Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Eedoryeong]

I'm tired of the search engine gagging on itself.

What's the deal? Can we or can't we? What if your main gig is in a countryside school and the principal says yes as long as it doesn't happen during school hours?

What paperwork do I need? What does immi need? Anything?

[tob55]

You F2-1, F5-9, or F4? This makes a big difference regarding your potential for extra or outside employment. A short answer is yes with stipulation, but that is way too easy. I am F5 so I have one perspective. Others who are on other F visas have different takes. F3 definitely not doable because it is a married to a foreign resident visa with no employment possibilities unless they are illegal.

Your question about working can be answered, but you have to provide a bit more information about type before I can give you any firsthand advice.

[kprrok]

Assuming you're F2, F5, or F4, you can have other employment in most cases. However, you are still bound by contract law, so if your contract says you won't work elsewhere, you can't without violating your contract.

In the eyes of immigration, they should have no problem with it. I have heard that F2s and possibly F4s can't work in sexual entertainment venues and/or bars. I have no idea if it's true, but I figure it'd probably be smart to stay away from those.

[pkang0202]

[saw6436]

F-2 or F-5 you can do what you want. Immigration doesn't care what you do. You do have to get a tutoring license from the Dept of Education if you want to do privates. And you are liable for taxes. But other than that go to town and make some green.

Once you are on your F-5 then you own your own visa, essentially you are Korean, except for some voting regs, when you have and F-5. Thus, you can do any job a korean can do without restrictions.

[Cheonmunka]

There are other slight limits of the F5 as well as with voting. Those kind of regs not initiated by immigration but with companies like cellphone cos, Koreans can have three phones in their name with the one telecom company, F5 people two with one signed for personal use, one for business use. Wierd.
But for pretty much all purposes your work and earnings are your own doing.

[marckot]

I have an f-2-1 and I just jumped through all of the hoops to make my second job legal. This is what I had to do (I am not saying this is the be all and end all)

I work at a private boys high school and my contract states that I am not allowed to do other work. Well after speaking to my school about it they agreed to let me do extra work at a hagwon.

Then the department of education (not my school) wanted a letter from my high school stating that they know about my second job and that they approve of it. I could not take the job legally at the hagwon without this letter. The hagwon kept this letter and had to show it to the department of education. I know this sounds strange but not one party in this whole thing wanted to do anything until that letter was presented.

After that there were no worries. Immi did not care a bit about the whole thing and yes I had to make sure everything was on par with the tax office.

[red_devil]

F4 you can do what you want too. Someone mentioned getting a tutor license, and while it's not required, i'd probably do that anyways just to cover my bases.

[Eedoryeong]

Sorry guys!

I'm F2-1.

To the other F2s: wow that is a f**kload of stuff. But I guess if I'm covering my bases it's okay. I think I'll go for the tutoring license first. The principal said it was okay but I wonder if I can get him to put it in writing. Well, he had better as it was a requirement to be here.

Okay gotta go break some ground. Thanks guys!

First replier, I'd still like to hear your advice now you know I'm F2-1

[Eedoryeong]

[gteacher]

[tob55]

The only way that something would end up in your file is if you broke the law big time. When I was F2-1 I was unaware of the tutoring regulations. I taught and paid my taxes on my private teaching without having to be told to do so. It is just common sense. Yeah there are people out there who would love to get you in trouble, but the fact remains that if you are an honest and law abiding person, people are not going to say squat about what you do for employment.

In fact the moment I received my F2-1 several years ago, it made my life much easier. The employers realized that I had a much greater investment and stake in the process than the E2 people they had worked with in the past. Take it for what it's worth, you should follow the rules, but remember the F2-1 and F5 are good steps to achieving greater freedom with regard to employment. I have several options available to me these days that have nothing to do with teaching in the classroom anymore, and I am seriously considering a change that would give me more free time with my family.

If you live in a rural area the possibility of getting into trouble for extra work to support your family after your scheduled school hours, then the people reporting you have many more problems than you could ever think of having IMHO. Do it right and get the tutoring license, but remember the school you work for is no longer your "lord" with respect to your employment.

[bassexpander]

The tutoring license only allows you to legally make something like 5,000 won per hour per kid (it's a pittance, and meant to be that way). It's based on a sliding scale of how many kids you're teaching at how many hours.

Basically, if you want to make any money at tutoring, you have to fudge the books illegally, just like the Koreans do. That leaves you about as liable to get nailed as if you didn't bother with tax at all. Any foreigner or Korean telling you they're making more than around 1 million to 1.5 out of their home is 100% bonified illegal -- guaranteed. Ask them to show you their tutoring license. It will say right on it exactly how much they are legally allowed to charge per hour -- and it's going to be just below or above 5,000 won per hour most likely. This paper is legally supposed to be displayed at all times as well, if memory serves.

Also, there are rules galore they can dig up to exclude you. Seongbuk-gu did that to me. They found some rule which said I can't get the license because I'm listed as a full-time teacher of some sort (same would happen if you are a FT'er at a public school, and they cared to check). They called my school to confirm my full-time status, too, which was more of a , "Hey, do you know one of your foreigners is trying to set up teaching on the side? We'd like this to go away..." kind of call.

My school had a holy-jihad shit-fit.

[tob55]

bassex, things are so much better since the F5 came into my life. I don't want to brag, but honestly the difference I have found in terms of the intangibles is quite remarkable. People are actually listening because they know if they don't the hammer if going to come down way harder on them than it would have when I was at the F2-1 level. Good comments about the tutoring thing. That is something people should think about.

[gteacher]