Korean Job Discussion Forums

[FierceInvalid]

This isn't Korea-related but figured someone on here probably knows about it...

My friend wants to go work in England for a while starting this summer and isn't sure what his visa options are. I've heard that there's a two-year visa that commonwealth citizens can get (my S. African roommate did it). Is this easy for Canadians to get? Is it a working holiday visa, or something else? Does anyone know what the options are (without getting a job prior to leaving)?

[baccus]

it was quite a while ago when i applied for mine so things may have changed.

the british embassy people are pricks. when i first went in and inquired they told me there was no such thing.

i went and did some research and learned about the student working holiday visa. you have to apply for this visa and say these words otherwise they will feign ignorance.

when i finally got my visa after much delay, i asked why they didn't make it easier for me to get and their answer was, we don't want many people to have access to it.

if i remember correctly - it was good for a year and had to be initiated within six months of getting the visa and you had to be under 30 years old.

[oneiros]

One way to get a working holiday visa is through the SWAP program touted by the Travel Cuts university travel chains. They'll deal with all the red tape for you, but you're going to pay for it. They rip you off on your "enrollment fee", although it's supposed to entitle you to free support etc, in England. If you check out the Travel Cuts website, you'll probably find more information there. If I had to do it again, I probably wouldn't have gone through them, just because you really get no benefits from forking over all that money.

When I got my Working Holiday visa a few years ago, it was good for two years, but you were only technically allowed to be working half that time. You're also weren't permitted to hold "professional" positions. You also need to have proof that you have a certain amount of money in your bank account. I'm not sure what that amount is these days though...

[chinook]

Don't bother with SWAP-big waste of money. Not only do you pay them to do something you could do (and it isn't any faster), you have to buy your plane ticket through them, which limits your options. you will have to have $2500 in the bank (swap requires $1500) but I think that you need the full amount anyway, as rent/deposit/living expenses while looking for a job are expensive.

I'm pretty sure you are allowed to work the full two years now, and I worked the full two years before it was allowed no problem for a big bank.

it's called a working holiday visa, not sure why you'd have to call it a student working holiday visa, you just have to be under 27. I went to the consulate in toronto and they were very helpful there.

[wowser]

I have used the Bristish Embassy in Korea a few times, and have found them to be unbelievably helpful. I applied for an ancestry visa from Korea. I had to find my Grandfather's birth certificate and have it sent here....they bent over backwards to help me...put me in contact with people in the Uk, were in regular e-mail contact, offered support for the remainer of my stay in Korea- fantastic. I wrote a letter of thanks for the way I had been treated.

I started my search by looking up the British embassy site in Seoul...

If you have a specific question- try emailing here...they got back to me with information within 2 days...(and gave me A LOT of information re my return to England).

[email protected]

Hope this helps...

[stalinsdad]

Baccus were they Canadian or British at the embassy?
I've found where ever I go as a British citizen, they are always locals and that can be annoying!!!!

[Wangja]

the Embassy staff have always first class when I've been there - and that's quite a lot ... now, where's my invitation to the Palace Garden Party this year?