigners". I hope that this campaign could become a mainstream and an eye-opener on how mixed blood children and their foreign parent could live naturally and successfully in the Korean society.

Thank you very much!

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In front of national flags (Korea, Vietnam), children of marrige-immigrats are playing with joy, in Sopa people's hall on 31. Aug. 2006

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Legal support counselling organizations for woman-immigrants (NGO)

Women emergency counsel(any where, any time) press only "1366" www.1366.or.kr

Women migrants' humanrights center(counselling, education and Shelter for women migrants)

02) 3672-7559 www.wmigrant.org

Korea women's hot line(counselling for domestic violence& sexual abuse and a shelter furnished)

02) 2269-2962 www.hotline.or.kr

Korea legal aid center for family relations(legal advice for woman and family relations)

02) 780-5688 www.lawhome.or.kr

Women priest's community : Freinds without borders run by Catholic sisters 032-345-6734 (Seoul Immigration's

honorary consultant)

Women migrants' home in Gangseo-Yangcheon 02)2699-9943

MIRIAM consultation center for women migrants 02)747-2442

Korea legal aid corporation (run by government)

○ Headquarters : Jibangbeobwon-Gil 13, Seocho-Gu, Seoul (telephone: press only 132)

○ Southern branch of Seoul : inside Seoul southern branch of Prosecution, Sinwol-Ro 11, Yangcheon-Gu, Seoul.

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Project Division of charge How to join Introduction Contact

Support project for marriage-immigrants & family

Support team for marriage immigrants family

Application by telephone Refer to below

[email protected]

project program contents for whom

educat ion project

Korean Wanna know Korean & life in Korea

-Korean beginner middle class-family life education

marriage- immigrants

culturefrom now,Korean food!I gotta point

-making kimchi-making side dish-making Korean traditional holydayfood-ancestor-memorialservices arrangement

marriage-immigrants andtheir family

family healthy couple

-introduction couple and address-comprehension and-acceptance difference each couple-couple strategic meeting -renewal as a couple

marriage-immigrant's couple

I T computer, over the top basic computer education marriage-immigra

nts

jobs what's my job? avocational aptitudetest and job matching orrgans concerned

marriage-immigrants andtheir family

Counselling counselling- telephone counselling- interview counselling- cyber counselling

the same above

Local government's programs for marriage-immigrants

1. Teaching Korean language

2. Teaching Computer

3. Teaching for foreigners' children after school

4. Teaching Korean culture, food, etiquette, etc.

○ The Seoul Support Center for Marriage immigrants & Family (= The Support Center for Healthy Family of Dongdaemun-Gu)

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psycological test- MBTI- intelligence test- creativity test

the same above

health consultation health consultation the same above

legal consultation consultation in connection with marriage migrants the same above

children protection amazing playground- baby-sitter- Korean training & edu-entertainment

childrenwhose parent joing Korean learning

self-help group family family - mentor matching- making self-help group

family volunteer groups, marriage immigrants & family

cultural emotional support project

Korean melody,bravo

- Korean traditional danceperformance and pungmulnori- eating Korean popular foods

the same above

Local province Division Phone Fax Remark

Seoul City Hall Family & Nurturance 3707-9855~6

Gangnam-gu Home welfare 2104-1650 2104-2423

Gangdong-gu Home welfare 480-1357 472-3987

Gangbuk-gu Home welfare 901-2258 901-6112

Gangseo-gu Home welfare 2600-6763 2600-6332

Gwanak-gu Social welfare 880-3642 880-3776

Seoul City and Seoul local provinces' contact points for marriage-immigrants

Plese call the phone number below for detailed information about support programs for

marriage-immigrants, such as Korean language classes

o Seoul local governments in charge and contact address etc.

