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Korean Job Discussion Forums
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camel96
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 Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2003 6:30 pm Post subject: |
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Do you really have your heart set on Korea???
Was this job in Seoul?
If you decide to come over to Korea and sort out the mess yourself - I think this is the cheapest hotel in Seoul - www.seoulbackpackers.com
I've never stayed there. maybe it sucks but you can get beds from 10,000won approx. |
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elizabethjane
Joined: 04 Jul 2003
Location: Suwon
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| Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2003 6:31 pm Post subject: |
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| This job was in Cheongju |
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Bulsajo
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2003 6:38 pm Post subject: |
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| elizabethjane wrote: |
| But this was not the first incident of this kind.... |
Well, it's too late to dwell on that now. You have some hard decisions to make. Gord's suggestions were very good, you could 1) follow them and hope that your determination will overcome any future obstacles with the school, or 2) write Korea off as a loss and start making alternate plans like China or Taiwan and try Korea again in a year, or 3) sit tight, see which way the wind blows, get in touch with the embassy and EFL-Law. |
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elizabethjane
Joined: 04 Jul 2003
Location: Suwon
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| Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2003 6:39 pm Post subject: |
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| Do I have to wait for a year, or is my visa expired after 3 months if I don't go to Korea? |
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Jasmine
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Hongkers!
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| Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2003 7:12 pm Post subject: |
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| Korea ain't all that - why not try Taiwan or China for a year and then go to Korea when your visa expires? |
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waterbaby
Joined: 01 Feb 2003
Location: Baking Gord a Cheescake pie
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| Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2003 7:43 pm Post subject: |
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elizabethjane... because your E2 Visa has been issued, you need a letter of release from your employer before you can legally work elsewhere. If the school won't give it to you, you're in trouble. But they may also run into trouble if they want to hire another teacher.
It's a waiting game at the moment. Your recruiter/school cannot keep your diploma. If they won't return it, contact the Canadian embassy in Korea... http://www.korea.gc.ca/aboutus/find.us.e.html
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[The Canadian Embassy in Seoul
Kolon Bldg 9th Floor, 45 Mukyo-dong, Chung-ku,
CPO Box 6299, Seoul, Korea
Tel: 822-3455-6000
Fax: 822-755-0686
Business Hours
Monday to Friday, 8:00AM to 4:30 PM
Immigration Section
Reception Hour : Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 11:30 AM and 1:00 to 3:00 PM
Consular Services
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday : from 9:00AM to 11:00AM and from 2:00PM to 4:00PM
Wednesday : from 2:00PM to 4:00PM / Friday : from 9:00AM to 11:00AM
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I don't know if they can help, but I've heard of teachers telling their embassy that the school is holding onto their passport and a quick call to their employer has set things straight. Might work for diplomas as well. |
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JackSarang
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2003 9:03 pm Post subject: |
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| Gord wrote: |
Look at it from their point of view. Most teachers can fly from Canada for $1000 to $1500, and this is what they expected. Now suddenly the teacher then says "ok, the ticket will cost $3000." Whoa, time out. Then instead of saying "it's because I live in the middle of nowhere on the far side of the country", you went on the attack and blamed them for not buying the ticket sooner. News flash sweetheart, these days tickets aren't cheaper when you buy a month in advance due to low ticket sales. |
Did you even read the thread before you spouted such apologist crap? First of all, the agreement was that the school/recruiter would arrange the ticket/airfare. Next they tell her that they have sent her a ticket. The ticket fails to materialize and she asks them whats up? They then tell her that she has to buy the ticket and can't spend more than $1000 cdn. With less than a week before the flight date she can't find anything that cheap. (No kidding, a flight from Toronto to New York with less than a weeks notice costs $1200 cdn). The school comes back with a less than reasonable offer. Then the recruiter calls her greedy and is likely going to steal her diploma.
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| Not a good first imperssion. The first time something goes wrong, instead of compromising or working towards a resolution, you start casting blame. Now you are surprised that after you go on the offensive and insult them that they return the favour? |
Who lied to whom? They jerked her around from the beginning. Who failed to make a good impression? You pompous jackass.
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| If I was you and had done what you've done, this is what I would do. "Guys, I'm sorry I acted out. I should have told that I live on the far side of Canada and live in the middle of no where, so airfare costs are pretty high. Make you a deal, you pick up the cost of flying me from Toronto and I'll pay to get myself to Toronto. I really want to work with you guys and I'm really sorry for my actions." |
Yeah, your reading comprehension is stellar. The price of the ticket, which apparently they didn't have the foresight to look into over all the time they've been dealing with her is not because she's in Newfoundland. The high price of the ticket is because of the short departure date. Airfares spike considerably if there is less than a week between booking and departure.
She did nothing wrong in this case. The school was supposed to provide the ticket, they had ample time to do so and provide one at the basic fair. They failed to do so. They also blatantly lied about doing so in an attempt to extort the airfare from her. |
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JackSarang
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2003 9:10 pm Post subject: |
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| schwa wrote: |
| Your situation is complicated & some of the advice above would be very risky if you followed it. I dont think just showing up is an option for you at this point. a) youre already stamped E2 so youre not gonna get a tourist visa too & b) once youre here you'd be vulnerable to the first contractor delaying or denying your release. Working illegally is not a good option. |
There is nothing stopping her from entering Korea on a tourist Visa. Just because she has an E-2 stamped into her passport. She'll get an automatic 90 day Visa stamped just for stepping off the plane. Unless of course all those teachers doing midnight runs and returning to Korea on tourist visas still with valid E2's in their passport are a massive myth.
For Elizabeth:
Please post the name of the recruiter you used and the name of the school. |
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Gord
Joined: 25 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2003 10:03 pm Post subject: |
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| JackSarang wrote: |
| Did you even read the thread before you spouted such apologist crap? |
Well, yes.
