Korean Job Discussion Forums

earthquakez · Joined: 10 Nov 2010

and on the teacher's ARC. Can somebody help me help out a friend? He works for a hagwon but his employer is listed as somebody else on his contract and at Immigration. He works in Seoul.

He wondered about it when he first came but I didn't know him then. It sounds a bit suspicious to me and now he wants to leave that job as it's turning pear shaped and he's only got Korean co workers who apparently are very unpleasant. He is now worried that if he gets a letter of release under the hagwon's name, then Immigration will tell him he has been working illegally as his employer was supposed to be somebody else.

I've only known him for a few months and didn't know him when he started here. I have never been in this situation - can anybody tell me if it's right what I'm thinking. I'm thinking he is doing something illegal much as it is not his fault.

koreatimes · Joined: 07 Jun 2011

You are saying immigration accepted a SIGNED contract and put someone else's NAME on the ARC? Confused

Please explain the story again and keep in mind immigration is already in the loop and should know this.

earthquakez · Joined: 10 Nov 2010

No, it seems they're not. He's working for an employer that is not listed on his contract and not listed on his ARC. My instinct tells me something illegal is happening.

The employer pays health insurance and pension - not a problem but he does not work for them. He works at a workplace with a different name and when he tried to talk about it with his boss they were might pissed off at him asking. I think he's working illegally by a general definition, I'd be happy if you told me he wasn't. I don't know what to tell him as I have never come across this before or done it.

r122925 · Joined: 02 Jun 2011

Mr Lee's Monkey · Joined: 24 Oct 2007

Immigration is not the enemy, and they have people who speak English well and provide information and advice at the # 1345.

litebear · Joined: 12 Sep 2009 Location: Holland

Sounds like they got a 3rd party to sponsor his Visa then farmed him back to another place. So Hagwon X wants a teacher but for some reason isn't in a position to a sponsor a visa. Hagwon Y is owned by a friend, they have the means to sponsor but don't need a teacher. Hagwon Y sponsors the teacher for a visa but when he arrives he goes to Hagwon X.

Didn't this use to be a common loophole for places that had been in trouble with the labour board?

We're all just speculating till Ttompatz shakes off his NYE hangover and gets online anyway Smile

Swampfox10mm · Joined: 24 Mar 2011

Not that this is your situation at all, but FYI, I used to work for a private high school. The actual ARC called it "Baekgang [something something] Hagwon". I was pretty surprised by this, but I inquired about it, and it was correct.

If you work for a private high school (and I'd assume the same could be true for a private elementary/middle school) you might encounter this.

If you are at a hagwon, however, I would be wary.

ssuprnova · Joined: 17 Dec 2010 Location: Saigon

Check whether there's a "parent company" for your hagwon. I work 100% legally but the name of the company on my immi docs is different from the actual name of the school.

Troglodyte · Joined: 06 Dec 2009

It's quite possible that the name that the school is officially registered under is different from the name on the sign above the door or on the letterhead. For example, the owner might have opened the school as "Kim's Hogwon" and then decided that "Mickey's English Farm" sounded better, or maybe they bought into a franchise and display the franchise name outside but still the business is officially registered as "Kim's Hogwon". It seems unlikely but I suppose it's possible. Has he checked the Korean version to be sure that it's different on the visa and contract? Definitely the address should be the same though.

Then again, it's also possible that your friend is being farmed out. That would be illegal.

In any case, if things are going bad at his school, he should probably get his affairs in order pretty soon. THEN go to immigration and tell them that he's suspicious that the school where he works isn't the place listed on his visa (which should have the school name in hangul). Just be aware that either way, he's going to get treated badly by the school. When the boss finds out that your buddy went to immi to report the school, the boss will likely explode. So, if things are bad now, they'll get worse pretty quickly. If he is working at the wrong place, i have no idea what immigration will do to him. They'll definitely cancel his visa. If they figure he had no idea until now, maybe they'll take pity on him and do nothing. Maybe someone else can give some advice from experience.

s.tickbeat · Joined: 21 Feb 2010 Location: Gimhae

Last year I worked for a guy who sub-contracted his NET's to hagwons at a horrific rate while still paying us a low salary. He flew us in, and on our ARC's we were registered to his tiny hagwon. Then when we got our 6-month sub-contracts, he'd take our passports and ARC's to immigration where we'd get additional work visas. My last ARC had like 4 institutions on it.

Anyway, your friend's director is probably doing that, but illegally if your friend doesn't have the additional visas.