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Gwangjin-gu Social welfare 450-1355 450-1691

Guro-gu Home welfare 860-2838 860-2655

Geumcheon-gu Home welfare 890-2260 890-2283

Nowon-gu Home welfare 950-3492 950-3494

Dobong-gu Home welfare 2289-1366 2289-1732

Dongdaemun-gu Social welfare 2127-4245 2127-5109

Dongjak-gu Home welfare 820-9724 820-9988

Mapo-gu Home welfare 330-2656 330-2650

Seodaemun-gu Home welfare 330-1689 330-1624

Seocho-gu Home welfare 570-6490 570-6148

Seongdong-gu Home welfare 2286-5435 2286-5924

Seongbuk-gu Home welfare 920-3290 920-2936

Songpa-gu Home welfare 410-3490 410-3835

Yangcheon-gu women welfare 2650-3325 2650-3462

Yeongdeungpo-gu Home welfare 2670-3349 2670-3647

Yongsan-gu Social welfare 2670-3349 2670-3647

Eunpyeong-gu Home welfare 350-1617 350-1704

Jongro-gu Homewelfare 731-1325 731-0616

Jung-gu Social welfare 2260-1733 2260-1159

Jungrang-gu Home welfare 490-3492 490-3779

Seongnam city Female policy 031-729-4110~3 031-729-4199 Gyeonggi

Anyang city Family & Women 031-389-5590 031-389-5128 Gyeonggi

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Red Cross hospital ( )

Region Tel. Region Tel.

Seoul 02-2002-8852~4 Incheon 032-280-2103~6

Local hospitals ( )

Region Tel. Region Tel.

Seoul 02-3430-0201 Incheon 032--580-6000

Uijeongbu 031-828-5000 Anseong 031-674-7520

Suweon 031-257-4141 Icheon 031-635-2641

Geumchon 031-941-5811 Pocheon 031-539-9114

Region Tel Region TelSeoul central chapter press just 132 Counselling team 02-536-5577

East Seoul 02-453-5888 South Seoul 02-2648-5966North Seoul 02-972-1765 West Seoul 02-713-6009Uijeongbu 031-874-0100 Goyang 031-902-5132Incheon 032-874-3370 Bucheon 032-325-4500Suweon 031-213-1331 Seongnam 031-748-3509Yeoju 031-883-7630 Pyeongtaek 031-656-9144Ansan 031-482-2767

NGO for supporting marriage-immigrants

Support organization Tel. Remark

Seoul(02)

Seoul support center for marriage-migrants 957-0760Women migrants' human rights center 3672-7559Friend's house 929-5366MIRIAM consultation center for women migrants 747-2442Women migrants' home in Gangseo-Yangcheon 2699-9943

Gyeonggi(031)We home of Jeon Jin-sang House 466-2876Ansan consultation center for migrant women 492-8785

Incheon(032)Friends without borders, run by Catholic priests 345-6734Incheon parish of Catholic church 881-1094

Hospitals

Korea legal aid corporation(run by government)

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주한외국대사관 전화번호

NATIONALITY TELEPHONE NO.

NIGERIA 797-2370 / 797-3280

( ) TAIWAN 399-2767 70

RUSSIA 752-0630

MEXICO 798-1694 5 / 790-0939

MONGOLIA 794-1350 / 798-3464

MYANMAR 792-3341 / 796-9858 9

USA 397-4114 / 397-4339

BANGLADESH 796-4056 7

VIETNAM 738-2318 9

BRAZIL 738-4974

SAUDI ARABIA 739-0631 5

SRI LANKA 735-2966 7

INDIA 798-4257

UKRAINE 578-6910

UZBEKISTAN 574-6554

INDONESIA 783-5675 7

IRAN 793-7751 2

CHINA 738-1194 6

KAZAKSTAN 744-9714 5

THAILAND 795-3253

PAKISTAN 796-8252 3

PERU 793-5810 / 790-5758

PHILIPPINES 572-3654 5

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R(Residence division), A(Adjudication division), I(Investigation division), V(Visa division)