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MissMaggie
Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Location: Jeju
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 Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 7:42 pm Post subject: Entering Jeju on a tourist visa to get E-2 on EPIK? |
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| My job in Seoul fell through I couldn't get my Visa Issuance Number because some guy in immigration showed up and changed the rules regarding temporary degrees. My recruiter wants me to apply and interview for a position at two public schools in Jeju (between hallim and aewol). They want someone to start ASAP and said I should enter on a tourist visa and that they would take me to immigration to process my visa once I get there. Has anyone heard of this before? I thought you couldn't get your first E-2 outside of your home country? |
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blonde researcher
Joined: 16 Oct 2006
Location: Globalizing in Korea for the time being
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| Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 8:50 pm Post subject: |
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You are correct with your thinking that this is not possible to do for a first job in Korea.
You mention these are public schools. Ask him if the Jeju office of education is doing the visa letter for you, or if the school is going to do this in immigration.
Expect a straight answer as he has to know !
If the office of education is issuing a letter of appointment, you may be OK to submit your papers and then go over to Japan for the visa. BUT you cant do this if the immigration office is doing a visa number.
What was the situation with having "temporary degrees"? |
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DrOctagon
Joined: 11 Jun 2008
Location: Chicago
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| Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 9:20 pm Post subject: Re: Entering Jeju on a tourist visa to get E-2 on EPIK? |
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| MissMaggie wrote: |
| My job in Seoul fell through I couldn't get my Visa Issuance Number because some guy in immigration showed up and changed the rules regarding temporary degrees. My recruiter wants me to apply and interview for a position at two public schools in Jeju (between hallim and aewol). They want someone to start ASAP and said I should enter on a tourist visa and that they would take me to immigration to process my visa once I get there. Has anyone heard of this before? I thought you couldn't get your first E-2 outside of your home country? |
You might be taking my friend's job. Do you know the name of the school? Sorry I can't help you with your visa problem. |
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MissMaggie
Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Location: Jeju
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| Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 9:29 pm Post subject: |
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No, I don't know the name of the school, sorry.
I get my official degree in June, simply because my school has a policy where you can get a degree only after the winter and summer semesters, but not after the fall semester. My recruiter called Seoul immigration and they said (twice!) that for a public school job, they would accept a letter from the registrar saying that I had completed the degree requirements even though my degree had not yet been issued. At my school, they give you what is basically a degree, but printed on school letterhead instead of parchment, with "temporary degree" across the top, and a note at the bottom saying an official degree will be issued in June.
I got it notarized at the consulate no problem, sent it all off to seoul, and they changed their minds and decided that the line about my official degree being issued in June meant that I didn't have a degree yet and wasn't eligible for the visa. |
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MissMaggie
Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Location: Jeju
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| Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 10:40 pm Post subject: |
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So the issue is whether I get a visa issuance number from immigration, which would mean I'd have to get my visa from the korean consulate in Canada, or a notice of appointment from the office of education, which means I might not?
I expect that it would be the second scenario, since the recruiter also sent me a link to an office of education website. I searched the site a bit and it sounded like you can apply EITHER through certain consulates in Canada OR in Korea itself. (Not that the rules matter anyways...  ) |
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losing_touch
Joined: 26 Jun 2008
Location: Ulsan - I think!
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| Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2009 5:17 am Post subject: |
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| You will need to leave Korea to get a visa. If you haven't had an E-2 visa issued before, you will first need to have your degree confirmed by the KCUE. I wouldn't know the first thing about it in your situation. Your future employer must do this for you. |
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n�fara
Joined: 14 Jul 2007
Location: The Island
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| Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2009 5:57 am Post subject: |
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er, just to throw some confusion into the mix:
Jeju is a Special Self-Governing Province. There has been precedence where an E2 visa was issued on the island. I came here in one of the big EPIK intakes and when I landed in Korea I had no E2 visa, and therefore had a tourist visa for the orientation. Afterwards, on Jeju, I applied for and received my E2 visa at the immigration office the very day I arrived on the island.
However, this was before the recent visa changes.
