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Seeking advice. coming to Korea without a job
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Sireno



Joined: 19 Mar 2010

PostPosted: Wed Jan 30, 2013 6:13 pm    Post subject: Seeking advice. coming to Korea without a job Reply with quote

I am thinking of going to Korea without a job on a tourist visa, finding a job, and doing a Japan visa run. My background is I had an E2 visa for two years from 2010-2012. I came back to the US, applied for graduate school and may begin school in the states in the Fall.

I currently have all my documents in hand and ready to go to get a job, and I've been actually communicating with recruiters for about a week now. Here comes the caveat, I want to be in Korea during the month of February for at least the final two weeks. The purpose of being there that soon is to visit with a friend there I would very much like to spend time with. After February my friend won't be in Korea. It doesn't seem like I can find a suitable job to my requirements and make it to Korea by the end of February with a job at this point in time. So this leads me to consider coming to Korea on a tourist visa, see my friend during February, find a job and do the visa run to Japan. *Also note* if I decide to leave after 5-6 months to start grad school, many of the schools will take back the airfare money they would have given me to come over in the first place.

After weighing options that I have just mentioned it doesn't seem like a bad idea for me to come over before having a job. From what I can see ahead into, I may just lose the money for the visa run to Japan in the long run. I am not sure how finding a job in Korea will be like on a tourist and changing to an E2 / the Japan visa run since my knowledge of that topic is limited.

What do you think of my idea? The basic issue I now see is finding a job while in Korea as a tourist into an E2. Thoughtful comments are welcomed.
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EZE



Joined: 05 May 2012

PostPosted: Wed Jan 30, 2013 6:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I came to Korea from China and didn't come on a tourist visa. I don't know which country you're from, but I think Americans can stay in Korea for three months without a tourist visa and Canadians can stay for six months.

Anyway, I landed at Incheon and e-mailed a recruiter. The next day, I did an interview and got the job. I'm in my 6th month and already want to quit after the next payday because I don't have the health insurance and pension my contract states.

Depending on your nationality, you may be able to come over without a tourist visa, and you can probably get a job rather quickly. Take a hagwon job. You'll probably have a good reason to do a midnight runner after five or six months anyway.
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Otherside



Joined: 06 Sep 2007

PostPosted: Wed Jan 30, 2013 6:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

By tourist visa, he means the stamp you get on arrival at Incheon (stating the maximum duration of your stay)
None of the E2 countries require an actual visa to visit Korea. The only difference is the number of days you can stay.
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Sireno



Joined: 19 Mar 2010

PostPosted: Wed Jan 30, 2013 7:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
By tourist visa, he means the stamp you get on arrival at Incheon (stating the maximum duration of your stay)


Yes, I meant a tourist stamp, not a tourist visa. I am American by the way.
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ttompatz



Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea

PostPosted: Wed Jan 30, 2013 7:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

As a previous E2 holder, UNLESS you have had a black-mark in your immigration file, your plan is OK.

Your new employer should pay for the visa run.

You will lose (as in not get paid back for) the airfare to Korea.

If you had a black-mark from immigration (caught doing "activities not permitted" or "overstay" being the most common) then you will need to have a consular interview in your home country and not just a simple visa run to Japan.

.
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PREEST



Joined: 20 Jan 2013

PostPosted: Thu Jan 31, 2013 2:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

One poster said something about a 'midnight runner' if you decide you no longer want to stay... Yeah, don't do that if you want to come back to Korea in the future. Do it the mature, and proper way...Resign.
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ttompatz



Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea

PostPosted: Thu Jan 31, 2013 5:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

PREEST wrote:
One poster said something about a 'midnight runner' if you decide you no longer want to stay... Yeah, don't do that if you want to come back to Korea in the future. Do it the mature, and proper way...Resign.


Take this with a LARGE SPOONFUL (never mind a grain) of salt.

Sometimes it is in your best interests to give proper notice (public schools, universities, etc.)
but
almost without exception (in my experience over the last 12 years or so- a large number of which were working at the foreigner help center) it is a bad idea to give proper notice at your average chain hagwon.

