What I Love about Autumn in SK

Autumn is finally here! I get excited when this season comes. Here are some of the reasons why:

1.) I love the color of nature. Last year, I went to the Cosmos Festival in Guri with my Korean Language teacher and two of her students. The flowers in autumn are as lovely as the blossoms in spring, another season that I can’t wait for.

2.)  I love the weather. The sunny and cool weather in autumn is perfect for a stroll. I like to watch the trees shed their leaves like snow cascading down on me and feel the autumn breeze on my face.

I have taken many long walks along the Han River, but the most memorable one for me was my first autumn in Korea, when my husband and I walked side by side, full of great expectations of what our life together in the Land of the Morning Calm would turn out to be.

3.) I love Chuseok Vacation. In spring and in summer, I don’t get any vacation. In winter, I get at least a three-day vacation from the hagwon, but my husband doesn’t get any break from his work, so I end up spending my winter vacation in “solitary confinement”. Chuseok season means vacation for both of us. Actually, it’s a holiday for most Koreans. Chuseok is a time for Korean families to get together and celebrate Thanksgiving. Some families go to distant provinces to reunite with their relatives, but good thing, my husband’s paternal relatives live nearby. I don’t think I will enjoy Chuseok season as much as I do now if we had to travel far. The traffic on Chuseok is just terrible.

Hubby and I don’t usually go anywhere on Chuseok vacation, but there are so many things we can do in the house that would not bore us to death… like watching movies and cooking our favorite dishes! ^^

Chuseok is not really a no-work vacation for me. A day before Chuseok, I have to go to my husband’s eldest uncle’s house to help prepare the food for the family gathering. Most daughters-in-law in Korea loathe Chuseok holiday, because for them it’s nothing but work work work, but in my case, all I do is to make jeon or wash the dishes. The aunties let me go after lunch, so I can do whatever I please for the rest of the day. ^^

On my first Chuseok in Korea, Abonim (father-in-law) told me to wear my hanbok. I was the only one wearing a hanbok in the family, besides the children who had to bow to the elders. I was teased. They called me “Miss Korea”. When we finished our first meal (breakfast), I went back home, changed into something comfortable and returned to eldest uncle’s house. ^^

This year, my husband and I are going to have a longer Chuseok vacation, and we won’t be spending it here in Korea. Though our main goal of leaving SK is to seek second medical opinion for my condition, it’s a vacation away from the huzzle and buzzle of our busy lives in this pali-pali country, nevertheless…

4.) I love excursions. Every autumn, I either go to the amusement park or attend a festival. Well, I can do it any season, but the weather and my vacation makes it possible for me to enjoy excursions in fall. This year, however, the plan has changed, as I will be coming back to Korea in October, the beginning of winter season.

5.) I love shopping for winter clothes. Last weekend, I went to Lotte Department store to buy a bag for our trip. The fall/winter sale has started. Coats, jackets, sweaters and other fall and winter apparel are sold in unbelievably low prices! Winter clothing can be so expensive, but there’s always sale in autumn. It’s best to buy them earlier, as they get pricier when the weather is starting to get colder.

I remember going to Myeongdong last autumn. I bought some winter shirts and scarfs there… not too expensive. Myeongdong is one of Seoul’s leading shopping districts, which is popular among youngsters and tourists. If you’re thinking of going shopping this fall, why not check it out? To get there, you can take Seoul Subway… Line 4 Myeongdong Station Exit 7. You can view the map on www.visitkorea.or.kr.

Autumn is short-lived, but it can be an exciting and meaningful season. How do you plan to spend the remaining days of autumn? Whatever you have in mind, the most important thing is that you are having fun while building wonderful memories with family or friends. ^^

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F-5: Permanent Residence Visa in South Korea

Last week, I received my permanent residence visa (F-5) in the mail. Finally!!! After more than 3 months of waiting and thinking that I would not be granted the visa. Why? You may ask. It’s just a permanent visa.

My husband and I have submitted all the requirements and we were told that all we had to do was to wait for 2 or 3 months for the visa to be approved and mailed to us. Three months passed, but we didn’t receive any. Since I didn’t have my alien registration card and I was still waiting for my new visa, I could not travel out of the country. My husband decided to call the immigration office and we were scheduled for an interview. Yup, an interview. It’s just a permanent visa and we needed to be interviewed. I suppose it depends on the immigration office you are going to. Some Filipinas who applied for F-5 visa told me that they weren’t interviewed and they got their permanent visa after 2 or 3 months.

We were instructed to bring our wedding album, so hubby and I brought our two wedding albums: the very thick one from our wedding in the Philippines and the other from our wedding in Korea. We also prepared all our bank books: his, mine and our joint bank account. Not all immigration officials require you to bring your wedding album, but the bank book or certificate of bank account is mandatory.

Below are the requirements for permanent visa:

• Application form (which you can download here)
• Alien registration card (F-2 or F-6 visa)
• Passport
• Passport photo (size: 3.5Cm * 4.5Cm)
• Korean spouse’s family registration and resident registration
• Documents that specify 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 (In our case, we brought statement of accounts that indicate how much salary we get each month, because we failed to get certificates of employment.)
• Fees: 50,000 KRW (44 – 45 USD) (1,856 – 1,857 PHP)

Some immigration officials may ask you to bring other documents.

After two years of staying in Korea as the spouse of a Korean citizen, you can already apply for permanent residence if you don’t want to get Korean citizenship.

Your period of stay is calculated from the day of your alien registration. If you leave the country before the expiration of your sojourn period, the sojourn period ends and calculation of period of stay begins all over again once you return to Korea. However, if you return to Korea not longer than 3 months, the periods you have lived in Korea before and after departure will be added up.

Who else is eligible for permanent residence visa?

• Someone who is divorced or separated from a Korean spouse and can prove that the Korean spouse is liable for the divorce or separation
• Someone whose Korean spouse died or was declared missing by the court
• Someone who is rearing an underage child/children and wants to stay in Korea after being divorced/separated from a Korean spouse

Who is NOT eligible for permanent residence visa?

• Someone who has violated Korean immigration law in the past 3 years. (An individual who has already paid the fine may apply.)
• Someone who has been sentenced to jail or more severe punishment (Of course!)

What are the benefits of having a permanent residence visa?

• Since the permanent residence visa does not expire, there is no need to go to the immigration office every two years to renew your visa or extend your period of  sojourn.
• If you would like to go abroad and stay there for less than a year, re-entry permit is not necessary, but if you are staying in another country for more than 1 year, re-entry permit is required.
• You can vote in local elections after 3 years of holding a permanent residence visa.
• You can keep your F-5 visa even after a divorce.
• You can work legally in Korea, just like with F-2 (or F-6) visa.
• You don’t have to pay 50,000 each year for a re-entry permit.
• With an F-5 visa, you are no longer sponsored by your Korean spouse.
• You can’t be deported except if you have committed treason, was sentenced to prison for more than 5 years, or have organized or contributed to illegal immigration.

Another benefit I was told is that I can go through the Korean queues at the airport. Well, I have yet to find out this Chuseok holiday when my husband and I visit the Philippines.

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