Korean Job Discussion Forums

[eirrehs]

I will be finished my contract November 28th. My work VISA expires a little bit before that time. My school will extend that for me.

I want to vacation in Korea for up to 2 months after I'm finished and then get another job. I'll leave when the new school pays for the VISA run to Japan. Because of this, I asked my school to refund the plane ticket for me. Is the plane ticket needed to extend the work VISA? If the plane ticket is for 2 months after my contract finishes do I have that much time to remain here?

If not, what do I need to do to stay? Can this be done at the same time and place that the work VISA is extended? Also, what is the maximum time I can stay?

I'm Canadian if this helps to solve the problem.

Please help to point me in the right direction.

[jaganath69]

Easiest way would be to do a short jump to Japan and come back on a six-month tourist visa, which is the duration you Canucks get. If you want to do it real cheap, take the ferry from Busan to Fukuoka.

[Young FRANKenstein]

[mindmetoo]

[Young FRANKenstein]

[ttompatz]

OK.. 2 issues... NOT 1

1) extend the work visa to match the contract.

2) get a new visa to stay in Korea until you get a new job.


for #1 - Do NOT depend on your boss to do this. If they make some mistake or are late getting it done it is YOU who gets detained at passport control, pays the fine and gets the blackmark in your immigration file.

You didn't say how long this period is (between contract completion and ARC expiry) BUT there are 2 extension types available.

The easiest is to take your EXIT TICKET, ARC and passport down to the immigration office and you can officially extend for up to 2 weeks. There have been cases (heresay) where people have been extended up to one month. You cannot legally work on this extension but people have been known to do so for one or two days to complete their contracts.

The proper way is to take: a copy of your school's registration paper, guarantor form, contract with completion date clearly indicated, YOUR ARC, passport, application and 30k won. You CAN legally work on this extension and it can be from 1 day to 1 year. IT is an extension of your E2 with all the associated restrictions and ties to your employer.

for #2 - the easiest thing to do is catch the cheapest flight / ferry out of the country and then return. Check with Cathay Pacific, EVA air or Air China (not China Air) for a cheap flight to Taiwan and back (often about 200k won).

You will get a 6 month B2 visa waiver stamp and will NOT be required to get an ARC while you are here on this stamp (even though it goes over 90 days). Find your new job and do your visa run at your convenience.

.

[eirrehs]

If it were a matter of staying a short time (a couple of weeks), you just take your onward ticket to Immigration and they extend your sojourn for free for up to a month.

So is the Immigration office the same office that the work VISA is extended at?

[anyangoldboy]

[ttompatz]

[scabbyfacemcvitie]

I'm thinking about doing the said quickie with ktx to fukuoka and back (to get a tourist visa). Do I need to stay for a certain period of time or can I come back on the next available ferry?

Is it just a case of getting stamped?

[ttompatz]