Further, I fail to see the value in suggesting that I had not read the thread (as this message will clearly demonstrate I had and in fact it was you who are making judgements on what you think you read and happened) while taking my workable solution and simply labelling it as being apologist.
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| First of all, the agreement was that the school/recruiter would arrange the ticket/airfare. |
This is true.
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| Next they tell her that they have sent her a ticket. The ticket fails to materialize and she asks them whats up? They then tell her that she has to buy the ticket and can't spend more than $1000 cdn. |
These are not true.
The phoned her and said to arrange for a ticket for less than $1300 but the best she could do was managing to get a ticket for $2000.
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| With less than a week before the flight date she can't find anything that cheap. (No kidding, a flight from Toronto to New York with less than a weeks notice costs $1200 cdn). The school comes back with a less than reasonable offer. Then the recruiter calls her greedy and is likely going to steal her diploma. |
That's lovely. I can buy a round trip plane ticket from Inchon to San Francisco for less than $800 Canadian. A round trip ticket from Penticton To Vancouver is $200, but Penticton to Victoria (less than 100km further away) costs upwards of $500.
Your example serves only to distract from the basis of the discussion.
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| Who lied to whom? They jerked her around from the beginning. Who failed to make a good impression? You pompous jackass. |
I fail to see the value in tossing insults at me for things you think I'm choosing to ignore when the simple reality is that they did not happen, and are clearly available for all to read. Your hostility towards me is unwarranted.
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| Yeah, your reading comprehension is stellar. |
Your attention to the number of things you quoted wrong in this message alone please.
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| The price of the ticket, which apparently they didn't have the foresight to look into over all the time they've been dealing with her is not because she's in Newfoundland. The high price of the ticket is because of the short departure date. Airfares spike considerably if there is less than a week between booking and departure. |
Ironically, this is not true anymore.
I plugged in a departure date with Air Canada for Friday a couple days ago. Cost: $1900 and change. Then I plugged in a date for August 20, $2200 and change.
I can buy a ticket tomorrow for Vancouver for less than a thousand or for less than $1500 to Toronto. The further east you go and the cost of using a second trip via a regional airline to smaller cities adds up.
You may wish to discuss this with your travel agent and learn how the airline industry works these days.
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| She did nothing wrong in this case. The school was supposed to provide the ticket, they had ample time to do so and provide one at the basic fair. They failed to do so. They also blatantly lied about doing so in an attempt to extort the airfare from her. |
Your conclusion is based on events that did not occur.
Last edited by Gord on Fri Aug 01, 2003 10:07 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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rudyflyer
Joined: 26 Feb 2003
Location: pacing the cage
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| Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2003 10:07 pm Post subject: |
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| enough of the arguing folks, stick to the topic... |
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camel96
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2003 10:39 pm Post subject: |
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Hey Gord how's the availability on those flights you've listed for tomorrow?
There are some dirt cheap fares out there all over the world but availability at short notice is the catch. Recently Singapore Airlines had a deal where you could buy a return ticket to Singapore from Australia with 2 nights free accom for $380 Australian / Canadian (approx) dollars. Could anyone get seats? Absolutely not. They sold just enough seats to be legally allowed to advertise it at that price, most of which ended up going to friends of airline staff and people in the know. When the poor old Elizabeth Janes of the world go in and say "I want one of those cheap tickets" the airline says "All we have left is three times the price" |
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elizabethjane
Joined: 04 Jul 2003
Location: Suwon
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| Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2003 1:17 am Post subject: |
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Hi guys,
Thanks for everything.
So nothing is stopping me from getting a new job, entering Korea, and going to Japan on a visa run?
I waited 9 hours and still no word from the recruiter as what can be done.
In a previous email to him, I said I wasn't sure I wanted to work for the school because of the existing hostility, to which he replied,
"Hostility ? How can you use this word to us? We have been doing our best to find a ticket.
But you said hostility? Don't you think you are too greedy? You want just air ticket even though it is really expensive. I also want to work with more understanding prospective teacher who can think about other people."
I am greedy????? Since when was wanting what is on your contract being greedy??? I'm sure a big school with such an "amazing reputation" that has been open for "x" amount of years can afford to pay the extra $800.
It is a little harder for me to even pay the $442.50. And affordability is not the point.
If the contract says they will pay the airfare.....in full.....they will pay the airfare.
If not, I won't be working there.....simple as that. |
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elizabethjane
Joined: 04 Jul 2003
Location: Suwon
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| Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2003 3:13 am Post subject: |
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| But can one be cancelled? |
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schwa
Joined: 18 Jan 2003
Location: Yap
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| Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2003 4:19 am Post subject: |
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If you play by the book, Korean immigration policy is usually easy & straightforward. As soon as you start getting into gray areas, policy decisions start to become more arbitrary & unpredictable. Your predicament definitely qualifies as gray zone.
Folks here are trying to be helpful to you but its not unusual for 2 people in similar situations to end up with very different outcomes regarding visa matters. This forum has its uses but definitive information about immigration is not one of them. You need primary source information -- efl-law, the immigration website, embassies.
Then you need to take the personal initiative to make what you want happen. No one on Daves can step forward & say just do this, this, & that, & everything will be lovely. Theres some good advice here but you need to assemble it yourself into a workable scenario. Your situation is salvageable with effort. I do wish you luck. |
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Harpeau
Joined: 01 Feb 2003
Location: Coquitlam, BC
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| Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2003 4:27 am Post subject: |
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If you want an awesome recruiter, contact the Stunted Wookie here on Dave's. He's from Nova Scotia and is an awesome guy. Lives in Pusan. I would highly reccomend him.
Tell him Harpo sent ya!
Harpeau |
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