Korean Job Discussion Forums

[alphakennyone]

[Manner of Speaking]

[Carla]

[Carla]

[Young FRANKenstein]

[Carla]

[Flash Ipanema]

So much bad information about the situation is going on here. I haven't been to the ATM, but at no point did anyone say my account was frozen. I highly suspect a camp teacher "B" has been talking out of his ass again. I wasn't strip searched, but I was patted down. And I'm a woman so please refer to me as "she". Here's my story:

My E2 visa ended in June. I got hired for a summer camp starting the last week of July, then went on a three week vacation. My intention was to return for a camp to make a little more money, then fly to Japan for a few days to see a friend before heading home for good. I already had my flight booked before I was arrested. Anyway, I got my C4 visa while in Vietnam at the very end of my trip. I dropped off my passport on a Thursday, and on Friday I got an e-mail saying the camp was canceled due to "malignant flu." I picked up my passport the following Tuesday to find they still issued me the visa despite the camp being canceled, then flew back to Korea the next day. That Saturday I applied for a couple camp jobs on Worknplay (where any other legal teacher could have applied and gotten hired if they actually bothered to) and got a call that very afternoon asking me to go to Anseong the next morning at 8am. The camp was three weeks long at a university. I was there for two weeks when immigration showed up on Friday to check all our visas (13 of us).

Two teachers had visas listing the camp headquarters, not the actual campus, because the company gave them the wrong paperwork. They were not jailed and the school paid the penalty on Tuesday since it was the camp's fault.

Two other teachers were on student visas and had no teaching visa at all. They and myself were brought to the immigration office in Suwon. I didn't think I was in that much trouble since I had a valid teaching visa, albeit at a different location, but I was wrong. We changed into uniforms, they made us sign papers, then locked us in a room. I thought that was it and we would be released when the camp manager arrived. Wrong again.

Shortly after arriving we were handcuffed in groups of four, loaded onto a bus with other illegals (locked behind yet another gate on the bus) then brought to the detention center aka jail. I was placed in a separate room from the other female teacher and given three blankets, a hand towel, a plastic spoon, a paper cup and a toothbrush. I was told nothing for three days.

All of my information came from a Filipino woman, the only one in my room of 12 women who spoke English. She said I wouldn't be able to leave and my friends would have to bring my all my things. I said that was impossible because half my things were at the camp (which they were going to bring me) but a lot of things were still at my friend's house in Seoul, and I was planning on shipping things home and throwing others away - a big reason I wanted to stay, so I could sort through what I had left. I also needed to go to the pension office and the bank, and of course I wanted to see my friends one last time. When I told that to the jail workers they said no, I couldn't leave. Thinking I had no option, I changed my flight to Wednesday, with the expectation that the camp would drop my bags off on Tuesday. Unfortunately, they went to the immigration office first to deal with the other teachers and stayed there too late to deliver my bags, so I told them I had to have them by 9am the following morning or I had to fly without them, which would mean I'd be leaving the country with a small purse and no other possessions which was NOT an option for me. I spoke with the camp and they said immigration said I could have been given a week's leeway but I had suddenly changed my flight so now I couldn't get it - which was crap since I only changed my flight because they said I couldn't leave! Then as usual the immi officers disagreed with each other about whether I could be released or not, but they all agreed I had to wait at least a year to come back. I had been thinking of going to Japan and coming right back on a tourist visa to take care of my things, but no-go.

The following morning (Wednesday) a camp manager called and said I would be released. I got to put my real clothes back on and got excited, then two officers said I couldn't leave. They thought I was leaving on my flight, but my bags hadn't arrived. I told them to call my manager, the one who said I was getting released. They still didn't release me so I called to find out what happened. Apparently their was a miscommunication at some point, though I don't know where it actually occurred, but I could only leave if escorted by 3-4 immigration officers and I had to return back to the jail. After almost being released this was too much frustration for me to handle, and I broke down and cried in the middle of a crowded room of detainees on their way home. I suspect that was the turning point.

I changed back into my uniform, was given fresh blankets and taken back to my room. Then I was called into a room with another immigration officer and 3 other staff who spoke English, although only one was designated as my translator. Apparently even in jail they still want to learn English from the whitie. Anyway, he asked why I missed my flight that day, what I needed to do (pension, bank, luggage) and tried to work out how everything would get taken care of from jail. They said I could be escorted to the pension office but I'd have to be handcuffed which again made me cry, and at the very least I know they understood because of how important saving-face is here. They at least said they could cover my hands with towel or something. They asked if everything could get arranged would I be "happy", then I went back to my cell.

Soon after, a woman called me over and said I could get up to 2 weeks if I paid a penalty of 100,000 won which I eagerly agreed to. A few hours later she came back and said it was 1,000,000. I called the camp to see if they would pay the fine, since they paid for two of the other teachers, but they said it was my fault and they thought I had a valid visa. BS, but I couldn't fight it from jail. I had my friend pay the money, then a few more hours later I was again handcuffed, taken back to the immigration office in Suwon, given my clothes back, signed a paper saying I paid them my fine and was released with a 30-day exit order. My flight was changed back to August 21, which ironically is the original date I planned to leave before all this shit happened, but I had to pay 20,000 every time I changed it. I am once again a free woman.

[bassexpander]

And this is why... even with an F-2 visa... I don't want to teach a camp.

They are, in nearly every case, a total mess. They are unorganized, often misrepresent themselves as being part of the school they are merely renting time in, and often cheat on payment or taxes when payday comes.

As an F-2, I don't have to worry about immigration, but I would worry about having to pick up the slack if even just one other teacher got busted as being illegal. If you're an E-2, or on a student visa, they WILL NOT HELP YOU. You're screwed.

Not worth the headache.

[lifeinkorea]

Flash,

Did you try this argument with them, which might have landed a lesser penalty.

You had a C4, you just didn't change location. It's possible to do this with an E2, but I am not sure for a C4.

So, the real "crime" is not changing location, it wasn't that you were teaching illegally which I would think would be a greater offense if someone was doing the same thing with an E2 or student visa.

You might want to contact a lawyer and find out about your rights in this. Also, ATEK boasts of connecting people with legal help. It's worth a shot.

[Carla]

[Flash Ipanema]

I did try that, but apparently you can't change locations with a C4. The visa is for one job and one job only, there's no way to add on permission or change locations like with an E2.



Also, I don't have 18 million won saved up from the last two years. My first year I sent everything home, this year I was waiting for the exchange rate to improve and sent home only enough to cover my bills each month. That figure figure was completely made up. And the original 20 million won fine per teacher thing came from one of the teachers at camp, that wasn't from immigration. There was also a rumor that we got deloused - also not true. SO much hot air.

[tzechuk]

Flash, I am really sorry you went through this ordeal. I hope you are OK now?

[curlygirl]

Flash your story sounds absolutely horrible. Actually it is very similar to my friend's. He has also been legally teaching here for several years and his E2 expired just a few weeks ago. He is already enrolled at Sogang to study Korean and decided to make some extra money before the new semester starts.

He also got yanked into the detention centre and had an unpleasant ordeal. The upshot of his story is that he had to pay a fine and is allowed to stay.

I think this should serve as a bloody good warning to all of us: Don't think that bad things always happens to OTHER people.

[bourquetheman]

Well Flash I'm glad that I was wrong about the bank account being frozen. When a teacher mentioned that it did sound surprising but I took it at face value, again glad it wasn't true. Sorry you had to go through that ordeal, wouldn't wish it on anyone.

[Young FRANKenstein]