Korean Job Discussion Forums

[MollyBloom]

I was just reading someone's post that said they couldn't get a new visa without handing in their ARC card, but when I was at customs this December leaving Korea, the woman handed back my card to me! She asked me if I was coming back and I said yes...

So when I want to go back in September, will I have a problem getting my new visa? Will I be fined? Oh man...

[bassexpander]

You can mail it to me, and I'll turn it in for you.

[MollyBloom]

It is really that simple? I can have my boyfriend do it for me since he just got over there again. Does it have to be turned into a specific immigration office?

[spliff]

She must have thought you were only going for an holiday, that your contract wasn't over...pretty funny.

[Ethan Allen Hawley]

Interesting. The exact same thing happened to me, having left the country in late December on vacation between contracts.

From which airport did you leave?

I hadn't heard any progress report from my new school as to how my new visa was going so I phoned them, they phoned immigration, and said they hadn't started to process it because I still had my ARC.

So, why did the silly immigration twit give it back to me? Because he hadn't asked the correct question. Yes, I'm coming back - to work in a different place - !

Anyway, the new school got in touch with the old school, who had to contact the local immigration office to confirm that my contract with them was not being renewed. Then immigration started to process the new visa, and with extra speed thanks to encouragement from the new school. Still extra stress no-one needed though.

(Sounds like at least one immigration official need some extra English language lessons. Or maybe that's their 'point' they are making to us: we need to learn Korean in order for them to ask us the questions accurately, and so avoid more red tape issues and language complications.)

[chris_J2]

I've had my old ARC handed back to me several times. This was before the new regulations came in, last year, though. I don't think it will be a major problem. It's the new ARC card you need to worry about. As long as you provide all the necessary paperwork, even that shouldn't be a problem.

[Mr. Pink]

Why not just tell them you DID hand it in when you left?

I once left with one...next time I just told them I gave it at the airport when I left and the guy must have lost it if they didn't have it on record.

[MollyBloom]

Yeah..I guess I could. I am a bad liar: I look down and whatnot, no good comebacks...

[Atavistic]

[bassexpander]

Or you could just hand it in when you come back?

I'd go the boyfriend route.

[bgreenster]

I don't really think it's an issue. Tell them you lost it. I'm on my 3rd card in a year right now (because I really do lose things all the damn time) and they have never said anything. And this 3rd one is for a new contract... I don't think they care that much.

[Lekker]

I did a midnight run from my first hagwon job here. I came back, went through immigration and now I have two ARC cards. No issues. I've been here for 15 months with this job. You should have nothing to worry about.

[tselem]

I went home back in August with the intent to return after a month. Hence, I kept my ARC. Turns out, I was stuck at home until December. I came back, and they never said a thing to me. Granted, this was before the new regulations were put into play in December.

[DongtanTony]

My girlfriend and I left last year for a few months at the end of our first contract...I handed mine over at the airport...her Immigration official (in the line to the left of mine) handed it back to her.

We came back in June '07...getting our new ARC's was no problem at all...we didn't have any hassles with hers.

That's only from our experiences...can't say that it isn't/wasn't a problem for others.