Korean Job Discussion Forums

Son Deureo! · Joined: 30 Apr 2003

I'm working for a hogwon. It's less than ideal. I might want or need to get out, but I really want to stay in country. I don't care to go into more specifics than that.

A few years back, it seemed to be all but impossible to get out of your E2 visa and into another one without getting the boss' consent. Lately I've been seeing threads encouraging people to quit, get their visa canceled, turn around and come back, or to get their visa "transferred" to another school. If I want to quit and stay in the country, and my boss doesn't want me to go, just what are my options now?

Bollocks · Joined: 12 Feb 2009

Well, I can't really recommend it, but I got fired. That'll get your boss to cancel your visa.

Be warned that unless you've been there for over 9 months, you need to apply for a new visa from scratch anyway. I know it's pointless. You haven't broken any laws in your home country while you've been away, and you haven't un-graduated from university. But them's the rules.

Email your university, ask them for 3 more sealed transcripts. Have them send it to your parents or whomever you trust back home, and get it sent to you in Korea. You probably don't want documents like that going to your hagwon, unless you can 100% your boss not to steal your mail.

Rumor has it that -after a certain amount of time- your criminal background check needs to be done from within Korea. So you'll need to contact the local police department to confirm that you haven't been arrested.

And then you get to apply for a whole new visa! Yay!

That's what my recruiters have told me, anyway. And it's what I'm doing. (Save for the part about not mailing to the hagwon. I trust my landlady less than I trust my ex-boss).

Best of luck to you. I know what it's like. I love it here, too. But good lord. Hagwons!

spc525 · Joined: 12 Aug 2009 Location: Seoul, Korea

Which police station do you go to in Seoul to get the Korean Background Check. If you back out of your contract before 9 months, do you still have to get another criminal background check from back home, also?

lifeinkorea · Joined: 24 Jan 2009 Location: somewhere in China

Yes, you need all documents and need to leave the country.

Son Deureo! · Joined: 30 Apr 2003

Thanks for the replies so far. I haven't been there anywhere near 9 months yet, so transferring my visa appears to be out of the question. Not a huge surprise. Starting over again with my visa isn't that huge of a deal either, getting new transcripts and a criminal records check from my home state would only take a couple of weeks and maybe a couple hundred bucks. I can live with that.

But what does it take for me to cancel my current visa so that I can start over again? Is this possible?

lifeinkorea · Joined: 24 Jan 2009 Location: somewhere in China

Nothing. Your school has to do this. You need a letter of release before you can work at another location.

DosEquisXX · Joined: 04 Nov 2009

Getting fired is the easiest way.

Please post a trip report on how you do it.

Solarian · Joined: 12 Nov 2009

I'm extremely interested in this, I didn't know there was a way at all. I thought I was stuck waiting the 9 months until I can change. I'm gonna look into this right now, I can't stand my hagwon. Korea is a wonderful place, but my job is ruining the experience for me.

Sorry, one more question. So if I do get myself fired, and I go back home before the 9 month period, am I allowed to apply for an E2 visa again, or does this make me permanently ineligible or something?

spc525 · Joined: 12 Aug 2009 Location: Seoul, Korea

I actually just called immigration and received some information. If you get your school to cancel your visa, and you get your new school to apply for the new visa before you leave the country you need new documents but NOT A NEW BACKGROUND CHECK. If you leave the country before the new school applies for a new visa then you need a new backgrond check also.

That is huge.

DosEquisXX · Joined: 04 Nov 2009

You could just do a midnight run, but you'll never be allowed in the country again.

PatrickGHBusan · Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 5:15 am Post subject:

Quit

Letter of Release

Employer voids your visa with Immigration.

Apply for new job and process new visa.

Repeat as needed.

Son Deureo! · Joined: 30 Apr 2003

dirving · Joined: 19 Nov 2009 Location: South Korea

Since when do we have to get a Korean Criminal Background Check? I've never heard of this requirement.

PatrickGHBusan · Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 7:42 am Post subject:

Goon-Yang · Joined: 28 May 2009 Location: Duh