Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Los Angeles

1. 

○ Every Study Abroad season, many Korean Ancestries(descendants) are having difficulty applying for student visa due to dual nationality(citizenship) verification issues.

 ○ The Visa department is NOT in charge of the Nationality and Dual Citizenship process. (Our Consulate has the Nationality Department separately.)
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 ○ This page is dedicated to helping ease visa processing with the dual citizenship issue based on the Korean Nationality Act.

  - This page explains the general case for applying for a study visa, and the dual citizenship may vary depending on the individual's date of birth and situation. 
  - Therefore if the applicant is not sure of their dual citizenship status, please visit a nearby consulate with parents before applying for the visa.

2. 

 ○ All Korean ancestry applicants should submit the additional documents(기본증명서, 제적등본, 가족관계증명서) to verify dual citizenship for D type visas. (Proof of loss of nationality, renunciation of nationality, etc.)
  - Please check the dual citizenship status with the parents.
  - We review dual citizenship very strictly. If the applicant has dual citizenship, is not eligible to apply for a visa even if his/her birth isn't registered on the Korean Family System.
  - If we confirm the applicant has dual citizenship, the applicant should register his/her birth to the Overseas Consulate/Embassy(takes 2 weeks) and apply for a Korean passport instead(takes 10 days to 3 weeks).

 ○ If one of the applicant's parents had a U.S. green card when the applicant was born, the applicant might have dual citizenship under Korean Law. (It is NOT the parents' current U.S. immigration status.)
 -  Korean nationality laws state that a child born anywhere overseas to parents of Korean citizenship might be dual citizens in certain cases EVEN IF the birth is not registered in Korea because they have inherited the Korean nationality from their parents.
  - The U.S. green card holder is not a U.S. citizen. Thus, all Korean citizens including those who reside overseas must register their children's birth under Korean nationality law within one month of the birth. If they fail to do so, there may exist penalties accordingly.
 - Thus, kindly check whether the parents had registered the applicant's birth to the Korean government.
 
 ○ If the applicant has dual citizenship, and is not eligible to apply for a visa, should apply for the Korean passport instead.
  - Please note that the applicant must register their birth in the Korean Nationality Family System prior to applying for the Korean passport.
   (At our consulate, it reflects that the system takes two weeks from the registered date.)
 - Plus, Korean Passport processing takes 3 weeks from the submitted date. (With DHL expedited service, 10 days)
  *Thus, total processing may take more than 5 weeks.

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3. 

 ○ If both of the applicant's parents were U.S. citizens when the applicant was born, can apply for a visa.
  - Please prepare the documents below (Choose one)
   *If the applicant's father or mother was born in a Foreign country including the U.S. Please prepare his/her birth certificate instead. (English version required)

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   1) Certificate of U.S. Naturalization of both parents and the Birth Certificate of the applicant.
    *(For extremely exceptional cases) Expired U.S. passports of both parents that were issued before the visa applicant's birth.

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   2) (If the lost/renounced nationality processing was finished) the Korean Basic Certificate of both parents that indicated the loss/renouncement of Korean nationality and the Birth Certificate of the applicant. 
    *(국적상실이나 국적이탈이 표기된 부모 양측의 기본증명서 또는 제적등본과 비자 신청자의 출생증명서류)

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  3) (If the lost/renounced nationality processing is still pending) Receipt for the application of lost Korean nationality, Korean Basic Certificate of both parents, Certificate of U.S. Naturalization of both parents, and the Birth Certificate of the applicant.
    *(부모 양측의 국적상실 신청접수증, 부모 양측의 기본증명서, 비자 신청자의 출생증명서류)

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4. 

 ○ Even Korean nationals are still eligible for exchange /Overseas students. Please discuss this matter with the university in Korea.