Korean Job Discussion Forums

[gregoriomills]

Ok, so I'm in the UK, I sent my docuemtns and signed contract off to a hagwon in Seoul for an appointment #, but havent gotten it OR my visa yet, obviously.

Two days ago, I got a response from a GEPIK school that I applied to about a month earlier, and they said "sorry for the late reply" and that they are now sending me an appointment #.

What are my options here? Is it my choice to get a visa with either appointment number? Am I legally bound to the hagwon contract if I didn't get a visa yet?

Thanks in advance for teh help!

[andrewchon]

Let's ask another question: Do you want this GEPIK job or not?

[cruisemonkey]

You're not legally bound to anything until you have been issued a visa.

[blonde researcher]

The first visa number issued by an immigration office stands for 90 days.
if you dont get the visa stamp in your passport in that 90 days this first number lapses and you can get another visa number from another employer.

Because all details of an applicant and school sponsorship are put into the main Korean immigration computer system , any second school to submit your papers should find that you already have been issued a visa number somewhere else and they won't be able to get a visa for you.

Right now you don't seem to know for sure the exact time frame for the visa number for either place and both places could be doing the papers at the same time in immigration.
BUT for this to be happening you must have already submitted a full set of papers and CRC etc to each place. what did you send and to who?

If you have not sent 2 separate sets of papers then the visa will be issued for the one holding your papers

You have a few quick decisions to make.
I assume these 2 jobs are through different recruiters ?

[gregoriomills]

To GEPIK, I emailed photos of my diploma, CRC, etc, but nothing physical. I worked for thme in the past, so maybe they don't need the physial items?

I submited the papers through fedex to the hagwon, but it hasnt been delivered yet, and I can put a "stop delivery" on it, if necessary.

BLonde: WHen you speak of a "visa number" are you talking about the number they mail to you from Korea to take to get the Visa, or are you talking about the visa in your passport?

[gregoriomills]

Ok, I jsut got off the phone with GEPIK,and they said they will mail me an "appointment letter" on monday for me to get my visa, and that I need to bring the original documents to Korea wth me after I get my visa in a couple weeks.

Does this mean they have already submitted my stuff to immigration?? Is the 90 day visa rule now applying to me? Am I now legally bound to them?

Thanks for the responses.

[blonde researcher]

You are now going to have 2 visas
The immigration office which issues the visa number to hagwons is NOT the same place that issues visa letters of appointment for GEPIK.
Only offices of education can issue a notice of appointment (NOA) - such as EPIK and SMOE like you say you will be getting.

From GEPIK your details from the visa number out of immigration will not go into the immigration computer and will not be detected by the GEPIK people at this stage.

You do have to make a decision very soon as you will be posted a NOA for the GEPIK job but if the number comes out for the hagwon, when you send your papers to the Korean embassy in your own country you may find you already have the computer number visa attached to your passport.

You better make a decison fast on where you are going and stop one of these processes from colliding and causing a bigger problem.

[gregoriomills]

So I decided to go with the hagwon. Called the office of education and they were ok with it, I think, though a little suprised. GLad I made the decision before the did the NOA, for sure.

Thanks for the help, blonde.

[morrisonhotel]

I'm vaguely in the same boat. Sent my documents to a school and then another school that I desperately want to work has just offered me a job. I have no idea what to do.

[blonde researcher]

If the schools are both hagwons and both doing the immigration visa number process, the first school to submit the papers and get a visa number attached to your passport and in the computer system wins.

You have a visa to them for 90 days and then it expires if you dont get the stamp in your passport out of Korea.

Better make a decision fast and check how far along your papers are in the system for the first job. Be warned if you are using a recruiter and he gets a hint you may be pulling out on him, you may get a fuzzy answer about how the doc are 'nearly finalized so you cant withdraw'.
If this happens to you, but the recruiter can't give you a visa number yet as it is not issued , means your documents could be in process anyway which is pretty hard to unwind. An immigration visa number process takes about 6-12 days.

If you are desperate to change schools, ask the recruiter the name of the immigration office in Korea where your papers are submitted and try and contact this office directly or the employer directly to see if you can pull your process. You may be too late though

[morrisonhotel]

Thanks. Documents have only just been sent on Thursday afternoon and I do know someone looking for a job in the area so I'm hopeful it might get sorted. What's the best way to tackle this with the recruiter?

[cruisemonkey]

[morrisonhotel]

[maingman]

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