Korean Job Discussion Forums

[philinkorea]

hi

in my last month on my contract. due to my month vacation me and my boss agreed to extend a month but he seems in no hurry to do it. mine finished end of february but i want to extend to the end of march. just wanted to check if this is actually really easy or if problems could be involved.

has been a really cool running year, dont want this to screw me up now

[PolyChronic Time Girl]

You can go to immigration yourself and extend your visa...bring your contract and ARC...but be prepared...they charged me 30,000 won for a three week extension. Last year my boss called immigration and they automatically granted me an extension. Different immigrations, different rules. If your boss is too lazy, go yourself. Don't wait till the last minute to extend your visa or they might not give it to you (at least a few weeks).

[philinkorea]

what is ARC? also my contract says i finish end of feb, we have just agreed to extend. yes my boss is a sound guy but is really lazy so i should probably go myself.

thanks for your help

[PolyChronic Time Girl]

Your boss should call immigration to extend your visa...but many bosses still don't know immigration rules. Your ARC is your Alien Registration Card...bring that to immigration along with your contract (so they can see what date you finish)....I went to Seoul immigration and since I did not have my boss with me, they charged me 30,000 won for a three week extension. Oh, and also remember to fill out the extension form at the counter before visiting an immigration official...I had the frustrating experience of being sent back in line because I did not have the extension form filled out before I talked to an immigration official. Seoul immigration sucks...so if you are in a smaller city it will probably be easier. Once immigration grants you an extension, they will write your new visa expiry date on the back of your Alien Registration Card. Hope that helps....PM me if you have any more questions.
Oh, and be prepared when you talk to the immigration official. She/he will probably look at your ARC and say that you are not eligible for an extenstion. Just say that you will pay 30,000 won and they will most likely give it to you (they like to make money)
All this should be done immediately if your boss is being too lazy to make the call. If your boss simply calls and says that you are putting in an extra month, you'll probably get the extension free and probably won't have to go down to the immigration office.

[quiksilver]

Does anyone know if there is a limit to these extensions. Three weeks? A month? Six weeks?

[Dawn]

In our area, at least, extensions are based on the amount of extra time you actually need. I signed on for a second year at a hagwon and got a one-year extension, no questions asked. Another teacher wanted to stay just five months beyond his original contract, and they extended accordingly.

[philinkorea]

ok
my boss did wait till the end telling me no probs etc.. i went today but too busy so going on monday to extend an extra month until end of march. am i likely to encounter problems or will all be okay. i have the relevant docs etc