Korean Job Discussion Forums

[todes_8ngel]

Hi guys and gals,

I will be finishing my 3rd year of teaching in early March and due to budget cuts my school will not be able to re-sign me for next year. However, I have secured another position in the same province and my questions are how far in advance can I transfer my visa over to my next school and what documents do I need.

I've searched on Dave and found that the new rules regarding an FBI check and apostillized diploma is waived for teachers who are re-signing with the same school for 2011. Is it also waived for teachers who are transferring visas too?

I will finish at my school and start work at my new school the next day. I will be out of the country for a month so I want to transfer my visa before I leave in a week. Is it possible to do it 2 months in advance? What documents do I need? Another health check? New contract? New school sponsorship letter? Anything from the old school?

I will not get my fbi check and apostillized degree back by March, so I'm hoping that is postponed.

Thanks.

[OculisOrbis]

No, the new requirements arent waived for transfers. Only people remaining at the same job at the same address are exempt from the changes for now.

If your new job is for a different school in the same province, call the Foreign Teacher Coordinator for your province. Most NETS are not employed by their individual school, but by the Provincial Office of Education. If that's the case, you may only need to extend and change your apartment address (if youre moving). That may fall under the exemption since your employer and work address, technically, isnt changing. Therefore, you wouldnt even need an LOR or many of the other documents a full employer change would require.

If it's a full employer transfer that you need, I think 2 months is too early to do it, but call 1345 and ask them. It's the immigration info line. But if youre back before your contract ends, you can do it even on the last day of your contract if you have all the documents ready - I wouldnt risk that, I'd do it a week or so before the contract ends in case they want something else. Immigration is not famous for their consistency.

Documents you'll need for a full employer transfer are the LOR, new contract, sponsorship letter from your new employer, a copy of your new employer's business certificate and, if you havent already provided, a verified copy of your degree and a national police check from your home country. Again, ask the friendly people at 1345 for more info. There's stamps and apostilles that you'll need. Who the hell knows anymore what is what.....

[todes_8ngel]

Thanks. i'm with gepik and when i first came here my visa was sponsored by the office of education. however, when i renewed for my second year, the immigration officer told me that gepik changed thier policies and that visas sponsorship was handed over to the school, so i had to do a visa tranfer. i did that two months ahead and got a visa transfer sticker with my school as my sponsorship in my passport.

my new school is just down the road from my old school. the current teacher there is a friend and she too has a visa sponsored by her school. i guess im just sol if the fbi check and degree isnt waived for transfer. ill give immi a call and see. im assuming they speak English to some degree?

thanks for the number.

[lifeinkorea]

[todes_8ngel]

I just got off the phone with someone at immi and I hope his info is correct. He told me that as long as my new contract starts before my visa expired and that I can show proof that my documents are in processed then a grace period will be given to turn it in at a later date.

He was very firm on the fact that the grace period works for both renewals and transfers as long as the new contract starts before your visa expires.

Let's hope so.

[todes_8ngel]

Bumping this thread...

My current contract/visa ends on March 2nd. I have two offers, which I will have to make my decision by Friday.

One contracts start on March 4th and the other starts on March 10th. I will finish out my contract with my current school.

I plan on going to immigration in Suwon on either the last Thursday or Friday of February to transfer and extend my visa, regardless of which school I chose.

Is that too early to go in for my transfer and extension? Since March 1st is a holiday, I don't want to put it off until the 2nd to try. Also, would it be a problem because my contracts are not concurrent and if i do finish out my contract, I would not need a release letter right?

Does the transfer go into effect right away, meaning that if I go in on February 28th to transfer, does my new school owns my visa from that date and I can no longer work at my current school?

I could leave my school early but I don't want to. I would like to finish it out and get my benefits.

So, has anyone in a similar situation successfully transfered and extended their e-2 visa?