Korean Job Discussion Forums

[matthews_world]

Go to Korea on a tourist visa.

Get a loan under your wife's or Korean family member's name. Show this to Immi your bank book and apply for F-2. Go back to the lender and repay the loan less the interest.

Depends on where your from and the ease of getting a loan in your own country.

Tons of quick loan places in Korea.


I'm not even F-2 and I know this way around.

[stew1988]

People will not seem to accept the fact that getting an F2 VISA is not an option right now. We have no support in South Korea from my wife's family, they have essentially disowned her and will not help a jot. My wife is not employed in Korea and did not even finish off her education in order to get a degree. I am currently paying off my student loans and getting another loan from a Korean loan company is out of the question. Throw into the equation the fact that we currently have very little and could barely scrape enough cash together for flights to Korea, let alone supporting ourselves while we hunt down a loan.

E2 has to be the way to go. I wish there was another possibility, but there isn't. Getting an F2 in the future is a very nice idea, however first things first, I need to be allowed back in.

As for the midnight run, I do not regret that one little bit. Of course it has caused a great deal of problems for me, however I will never appreciate the idea that somebody can use and abuse like an animal in any country or any culture. Now I'm sure my previous employer had some farfetched and tall tales about me which they were more than happy to mouth off to immigration about. I would like to think that if my application does come into question, they would at least contact me for my side of the story, as opposed to just declining me and drawing a line under it...

As for a prospective employer, I can 100% see why they would be well and truly angered if my application fell through at the last. If it was me I would have no inclination to aid that candidate at all and would consider them deceptive time wasters who have cost the company time, effort and money. That being said, how exactly do I explain my history in Korea?

You guys know as well as I do, if I tell a prospective employer that I did a midnight run, that will be the end of it. I receive some comments stating that if I go back again I have to be careful, scope out a good job and a reputable employer. On the other hand, I am also advised to tell the truth from the outset and get the employer to back me. The simple fact is that the good jobs are highly sought after. They have a bunch of qualified candidates and therefore can do without any dealings with a previous midnight runner, regardless of their plight. So, I tell the truth, I have to settle with the leftover rubbish...the jobs that are just desperate to get any old character out there, ready to be used and abused once again...

I suppose nobody can give advice on this situation. I understand the idea that honesty is the best policy, however in some situations, this is simply not the case.

Cheers for the help.

[young_clinton]

[Kimchifart]

[minos]

[PatrickGHBusan]

Stew I admire your efforts and determination. I can see you really want to come back to Korea and can understand why.

However, you NEED to pay attention to what people are saying here. There WILL be a record of your past visas to Korea. This is a CERTAINTY. That WILL pop up at some point and the fact they ask how many times you visited Korea on the application should have clued you in. They might not specify why you visited Korea on the application but did you ever consider that when you check "yes" that means the consulate will run a basic check and that your E2 will pop up?

Your potential employer will likely hear of this at some point.

I think you are gambling your long term possibilities in Korea in a hurry to get back now.

Fact is you ran from a visa. If that visa has expired you have NO WORRIES. If it has not expired or been cancelled you have to wait until it does or get it cancelled.

I do not remember clearly from your numerous other posts on this issue but I do not think you ran leaving a mountain of unpaid bills so odds are your former employer did nothing after you ran.

Bascially, whats better: taking a blind shot that you will slide under the radar for a while and get a visa that can be cancelled later on if your omission of truth is exposed or ask direct questions to the consulate and kimmi and act on facts rather than on some gamble and hope?

Seriously, I think you need to consider the broader picture here.

[stew1988]

Patrick, this is the thing, I have called immigration and called the Embassy and asked them everything. Immigration typed in my ARC number and contacted the immigration branch that dealt with my previous VISA directly. They told me that I could reapply for an E2 VISA, however they could not possibly tell me if it would get issued or not. They said that it depends on the immigration officer that gets my case. So I am not telling any lies and I am not lying on any official documents or application forms. My VISA has been cancelled, I know that for sure. The fact of the matter is that immigration is telling me directly that my only option is to gamble and see what happens.

[ayahyaha]

[PatrickGHBusan]

[stew1988]

Thanks Patrick. From what I've gathered here on the forums, if my VISA has been cancelled and I have no criminal acts to my name, then I should be OK. I realize I should just take that information and stop going on about things but I'm a worrier Getting back in the country is indeed important to me and it's difficult to just say "OK, let's see how it goes". The trouble is, immigration themselves have put doubt into my mind. They told me that I "could" get another E2 which I suppose is good news. In addition they are immigration, so it's unlikely they are going to say "Oh hello Mr ..... Don't worry about the midnight run, we'll give you another E2 despite your actions, all you have to do is apply again".

I appreciate everybody's input!

[PatrickGHBusan]

Good luck to you Stew!

Hope you guys do well with the return to Korea

By the way, did you consider that immigration told you what they told you because the person you talked to did not want to be held responsible if for some strange reason your visa was denied?

Say he tells you: no problem sir, your visa will be issued. Then something happens down the line and you are denied. That consultate employee may look pretty darn bad...so he or she took the common bureaucratic safe path.