Korean Job Discussion Forums

[sixpence]

Hello, everyone! I am a recent university graduate looking into teaching opportunities in Korea. I am currently in the process of getting all my documentation done, but I'm in a bit of a quandary, and I was hoping to see if anyone else has been in my situation. I'm having some MAJOR communication issues with some of these clerks. I tried doing research but am having a very hard time finding any information on what appears to be a relatively new law, so I am turning to this forum!

I was born to a Korean family in the US. I went to the Korean Consulate in Los Angeles a month ago, and the clerk informed me that I do not qualify for an E-2 or F-4 on account of my being born after 1988 and being a Korean-American. She told me that I must apply for a Korean passport and dual-citizenship with military exemption. I asked her if I qualified for military exemption FOR-SURE, but, after already submitting my application, other clerks are basically telling me, "I don't know for sure. You have to apply for military exemption."

My recruiter told me that she has never bumped into anything like this before, a fact which has pretty anxious. Was I misinformed? Were any of you Korean-Americans who went teaching this year able to get in on F-4s, or did any of you have to go through the dual-citizenship process?

Thanks a lot for your time and help!

[flapjacky]

Hi I am in the same dilemma... I am a Korean American girl born after 1988 and they keep saying that I have a dual citizenship so I can't get E2 OR F4 visa. They keep telling me that it's a privilege.. no it's not! I didn't choose this!!! I would like to teach starting this fall because I have all my documents ready.. now I don't know what to do.... Sorry that I can't help, but I'm glad I'm not the only Korean American dealing with this bullshit.

[pikadoopoo]

Yep, I was told the same thing a while ago. I now have dual citizenship and it is a blessing and a curse.

For one, many hagwons will not accept dual citizens for some reason, and if they do, most won't give you full benefits like housing and such. SMOE (Seoul public schools) won't accept you either, so if you wanna go the public route, you have to do GEPIK or non-Seoul EPIK.

I got my military exemption letter a few weeks ago. As long as you have proof that you grew up and did all your schooling in the US, you're fine.

You gotta put your name on your family registry before you can do anything else. It'll take a couple of months, so do it ASAP.

If you guys have any more questions, feel free to ask!

[flapjacky]

pikadoopoo, Thank you for the information. I was wondering how do you put your name on the family registry? Everyone keeps telling me to do it first but first of all.. I don't understand how I can do it!!!! It's so frustrating! I know a family member in Korea should help me with it.. but what exactly do they need to do to register? Do you fill out a form? Do you write your name on a list? I don't get it... sigh.

[Jhan423]

Does anyone know how it works for females who are born after 1988? Since military service doesn't apply, is it still possible for us to get F4s or do we also have to get dual citizenship? I was born in the states and there's no way Korea would have any record of me in the hojuk. My dad's not even sure if he's still registered somewhere in Korea since he immigrated here in the early 70s with his entire family (same with my mom).

I was really looking forward to having the benefits of the F4 visa when I go out next year...

[viciousdinosaur]

Interesting to here about the exemptions being given out. What I had heard is males born after 1988 needed to complete their military service and there wasn't really a way around this.

For the girls, you are talking about a different issue. You need to renounce your Korean citizenship before applying for an F-4, since that would be redundant for a citizen to need permanent residence.

[pikadoopoo]

flapjacky, I put my name on my family registry back in December, so the fine details are a little blurry. But I did ask for the application papers from my consulate. You should call them! Make sure you have a copy of your birth certificate too.

Jhan423, it doesn't matter if you're female/not on the hojuk. You'll still have to apply for dual citizenship like viciousdinosaur said, but you have the option of renouncing it after you do all that. Guys have to wait until they turn 36.

About military exemption - Yeah, it's possible. But it's not really an 'exemption,' but rather a deferment that lasts until one turns 36, which is the cutoff age for enlistment.

