Korean Job Discussion Forums

[sammyd]

Hey there,

I have been in Korea for a year now and have hooked up with a new boss of a new school. Anyway, we are trying to make a contract with only a monthly salary (no bonus, airfares, housing etc) as that is what we both want. Obviously the benefits are built into the monthly salary.

My question is, what MUST be in a contract in order to get an E2 visa?
Do you have to have severance pay, medical, housing etc?

Also - 3 million/ month for 2-8 mon-fri. Is this what you would expect for no benefits?

Cheers

[VanIslander]

If you and your director are going to make an agreement under the table and ignore the official contract anyways, why not put in the whole shebang? Housing, bonus, whatever. Just get a dummy contract from someone and just copy the details.

3 million a month with no benefits? That's alright compared to your standard 2 mill contract plus benefits.

Return airfare is a lump sum, less than 100,000/mo when averaged out over 12 months, a bonus is like another 140,000/mo, medical less than 100,000/mo... and housing to range from (300,000 to 600,000 on average, depending on the area of Korea).

I would go for something like that, in fact I would've if I'd the legal option.
Good luck.

[prosodic]

I could be wrong, but my understanding is that the wording of the contract has little or nothing to do with the visa application. What matters is 1) whether or not you as a teacher have the diploma, transcripts, and passport required and 2) whether or not there is a contract from a school that has the right to sponsor.

Lots of people are working with E2 visas and illegal contracts. Wouldn't it be great, though, if consulates refused to issue visas for contracts that aren't up to snuff.

I noticed that VanIslander based return airfare on a trip to North America or some place similarly distant from Korea. If you're already in Korea, then the employer is really only required to pay for a visa run. That would be a 300,000 won flight to Japan and maybe a hotel for one night. If the employer is really nice, ask him to compensate you as if he were providing a flight to your home country, but understand that he's being perfectly reasonable if he wants to compensate you for a visa run only.

One caveat I would mention for an all cash deal is medical insurance. If you can get health insurance without employer sponsorship, then that's great. If not, I would rather get paid a little less and have insurance than run the risks of having to pay millions of won for emergency care in case of an accident.

The other caveat is taxation. If it's going to be all under the table and unreported, then this doesn't matter. Otherwise, keep in mind that you don't get taxed on employer-provided housing, you don't get taxed on the employer's share of medical insurance premiums, you don't get taxed on airfare reimbursement or if they just buy the ticket for you.

[sammyd]

Thanks guys.

I think I'll just copy a contract, get the medical added on and take it from there. Thanks for the help.

[Zyzyfer]

Yea, make sure you hire someone who isn't fresh off the boat. That's a good salary who someone who's established and has their own place or who knows how to take care of finding an apartment and everything, but it'd be a pain to get a fob in on that.

[jaykimf]

My contract has my salary, the number of classes I teach and the dates. That's it. The rest, as you say is built into the salary. No problems. Nothing else is required.

[Michelle]

Hey There,

I heard a clever tip - that is put a clause in your contract.

'Non payment of wages after the first month of work (or in any month) equals cancellation of the work contract.'

I like the sound of it. After all, if they are not going to put it in, why not?