Korean Job Discussion Forums

PC Bahng or Bust · Joined: 22 Jan 2003

I am one of those loathsome Canadians that needs to leave the country every 6 months. I re-entered Korea on August 29, 2002, I get 6 months. If I fly out on March 1, that being one day over 6 months, I don't have to skip a day of work and the ticket is much cheaper as it is the end of the winter school vacation and ticket prices drop in the whole country. Is there a real risk that I will be hauled into a sweaty office and my 2 years of entering and re-entering Korea will come crashing down, or will I be waved through? What do you figure? Responses from born-agains, maniacs and teetotalers welcome, hell, call immigration, see if I care.

mysteriousdeltarays · Posted: Tue Feb 11, 2003 8:44 am Post subject:

One day no big problem. A small fine, I think. BUT they aren't just handing out these six month things anymore. That's my understanding. It's letter of invitation or maybe three months and don't bother to try again for awhile.

Captain Obvious 2.0 · Joined: 09 Jan 2003

Six month visas are given out like no tomorrow to Canadians.

Though overstaying is always back. 100,000 Won fine PLUS you've caught their eye. What are you doing in Korea, how are you paying for yourself, did you register for you alien card within the 90 days, etc. All things you don't want them asking or considering,

Push back you ticket until next August and head out on a weekend to Japan by ferry this weekend if price is an issue. THen come on right back. Problems avoided and solved.

mysteriousdeltarays · Posted: Tue Feb 11, 2003 8:52 am Post subject:

I should have mentioned this. I did that once but it was because I too dumb to change the little calender on my watch when there was a thirty day mounth right? I mean I knew when I left but I gave them an argument and kept waving my watch at them. And then went UHH!! Oh Oh!
In any case I think the tourist visa days are gone now. Probably forever. Gee I wonder why?

PC Bahng or Bust · Joined: 22 Jan 2003

Yes, this was about what I expected. Damn that 28 day month, damn it to blazes! Well, sorta. Shorter pay period.

shawner88 · Joined: 01 Feb 2003

They definitely will nab you with a fine...

I had lost my alien ID card shortly near the end of my contract...I filled out a police form which my boss never turned over to immigration as he was supposed to. When I left to go home, I was hauled aside for not having my ID card and had to pay 120,000 WON and the immigration guy was a TOTAL power mad asshole.

Bulsajo · Joined: 16 Jan 2003

yoda · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Location: Incheon, South Korea

Magog · Joined: 09 Feb 2003

Is getting a fresh passport any use? Like one with no Korean stamps in it?Or is every entry/exit recored on computer and pulled up evertime you had your passport over?

gajackson1 · Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2003 5:09 am Post subject:

This is my attempt at a Good Deed before Bedtime (I just found out the job I thought I had locked up for March disappeared, so I need a miracle. Figure a good deed might make a difference) Rolling Eyes

Ok, my contract ended up Sept. 9th of 2001 - you can see where this is going, right? My ticket is set for the 12th, still within my departure frame.

September 11th. We all know how THAT went. My flight, like virtually every other in the world is cancelled. I go to my agent, then go over to inmmigration. The guy at immigration is a COMPLETE jerk, and says that it is not his problem - out of his hands, now. It is up to immigration at the airport. I mean, this guy was a CASE.

Frustrated, I leave out of the office. A secretary chased me down outside, and said that before 10 days it was no real problem; especially with my ticket and the extenuating circumstances.

So, I show up a few hours early, and go to immigration. The situation was kind of a paperwork hassle for the guys there (I just sat there) but they were cool/polite about it all. I did have to forfeit my ID card, and they 'ticked' my record, but also wrote in the circumstances.

Basically, up to 10 days, the fine is arbitrary. It's all how you handle it. After, it is MANDATORY, & you should expect some grief.

As for the in&out-Canadian-visa-dance-stealth-work thing, well . . . I'll reserve comments for those who can better comment on that.

Regards,

G.

Zyzyfer · Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2003 6:39 am Post subject:

It's not MANDATORY, but you gotta have a really really insane situation to get away with not paying the fine.

I signed on to stay with my school for an extra 2 weeks, to leave at the same time as another teacher so the transition would be one quick heave-ho. Got my VISA extended so I could do it. At the office, I checked my passport and checked my card. No stamp, no writing about my extension. I mentioned this problem 5 frickin' times to the guy who took us there, the boss' son and quite expected to be a competent person. He said "it's fine" each of the 5 times. Finally, I let it go, trying not to be a severe bother.

The school asked the other guy and myself to stay about an extra week because the new teachers would be late arriving to Korea. We both agreed.

We booked a trip to China, due to leave about 2 days after we finished our contracts at the school. We did our teaching. We went to Incheon Ferry Terminal. We got all the way to the immigration line.

BAM.

Long story a bit shorter, the lack of a stamp in our passports basically meant we couldn't prove we we're like a month late in leaving the country. With 30 minutes left before the ferry was scheduled to leave for China, we had to pass out phone numbers, get their people to call our people, and have everyone explain that we're supposed to be legit. Somehow, we managed to get finished with it and had about 2 minutes to spare to get to the ferry.

The ferry didn't leave for another 2 hours. -_-

Anyways, moral is, I didn't pay a fine, but I had some really really stupid circumstances behind it.