[Ibsen]

I was born in 1989 and managed to get an F-4 Visa... I am not on the family registry, but my mother was. She had to renounce her citizenship to Korea which allowed me to get the F-4 Visa. I am male as well, and didn't have to fill out any military exemption forms (although my father is not Korean, so this may be the reason why). After I got an original copy of my hojuk from Korea, it was a fairly painless process, just a few visits to the consulate in LA and my visa and put into my passport. I don't know if my situation would apply to you since only my mother was a Korean citizen and I was allowed the F-4 for being a direct descendent of a Korean rather than a Korean citizen myself, but I thought I'd post anyway just in case it would help.

[peterpan1110]

all this stems from the bullshit dual citizenships that was written into law in 2010... it basically screwed gyopos born after 1988, especially all the males who now ineligible for the f-4 visa... yes, this law really ticks me off because it screwed a whole bunch of people over so a few people could get their dual citizenship...

well, anyways, i was in the same situation as you guys. I went to the LA consulate and they adamantly rejected any possibility of me getting an e2 or an f4 visa simply because I was born after May of 1988 (RIDICULOUS REALLY)... but i stubbornly went to korea with a job offer thinking that I would not be able to get a visa, but i got an e-2 without any problems in korea... i was still rejected an f-4 though...

so the answer to your question is: yes, you can still go by getting an e-2 IN KOREA (had to go on a visa run to japan)... don't go to the LA consulate, they are a bunch of incompetent fools who have no idea what they are doing. they just spew out wrong information left and right and caused me a lot of unnecessary trouble...

really, though, still pissed off that I can't get an f-4 though...

i just can't get over it, the dual citizenship rules are just plain ridiculous...

[newb]

[sixpence]

Thanks, everyone, for your the help and input.

I'm having the same exact problems with the Los Angeles Korean Consulate, peterpan1110. They constantly misinform me, and when I get frustrated with them for giving me incorrect information and constantly bouncing me back and forth between clerks, they get catty with me.

After waiting 2 months for my dual citizenship thingy (written in Korean, so I can't really say what it is), another clerk informed me that I was doing the wrong thing this whole time and am ineligible to work in Korea after all... after getting mad at her, she told me she'd double check and call me back. Keeping my fingers crossed

[mrmarsit]

This is the most helpful and informative post I have ever seen on this forum.
I would like to thank you all for giving me hope.

People helping people.

[alongway]

My guess is the reason SMOE can't hire you for their english teacher positions is because if they could hire korean citizens, they might not be able to justify hiring other westerners anymore. It might have to do with government regulations.

As far as having dual citizenship goes.. if you want to come and live and work in Korea and you speak Korean well, take the regular teachers exam and become a real Korean teacher.

They start off around the same as an E2 and after a few years are making a lot more.

[amoonbot]

SMOE is a sinking ship anyways. In the past, SMOE did hire a few dual citizens but decided to discontinue it because it was "too complicated".

The regular teacher's exam here is extremely difficult and competitive. You would require perfect fluency and years of study in that area.

If you have family or a temporary place to stay in Korea, you could always fly over and look for jobs. Since you're a citizen of Korea, you have a lot more places you can apply to. Of course, it's always a gamble, but there are always hagwons on Korean Job Forums such as Job Korea who hire specifically gyopos regardless of dual citizenship.

[imiiini]

Sorry for bumping this old thread but...

I've just been informed that I am also a dual citizen and must apply for a Korean passport etc.

What steps did everyone take for this ??
FYI, I am currently in Korea right now on the tourist visa, and am female born in 1989.

Problem is, I just agreed to a contract from a school who said they would sponsor the E2 visa for me .. What kind of complications would come from this?


Because technically.. I have no way of proving that I am the person on my family registry LOL
All my American documents have my English name on them, and my family registry only has my Korean name on it AND my grandpa put the wrong birthdate on the Korean family registry, so there's a discrepancy there too..

Couldn't that help me in still receiving the E2? If I deny any/all ties to that? How could they prove that I am a dual citizen... right?