taking flight to USA via Canada or Korea

[DAAG 1]

When my K1 fiancée first flew to the USA from the Philippines, I read that she couldn't pass through Canada, en route, or she wouldn't be admitted to the USA. My question is, now that she's my wife, and has her ten year green card, are such silly restrictions lifted? It seems reasonable, and possibly even intuitively obvious that they would be, but, since it never seemed reasonable that they existed in the first place, I thought it wise to ask, rather than just assume.

I also have a second question: has anyone encountered any problems traveling through the new Incheon Airport near Seoul South Korea, considering that the leader of the country to their north wants to start a war over speakers on the border saying things he doesn't like, just 25 miles away, from the airport. I ask because I already bought my wife a ticket though Incheon, when all I knew about it was it was voted the best and safest airport in the world 5 years running, I was also thinking of the possibility of residual fallout from the nuclear problems in Japan a few years ago, an strained relations between china and the Philippines, and flights through Canada or Incheon are the shortest and cheapest being 25 hours each, with only 2 stops and costing around $980, vice 40 hours 4 stops, and $1200-$4000 though other countries. And now that I hear it could become a war zone again, I may need to just cancel a nonrefundable ticket, and throw away $1000 to keep my wife safe. then going through Canada sounds like a great alternative if allowed. Thank you in advance for anything helpful anyone can offer, on either or both of these subjects. I spent more than I could afford buying that ticket but my wife's safety is more important than any amount of money. money can be replaced. she cant.

[Torete 121]

1. There aren't any restrictions on a person holding a 10 year Green card.

I've flown through Seoul a number of times however not recently. I personally wouldn't cancel the ticket. I don't know where you live, but my family has flown from Vancouver, BC to Manila, PI on a direct 14 hour flight.

Edited August 24, 2015 by Torete

[Lemonslice 4,567]

As a US permanent resident, she no longer needs a visa to fly through (or visit) Canada. See cic.gc.ca , under visit then US citizens and permanent residents.

Edited August 24, 2015 by Boston~Montreal

[Shauneg 762]

Incheon is not a priority for the North I would think. On a island southwest of Seoul and yes fairly close to the border but no cities or town really to speak of in North Korea near there just land. I'd have no issue or qualms with myself or my family going through there. The Koreas do this every year or year and a half it's just chest beating.....this isn't a Russia Ukraine situation here.

I have no idea what the Japan residual fallout would have to do with this. The air or water currents don't flow in any way that it affects that area at all. It doesn't even affect 98% of Japan.

Edited August 25, 2015 by Shauneg

[DAAG 1]

Thank you so much, Torete, Boston~Montreal, and Shauneg, for your very good, fast and informative answers. that and the fact that the two Koreas seemed to have kissed and made up Tuesday makes it where I can sleep again. I guess Korean War related items seem to really stand out for me, cause I had two much old brothers, old enough to be my father, who served under MacArthur, one in The Philippines who suggested I be named after Douglas MacArthur, and the other in Korea, before I and another brother would serve in Viet Nam many years later. I grew up with stories about terrible things they saw in both places, and the frustration of Truman stopping General MacAthur from blowing the bridge now still under dispute over 60 years later in a perpetual never ending standoff just 20 mi north of Incheon, when Truman fired MacAthur and declared what was about to become a decisive victory, a draw, creating a never ending war. I got used to the Grandfather, and Father of the current North Korean Dictator blustering an chestbeating, but the current one is so different and even much worse, that even scholars of Korean History don't know how to predict his actions. There are mothers who went to work across that bridge in 1952, leaving small children at home, and were never allowed to see their children again, even after 63 years, because the war never ended. I just leaned in the past few days the current Northern Dictator shot his own elderly uncle with an antiaircraft gun for dozing off at a meeting, and is amassing all his extensive war machinery along the border so if he goes on the warpath for real, it would be a bad place to be. And Shauneg, I see how the mention of Japan seemed confusing. I was just weighing the drawbacks vs positive things about traveling though each of the common places flight go though, when I chose the flight through Korea, over Japan, before hearing what's happening in Korea. Thanks again guys for your insights into these issues. Also I had no idea there were nonstop flights all the way to Canada, as I just got used to passing over flights to Canada when I saw they weren't allowed when my wife was a k1 visa holder. I was also thinking it might be cold in Vancouver and In don't even think my wife owns a coat anymore, since we moved south.

[DAAG 1]

1. There aren't any restrictions on a person holding a 10 year Green card.
2. I've flown through Seoul a number of times however not recently. I personally wouldn't cancel the ticket. I don't know where you live, but my family has flown from Vancouver, BC to Manila, PI on a direct 14 hour flight.

Hey, Torete, you seem to know the ropes pretty well on travel to and from the Philippines via Seoul. and I noticed the Philippine flag on your user info. Do you know if a ten year USA green card holder, traveling on Philippine Passport needs any kind to visa just to fly through Incheon Airport en route from Philippines back home to the USA? Theres a lot of information on flying there and staying short term, but nothing on just flying through. If you or anyone else has any information on this I really appreciate it.

[Torete 121]

Hey, Torete, you seem to know the ropes pretty well on travel to and from the Philippines via Seoul. and I noticed the Philippine flag on your user info. Do you know if a ten year USA green card holder, traveling on Philippine Passport needs any kind to visa just to fly through Incheon Airport en route from Philippines back home to the USA? Theres a lot of information on flying there and staying short term, but nothing on just flying through. If you or anyone else has any information on this I really appreciate it.

DAAG,

No, South Korea doesn't require a visa to transit through Incheon...stay inside the terminal and you're fine.

Exactly as you stated. The Green Card and Philippines passport will both suffice when departing the US (or Canada) and while transiting through Incheon. Zero problems every time the wife and I have flown.

Now however, we fly PAL from Vancouver, BC (direct 14 hour flight) to Manila and avoid any layovers. They also fly out of San Franciso and Los Angeles on the west coast.

Have fun,

T

[DAAG 1]

DAAG,

No, South Korea doesn't require a visa to transit through Incheon...stay inside the terminal and you're fine.

Exactly as you stated. The Green Card and Philippines passport will both suffice when departing the US (or Canada) and while transiting through Incheon. Zero problems every time the wife and I have flown.

Now however, we fly PAL from Vancouver, BC (direct 14 hour flight) to Manila and avoid any layovers. They also fly out of San Franciso and Los Angeles on the west coast.

Have fun,

T

Thanks again Torete. I think I've heard of those PAL flights before. just don't remember much of what I heard about them. but they sound good. Maybe I'll look into them, next time when my wife and I both go to the Philippines. I just sent her alone to visit her sick mom this time, for longer than I can be gone for. and the poor girl having never traveled much on her own worries about every little thing, especially when I'm not along, and I love her so that when she worries it makes me worry, plus being from a country where most other countries require visas for her to enter, she does have more to be concerned with than I do. in all my travels, I've never encountered a situation where I needed a visa, except for extending my stay once in the Philippines. to three months, when I went to meet her for the first time.