Korean Job Discussion Forums

[SandyG21]

Can a person get their passport stamped while going through Korea on a connection flight - therefore later avoiding having to do a consulate visit for a teaching job in Korea? I might be connecting through Korea to go to another country to teach for a year - then might want to go to Korea later without having to return to the states for the consulate visit (due to costs of plane fare).

[Oliver]

Do you mean can you get a VISA while passing through a Korean airport?

The title of your post throws me a little.

[alwaysbeclosing100]

no

[fugitive chicken]

Yeah, I agree, your question was kind of confusing...but the answer is no.

In order to get an E2 teaching visa, you need to already have been hired by a school so that they can sponsor you for your visa. In order to get that teaching visa stamp, you need to send to immigration a bunch of paperwork, including your signed contract with said school. It is highly unlikely any school will hire you a year in advance. They barely hire a few months in advance.

You can however get a tourist stamp on arrival to Korea that will last up to 90 days depending on what country your from. A little useless if it's only a quick stop however...

[SandyG21]

Thanks for the responses - does anyone know if the tourist stamp means that later a person doesn't have to do the consulate interview for teaching in Korea?

My understanding is once a person has a visa stamp in passport - they don't have to do a consulate interview. But maybe the stamp is different for a teacher rather than a tourist?

Hey I am just trying to figure out a way to save time, hassle and money.

[CentralCali]

As mentioned above, the answer to your query is no. A tourist visa is not an E-2 visa. The exemption from a consular interview in your home country is for those who have already had an E-2 visa.

[fugitive chicken]

The answer is no. However, I was able to avoid my consular interview somehow. I was interviewed by my recruiter by phone and then she told me I didn't have to go to the Korean embassy for some reason. However that was 2 years ago AND having a teaching certificate may have helped...I don't know, but I would say you won't be as lucky as I was. This didn't happen to anyone else I've talked to.

[ttompatz]

[Nadia_M]

If you're from the US, can't you just do the consulate interview in Guam so you don't have to go back to the states? Correct me if I'm wrong.

[CentralCali]

Guam is "the States."