Chuck,
With all due respect to Scott, I would not show up here without the proper visa. Can you get it done after you arrive? Probably. Do you need one more headache/serious concern those first few weeks? No. Here's the link for the Korean consulate in Houston. Check out their site and give them a call if you have questions. The AF took care of my family's visa since I'm command sponsored and provided an A-3 visa. Since your not command sponsored, it may be an A-3 or F-3, call and ask. Again, don't set yourself up for problems.
http://www.koreahouston.org/

For household goods, you vill have the option of sending a small amount of household goods (~800lbs) via air or a larger amount (10% of JTR?) via surface. TMO can give you the specific amounts. You need to decide which is most important, quantity or speed.

Paul

Thanks Paul,
With the number of hits this thread has received, we may be helping others who are in the same boat. I hope so.

Chuck

Passports can be done in person at many locations. We have two places here in Oklahoma City. Take the correct documentation (application found on the internet), color photo pictures, notorized birth certificates, etc. If not applying online and you do go in person, each person who receives a passprt must be present (meaning my 20 month old twins). If you do have a minor under the age of 14, then you will need a consent form too (for each). Each document says, to read the instructions carefully and to bring the instruction sheets with you. Fees are $97 for adults and $82 for minors. A $60 fee is incurred to expedite the process for each application (I may have that last sentence confused with the Visa). Which brings me to another problem; keeping the passport paperwork away from the Visa paperwork. You need a passport to apply for a Visa, but the paperwork for both can get confusing. I am still fillng out the passport paperwork and have yet to apply in person (with family). I will let you know what mistakes I make so those of you following this route can avoid. I'll explain more about visas when I get to that point.

Cheers,
Chuck

How the US Government takes advantage. This is off the State Dept web site;

Age 16 and older: The passport fee is $55. The security surcharge is $12. The execution fee is $30. The total is $97.

Any idea what a Security surcharge is? :-) HOw about the "Execution Fee?" :-)

I am not sure what a Visa cost these days.

OTH these should be good for 10 years.

The Visa fee is established by each issuing country. Current talks (this week) are that the US and Korea may exempt each other's citizens from having to use Visas/passports between the two countries.

Cheers,
Chuck

Called the US Post Office in downtown Oklahoma City and asked how the line was for passports. They said there were two people in line. Picked up the twins from daycare and met my wife at the post office 35 minutes later. Twelve people in line. One hour and 25 minutes later (after much crying and screaming because the twins missed lunch and nap at daycare) it was our turn. We thought we had all the paperwork together. The two consent forms for our minor children to obtain passports still does not preclude the 2 yr olds from having an apllication. So while the kids were screaming we had to fill out two additonal applications to go with mom's application. In the meantime the twins got their photo taken. They had a backless barstool and wanted me to hold each one without showing any part of my arm or hand in the photo (and without toddler falling off and hitting the floor) Each child had four photos because their eyes were not looking directly at the camera in the picture. Hint here: Get your own photo done anywhere except a busy post office. Even the mall photo booth will work as long as it is in color and you are looking straight forward. After filling out 99% of the application, we realized we did not know the kid's social security numbers. We had every other document under the sun, even their notorized raised seal birth certificates. My smart wife used the cell phone and called her work and got the numbers. We then took the oath (looking like goobers with your right hands raised, etc) They said it normally takes 4-6 weeks to get these back before we could send them onto the Korean Embassy for visa approval, but since they have had a backlog of so many passport applications it may take 6-9 weeks. Well ain't that just dandy. My report no late than date to Osan is 15 March!!! I was told we could add $60 to each passport application to "expedite" the process down to two weeks, but we would have to show proff that we were in dire need (ie plane tickets showing we were leaving within 10 days etc). So we sent them the normal long way. Once we left the post office, our two hour with screaming kid's limit was reached. Now my question to you fine folks is this: I have heard you can get to Korea on passport alone because you are on a 30 day visition trip. But once there, I need to make an appoinment at ACS (whatever that is) and get a visa for a 12 month visit. What is ACS? Is this information correct?

