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Letter of Release

 
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nighthawk



Joined: 12 Feb 2003
Posts: 60
Location: USA

PostPosted: Thu May 20, 2004 4:30 pm    Post subject: Letter of Release Reply with quote

I�m an American working in South Korea. I�ve got some problems with my employer, and I�m thinking about going elsewhere in Asia. I just want to understand my options. In South Korea you get a work visa that lasts 1 year. One of the things that really irks me about South Korea is that if you want to quit your job and get another in SK, then you have to get a letter of release from your 1st employer in order to work legally or you have to leave the country and wait until your 1-year work visa expires before you can reenter. Well, as I�m sure you can imagine, there are a lot of employers that don�t provide these letters of releases like they should, so the teacher either has to put up with his employer�s b.s., try to fight the system legally, which is often futile, or pack his bags and leave the country. Is a letter of release required to change jobs in other Asian countries? If you need specifics, then here�s a list of the one�s I�m thinking about: China, Taiwan, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia. Can a teacher just quit a bad employer and start working for a better one? Do you have to leave the country? Basically what I'm asking is what happens if you find out that your employer is a scumbag and you want out? What are your options then?

Also, how common is it to work in these countries illegally? How much do you get fined if you get caught working illegally? How long do they prohibit you from reentering the country if you get caught working illegally? Thanks in advance for the help.
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stillnosheep



Joined: 01 Mar 2004
Posts: 2068
Location: eslcafe

PostPosted: Fri May 21, 2004 2:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

In Japan your working visa belongs to you; not to any sponsoring school. You may use a sponsor to get your visa in the first place (unless, for example, you enter on a working holiday visa), but if you quit the school you get to keep your work permit and can legally work elsewhere until your visa runs out.

Last edited by stillnosheep on Mon May 31, 2004 3:15 pm; edited 1 time in total
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silkroad



Joined: 12 May 2004
Posts: 3

PostPosted: Fri May 21, 2004 7:02 pm    Post subject: Yes! Reply with quote

Please see my post under Jobs in Mongolia. Mongolia has this system too, and what's worse you can't leave the country without it (if you don't have an exit visa).
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nighthawk



Joined: 12 Feb 2003
Posts: 60
Location: USA

PostPosted: Sat May 22, 2004 10:56 am    Post subject: Thanks Reply with quote

Thanks for the replies. I really appreciate it. Does anyone have any info on the other countries I mentioned, i.e., Thailand, Cambodia, Taiwan, China, and Vietnam? Are letters of releases required to change jobs in those countries? And what happens if you get caught working illegally? Thanks again. -nighthawk
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cheekygal



Joined: 04 Mar 2003
Posts: 1987
Location: China, Zhuhai

PostPosted: Wed Aug 11, 2004 10:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I work in China and when I moved from South to North I was required to have a letter of release from the labour bureau (Foreign expert's permit)as well as the police station (for Z - working - visa). It would ease the process of obtaining visa and other documents when you change jobs. If you are on F (business) or L (tourist) visas you don't need such letter because officially you are not to work with these types of visa.
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Polina



Joined: 04 Dec 2003
Posts: 71

PostPosted: Wed Aug 11, 2004 10:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

In Taiwan you used to need one until early this year, and now I believe you don't. A lot of people work illegally here and it is very rare that any are caught.
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