This article talks about the troubles foreigners living in Korea face at the immigration office. Some officials’ bossy attitude has been pointed out since 1996, almost 30 years ago. Experts say it’s not a personal issue but a structural one. Immigration officers handle foreigners’ stay permits, so they can get stiff during document checks. Sometimes the embassy’s advice and the immigration office’s demands don’t match, making foreigners spend extra time and money. Experts call this a ‘information asymmetry’ between foreigners and the agency. Even calling the 1345 foreign‑info center doesn’t always get you a direct person, and lawyers point to lack of staff and budget. Seoul Immigration Office said that in a Q1 survey, 98% of the 734 applicants were satisfied. The Ministry of Justice says that at the end of last year there were about 2.78 million foreigners staying in Korea, the highest ever, with 2.159 million (77.6%) on long‑term visas. By 2030, the foreign‑resident count is expected to hit 3 million.
원문 보기Why do I get so nervous just standing in front of the immigration office?
I hold my passport tight and wait my turn, then the officer’s tone suddenly gets sharp. I prepared the papers exactly as the embassy told me, but hearing “Why did you bring it like this?” makes my heart drop. Any foreigner who’s lived in Korea has probably felt this.
CBS No Cut News’ latest third‑part series ends by saying this familiar scene isn’t just a ‘bad‑luck personal story.’ Back in 1996 a Japanese student in Korea even called the immigration office a ‘notorious place,’ so the issue has been pointed out for almost 30 years.
Experts point to three causes: the officer’s wide discretion, the information asymmetry between foreigners and the agency, and staff‑budget shortages. Yet the immigration office just announced a 98% satisfaction rate. Something doesn’t add up — so we dug into each point.
Based on the last article of the 3‑part series “Foreigners scared of immigration admin” by CBS No‑Cut News (2026.5.16), we checked extra background and official data.
Does ‘discretion’ really exist? — How did the US, UK, and Canada set it up?
Lee Ja‑ho, a lawyer friend from the immigrant center, says immigration admin isn’t a welfare office but a status‑control office, so even with the same paperwork the officer’s view can change the result. Is this ‘discretion’ only a Korean thing?
The answer is close to ‘no’. The US, UK and Canada also set detailed review criteria in laws and manuals. But judgments that can’t be reduced to numbers—like whether the visit purpose is genuine, if they’ll leave on the set date, or if the documents are trustworthy—still depend on the officer in any country.
For example, the UK Immigration Rules split decisions into ‘must refuse’ and ‘may refuse’. Canada’s law says if you meet the criteria you ‘must issue’ the visa, but the key condition of ‘intention to leave’ is still left to the officer’s discretion.
USCIS says in its manual that discretion exists, but decisions based on personal bias or prejudice are prohibited.
How much is set per country, and where will the judgment differ?
All three countries have standards in law and manuals. But at the points below, staff judgment applies.
| 국가 | 기준은 얼마나 정해져 있나 | |
|---|---|---|
| 미국 | 법률·연방규정·국무부 매뉴얼(FAM)로 기준을 둠 | |
공무원 판단이 들어가는 지점 신청인의 진술·서류 신빙성, 비이민 의도 판단 | ||
| 영국 | Immigration Rules가 'must'(필수 거절)와 'may'(재량 거절)를 구분 | |
| 캐나다 | 요건 충족 시 법이 '발급해야 한다'고 규정 | |
Canada temporary visa rejection rate jumped a lot in 3 years.
Hover over the point to see the exact figure.
What if the embassy's papers are different from what immigration asks?
In the article, foreigner Mr A says he got into trouble because the embassy’s papers didn’t match what the immigration officer asked for. It’s frustrating when two official agencies you trust say different things.
Actually it’s not a mistake, the two steps are separate. Before you enter, the embassy or consulate issues the visa. After you’re in Korea, the immigration office handles extensions or status changes. The Korea Visa Portal says the listed docs are just the minimum, and the overseas mission can ask for more or waive them depending on the country or situation.
So instead of asking which side is right, first check which step you’re in. If you’re applying for a visa abroad, follow the embassy/consulate guidance. If you’re already in Korea and need an extension or change, follow HiKorea and the local office.
The certificate is just a document to apply for a visa at an overseas mission; it doesn't replace a residence permit or visa issuance.
