Korean Job Discussion Forums

[teacherman1234]

Is it possible to come say a month before your job starts or do you have to arrive pretty much when your contracted to start work on your E2?
Thanks for any info!
p

[YTMND]

Depends on the entry date on the visa. Usually, it's not going to happen, maybe a week or two before.

[soyoungmikey]

If there hasn't been any changes to the visa then YES it is possible. I came here on an E2 four years ago. They issued it and I came here one month early. There were no problems. You get 1 year visa and it begins as soon as you enter the country.

[CentralCali]

Technically (as in legally), your employment begins the day you arrive in country on the visa issued. In other words, if you enter on an E-2 visa on 1 May 2012, your employment begins that date. The visa is, after all, issued for the purpose of employment in Korea.

If you intend to enter as a tourist, that's what tourism visa (or visa-free entry for the purpose of tourism) is for.

Anyway, what's the rush? When you get here, you will have time to travel around Korea and see what there is to see.

[Hotpants]

You can enter the country anytime with an E2 in hand - although most employers are not well-organized to get it much in advance of your work commencing.

Your job starts when your contract starts, not when you set foot in the country.

As long as you finish your contract before your visa ends, and moreover, you leave the country before your visa ends, then no problems.

An advantage of coming in early is to get housing sorted, get over jet lag, open bank accounts, and set up a cell phone, and clear any stuff with immigration.

[Skippy]

Well if you early a month. You need to answer some questions...

Where will you stay? I highly doubt the school will want to provide an apartment free for a month. Plus many places also tend to have apartment filled with a teacher. Old teacher leaves, new teachers moves in. There are options both cheap to expensive for that month.

Plane ticket. Not as common as years ago but some schools buy extended 2 way tickets that usually are only good for a year. So if you come early and the ticket last a year. The school could end up losing the last half of the ticket.

Visa eligibility. Visas used to be one year from entry. So if you come early, the school could end up using you for 11 months. Now many new visas are 13 months now. But it could happen that you are given 11 months. You could find yourself having to leave at 11 months and finding out that the school does not need to pay severance or plane ticket home because you where short a month. Renewal or extension is easily done. Just mentioning.

Wow just another think - I remembered is that you still have to register with immigration and MOE by a certain time frame. Is it 30 or 90 days. I think it is 30. Well good in one sense to maybe get some things can get done early, but some problems could arise with health check and address and ARC card.

Still I would come a little early. A week or two is good, but you need to get the school that hired you notice and aware of what is happening. Just showing up could cause a whole bunch of problems. Causing problems with a school right off the start is not a good way.

Good Luck

[teacherman1234]

Thanks for the replies, ive done a few years in korea before and might have a good job for august but wanted to come and do some "volunteer teaching" and get stuff sorted to fill the time until then. But i guess il just have to wait to fly in,
thanks anyway