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Chris2007
Joined: 20 Mar 2007
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 Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2007 2:42 am Post subject: Do you volunteer? |
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Hello~ I am thinking of volunteering during my time here in Korea but I don't really know where to start... I was thinking maybe teaching english at orphanages a few times a month or something along those lines.
Does anyone do something like this or know where I can find information about volunteering for something?
Thanks! |
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Grimalkin
Joined: 22 May 2005
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| Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2007 2:45 am Post subject: |
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| Just bear in mind it's illegal if you're on an E2 visa! |
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Chris2007
Joined: 20 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2007 3:14 am Post subject: |
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| Huh? To volunteer is illegal on an E-2...?? What is the reasoning for that? |
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jinju
Joined: 22 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2007 3:15 am Post subject: |
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| Chris2007 wrote: |
| Huh? To volunteer is illegal on an E-2...?? What is the reasoning for that? |
You are here to teach. Thats what your visa allows. Yes, its illegal to volunteer on an E2. |
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VanIslander
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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| Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2007 3:42 am Post subject: |
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I helped out at the SPCA for years and a crisis counseling hot line (suicide prevention sometimes) back in Canada but have done nothing organized in Korea other than visit an orphanage a couple of times, no fixed schedule.
I have been sensitive to the limitations of the E-2 visa as I understand it.
But I have done case-by-case unorganized volunteerism, that is, go out of one's way to help someone just to help.
I used to do what I can. Now I do more random acts of kindness.
In the future I'll do more organized volunteerism again. It's wonderful to do, great in feeling and one meets the nicest people. It's a very selfish act if one sees oneself as part of it all rather than an atomic individual. No one regrets it and only a very rare oddball has issues while doing it. |
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Chris2007
Joined: 20 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2007 4:06 am Post subject: |
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Good insight VanIslander. I remember helping a Korean lady push her cart up a little hill on my way to work a few weeks ago. She was really struggling. She really appreciated the help.
She said "Kamsamnida" (spelling?) to which I mistakenly replied with "Si" as I often revert to Spanish after having lived in a spanish city for awhile. LOL. Anyway, it felt good to help. |
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uscbohemian
Joined: 04 Jun 2006
Location: United States en route to South Korea
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| Posted: Tue Apr 10, 2007 5:52 am Post subject: A chance to do some good |
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Hey, everyone. My wife and I have been in Korea for a year, living and teaching in Ilsan (near the end of the orange metro line) and we're starting to put together a network of expat teachers who are looking for (or have ideas about) ways to volunteer in our adopted land. We're calling it the ExPAT project, Exploring Positive Action for Teachers.
Please check out our blog http://theexpatproject.blogspot.com,
or our myspace www.myspace.com/theexpatproject, or email us at [email protected].
We're just getting this thing off the ground, and can use all the help/creativity/moral support we can get.
We've also got a party coming up this Saturday, April 14th, in Ilsan (directions on our blog). 10,000 Won cover, every cent of which goes to UNICEF.
Let's do some good and have a good time. |
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Bibbitybop
Joined: 22 Feb 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Tue Apr 10, 2007 6:15 am Post subject: |
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| Grimalkin wrote: |
| Just bear in mind it's illegal if you're on an E2 visa! |
No, it's not.
You need to go through the proper channel. Here is the channel:
http://www.immigration.go.kr/HP/IMM80/imm_04/imm_0404/sm9.jsp
To simply say "you are here to teach" implies teachers cannot hike, read, discuss things on online forums or date. I understand the tax issues regarding not working additional jobs in Korea, but to volunteer and help those in need? It's not illegal, and it's a shame you must go through any channels at all to do it. |
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Pak Yu Man
Joined: 02 Jun 2005
Location: The Ida galaxy
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| Posted: Tue Apr 10, 2007 6:35 am Post subject: |
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| I'ts illegal to volunteer on an E visa without permission. I've also heard they probably won't allow you to have a volunteer teaching position. |
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billybrobby
Joined: 09 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Tue Apr 10, 2007 8:05 am Post subject: |
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| sure, i volunteer my opinions all the time. and to see the looks on people's faces when they receive my wisdom, that's all the payment i need. |
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Yu_Bum_suk
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Tue Apr 10, 2007 5:26 pm Post subject: |
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It's a very grey area. No one has ever been charged for doing volunteer work on an E2 visa. It would even violate people's freedom of religion if it involved helping a religious organisation.