Official channels you can trust and refer to by situation.
First, check which step you're at now.
| 상황 | 참고할 공식 창구 |
|---|---|
| 해외에서 한국 비자를 신청할 때 | Korea Visa Portal, 관할 한국 대사관·총영사관 |
| 이미 한국에 있고 체류 연장·변경·등록을 할 때 | HiKorea, 관할 출입국·외국인관서 |
| 급하게 확인하거나 최신 지침이 궁금할 때 | 1345 (20개 언어, 평일 09:00~22:00, 18시 이후 한·영·중만) |
So, will calling 1345 really help?
In the article, immigration lawyer Park Jae‑hoon says most phone inquiries go through 1345 to a staff member, but the call center can’t fully understand the caller’s situation, so it’s hard to find the right officer and sometimes you get a number but no reply.
1345 is the Foreigners' Info Center under the Ministry of Justice, running since 2008 and offering counseling in 20 languages. But the actual counseling is outsourced to a private agency (now KTcs), so the call center staff just connect you to the proper department rather than decide the case.
Reviews from English‑speaking users are mixed. Some say “it was friendlier than I expected,” while others share “they told me the officer was unreachable, but contacting the immigration office directly solved it.” So 1345 is handy for the first contact, but for serious matters you should double‑check with the proper office.
The '1' line of 1345 became a dedicated hotline for reporting labor‑rights violations like unpaid wages, assault, sexual harassment, passport seizure and forced labor. In just one month, reports rose from an average of 22 per month to 142.
1345 counseling calls kept rising and falling.
Hover over the dot to see the exact number.
Wait, satisfaction is 98%? — Doesn't match the yelling civil servant story.
Just after the article came out, the Seoul Immigration Office announced that the Q1 2026 civil‑service satisfaction was 98%. That's 98% of 734 respondents. But the article still talks about pushy service and info gaps. Which one is right?
Actually, this 98% isn’t from a national or independent survey. It’s a quarterly in‑house poll done by the Seoul Immigration Office on visitors. The sampling method, response rate, and exact questions weren’t released. People who never went to the counter or who came back after a bad decision aren’t in the sample.
Interesting thing is the number kept climbing lately. Satisfaction was 92% in Q1 2025, then went 95→95→96→98% over the next quarters. That doesn’t match the article title “standing still”. But we can’t tell from the public data whether the rise is from better service or just different respondents each quarter.
The Ministry of Justice runs a nationwide official metric called “resident service satisfaction”, separate from Seoul’s own survey. In 2025 it scored 93.0 (out of 100), which is totally different in scope and method from Seoul’s 98%.
Seoul office’s own satisfaction rose a bit each quarter.
Hover over the point to see the exact number.
'98% satisfaction' and the Ministry of Justice's official figure are different numbers.
We use the same word 'satisfaction', but the scope and method differ.
| 항목 | 서울출입국청 자체조사 | |
|---|---|---|
| 대상 | 서울출입국·외국인청 방문 민원인 | |
법무부 공식 체류민원만족도 전국 전자민원·방문민원 이용자 | ||
| 표본/방법 | 분기별 734~1,262명 설문 (표본추출 방식 비공개) | |
| 최근 수치 | 2026년 1분기 98% | |
| 성격 | 기관 자체 분기 발표 | |
So, what does it mean to me?
The immigration office's tough attitude isn’t just about a single officer’s personality. It’s more about the nature of the admin that controls stay permits, wide discretion, info gap between foreigners and the office, and lack of staff and budget. 98% satisfaction isn’t wrong, but there are experiences it doesn’t cover.
So what can I do? First, figure out which step I'm at (applying for a visa abroad or extending stay at home) and check the right official window. 1345 is a good start, but for big things like stay status, double‑check at the local immigration office.
Just like Lawyer Lee Jae‑ho’s suggested ‘pre‑document review window’ or Lawyer Yang Hee‑chul’s AI translation tool, structural problems need structural solutions. Since foreign residents are expected to hit 3 million by 2030, this issue will only grow, not shrink on its own.
For overseas visa queries, use the embassy or Korea Visa Portal; for staying in Korea, check HiKorea or the relevant office first.
Use the 1345 counseling as a reference, but double‑check important decisions with the proper office.
Satisfaction scores are just averages; remember your own experience may differ.
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