Korean Job Discussion Forums

[krissy123]

Hi there, just received an email from my recruiter explaining that is it common for the teacher to pay for the airfare at first, and then the employer will pay the teacher back once they arrive in Korea.
Although I know that this is the case for some schools, I've been under the impression that for the most part, the school usually pays for the ticket, and the teacher doesn't have to deal with that aspect of the process at all.

So now, I have my visa ready (finally!) and my recruiter says the director won't pay for it (but will reimburse me once I arrive). I know he is just being careful, but to spring this on me at the last moment is frustrating to say the least (not to mention that I have no way of paying for a ticket).

So my question is; is it really true that most teachers pay for their ticket at first? Or is the recruiter just saying whatever he can to resolve the situation? I just don't want to look like a fool if I say that 'it isn't always the case that teachers pay at first, and that the director should pay since I cannot (especially at this stage in the game)'?

[Korussian]

From what I understand, pre-paid tickets are far less common these days than they might've been before. They still exist though.

You can mostly trust public schools to reimburse the cost of your ticket (in won, so watch that exchange rate) by your first pay day, if not immediately upon arrival. My public school and my girlfriend's public school both reimbursed airfare & settlement allowance within the first couple of days.

I have no experience with Hagwon personally, but Hagwon contracts I've been offered have stated the same thing - you buy the ticket and arrive, we pay for it when you get here. Getting paid is more of a crap-shoot with Hagwon than with public schools, but the Hagwon doesn't benefit much by having you walk away 10 days into your contract for lack of airfare reimbursement. Others will be able to offer more insight about this than I can.

If you can't buy your own ticket, then I suggest you ask your recruiter to buy you an air ticket, and you sign a form that states that the school will repay the recruiter the cost of the air ticket + if you fail to get on the plane or screw over the recruiter with regard to the flight in some way, then you must pay the recruiter back the lost money.

I've never used the above approach, but my recruiter did offer it as an option. Perhaps other commenters can provide better suggestions as well.

[losing_touch]

I work for a hagwon. I moved here from Thailand. I was bringing my wife with me (Thai). I had two options.

1- My employer would buy my ticket.

2- My employer would give me 1,000,000 Won if I did it myself.

I chose the latter. I got my million within a week. It covered both of our tickets. I pocketed the difference. I emailed my boss the receipt. She didn't care. A deal was a deal ....

[icicle]

I was upfront from the start that one of my requirements was that the airfare be paid by the school and had no problem in getting jobs that said that. At this stage of the process I would just be upfront about the fact that if it is not paid by the school you cannot come ... ie you really like the job / really looking foward to coming ... but the comment made now that you have to pay upfront means that you can't afford to come.

[Tux]

I got the distinct impression that when I arrived here my school wanted to make sure that I passed my medical test (and possibly the drug test - I'm not sure if I was screened for drugs or not) before they paid me back.

That way, If I failed they could then revoke my visa immediately and I would have to travel back home on my own dime, allowing them to avoid any unnecessary expenses.

Again, I'm only speculating here but basically they wouldn't pay me back until I had a bank account, and to open a bank account I had to get my health check and (subsequently)my arc done.

Recently the other FT @ my school was given another medical test two months before his contract was up. I'm guessing that if he had failed then that would give the the school enough time to find a replacement before he finished.

[Tux]

I got the distinct impression that when I arrived here my school wanted to make sure that I passed my medical test (and possibly the drug test - I'm not sure if I was screened for drugs or not) before they paid me back.

That way, If I failed they could then revoke my visa immediately and I would have to travel back home on my own dime, allowing them to avoid any unnecessary expenses.

Again, I'm only speculating here but basically they wouldn't pay me back until I had a bank account, and to open a bank account I had to get my health check and (subsequently)my arc done.

Recently the other FT @ my school was given another medical test two months before his contract was up. I'm guessing that if he had failed then that would give the the school enough time to find a replacement before he finished.

[itstiff]

[ttompatz]

[plynx]

[ttompatz]