Hi, there! It's me, Edward.
We have been talking about all the good things to expect in Korean but we failed to discuss the most important thing to have in the first place. It's the Korean VISA. Without it, anything we dream of can be of waste.
So allow me to walk you through the steps that will be required in getting a visa -- a student's visa to be exact.
There are many kinds of visa to acquire to get to Korea. One is tourist, which is a short-term temporary visa for visitors of the country. Another is working visa, which focuses on the newly hired employees who wish to work in Korean companies. And lastly, we have the student's visa. Since our goal is to achieve the last one, we are going to talk about it today.
Actually, there are 3 steps on getting your Korean student visa:
Get admitted to a Korean school
Apply for a Korean student visa
Secure post-visa requirements
Let's talk about each of these requirements!
YOU NEED TO MAKE IT IN A SCHOOL FIRST. Why? Of course, you cannot justify your student visa if you are not sure where to go. You need to prove that a school already is going to accept you as a student! Apply to schools early to give you a headstart for processing time. Note that admission period for the Fall semester takes place between May to June, while the Spring semester happens from September to November. That means the application period comes months before that! Make it a habit to check application schedules and deadlines in advance. You don’t want to miss the start of the classes, right?
Do you need TOPIK? The answer is: IT DEPENDS. The TOPIK stands for Test Proficiency in Korean. It’s like TOEFL or IELTS but for the Korean language! Don’t worry though since this will only be required for students applying for higher level course programs which require a certain level of fluency in Korean. Otherwise, students opting for English-taught courses can submit an equivalent certificate of English proficiency.
DUE TO THE PANDEMIC, application of visa might be affected. As of this writing, Korean embassy is not accepting yet any type of Korean VISA applications. As soon as restrictions eases as the vaccine is rolled out, we can expect them to allow more applications soon!
How did I know? I did apply in Strata 100 in Ortigas, at the 17th floor a few months ago. It is a designated travel agency.
You can apply and submit your complete requirements through the Philippine Korean Embassy’s designated travel agencies. They should be able to guide you from requirements to approval. Due to a massive increase in visa applications, the Embassy will no longer accept walk-ins, and will only allow direct application for special, urgent cases.
Here are the details of the Korean embassy:
Website: http://overseas.mofa.go.kr/ph-en/index.do
Address: McKinley Town Center, 122 Upper McKinley Rd, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig, 1634 Metro Manila Phone: (02) 8856 9210
So, after getting an official acceptance letter from your host university, apply for a student visa immediately. A good margin for visa application is important since you don’t want to be caught in between your school’s official start date and the visa approval. One month should be a good lead time for visa application.
Requirements you need to present Korean embassy in the Philippines.
Application form
One (1) passport-sized colored picture
Original passport (valid for more than 6 months)
Photocopy of passport bio-page
Original school certificate
Copy of school ID
Copy of birth certificate
Parents’ documents
Original and photocopy of valid visa/s and arrival stamps to OECD member countries for the past 5 years (if applicable)
Invitor’s documents (invitation letter, passport or ID, if applicable
You have to know that flight tickets and accommodations are NOT required for visa application, and are recommended to be booked right after your student visa approval to avoid conflicting schedules.
A Korean student visa is free for students applying for a 59-day (or less) stay in Korea. If it exceeds to 60-90 days, an applicant must pay a visa fee of Php 2,000.
If all is well, you can get your visa between 5-10 working days up to 2 weeks.
Once your application for a Korean student visa is granted. Now what? Keep in mind that the visa validity only lasts 3 months from the issue date, and advanced thinking can spare you from future headaches while studying abroad.
Here are other requirements to take note during your SoKor study trip:
Since a D-2 student visa is a single entry only, you will need your ALIEN REGISTRATION CARD to move freely in and out of the country during your stay (e.g. overseas trips). Think of this as your temporary ID while you’re studying in South Korea! While your host university will help you process this, make sure to apply for it within 90 days of your arrival.
Student visas are for meant for short-term stays. Be mindful of visa expiration since you don’t want to be deported in the middle of your semester nor fined a hefty amount. Should you need to apply for a visa extension, you can do it 4 months prior to your visa expiration. Just walk in a local immigration office or apply through the online immigration system.
And that's pretty much it! It may be a difficult journey for you, but trust yourself and you will make it! Let's go!
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