So, it's indeed possible that you might get the visa on the island. Things do work a bit differently down in our Self-Governing Province. However, I'd ask the Jeju POE to be sure, as it will be their phone call to the immigration office that will help get things done.
No idea how your temporary degree will affect things. |
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MissMaggie
Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Location: Jeju
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| Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2009 12:58 pm Post subject: |
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| n�fara wrote: |
er, just to throw some confusion into the mix:
Jeju is a Special Self-Governing Province. There has been precedence where an E2 visa was issued on the island. I came here in one of the big EPIK intakes and when I landed in Korea I had no E2 visa, and therefore had a tourist visa for the orientation. Afterwards, on Jeju, I applied for and received my E2 visa at the immigration office the very day I arrived on the island.
However, this was before the recent visa changes.
So, it's indeed possible that you might get the visa on the island. Things do work a bit differently down in our Self-Governing Province. However, I'd ask the Jeju POE to be sure, as it will be their phone call to the immigration office that will help get things done.
No idea how your temporary degree will affect things. |
I'm glad to hear it's possible! |
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berrieh
Joined: 10 Feb 2009
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| Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2009 2:45 pm Post subject: |
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Delete... Deleting (mostly) all posts... Mods please delete
Last edited by berrieh on Wed Mar 11, 2009 6:52 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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MissMaggie
Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Location: Jeju
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| Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2009 3:47 pm Post subject: |
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| I've been planning to go to Korea for two months already. I sold everything I owned to go. Staying here, working 7 hours a week for minimum wage while living with my mother isn't really a great option. I was supposed to be there three weeks ago, and I've already got a friend teaching over there who's waiting for me to get there. |
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berrieh
Joined: 10 Feb 2009
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| Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2009 4:35 pm Post subject: |
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Delete... Deleting (mostly) all posts... Mods please delete
Last edited by berrieh on Wed Mar 11, 2009 6:52 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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cedarseoul
Joined: 16 Feb 2008
Location: nowon-gu
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| Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2009 4:47 pm Post subject: |
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| berrieh wrote: |
MissMaggie... Forgive me for asking, but why scramble so much with "workaround" documents to come rather than just wait for the degree in June so that things can be processed smoothly.
If you want to work for a PS, you should be able to come in August/Sept during the next round (and secure a job before then) or possibly sooner. If you want a hagwon job, finding one over the summer should be no problem.
Based on your last two posts, it just seems to me you're very impatient to get to Korea. I don't have Korea experience yet, but impatience = a recipe for disaster from what I've heard. I understand the feeling. (I just signed a contract, and I'm impatient too!) However, it seems to me that there could be so many snafus with a potential "official letter" instead of degree or entering on a tourist visa and trying to get an E-2 that waiting the extra few months, which also allow you time to research, plan, and get everything in order, might pay off in the end...
Even if you get a positive answer from Korean immigration themselves (let alone what your recruiter or school tells you) before you leave, I believe it's possible they could change their minds by the time you get there. Korean immigration doesn't seem to be terriby... organized. Then, you'd be stranded and possibly forced to turn back around and get the E-2 properly at home anyway (or work illegally, and why would anyone want to work for a school that would allow/encourage that?).
I certainly wouldn't trust anything a recruiter/school told me that went against widespread immigration policies; they want somebody FAST - that seems to be fairly usual - but they don't care about your needs; they care about theirs. Sure, there may be a loophole, but what if it gets suddenly closed and you're stuck somehow?
Just a thought. Sorry if I overstepped my bounds with unsolicited advice. Either way, I hope things work out. I'm sorry your university has such a silly policy. (It seems rather strange, honestly.) |
I absolutely fail to understand why people who haven't even landed yet insist on doling out advice on these forums. I didn't even REGISTER at Dave's until I had been in Korea for almost a year; I read a lot, I considered the advice of folks who had more experience than me, and I waited until I knew what I was talking about to lend my voice to the conversation.
