Hello, this is Taegang Law Firm.

As the war between Russia and Ukraine continues, many people from the affected countries are facing difficulties crossing borders.

Since the war began, sending documents to Russia has taken much longer, and travel has also become more difficult. Despite these challenges, we’d like to share a case where a visa was successfully granted.

Korean Husband ♥ Russian Wife

💡 Marriage Visa Process

🏷️ Chapter 1. Marriage Registration in Korea

The Russian wife came to Korea on a trip and became an illegal overstayer. The Korean husband was unaware of her status when they began their relationship. However, she knew she could not remain undocumented forever, and while planning to self-report during the voluntary departure period, she became pregnant.

Despite the war in Russia having just begun, they wanted to become responsible parents so they first registered their marriage in Korea and voluntarily reported her overstay before she returned to Russia. They planned to apply for a marriage visa at the consulate immediately upon her return, so they preemptively signed a visa document support service agreement, and began preparing the paperwork starting from the Korean marriage registration.

🏷️ Chapter 2. Dealing with Marriage Registration Issues

While preparing the visa documents, they received notice from ○○○ City Hall that there was an issue with the marriage documents and that the registration would be canceled. However, the submitted documents were officially certified by the Russian Embassy in Korea and have been accepted in countless other Russian international marriage cases. Since the marriage registration had already been processed and the Russian wife had departed Korea, re-preparing the documents was extremely difficult.

Unfortunately, some local offices still process documents based on ‘discretion’, and certain policies are subject to change. This results in some district offices accepting marriage registrations while others reject them under similar conditions.

Fortunately, we were able to negotiate with ○○○ City Hall to delay the cancellation until the supplementary documents were submitted. We promptly prepared and submitted the necessary documents, and the marriage registration was successfully finalized.

🏷️ Chapter 3. Marriage Visa Application

The Korean husband had no disqualifying issues regarding income or housing, but the Russian wife’s history of illegal stay made visa approval very unlikely on the first attempt.

We waited until her pregnancy reached a stable stage and helped prepare documents such as the pregnancy confirmation, medical records, petitions, and letters of reflection to support the application on humanitarian grounds. Since Russia has multiple embassies and consulates, it is important to apply through the one with jurisdiction over the applicant’s residence.

🏷️ Chapter 4. Submission of Supplementary Documents

Marriage visa applications at overseas consulates typically take at least 1 month and up to 6 months for review. The Russian wife had applied at the Korean Consulate General in Irkutsk and was awaiting review, when suddenly a medical issue arose with the fetus requiring potential emergency surgery. If the baby were to be born in Russia, it would significantly delay the mother and child’s ability to enter Korea. Upon receiving the news, we immediately assisted in preparing additional petitions and medical documents for submission to the consulate.

🏷️ Chapter 5. Marriage Visa Approval

Thankfully, the Consul General in Irkutsk took the situation into consideration and quickly approved the visa. The wife was able to enter Korea without delay and gave birth safely, with both mother and baby healthy.

Marriage visas are more complex and demanding than other visa types. The review process can change at any time, and additional or supplementary documents may be required. If a marriage visa is denied, reapplication is not allowed for 6 months, so it is vital to prepare the documents thoroughly and apply with care.