Thanks in advance.
Cheers,
Chuck

I got my rip last Friday. For you youngsters or non Air Force, a rip was a pre order notification that was sent to your base personnel folks on a dot matrix printer. The notification had to be "ripped" off the continuous feed printer. We still use the term today. A rip will not get me any appointments with anyone, only orders will. Normally a rip goes straight to the commander and he reads it, sends it onto the PCS'ing troop who signs and initials lots of places and sends it back to the commander to sign, then it goes back to the personnel folks who set you up with an outprocessing brief where they give you a checklist. Once you complete the checklist, you bring it back to the personnelists who then will work on cutting your orders. I have some pull so I hand carried my rip to my commander (who I don't have pull with) and place it in his inbox and there it sat for a day and 1/2. I used my magnetic personality to get the Exec officer to sign it while the commander was down the hallway. Then I initialed and signed all the blocks (whoops, supposed to do that before the exec sign it). I hand carried it back to the personnel folks and sweet talked them into giving me the briefing and checklist right then and there instead of scheduling me for their usual twice a month outprocessing brief. I got the entire checklist done the same day. (A flight doc was just assigned to my flight and I had him sign three of my letters (including an immunizations letter) without leaving my office and going to the base hospital. PACAF has a rule about 9 mil/38 cal handgun training. You must re-qualifiy within 90 days of a PACAF assignment. How dumb is that . If I had done my last 9 mil handgun training 91 days before my RNLTD I would still have to re-qualify. I am a flyer, so I am required to shoot the handgun every single year. Seems like a waste of money to make me do it again. Plus I can't turn in my checklist to get my orders unless this is done. I had a buddy who schedules ground training (like handgun training) sign my letter saying I was scheduled for the class 1 Feb (which I am). The personnel guys said that was acceptable and told me it may take two weeks for my orders!!!!! Whoa there pardner..... I ran around like a chicken without a head and I can't talk to TMO without orders. I cannot ship my 1,700 lbs household goods for my entire family without those orders. I don't want to get to Korea and have to wait two or three months for our stuff to arrive by boat. I was told my orders will be cut faster than the usual process but it may take up to a week max. I told him to do his best.

No stress here. Not even when having to bundle up the twins and tidy up the house each time a prospective buyer wants to look at it. Tonight it was 5:30pm until 6pm we had to make ourselves scarce. Lot's of people love it, but no offers.


And the saga continues....

Cheers,
Chuck

Chuck;

To answer your 2 questions;

ACS : Army Community Service I believe the AF has the AF Family Spt Ctr.

As I recall there was an earlier post not recommending you wait until you get to Korea. I also believe you have been around the military for a while. Therefore you know how things can change or slip. Why take the risk? Some of the others as well as I sent a list of Korean Consulates and there are several. If you send the familiy's passport express mail you will get it back prior to departure. If you wait until you get there maybe you will be able to get the Visa extended, then again S-it happens and sometimes it don't. I can guarantee that you will see things in Korea that most Westerns have never experienced. Many individuals become very frustrated when they are there. What ever you have to decide. I know the way I would do it. That is only having the personal experience.

Anyways best of luck. I am sure you will enjoy Korea.

BTW: I am not sure if anyone has told you Songtan is the #1 shopping area in Korea for foreigners. The only problem is the exchange rate is at an all time disadvantage if you have green backs. The last I seen it was 970?

Assuredly I will send visa applications post haste. I am thinking worse case scenario, like receiving the passports a day or two before we leave for Korea. We would have no time to send off for visas. Or even worse yet, what happens if I don't get them before the plane ticket departure date? I was just hoping there might be a tertiary plan like the ACS/FSC if I get them with little time before we leave.

Cheers,
Chuck

Chuck,
I think the Korean consulates will turn your visas the same day. If you handcarry them to the consulate, they'll likely do it while you wait. Closest one to you is Houston. If that doesn't work, maybe a 1~2 day layover in San Francisco or Honolulu en route since your doing your own travel and get the visas at the consulate there.

With regard to orders production and TMO, outbound assignments can produce an "in lieu of" letter which TMO will accept in lieu of orders. Ask. Finally, talk to your sponsor about buying airline tickets here. They're cheaper.

Paul