Korean Job Discussion Forums

[krissy123]

Hi, I just arrived in S.Korea, and started my new job yesterday. I was told before coming here that there would be four other foreign teachers at my school, but I found out that there are not. I am the only one. This is upsetting for me, as I am not the best at meeting people, and wanted to be able to have co-workers that were English. The class sizes are also bigger than they told me.
I would like to know if there is any way I can get out of this. Yes, I signed a contract, but I was lied to, so does that not count for something? As well, I do not have my visa yet, I am supposed to be going to Japan this week to get it, so if I don't have my visa yet, am I tied down to them? It's possible that the visa process has begun, but I do not have it yet.
Can they really get me in trouble if I back out since they got me to start work before getting a visa? Wouldn't that get them in trouble also? I would pay them back the plane ticket fare too, because I don't want to cheat them.
Any help or advice would be appreciated, I am quite upset about this. Thanks!

[cubanlord]

I'm sorry that you are going through this. If you plan on going back to your home country, then pack up and leave. No one can stop you. However, if you want to work somewhere else in Korea, you will have to get your letter of release. Good luck and best wishes.

[Ya-ta Boy]

It's possible that your first problem is that you are working before you have a work visa. This is potentially a big problem, not for them, but for you. If Immi found out and wanted to be nasty, you could be in trouble.

It isn't clear from your post who 'they' are. Is 'they' a recruiting agency, a hakwon, a public school?

If you're going to stand up to them, now is the time, before you get your work visa.

[jlb]

Would she need a letter of release if she doesn't have her visa yet?

[ttompatz]

[BigBuds]

You will also want to go to your local immigration office to make sure that they haven't started your visa process. If they have, ask immigration very nicely to cancel it (they don't like doing this but they will do it so be nice to them). If you don't have your visa process cancelled, once your visa issuance number is issued you'll have a lot harder time getting that cancelled.

Also, tell immigration what happened (BUT DON"T TELL THEM ABOUT WORKING WITHOUT A VISA, THAT WILL GET YOU IN TROUBLE) so your employer can't make up bullsh*t stories about you to cause you trouble.

[TML1976]

You do not have a visa therefore they cannot enforce shit and you don't need a letter of release. They can't black list a person that does not have a visa. They wouldn't do it anyways as it would be bad for them. BigBuds also has a good point, go to the immi office and cancel the process, tell them that you just changed your mind for the time being. and that you will try back in a couple of months, or better yet say there was a family emergency and that you need to go back home asap to be with your family. whatever it takes to cancel it.

If you are a good, honest person that believes in good/bad karma then pay back the airfare and then go, however, I'm not so I suggest you run. They lied to you and this is just the beginning.

Go back home and come back in a couple of months. If you want a good job pm me and I will hook you up with one. Its a bit outside of seoul (74 kilometers in Anseong-si) but its close enough that you can go there every weekend if you wanted and there are about 6 or 7 other natives that work here too (at different schools, not yours but we meet often).

the job I can get you is at a public school and its much better than the hagwon bullshit people have to put up with.

Good luck

[tomato]

Hello, Krissy!

There is an immigration office right here in Suweon.

Also, there are lots of foreign teachers in Suweon, and foreign teachers in most Korean cities are a closely-knit group.

Also, there are lots of English schools right here in Suweon. You might be able to get another job right here in Suweon in time for your visa run.

Try running a resume saying that you are already in Suweon and you are looking for a job in Suweon.

[krissy123]

Hi, thanks guys for the replies! They were helpful! I was just wondering one more thing...if I go to the immigration office and ask to cancel the application, will I get in trouble for coming to Korean as a tourist even though I was coming for work? Also, I talked to my recruiter and I asked if it was possible for the application to be cancelled because she said it would be ready in a day or two (thus, not ready yet) but she said no, that wasn't possible...is she lying to me?
Also, does anyone know where in Suwon the immigration office is?
Thank you!

[Vollrath]

YES!!!! They're all lying to you.

