A few months ago, I received an inquiry from a cosmetics company in South Korea. They wanted to invite three individuals – the CEO and employees of a cosmetics company in Taiwan.
The purpose of the invitation was for discussions on a cosmetics export contract, market research, and to strategize on effective marketing plans for boosting sales performance within Taiwan.
I communicated closely with the company representative, and we thoroughly documented all compelling reasons for the invitation in the letter of invitation. We also prepared and attached separate documents detailing the invitees' schedule during their stay in South Korea, and successfully applied. All three individuals entered South Korea without any issues.
A few days ago, I received another call from the company representative. They said it's likely they won't be able to complete all the planned activities within three months and asked if there's a way to extend their stay.
Most C-3 category visas (short-term visas) are applied for and issued at a Korean embassy in the applicant's home country. (visa issuance). They do not enter by applying at the immigration office in Korea (via a visa issuance approval application).
※ For reference, C-3-3 Medical Tourism is only possible via e-visa or visa issuance approval application; visa issuance is not possible.
Furthermore, while extensions are generally not allowed, the period of stay can be extended in special circumstances.
So, let's first take a look at the reasons that might permit an extension, as outlined in the manual.
Extension of Stay for C-3 Visa
❍ Extensions within 90 days from the date of entry are possible for short-term visits (C-3) that fall within the visa's scope, where there is no suspicion of illegal employment, and where the necessity for an extension is acknowledged. - (Examples of reasons for extension)
① In cases where there are no available means of departure such as ships, or due to unforeseen accidents or diseases that happened after entry.
② For those who entered the country for purposes such as visiting relatives or language training and where there is no suspicion of illegal employment. (Korean descendants, families of marriage immigrants, etc.)
③ For commercial visitors who need to extend their stay due to reasons such as export/import shipment delay, departure delay, etc.
④ For holders of multiple visas who need to justify the necessity to continue their stay exceeding the granted period after entry, etc.
Documents required for C-3 Extension Application
① Application form (Form No. 34), original passport, and fee
② Documents proving the necessity for an extension of stay
The procedure seems quite straightforward.
However, based on my experience with C-3 extensions so far, they don't simply grant extensions upon submission of documents ① and ②
That's understandable.
If it were easy to extend a C-3 visa (which doesn't allow employment, including travel visas), there would be a significant number of people entering on a C-3 visa and continually extending their stay to work illegally.
However, in this case, the extension was genuinely needed from the inviting company's standpoint, the reasons for extension were clear, and there was no ulterior motive.
So, along with the above documents, we prepared as many other documents as possible that could confirm the need for the extension and their identities. We applied for the extension, and thankfully, all three individuals were able to get their extensions granted until the end of their planned schedule.