Korean Job Discussion Forums

Clockout · Joined: 23 Feb 2009

Friend of mine is quitting her hagwon job after two months.

What will her visa situation be? Can she just pick up a new job and make a visa run or are their implications to quitting a job without getting a letter of release?

What if she DOES obtain the letter?

I know this is a tired question but I just want to get an answer for her quickly.

afsjesse · Joined: 23 Sep 2007 Location: Kickin' it in 'Kato town.

A Letter of Release is useless if she's been here only 2 months. They are used to release you from your position and to transfer your visa, something that can only be done after 9 months of employment.

This is what she should do when she is ready to leave.

Go to Immigration and demand, emphasis on DEMAND, an Exit Order. This is a piece of paper they put in your passport that effectively cancels your visa when you leave the country. She'll get I believe 30 days to leave, although I could be wrong. When she does, she hand in her ARC card and the exit order cancels the visa.

She can then get a new visa and come back to Korea. Although she may have to do another consulate interview because she didn't complete her first year.

Clockout · Joined: 23 Feb 2009

Thanks a lot.

Clockout · Joined: 23 Feb 2009

One more question for her:

Is there a limit to the number of classes a hagwon can make you teach? She is teaching 32-35 per week right now but still staying under 40 working hours.

dean_burrito · Joined: 12 Jun 2007

I did 42 classes per week during my first job here. The Korean teachers worked more than that so I don't think your friend will get any sympathy for that one.
Two months isn't that long to be here. But to be honest that's about the time homesickness starts to kick in for many people. Some of the fascination of being somwhere new begins to wear off and your thoughts turn to those of you friends and family back home. At least that's how I always feel at the two month mark. If the school isn't keeping her over the contract hours (and if they are following the rest of it) then there's really no reason to leave. She might have it worse at the next job.

ChinaBoy · Joined: 17 Feb 2007

I had trouble finding another hagwon job after quitting 2 early, so she might have trouble with that. Of course, other people have reported no problems getting new positions, so who knows on that end.