Q: I have been trying to obtain a permanent resident visa but cannot get a response from my local immigration office in Ulsan. I have been in Korea for twelve years and would like to be able to stay indefinitely for future purposes. Could you please help me make sense of the legal aspects of obtaining a permanent resident visa?
A: According to the Seoul Immigration Office, you must hold the same visa for more than five years without leaving the country to apply for an F-5 (permanent residency) visa. However, it is acceptable to leave the country for less than three months with a re-entry permit. For more detailed information, contact the Seoul Immigration Office directly at (02) 2650-6399.
Q: I would like to know if there are any nurseries or kindergartens in the Seoul area which accept children for short-term attendance. It could be a few days a week or a full week. As my son speaks English, international nurseries with English-based classes would be preferable.
A: Following is a list of nursery and kindergartens for English speaking child. We suggest you to contact them directly to find out if there is any special program for the summer vacation.
Appletree at (02) 502-0509; Early Childhood Learning Center at (02) 795-8418; Gymbory at (02) 749-7575; Hana Kindergarten at (02) 394-1152; Nasan International School (02) 2232-2451; and BIPS (02) 548-9496
Q: Is there an individual Korean language program available?
A: Each university has their own facility for Korean language programs for individuals. The followings are Web sites of universities that offer such programs
Yonsei University www.yskli.com/languages/korean/index.asp; Korea University http://kola.korea.ac.kr; Soegang University http://klec.sogang.ac.kr; Ewha Womans University http://ile.ewha.ac.kr; Seoul National University http://language.snu.ac.kr/kor/pages/SK00001_00.jsp; and Hanyang University www.hviliuf.hanyang.ac.kr
Q: Where can I take an English TOEFL class?
A: Please refer to the following Web sites. They are well-known private institutes although none of them has English TOEFL classes. Also, you can contact a language institute from the Canadian Embassy in Seoul at (02) 753-0767.
www.kaplankorea.com, www.tpr.co.kr, www.sli1988.com
The Seoul Global Center, operated by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and its Seoul Business Agency, is a one-stop service center that provides a wide range of support services for foreign residents of Seoul, including daily living conditions, how to cope with official regulations, business needs and cultural exchange activities.
Seoul Global Center
Tel: 02-1688-0120
Fax: 02-723-3206
http://global.seoul.go.kr
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