Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Joseph Fitzgerald]

Hello everyone...
What kind of visa am I eligible for? I got married Friday to a Korean woman, and I want to end my e-2 days. The hagwon I am at is telling me of complaints from kids parents. I have been at this hagwon almost nine months, and I know they are in financial trouble, so I guess they are trying to place me as the scapegoat. I teach adults with everything fine, I teach children and parents complain about stuff, what i don't know. I know they are just trying to fire me, so they don't have to pay my airfare home. Anyway, I want to stay in Korea until my wife receives her vissa to go back to the US with me, I think around July. Any ideas on any of these issues? Also, how long does it take to get an F-2?

[The Great Wall of Whiner]

Even IF they fire you, they have to BY LAW pay for yoru fare home.

There is nothing they can do about that. They signed a guarantee with the government saying that they sponsor you on condition they make sure you get home eventually.

They HAVE to pay for your flight home.

But they do not have to pay an end-of-year bonus if you do not do a whole year.

That bonus would be better used to recruit a new foreign teacher (in their eyes).

As to your VISA question, I too would like to know, as I and my GF want to get married...

[Tiberious aka Sparkles]

I will respond. Seeing as how much trouble I had gathering information about the F-2 visa, someone is likely to fill your head with nonsense.

Myth: you need 30,000,000 won in the bank to receive an F-2 visa.

Truth: All you need is for your spouse to sponsor you and sign an affidavit that you will not need any government asistance (Hey! It's the same in Canada!)

Also, DON'T rely on the Korean ministry of Justice's website to provide any info either. It used to be that only wives of Korean men could get the F-2. Now, thanks to pressure from the UN, that rule has been ammended to include husbands of Korean women, but the information on the MofJ's website has yet to be updated (one wonders if it ever will be).

If you have all the necessary documentation (certificate of marriage, some other stuff I won't bother mentioning because I can't remember -- standard things like your passport and, I think, an anal probe ) it only takes two weeks to receive.

Perhaps someone else can explain how this (the F-2) relates to teaching. I can't, because I no longer work at a hagwon (and neither should you. Emancipate yourselves my waygook brethren!). As far as my case is concerned, the only real perk is that I don't have to leave the country every six months. And, after five years, I can become a Korean citizen.

(smiles wryly)

[mack the knife]

there's also a processing fee...i think it was 60,000 won, you pay it at immigration(buy some stamps at immigration)...but everything else tiberius mentioned is on the money...

you might do a search, there are already several threads dealing with this topic...

[mokpochica]

Joseph---this is a little off the subject...but I was wondering if you've already applied for the visa for your wife. Are you applying for a K-1 visa?

The reason I'm asking is because I've applied for a K-1 visa for my Korean boyfriend and we're planning on traveling to the States around July as well. I just wondered how the process is going for you. I've gotten the first part of the app in the mail and am waiting for further news.

If you could please send me an IM and tell me how the process is going for you and your wife.

[Joseph Fitzgerald]

Hello,
I have been told today the hagwon is firing me after next week. My wife is going to help me get an F2 visa very soon. The hagwon owner will let me stay in my apartment until the end of April, and let me stay on the E2 with the hagwon until I find another job. He also will pay for my plane ticket home. What kind of work can I do with an F2?

[The Lemon]

[Stunted Wookie]

You want the F2-1 which allows you to work.
not expensive, I pad for it and my ARC card at the same time, under 100,000 won.

There is however a huge pain in the rear that you have to go thru...you have several documents to get stamped at the local gov office and your countries Embassy.
3 times my wife and I had to go back and forth with the documents (we were married in Canada)
Just call your embassy and get the list. Your wife will have to get some documents too.

All in all it takes a few days, when you go to immigration they may take your passport, along with a set of prints, you need 4 pictures,...
I picked my passport back up in a week with a new visa stamp, and got my new Alien card to boot.

no real hassle except taking the stamped papers back and forth between Embassy and Korean office.

There is no restrictions on the F2-1 as long as you are qualified (ie degree holder to teach)...and there is an interview you get to take before you get permission to work on that visa

[bellum99]

No one says it but the real power of the F2-1 visa is that it takes the power from the school owners ( THE OWNER). Remember that they cannot have you removed from the country if you don't work for them, you can report to immigration you are not working at that school anymore and then talk to the labor board if there is a problem.
It makes it easy to tell them to fu$$%# themselves. We are not forced to always take it up the butt. You can work with that visa and you can "not work" with the visa. Look at the subtle power it gives you.
I love when I talk to a new school and see their smile slip a bit when I say I have my own visa and do not need their help to get one....it makes me very happy.

[mack the knife]

**releases an audible sigh of contentment**

**aahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.................**

Thank you, Bellum99, for tellin' it like it is, brutha!!

[K-in-C]

Hi there Joseph,

I am a little confused, and yet I am not, about your posting comments. On January 24th you said:

"I am currently working at kwaks in shiwha, south of seoul, and everything is good here," and then on March 25th you mentioned that there had been some complaints from parents and you were being let go. I have a few questions and I hope you and others will help clear the fog.

Here they are:

Joseph, did you have a clue this was going to happen? Did the director or whoever come to you to discuss these complaints, fictitious or otherwise prior to telling you you were let go? It seems you thought everything was ok.

This question is open to the board:

Do you think directors create fictitious complaints, or magnify them just to let someone go because of some other issue they have with the employee that would not seem to be a valid excuse for letting them go?

I heard of one fellow that was accused of sexually assulting a student and while he was not fired for this reason he was let go for eating while teaching a class. Hmmmm!!! His girlfriend continued to work for the company that accused him of sexually assulting a student. This is just hearsay of course. BUT

Just wondering...

K

[LiquidSunshine]

how does an f2 relate to everyday living conveniences...i.e owning property, owning a house, owning a business and borrowing money form a bank. i've been looking around for some info on the subject but it's been difficult.

[bellum99]

Things like healthcare and credit cards are easier. I have credit cards in korea and they are easy to get and my healthcare in under my wife's name and i pay it all, of course ( this is cheaper and tax deductable). I pay less tax than other western workers due to having deductions(more people in the family).
I can get money back because property taxes, credit card bills(tricky), car insurance, healthcare and a myriad of other things allow me to pay lower income tax and get some back at the end of the year.
The F2-1 visa makes all of this easier for me. I can own property and it is not that difficult and after 5 years i will have permanent residence ( F5 visa) and then life will be much, much easier.
If you can, then get the F2-1 visa because it is better to get it earlier than later.

[LiquidSunshine]

thanks for the info bellum. it is much appreciated.

[Joseph Fitzgerald]

Yes!!!! Many hogwan owners create false complaints to fire teachers. Kwaks did it to me because they couldn't afford two foreign teachers. Hell, they can't even afford the one they have now. They are around two months late in pay with this guy (Kwak's English Institute in Shiwha). Oh yeah, my wife has her visa, and we are going back to the US in 10 days.