Korean Job Discussion Forums

[cj1976]

Those of you with F-2 visas, do you still get the airfare and housing that us E-2 holders get?
My friend got married to a Korean girl and changed to F-2. He was told by a potential employer that he couldn't get the same benefits as E-2 folks.
Is this a fact?

[Jandar]

It's probably just a matter of negotiating.

Simply don't sign a contract without airfare or some other compensation in place of airfare.

I have no experience to base this opinion on however the art of negotiation
is your ability to lead another person to make a decision that is in their own
best interest.

So do not expect that they will base anything on what is fair or what is best for you.

I am also basing this on my perception of logic which I understand does not
always compare to the same logic which is applied in Korea.

[skconqueror]

Many F-2 visa holders get housing and airfare.

In my reference though, many F-2's get the housing allowance instead because the school provided housing is not really big enough for 2 people

[Dazed and Confused]

At my school foreign teachers get housing and airfare regardless of visa or marital status.

[Toon Army]

of course

[John_ESL_White]

Sure you can negotiate it. But, I've found that negotiating a higher monthly salary is better.

Why? Well, you don't have the 11th month jitters that E-2s have; wondering if your boss can afford to fork over that lump sum or not (for airfare, and even severance).

My contract stipulates housing, airfare, and severance, but at the signing, I added the amount of those benefits and divided by 12, added it to my monthly salary and collect it monthly.

I forego insurance (because it's so cheap to be on with my wife) and let go of pension as a bargaining chip for a higher wage.

I never expect to stay in one job for a whole year here, so I would be cheating myself if I accepted return airfare and severance.

As for housing, well, if you are married, hopefully, you have housing. If not, it's cheap enough for the hagwons to secure it for you, but it's probably gonna suck.

[esglumac]

Well, don't most F-2 holders just work part-time anyways??

[Tathen]

I negotiated +500,000/month for housing, and +150,000/month instead of a plane ticket. For my second year here I will also liquidate the bonus (put it into monthly payments instead of at the end of the year).

An F-2 saves them money on quite a few things, not to mention the convenience, so you should get a better deal overall compared to an E-2.

~Tathen

[antoniothegreat]