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Ut videam

Joined: 07 Dec 2007 Location: Pocheon-si, Gyeonggi-do
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Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 6:20 am Post subject: GRACE PERIOD IS FOR REAL: KImmi website |
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The following was posted on January 8th in the Q&A section of the Korea Immigration Service website in response to a question posted on January 4th by user "Mr Ecko":
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and the korea immigration service has granted in Korea three months grace periods for the E-2 teaching visa holders to prepare the criminal record checks.
so until march 15th, 2008, E-2visa holder who want to extension of residence at the same employer don't need the criminal record check and health check. |
So... if you are extending your visa with your current employer, you do not need the criminal check and health check. No mention is made of a requirement to present those documents at a later date.
Later in the answer, the official states that if the visa holder is changing employers and has been at his current employer for over 10 months, he can apply for a change of workplace (with letter of release from previous employer) and extension of visa without leaving Korea and without presenting a CBC and health check (presuming it's all done before March 15th). But if applying for a new visa, the documents have to be presented.
Unfortunately, it's not possible to provide permalinks to information on the Korea Immigration Service website. Nevertheless, here are instructions to access this post:
- From the homepage (http://www.immigration.go.kr/HP/IMM80/), click on "On-Line Service" in the top menu bar, then click "Q&A"
- Click on question number 1656, entitled "Change of Employer for E-2 visa - necessity to depart Korea?" by "Mr Ecko"
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Bibbitybop

Joined: 22 Feb 2006 Location: Seoul
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Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 6:46 am Post subject: |
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Didn't Mr. Ecko die last season on the island?
Thanks for the info, OP. |
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idonojacs
Joined: 07 Jun 2007
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Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 2:36 pm Post subject: |
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Sorry, but I don't agree.
The statement is ambiguous and clearly suggests that a CRC will be required later, specifically, that the purpose of the 3-month grace period is:
"...for the E-2 teaching visa holders to prepare the criminal record checks."
While this confusion may be from Kimmi rewriting some previous statement, we have seen how they feel free to impose new requirements of proof once in Korea, after the contract and visa are issued.
So, it would have been clearer for Kimmi to simply state that last year's rules for getting a visa extension remain in place until March 15 for current E-2 holders. They did not do that. Perhaps someone should ask that.
On the other hand, by now someone should have first hand experience extending their visa. |
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Ut videam

Joined: 07 Dec 2007 Location: Pocheon-si, Gyeonggi-do
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Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 4:56 pm Post subject: |
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You're right, it's very ambiguous. I've submitted a question for clarification on the Q&A section of the KImmi website (#1663). I'll post an update when it's answered. |
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Fishead soup
Joined: 24 Jun 2007 Location: Korea
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Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 5:09 pm Post subject: |
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Bibbitybop wrote: |
Didn't Mr. Ecko die last season on the island?
Thanks for the info, OP. |
Charlie also drowned in the Pearl station |
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arby

Joined: 22 Jul 2007
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Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 5:41 pm Post subject: |
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Fishead soup wrote: |
Bibbitybop wrote: |
Didn't Mr. Ecko die last season on the island?
Thanks for the info, OP. |
Charlie also drowned in the Pearl station |
You know, not everyone finished watching season 3  |
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Young FRANKenstein

Joined: 02 Oct 2006 Location: Castle Frankenstein (that's FRONKensteen)
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Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 6:21 pm Post subject: |
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arby wrote: |
Fishead soup wrote: |
Bibbitybop wrote: |
Didn't Mr. Ecko die last season on the island?
Thanks for the info, OP. |
Charlie also drowned in the Pearl station |
You know, not everyone finished watching season 3  |
Well, then they are not really fans of the show then, so *beep* them.  |
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cbclark4

Joined: 20 Aug 2006 Location: Masan
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Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 7:55 pm Post subject: |
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Yes I agree. |
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garykasparov
Joined: 27 May 2007
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Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 3:51 pm Post subject: Re: GRACE PERIOD IS FOR REAL: KImmi website |
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Later in the answer, the official states that if the visa holder is changing employers and has been at his current employer for over 10 months, he can apply for a change of workplace (with letter of release from previous employer) and extension of visa without leaving Korea and without presenting a CBC and health check (presuming it's all done before March 15th). But if applying for a new visa, the documents have to be presented. |
The "ten month rule", I suspect, has been thrown in by some immigration officer who doesn't know his head from a can of tuna fish. A letter of release is not an official law, written in the Korean Immigration Control Act, nor the info the Ministry of Justice provided all foreigners. Therein lies a fairly good chance it will be overturned. |
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roknroll

Joined: 29 Dec 2007
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Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 11:08 pm Post subject: |
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idonojacs wrote: |
Sorry, but I don't agree.
The statement is ambiguous and clearly suggests that a CRC will be required later, specifically, that the purpose of the 3-month grace period is:
"...for the E-2 teaching visa holders to prepare the criminal record checks."
While this confusion may be from Kimmi rewriting some previous statement, we have seen how they feel free to impose new requirements of proof once in Korea, after the contract and visa are issued.
So, it would have been clearer for Kimmi to simply state that last year's rules for getting a visa extension remain in place until March 15 for current E-2 holders. They did not do that. Perhaps someone should ask that.
On the other hand, by now someone should have first hand experience extending their visa. |
the first bold... agreed because the meaning of grace period is to give time for something to be done, as opposed to grandfathering which would exempt a person from new regulations.
2nd bold-agreed again. the one we can all expect to happen is to have to submit the CRC every new contract when switching employers just like the transcripts. although kimmy has stated that this will all change with the info being centralized so that it will only have to be submitted once---yeah right
3rd bold: agreed, but that would give them less leeway to do number 2 bold(..feel free to impose new requirements ...). not that they need it, cus they can do that with clearly and concisely stated regulations..
the 10 month or over rule was initially 9 months or 75%. so i guess by the deadline grace period of march 15, one would need to have 10 months in by then or would need to submit them before they apply. any contract finishing beyond may 15th (less than 10 months in employ) would presumably have enough time to present the CBC upon application.
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The "ten month rule", I suspect, has been thrown in by some immigration officer who doesn't know his head from a can of tuna fish |
i presume this is to prevent current e2 holders who want out of their contract early (or not wanting to stay with the same employer after their contract) to pay the price of a headache. in other words, to dissuade people from quitting early and getting a grace period (make em wait for their CBCs). you could argue that they'd have sufficient time to get their CBCs as i mentioned above, but i was thinking if u have less than 10 months in by march 15, say 6months plus like me, and want to quit beforehand (and hoping to get the LOR) ur S.O.O.L. i have no choice as i'm changing employers and won't have 10 months in. the confusion about how long the process will take from here (getting the CRC) has been the biggest headache. i'm trying to figure out so i can fix my end date accordingly. and yes, people having experience with extending their visas will be the biggest help.....i was looking at 4months before, but it's been cut down considerably...so might not have to do a forced holiday if i don't want to...course that remains to be seen...  |
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bassexpander
Joined: 13 Sep 2007 Location: Someplace you'd rather be.
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Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 11:27 pm Post subject: |
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Well, all I know is that my uni called immigration this week, and I don't have to bother with a criminal check for my renewal (March 1 start). |
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