.
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EZE



Joined: 05 May 2012

PostPosted: Thu Jan 31, 2013 6:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

PREEST wrote:
One poster said something about a 'midnight runner' if you decide you no longer want to stay... Yeah, don't do that if you want to come back to Korea in the future. Do it the mature, and proper way...Resign.


PREEST wrote:
I was livid, and made up my mind to leave and start all over again. I was there 10 days. If you are not happy, you just need to go home and start again, it's not worth the mental strain. I was able to find a decent job after that which I was at for 18 months.


You pulled a midnight runner and got a job in Korea again. So did I. So can Sireno.

I'm not actively encouraging a midnight run. I'm just saying most hagwon jobs provide a legit reason to do a runner. And it's not immature to do one under most circumstances. When I was a lot younger, a lot more naive and more immature, I would have resigned. But these days, I'm not going to tell people to turn in a 60 day notice and do without health insurance for two more months when health insurance is part of their contract, for example.
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young_clinton



Joined: 09 Sep 2009

PostPosted: Thu Jan 31, 2013 8:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Obviously you need to come with several apostilled CBC's from your home country along with several apostilled copies of your diploma. Also bring plenty of money to hunker down with untill you find a job.
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zpeanut



Joined: 12 Mar 2008
Location: Pohang, Korea

PostPosted: Thu Jan 31, 2013 8:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

young_clinton wrote:
Obviously you need to come with several apostilled CBC's from your home country along with several apostilled copies of your diploma. Also bring plenty of money to hunker down with untill you find a job.


that sums it up nicely.

I came to korea on a tourist visa last year March and am still on a tourist visa. 90 day allowance, easily renewable by doing a visa run. As long as you have enough money to keep going unemployed you've got no problem.
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Sireno



Joined: 19 Mar 2010

PostPosted: Thu Jan 31, 2013 11:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

ttompatz wrote:
As a previous E2 holder, UNLESS you have had a black-mark in your immigration file, your plan is OK.

Your new employer should pay for the visa run.

You will lose (as in not get paid back for) the airfare to Korea.

If you had a black-mark from immigration (caught doing "activities not permitted" or "overstay" being the most common) then you will need to have a consular interview in your home country and not just a simple visa run to Japan.

.


That's just what I thought and was hoping to hear.

I think I will also need a prearranged ticket (refundable) out of Korea in case it causes red flags at the airport. Isn't that right?
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ttompatz



Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea

PostPosted: Thu Jan 31, 2013 2:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sireno wrote:
I think I will also need a prearranged ticket (refundable) out of Korea in case it causes red flags at the airport. Isn't that right?


Probably correct. Airlines usually check to see that you meet the "visa free/visa waiver" entry requirements and a ticket out is one of those requirements.

.
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creeper1



Joined: 30 Jan 2007

PostPosted: Thu Jan 31, 2013 4:42 pm    Post subject: fool Reply with quote

The OP is a complete fool.

Make your mind up time. It's not financially viable to come all the way to Korea just for 5 months work. When you subtract $2000 for the airfare back and forth.

When you leave Korea leave. Don't be thinking about friends you had.

Don't look back.

Get a job in your home country for those 5 months.

I'm guessing you are completely unemployable. Laughing
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Sireno



Joined: 19 Mar 2010

PostPosted: Fri Feb 01, 2013 8:10 am    Post subject: Re: fool Reply with quote

creeper1 wrote:
The OP is a complete fool.

Make your mind up time. It's not financially viable to come all the way to Korea just for 5 months work. When you subtract $2000 for the airfare back and forth.

When you leave Korea leave. Don't be thinking about friends you had.

Don't look back.

Get a job in your home country for those 5 months.

I'm guessing you are completely unemployable. Laughing


Money isn't everything.... dumb****.
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young_clinton



Joined: 09 Sep 2009

PostPosted: Sat Feb 02, 2013 7:48 am    Post subject: Re: fool Reply with quote

creeper1 wrote:
The OP is a complete fool.

Make your mind up time. It's not financially viable to come all the way to Korea just for 5 months work. When you subtract $2000 for the airfare back and forth.

When you leave Korea leave. Don't be thinking about friends you had.

Don't look back.

Get a job in your home country for those 5 months.

I'm guessing you are completely unemployable. Laughing


Troll
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