Korean Job Discussion Forums

taejonguy · Joined: 14 Jan 2003 Location: Daejeon, Korea

Okay...I know there are several people on the board that work for a company. Here is my situation.

I have worked for slightly over 6 years with a company here in Daejeon. I was originally hired strictly to teach English but over the years I have been called upon to do more and more other duties. At present I work a 40 hour week with about half dedicated to teaching. Last week I was informed they will be hiring a new language instructor and I will be doing other duties- mostly with the Overseas Projects Dept. They also asked me to help find my replacement... Very Happy

So, since I will no longer be teaching what do I do with respect to my Visa? I renewed it in December but I will have to change it immediately, right? What type of Visa should it be? I am married to a Korean so I can do the F2 thing (have not yet as it was not benficial with the job I have now). If it matters at all; I am a Canadian citizen.

Any help is greatly appreciated and I will be happy to discuss the joys of company life if you want to PM me.

Cheers!

Flossie · Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2005 6:52 pm Post subject:

My advice, which will probably be shot down by a few others, is if everything is legit, just go to immigration and ask them what to do.

I recently had to change my status, checked it all out on the internet and thought I had it right. I made an appointment through immigrations website and took everything I thought I needed. I had a complicated situation: quitting work, studying for a bit then changing my study type and studying a bit more then changing back to work again.

I told the guy exactly what I wanted to do and he asked a few questions and gave me a much better option. No travel overseas to get visas approved, fewer visits to immigration, fewer documents needed, all in all a much simpler solution to my problem.

If it is all legit and you are open and honest with them they will help you (contrary to what others have said). If you make an appointment with them you have fifteen minutes. Quite a long time actually if you have prepared your information logically.

Good luck

tzechuk · Joined: 20 Dec 2004

Why wouldn't a F-2 be beneficial? With a F-2, you don't need a visa to work at all because you are allowed to work, you just need to go to the immigration and get *permission* to work. I am still my husband's vice president and I don't get the E-7 anymore because I have a *permission to work* thingy stamp in my passport.

Daechidong Waygookin · Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2005 7:11 pm Post subject:

Captain Corea · Joined: 28 Feb 2005 Location: Seoul

tzechuk · Joined: 20 Dec 2004

Derrek · Joined: 15 Jan 2003

Just want to say congrats, dude. Sounds cool.

Daechidong Waygookin · Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2005 7:10 pm Post subject:

taejonguy · Joined: 14 Jan 2003 Location: Daejeon, Korea

First of all thanks for the help...

Second of all...I have been at this company for over six years. I would have to say it is legit.

You do not have to work in a hagwan to have an E-2. An E-2 is a teaching visa. I was (and still am for now) attached to the Human Resources dept. and basically I am a corporate trainer in language.. As long as my main duties (there was some percentage, maybe 75% but I am no longer sure) were instructing the employees in English I was fine. However we "bent" the rules a bit the last two years as I would say language instruction makes up less than 50% of my time.

I also meant that since I had an E-2 visa already before I married and simply was renewing every year, AND since the company is fair, it was not necessary to get an F-2. It may be the best solution at this point however. If I was not married I would now need an E-7 visa, right?

Finally, after 2 years in hagwans I was able to land this job. It is with the Korean National Water Utility and they treat me like gold. I am VERY VERY lucky to be here and I know it. The only drawback is the 8 hour day (8-5) but hey that's just like a real job flipping burgers, right? Very Happy

Because they are a gov't company though there are a huge set of complex regulations that cannot be negotiated. For example, I can share a house with co-workers, I can "borrow" 40,000,000 Won for key money but I cannot get a monthly housing allowance. Since I own my own apartment I lose out on the company provided housing....oh we, c'est la vie!

Thanks again and...we will be hiring to replace me (PM me!)

tzechuk · Joined: 20 Dec 2004

Yes, E-7 would seem to be the most likely choice... but I would really just sooner get an F-2 than an E visa... I stopped getting one after I got married. It was actually a bit easier to get permission to work because there was less paperwork.