Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Curiousity]

Hi all,

I currently work at a public school on a standard EPIK contract. My contracted term ends on 28 February, 2009. My new contract (NOT with EPIK, and NOT at the same school) starts on 1 March, 2009.

Before I get into it, I'd like to thank some of the old hands around the place for helping me work out what was required with regard to documents and the like.

What I can�t get my head around is how, exactly, I�m going to get this done in time. How long can I expect the visa issuance number to take?

I�ll be uh� �traveling around Korea� over the break. My school doesn�t require me, and let�s me go about my business at these times. The Office of Education, on the other hand, may not be so accommodating. One must tread carefully.

Ideally, I�d just get an LOR from the POE in order to facilitate the visa issuance process at an earlier date. I�ve heard, and it�s only fairly weak hearsay, that this isn�t possible. Supposedly, should one get an LOR, they haven�t technically completed the contract, and will therefore be denied flight monies, etc. I�m NOT willing to make such a sacrifice. That said, I have no idea how much truth there is to this.

I had planned to leave my official 7 days leave until the last 7 days of the contract. In theory, this would allow me to get my visa issuance number sorted and do a visa run. On the other hand, were there to be a delay, I�d be stuck in JP and hemorrhaging cash at a shocking rate.

I�m sure that many of you have managed to swing this at some point during your stay in the ROK. I�m particularly interested if you�ve moved from a public school to something else under such time restrictions. How did you do it? What problems, if any, did you encounter with the POE or Immigration?

Hints, tricks, tips, and anecdotal evidence are appreciated!

[Curiousity]

bump

I know of at least one other person struggling with the same issues. Can anyone assist?

[Bibbitybop]

I wrote about this in July/August 2008. I was called "Getting a new E-2 visa sucks," or something along those lines.

In a nutshell, because I was leaving one job (finishing the contract), was starting a new job and was going on vacation before my old contract was finished, I could not "change employers." I would need to be in country the week before my contract ended. Plus, I had a week gap between my old contract and new contract.

I was told I would have to give my ARC at the airport when I went on vacation, then apply for a new visa out of the country. I could give my new employer all the proper documents, but immigration would NOT start processing a new visa issuance number until had terminated my visa (by leaving the country and submitting my ARC). Visa issuance number take 10-14 days (though a few people get them earlier) and the Korean consulate takes a week or so to get the visa processed and delivered.

I went around and around with immigration about this. Basically, I was being "punished by regulations" for taking my vacation and not being in Korea. If I stayed, I could "extend my current E-2 and switch employers at the end of my contract." But since I was leaving more than a week before my contract ended, immigration would not let me switch employers. They would not process my papers for my new visa, even though I needed them sooner than they usually process them. It was like handing in my ARC was a magical green light for them to process my papers. I asked, "Can't you verify my documents, the same ones you've already verified already for my E-2, and get the issuance number almost ready? Then, once you see I left the country and submitted my ARC, finish the process and send me the visa issuance number?"

This being Korea, where logic comes to die, they said, "No."

I wasn't about to give up my vacation dates with my family just to "extend my visa and switch employers" at the end of my contract.

Luckily, my new employer understood and I was allowed to be a few days late. They were with me step-by-step in the new visa process and understood it was immigration's fault.

Good luck, OP, feel free PMing me or asking me questions on this thread. BB

[Curiousity]

Thanks for that! This process seems overly complicated. I should have expected as much!

I CAN be here the week before my contract ends (with some careful planning). I am actually taking my holidays earlier. The holiday period at the end of the contract is merely for the POE's purposes.

Given that my old contract finishes on 28 Feb, and my new one will start on 1 March, shouldn't I be able to simly transfer my E2 from one employer to the next?

[Bibbitybop]

[jellobean]

Make certain that you school agrees that 28 February is an official work day and you are working (even if you aren't at school).

A friend of mine did this last year and it worked fine. (His public school contract actually ended a few days before the uni contract was supposed to start and he got the uni to give him "unpaid training" days (ie his contract started early but he didn't get paid for those days) for the gap so he could transfer the visa. He arrived back in Korea and transfered the visa two days later (the official last day of the contract). As long as you are in Korea the last few days of your visa and your school agrees you are not on vacation you will be fine. I would suggest getting your "official" days changed with the POE. Just explain that you will have visa problems if you are on "official" vacation the last week of your contract.

[Bibbitybop]

[Curiousity]

I haven't had a chance to chat to Immigration yet, but you've both been helpful!

There are drawbacks, it seems, with any course of action. Part of the by problem is that I need to tread carefully with the POE in order to ensure I get my airfare and severence at the end of my contract. This makes it difficult for me to get any real assistance from them. Any idea whether I require them to do anything to transfer, assuming my contract has finished?

I can take "official" holidays whenever I like. I was merely scheduling them at that time so that I was leaving the country as required at the end of the contract. The only purpose here is to ensure I am paid for the flights home, whether I actually take them or not. In reality, I'm on un-official holidays as soon as the term ends, and will not be returning to school. I'll likely be making my trip somewhere in the middle of the break.

It would seem that, in those circumstances, a transfer is possible. If, however, I'm required to have some form of approval from the POE, it isn't going to work.

[Bibbitybop]

You are finishing your contract, right? Then you don't need a letter of release from your school. You are legally entitled to your severance, airfare, etc. and 99% of the time public school offices follow the law.

I don't remember what forms you need, but I was told that if I transfer my visa at or near the end of my contract, no letter of release was needed. But double check the requirements in any case.