Korean Job Discussion Forums

MollyBloom · Joined: 21 Jul 2006 Location: James Joyce's pants

I will be getting a visa and the date will start in late August. I want to come to Korea in the beginning of the month and stay with my boyfriend until I have to work. When I come into the country on Aug 1st, will I be on a tourist visa since my work visa doesn't start for 3 weeks after that? Will I have to leave the country and come back?

Thanks!

DongtanTony · Joined: 22 Feb 2008 Location: Bundang

US citizens--30 days on a tourist visa

Canadians--180 days

If you're from someplace else, you're going to fall somewhere between these two extremes.

You should be able to enter on a simple tourist stamp...you might have to do a little song and dance coming off the airplane and explaining your situation...but then again, maybe not.

You should be fine...I wouldn't sweat it too much.

doc_ido · Joined: 03 Sep 2007

Yep, you will have to leave the country and re-enter in order to get your working visa. Depending on the type of visa, you might have to go back to your home country (not sure how the whole E2 thing worked out in the end).

DongtanTony · Joined: 22 Feb 2008 Location: Bundang

doc_ido....

I think the OP is saying that she will have her E2 in her possession when she flies here.

If there is someway to have the E2 "post-dated" to reflect when her employment starts...she should be able to enter on a tourist visa...and she shouldn't have to leave...and re-enter for her work visa.

I don't know...maybe you will have to leave to discontinue your tourist visa OP. A day or two in Japan...then come back to officially start your work status.

You should talk to the folks at your Korean Consulate General where you'll be doing your interview and obtaining your visa.

They could give you detailed information.

MollyBloom · Joined: 21 Jul 2006 Location: James Joyce's pants

ttompatz · Joined: 05 Sep 2005 Location: Kwangju, South Korea

quick and easy answer....

IF your E2 is in your passport you WILL activate it when you enter.

Not a real problem.... enter, stay with your BF, travel and explore.

Start work on your expected date.

Come next spring when your ARC is about to expire (1 year after your entry) you will have to pop into the local immigration office and extend your status of sojurn to the end of your current contract.

It is NOT hard to do and will only cost you 30k won and a bit of paperwork (like a copy of your contract showing the end date being later than your ARC expiry), a certificate of employment showing that you are still working, an application and 30k won.

Problem solved, have your cake and eat it too.

.

MollyBloom · Joined: 21 Jul 2006 Location: James Joyce's pants

DongtanTony · Joined: 22 Feb 2008 Location: Bundang

DongtanTony · Joined: 22 Feb 2008 Location: Bundang

I still say talk to the folks at the Korean Consulate you're dealing with for your interview.

They're not always the most informed..but if you tell them your situation, they may be able to present you options that none of us have considered.

Good luck!!

ttompatz · Joined: 05 Sep 2005 Location: Kwangju, South Korea

DongtanTony · Joined: 22 Feb 2008 Location: Bundang

Document number one:

Visa application extension.

And I know what you're saying ttompatz...calculation of the period of stay.

But in reality...you are extending your visa...not your ARC.

You just have the dates printed on the back of your ARC...you are extending your visa.

Since the OP could be in country for about that designated "60 day before expiration" period...she should be more concerned with the dates on her visa...there will be a larger than average overlap.

MollyBloom · Joined: 21 Jul 2006 Location: James Joyce's pants

I'm American and will be working for a public school this August.

Tony= sure, my boyfriend and I could wait for a few weeks, but I want to get the hell out of here, and I'd like to work on my MA thesis for a few months while I am not working.

DongtanTony · Joined: 22 Feb 2008 Location: Bundang

I can respect that!!

Just realize that you will have to go to Korean Immigration, while you're here...and yes...you will have to extend your VISA.

The dates will go on the back of your ARC...but you are extending your VISA...which determines your length of sojourn.

Like ttompatz said...you bring a few documents...pay the fee...it's pretty harmless.

Ut videam · Joined: 07 Dec 2007 Location: Pocheon-si, Gyeonggi-do

As ttompatz said, it is the date on the ARC that governs, not the date on the visa in your passport.

Consider the case of a single entry E-2 visa issued to a Canadian, for example: it lists the final entry date as three months after the date of issue! The final entry date printed on the visa is clearly different than the visa validity, which is one year from the date of first entry. The expiration date on the ARC reflects this, and therefore is the date that must be observed.

MollyBloom · Joined: 21 Jul 2006 Location: James Joyce's pants

Okay: so I called the Korean consulate in Boston today, and the woman told me to enter the country earlier than my visa stated, I would need to get a tourist visa. hmm.

Then, I called the consulate in NYC and the woman seemed like she knew what she was talking about. She said I would not have to get a tourist visa because I could not have 2 visas in my passport. I would already have my E2 in there and it would be activated once I came into the country, as Ttompatz said.

She also said my ARC would be valid for the length of time I am working in the country. Thus, I can't get my ARC until I start working because I need all kinds of documentation..blahblah...so it IS the ARC which governs the time in the country, not the visa and if I need an extension on a document it would be on the ARC.

Just to clear things up and give credit where credit is due Smile