Where are you located? |
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Butterfly
Joined: 02 Mar 2003
Location: Kuwait
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| Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2007 2:42 am Post subject: |
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| jinju wrote: |
| Chris2007 wrote: |
| Huh? To volunteer is illegal on an E-2...?? What is the reasoning for that? |
You are here to teach. Thats what your visa allows. Yes, its illegal to volunteer on an E2. |
Here we go again. Bear in mind Chris 2007 that not one E2 visa holder has ever been fined, deported or even reprimanded for volunteering. It's a technicality that some people seem to like to use as an excuse not to volunteer.
I can't be bothered to find the link, but one of the papers recently approached the immigration department and was told this it wasn't considered illegal by their department, as long as no money is changing hands. |
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Bibbitybop
Joined: 22 Feb 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2007 5:38 am Post subject: |
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| Butterfly wrote: |
| jinju wrote: |
| Chris2007 wrote: |
| Huh? To volunteer is illegal on an E-2...?? What is the reasoning for that? |
You are here to teach. Thats what your visa allows. Yes, its illegal to volunteer on an E2. |
Here we go again. Bear in mind Chris 2007 that not one E2 visa holder has ever been fined, deported or even reprimanded for volunteering. It's a technicality that some people seem to like to use as an excuse not to volunteer.
I can't be bothered to find the link, but one of the papers recently approached the immigration department and was told this it wasn't considered illegal by their department, as long as no money is changing hands. |
Well, the "Busan 9" went through a lot of crap for volunteering. I realize some Koreans in their group had money exchange hands, but no Koreans were ever under investigation, only foreigners. |
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mehamrick
Joined: 28 Aug 2006
Location: South Korea
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| Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2007 5:55 am Post subject: |
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| Bibbitybop wrote: |
| Butterfly wrote: |
| jinju wrote: |
| Chris2007 wrote: |
| Huh? To volunteer is illegal on an E-2...?? What is the reasoning for that? |
You are here to teach. Thats what your visa allows. Yes, its illegal to volunteer on an E2. |
Here we go again. Bear in mind Chris 2007 that not one E2 visa holder has ever been fined, deported or even reprimanded for volunteering. It's a technicality that some people seem to like to use as an excuse not to volunteer.
I can't be bothered to find the link, but one of the papers recently approached the immigration department and was told this it wasn't considered illegal by their department, as long as no money is changing hands. |
Well, the "Busan 9" went through a lot of crap for volunteering. I realize some Koreans in their group had money exchange hands, but no Koreans were ever under investigation, only foreigners. |
Somewhere in that thread I can recount someone saying they actually called immigration and specifically asking if they could volunteer. They said yes if they had the proper permission.. Granted this was coming from the Busan Immigration office as well.. |
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OiGirl
Joined: 23 Jan 2003
Location: Hoke-y-gun
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| Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2007 6:06 am Post subject: |
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| Bibbitybop wrote: |
| Grimalkin wrote: |
| Just bear in mind it's illegal if you're on an E2 visa! |
No, it's not.
You need to go through the proper channel. Here is the channel:
http://www.immigration.go.kr/HP/IMM80/imm_04/imm_0404/sm9.jsp
To simply say "you are here to teach" implies teachers cannot hike, read, discuss things on online forums or date. I understand the tax issues regarding not working additional jobs in Korea, but to volunteer and help those in need? It's not illegal, and it's a shame you must go through any channels at all to do it. |
Ok, so say you do this. (Has anyone actually done this?)
Now, every time I get "permission to engage in the activities beyond the current visa status," I get a stamp in my passport and an annotation on my ARC with a visa code. Usually it's an E-2, to teach English part-time somewhere.
What kind of visa do you get to do volunteer work? I would be really surprised to hear you can get an E-2 to volunteer to teach English to orphans. What would you get to work at an animal shelter? What about teaching Sunday School? Could you get permission to do D-6 work? Do you have a "dispatch order"? |
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