I don't mean to be arrogant - but it's so exasperating to read post after post by folks offering advice about Korean life / ELI before they've even started doing it. |
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berrieh
Joined: 10 Feb 2009
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| Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2009 4:57 pm Post subject: |
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| cedarseoul wrote: |
| berrieh wrote: |
MissMaggie... Forgive me for asking, but why scramble so much with "workaround" documents to come rather than just wait for the degree in June so that things can be processed smoothly.
If you want to work for a PS, you should be able to come in August/Sept during the next round (and secure a job before then) or possibly sooner. If you want a hagwon job, finding one over the summer should be no problem.
Based on your last two posts, it just seems to me you're very impatient to get to Korea. I don't have Korea experience yet, but impatience = a recipe for disaster from what I've heard. I understand the feeling. (I just signed a contract, and I'm impatient too!) However, it seems to me that there could be so many snafus with a potential "official letter" instead of degree or entering on a tourist visa and trying to get an E-2 that waiting the extra few months, which also allow you time to research, plan, and get everything in order, might pay off in the end...
Even if you get a positive answer from Korean immigration themselves (let alone what your recruiter or school tells you) before you leave, I believe it's possible they could change their minds by the time you get there. Korean immigration doesn't seem to be terriby... organized. Then, you'd be stranded and possibly forced to turn back around and get the E-2 properly at home anyway (or work illegally, and why would anyone want to work for a school that would allow/encourage that?).
I certainly wouldn't trust anything a recruiter/school told me that went against widespread immigration policies; they want somebody FAST - that seems to be fairly usual - but they don't care about your needs; they care about theirs. Sure, there may be a loophole, but what if it gets suddenly closed and you're stuck somehow?
Just a thought. Sorry if I overstepped my bounds with unsolicited advice. Either way, I hope things work out. I'm sorry your university has such a silly policy. (It seems rather strange, honestly.) |
I absolutely fail to understand why people who haven't even landed yet insist on doling out advice on these forums. I didn't even REGISTER at Dave's until I had been in Korea for almost a year; I read a lot, I considered the advice of folks who had more experience than me, and I waited until I knew what I was talking about to lend my voice to the conversation.
I don't mean to be arrogant - but it's so exasperating to read post after post by folks offering advice about Korean life / ELI before they've even started doing it. |
Well, I do have experience in making hasty life decisions (and learning from it). That was more the basis of my thoughts here. Just how dangerous impatience can be in general. I've also talked with people who've been sent back to the U.S. or Canada to get their E-2s when they entered as tourists and weren't eligible for the visa run. I hope the OP has a smooth trip.
I fail to understand why people are so offended at my having opinions on an internet message board (it's not as though I express them as fact), but honestly, between that and everything else, I am remembering why I'm not a fan of message boards.  I've only been frequenting here because I'm bored lately (low work hours due to the economic situation) and so excited about leaving for Korea soon!
At any rate, you're right; I don't belong here, and speaking up is hardly useful or, really, fun. Reading was beneficial up to a point, but I think it's time just to sleep on it till I get to Korea.
Last edited by berrieh on Wed Mar 11, 2009 7:00 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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MissMaggie
Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Location: Jeju
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| Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2009 5:19 pm Post subject: |
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I found this, which seems relevent:
http://native.jje.go.kr/ekboard/view.php?btable=qna&bno=119&p=1&cate=0
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| You won't have a problem enetering the country because you will be given a tourist Visa. One you arrive in Jeju and finalise your contract, you will visit the immigration office in Jeju do and your visa status will be changed. You will not have to do any traveling to other countries because you will be working for the Jeju government, not a private institution. |
http://native.jje.go.kr/ekboard/view.php?btable=qna&bno=63&p=8&cate=0
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| Unfortunately we require that you have your original diploma or notarized copy of your diploma, saying you will complete it at a certain time. |
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MissMaggie
Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Location: Jeju
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| Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2009 7:25 pm Post subject: |
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I just got a call from my recruiter, this is definitely happening! I've been told to book my flight!
basically, since I'm an emergency replacement, and since it's all being done through the education office in Jeju, I get to bypass the visa issuance number part. I have a medical exam when I get there, and then when the results come in, they take me to immigration and get my tourist visa changed to a work visa! |
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