Korean Job Discussion Forums

chaz47 · Joined: 11 Sep 2003

I am going to immigration today to cancel my visa. I have a new job lined up that begins in March. I will be able to stay 10 days after cancellation of my visa but then what... I have to go to Japan for a day and come back?

How long do I have to stay in Japan?

Can I get an extension on my period of stay post E2? Can I just apply for a tourist visa at immigration when they cancel my E2?

This wouldn't be quite so complicated but I have my own place and my girlfriend has set up residence here until her university semester begins so I can't really just go on vacation.

Advice is much appreciatied.

Mashimaro · Joined: 31 Jan 2003 Location: location, location

Can you cancel your visa on your own, or do you need your employer to go with you? I'd be interested to hear how you got on.

sadsac · Joined: 22 Dec 2003 Location: Gwangwang

Nope, you can go and do it all on your little lonesome. Japan in the morning and get the afternoon ferry back to Korea. Smile

rvintage · Joined: 05 Jul 2005

I don't completely understand your situation, because if you have another job lined up, why would you come back on a tourist visa???

But if you are quiting one job and just moving to another and your E-2 visa is not expired yet........

You can have your old school's E-2 visa transfered to your new school and you don't have to cancel anything or go on a visa run. When your visa expires later, obviously before your contract is finished, just get an extension. Done it twice, works perfectly!

Of course you have to have a release letter from your old employer and a contract from your new employer. oh, and 30,000won I believe.

chaz47 · Joined: 11 Sep 2003

Give me some more info on the morning ferry to FUK and back to Busan in the afternoon... that would be very very useful.

...

The coworker that took me to immigration was awesome... he's only been with the company for a little while and seems pretty disgruntled too. His English is excellent so we talked a lot, it seems the immigration people in Busan told him a totally different line then I heard last time I cancelled my E-2 visa... a whole 45 days ago... hahaha Rolling Eyes

Why is organization such an impossible thing to come by in Korea? It's a government office for love of God why can't they agree on a policy and have all the employees briefed on it?

Homer · Guest

You need a Letter of Release from your current employer to cancel an existing E-2.

Then you need to exit the country and come back with your new E-2 (sponsored by your new employer).

You could also come back on a tourist visa (with the LOR and cancelled visa) and then would have to do a visa run to activate your new E-2.

Just leaving and coming back will not cancel your current E-2 and will prevent you from getting a new work visa.

mortin21 · Joined: 26 Sep 2006 Location: Seoul, Korea

rvintage · Joined: 05 Jul 2005

I stand by what I say, although it could depend on the immigration office you go through. This is Korea and it seems that each office does it's own thing.

But from experience with this twice:

Take your release letter, new contract, arc card, passport and any other document you can get your hands on. Bringing your new boss would be good also, but some sort of letter or a phone call could do the same thing(tell them what you want, change your visa to another school). It takes a few minutes and 30,000 won. They will write your new place of employment onto the back of your arc card. I'm pretty sure it's technically an "alteration or addition of workplace."

When your visa expires in six months, go to immi again and get an extension on your visa. Easy as pie.

Cheers and good luck!

bellum99 · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Location: don't need to know

How can you just cancel a visa? You said you did it 45 days ago..

plato's republic · Joined: 07 Dec 2004 Location: Ancient Greece

Here's what I did last year. My contract was up at the end of March 2006, but my visa didn't expire for another week or so and I already had a new job lined up for the beginning of April. I went into immigration to cancel my visa to coincide with my last day of work and they gave me an extension of 7-10days before I had to leave the country. My new school applied for my new visa issuance number the day after my previous visa was cancelled. I received my new visa issuance number a few days after (3/4) and then flew off to Japan to get my new visa.
Not sure if this is relevant or makes any sense but it shouldn't be too difficult to cancel a visa, and then apply for a new one without having to leave the country first and come back in on a tourist visa.

chaz47 · Joined: 11 Sep 2003

When they cancelled my visa they didn't give me any form or letter whatsoever. They said that I never got an ARC so it wasn't necessary. No stamps were made on the actual visa either. Does that seem odd to anybody else?

chaz47 · Joined: 11 Sep 2003

So, is it two weeks or ten days until I have to leave the ROK? I went to the immigration office on the 30th of January to cancel my visa, although like I said there were no stamps or anything.

My employer also gave me a letter of release before we went.

My next employer has yet to process my visa issuance number so I have to leave the ROK soon and then reenter on a tourist visa or landing permit to await my visa issuance number. Then I have to go back to Japan to get my new E2.

Does this make sense? Am I missing something? If it's only 10 days to exit then I have to go tomorrow, if it's two weeks then I have four more days.

I just want to make the trip over and come back, hopefully this will save some cash. How far in advance would I have to book tickets for the ferry?