1) The recruiter will do or say ANYTHING to keep you at that school thus ensuring his or her blood money.

2) The school will do or say anything to keep you because it takes time and money to find another teacher.

This should serve as an object lesson to both the recruiter and the school about how NOT to go about their bizz, but of course, the lesson will be lost on all involved because they have no souls.

The important thing is to get yourself OUT of that situation ASAP. Stop the visa process yourself, get in a taxi and get the translation service working for you to find the office you need to go to. Luckily you're in a satellite of Seoul, so you won't have any problems. Just do it now, because if it's already this bad from the get go, who knows how bad it will be 6 months later?

[denverdeath]

http://www.immigration.go.kr/indeximmeng.html

Suwon Immigration Office: Suwon, Gunpo, Euiwang, Osan, Icheon, Yongin, Anseong, Gwangju, Hwaseong, Yangpyung, Yeoju: #919-6, kuun-dong, Gwonseon-gu, Suwon: T. 031-278-3311 F. 031-278-3326

Suwon Immigration Office: Osan Branch Office Osan Air Base San # 5 Shinjang-dong Pyongtaek-si Gyonggi-do, Inside Osan Air Base(K-55): T. 031-666-2677 F. 031-666-7387

Suwon Immigration Office: Pyoungtaek Branch Office Pyoungtaek Manho-ri570 Poseung-myoun, Pyoung taek-si, Kyoung gi-do 570: T. 031-683-6937 F. 031-6832-1794

I'm assuming that the first office is the one you're looking for unless you're living in Pyoung-taek City.

[denverdeath]

Here's the Korean(might be easier to show a taxi driver):

수원 출입국관리사무소

경기도: 군포시, 의왕시, 수원시, 용인시, 오산시, 이천시, 안성시, 화성시(평택항 제외), 광주시, 양평군, 여주군

수원시 권선구 구운동 919-6

T. 031-278-3311
F. 031-278-3326




수원 출입국관리사무소

오산출장소

오산군용비행장 출입국심사전담
경기도 평택시 신장동 산 5 (오산공군비행장(K-55) 구내)

T. 031-666-2677
F. 031-666-7387




수원 출입국관리사무소

평택출장소

평택시(오산군용비행장 제외), 평택항

경기도 평택시 포승면 만호리 570

T. 031-683-6937
F. 031-6832-1794

[oldfatfarang]

Sorry you started your TESL career this way. I believe that if they lied to you about issues that specifically concerned you, things are NOT GOING TO GET BETTER while you are working at THAT school. Things will only get much worse. My experience here suggests you should leave and find another job.
Sadly, Korea is a country built on lies. Lying is endemic in Korean society. Koreans just say (and do) what they can get away with. It works for them, but is very stressful for us innocent 'foreigners'.

[jinju]

[Hotpants]

Starting work before you got your E2 was a big NO NO. You should have done your research beforehand to find out the pitfalls that can follow this situation.

Also, you say you are not sure if your visa process has even been started. You MUST first find out where are your application documents. Has immigration received an application from your hogwan or not? Sometimes employers don't actually submit an application to immigration. They drag their teachers into a prolonged spiral of illegal unemployment which gets harder for the teacher to extracate themselves from the longer it goes on.

If no, you should just tell your hogwan to sod off and stop employing teachers without visas. Then, go look for another job.

If yes, then it could be tricky if you want out quickly. You will have to try and cancel the application and make sure you have your diploma handed back if the school or immi currently has it. But, probably easier than trying to cancel an E2 if you go and get it.

Also, I would like to try and offer you a word of encouragement that if you come to a foreign country, it can sometimes be more rewarding just hanging out with the locals than just connecting with a purely ex-pat group. I wouldn't base my entire decision on a job as to whether there are other foreign teachers present or not. If you are in any big town, it is easy to meet other foreigners at nightclubs and bars in anycase.

Good luck, but sort your problem out quickly. Don't continue to work for employers without a visa for a single moment longer.