Warning; false information about F-2-7

by Bell Hiroki on Friday, January 28, 2011 at 12:15am
Dear Friends

A travel agent has announced that E-9 visa holders can change their visa status to F-2-7 visa. However, the F-2-7 is for professional and highly skilled workers living in Korea. It is a strategy of the government to secure "global human resources" (RT http://www.koreaherald.com/entertainment/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20100517000670 ). Therefore, E-9 visa holders cannot apply to this visa status. I visited the Seoul immigration office in Omokgyo and confirmed that this information from the travel agent was incorrect and it was suspected of a fraud.

I also visited this travel agent but they didn't give me any information. They just asked me about me. But I didn't tell them anything about myself, because I pretended to be an Uzbekistani worker under E-9 visa (Although it should violate research ethics, I didn't have any other choices to collect information). Because I didn't show them my ID card nor passport, and because I didn't tell them the name of factory I pretended to be working, they didn't give me any information. I guessed they were well-trained frauds because they don't reveal any evidences before they could identify who I am.

According to a Cambodian worker in Ansan, who had already contacted with this agent, the agent had told him if he paid 1,575,000won to the agent and passed the 3rd degree of TOPIK (Test of Proficiency in Korean), he could change the visa status from E-9 to F-2-7.

The most important point is that the travel agent is well-trained professional. It means if I were migrant worker and I didn't know details of Korean immigration policy, I should be also swindled (cheated). It is because the agent has offices at good places - 종로타워building in Seoul and 부일프라자 which is the same building to Ansan Immigration office -, because it has knowledge about immigration law - finally a staff of the agent gave me documents filled with quotes of the law in order to persuade that E-9 visa holders could change to F-2-7-, and because the staffs look very kind as a staff of support organizations.

So I hope you inform your friends, both activists and migrant workers, of correct information and warn them not to be swindled (cheated) out of money. As long as I know, many migrant workers who are not deeply involved in your activities don't talk with you until they recognize troubles or problems. Therefore I want you to let them know before they catch this false information. Please inform your friends as soon as, and as many as you can.
I will let some activists and workers know correct information and warn them in Ansan, as well.
Although I informed officers in the Seoul immigration office and they got interested in this travel agent, unfortunately I cannot believe they start working immediately. I hope you join me in order to reduce the number of victims.

Yours sincerely

Hiroki Bell


p.s. 시간 있으면 제가 한국말으로 쓰고 싶은 데, 할 수 있는 사람이 있으면 써줬으면 좋아요.^^

(Source of this info is from Facebook).

Thanks for sharing the info Sir Pete...Godbless