Korean Job Discussion Forums

[aimeecate]

I'm leaving Korea for good.
My principal said it was okay to book my flight for Feb 28, but technically my contract and everything finishes on March 1. Is this going to be an issue with immigration?

A friend of mine left a couple of days before her visa expired and she was asked to sign a paper saying that she was violating Korean law before they would let her go.

Anyone else have an experience like that?

[JeffersonDarcy2010]

I think you have 14 days to leave the country after your visa expires.

[jrwhite82]

Not sure about your visa. If your visa expires on March 1st, and you leave on the February 28th. There is no problem. Are you sure your friend didn't leave a couple of days after it expired? Or did she not forfeit her ARC when she left? It makes no sense that she left before her visa expired and they told her she was violating law. Something else must have happened.

But make sure to finish your contract, otherwise your employer can avoid paying out on your severance. If you work for a full year, the employer is required to pay you a full month's pay (the mean of your last 3 months) as a severance. If you work even one day less than a full year, you are essentially waiving your right to this money. Stay the full year.

[movybuf]

Leaving early is of course no problem. Immigration couldn't care less about that.

To JeffersonDarcy2010 - there is no 14 day grace period. You must leave on or before the date your visa expires. I remember reading something about a 14 day grace period on here once and left 4 days after my visa expired. I would have been fined by immigration but I was lucky that the previous 3 days were a holiday, and the day I was leaving was a Sunday. They said I didn't have to pay any fines since the immigration office was closed and I had no way of extending my visa. I'm not sure what the fine would have been, but I'm sure it would have ranked high on the annoying scale.

[huck]

Could your principal tell you that it's okay to leave 3 days before your contract/visa expires, and then he can claim that you did a runner, and they don't owe you severance?

(Probably not, but worst case scenario )

[ttompatz]

Your visa doesn't matter to immigration.
Your ARC DOES.

FACT: There is NO GRACE PERIOD.
You MUST depart Korea (be through passport control) no later than 23:59 on the last date indicated on your ARC.

If you need more time you can get an extension from immigration for free. You only need your passport, arc and airline ticket.

You can also do it on their website if you are able to scan your documents or have access to a fax. http://www.immigration.go.kr/HP/IMM80/index.do
The menu for the extension is on the upper left side of the page: "Permission for extension of stay for departure of registered foreigner"

You CAN leave early (before your ARC expires) without problem. You must hand in your ARC on the way out (or get fined 100k).

Leaving late WILL cause delays at the airport, may cost you a fine (100k is the usual) and WILL result in a black mark in your immigration file that WILL cause problems if you ever decide to return to Korea for work.

.

[aimeecate]

Thank you.

I work for a public school, so I don't think they will try to skip out on paying me my severance or anything. I've been with them for two years and had no problem getting the money from them before. I am a bit worried about getting the airfare reimbursed though. They are insisting that they can't pay me until a week after I am home. But I don't think there is much I can do about that since it doesn't say WHEN that is to be paid in the GEPIK contract. Oh well...

[jrwhite82]