Korean Job Discussion Forums

Aussiekimchi · Joined: 21 Apr 2006 Location: SYDNEY

Like most Immigration stories, there is absolutely no consistency and everyone's experiences vary.
This is because in reality, Immigration operate with the same lack of consistency.
The transcripts 3 month thing is true ...well one day it will be true the next it won't.
We did have a 5 month transcript rejected and then a few days later it was accepted. These are not rumours...they happen.
I have never read any posting from any person on this forum about Immigration that I wasn't prepared to believe. Simply because you never know what crap the offices in Korea and around the world will dish out to you each day.

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

lastat06513 · Posted: Sat Aug 12, 2006 8:40 pm Post subject:

What it comes to is having ultimate control; Subordinates subserviant to Superiors.
But the sad part is that this is all brought on by public demands to control the amount of foreigners coming to work and to limit the exposure Koreans have towards foreigners within Korean boundries, especially the youth. That is to control the influence foreigners have on Koreans as to protect Korean tradition and values.
They view that if they allow an onslaught of people into the country to teach and do other jobs, they fear their way of life would become extinct, This thinking becomes more important especially now after a popular government has finally come to office after 40 years of autocratic rule came to an end in 1992. For the first time in Korean history, Koreans finally feel they have control of their own land.
So one of the first things they do is to try to kick out all the undesirables coming to Korea under the guise of teaching. Whose to blame them for doing so.
But in the same time, they risk alienating the truly qualified from working here and preventing those who want to work here.
By blocking people from working here on the cloak of various policies, Korea will get the reputation as one of the most unwelcoming places to work and set up business, and this won't help if they are trying to attract foreign investment.
And as I mentioned before in one of my other posts; The people coming to teach today might become investors or people who can become powerful lobbyists in favor of Korea later. To crap on them now would be of great disadvantage to them.

This is where the saying "Never bite the hand that helps you" come to play, because it might be Korea who will be hurt in the end...

hellofaniceguy · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Location: On your computer screen!

What is wrong with korean immigration...where is their brain housing group.....up their rear ends.....they can't agree on anything.....and what is wrong with using transcripts that were already approved for the original visa? I mean...if one is renewing...common sense should be shouting....."we don't need new transcripts as you were already approved prior or something along those lines."
What happen to work smarter...not harder?

Louis · Joined: 17 Jan 2006 Location: USA

You better be paying your student loans then...don't pay your student loan and you can't get your transcript, at least since the mid 90's. I took student loans out between 90 and 93. I didn't pay on them for awhile and when I tried to get my transcript the university told me no way. After going around and around with them and making them show me a signed loan contract that said they could do it, they backed down. Mainly because there was nothing in the contract.

This really seems like a BS rule.

Wishmaster · Joined: 06 Feb 2003

Yes, Koreans can't accept anything...no matter how trivial...that might be a threat to them. It definitely irks them that they have absolutely no control over foreigners. If foreigners don't want to teach English because of an asshole hagwon power tripper, they can be on the next plane to Thailand....and it really pisses them off. Once you learn this, it makes you pretty cavalier in your dealings with the haggie power trippers. The main thing that I will tell you is to save, save, save money...that is your armor against some asshole that tries to impose his will on you. Once you have a sufficient amount, Korea becomes tolerable because you realize how much control and freedom YOU have...

John Henry · Joined: 24 Sep 2004

The three month rule happened to me as well.

It was maybe three months ago when I changed jobs after finishing my contract. Was told that my old - certified by the Korean consulate - transcripts were no longer valid because they were too old. Completely ass-ed backwards logic, but it happened.

It was through the Busan immi office, and at a time where they had just busted a big group of uni teachers who had Kho San Road degrees. So...maybe that had something ot do with it.

But really, it makes Korea look retarted when they pull things like that.

lastat06513 · Posted: Sun Aug 13, 2006 7:38 pm Post subject:

Now this is between you and me (and the rest of the people on the board).

Ok, so immigrations has started a new rule that states that transcripts are to be issued no later than 3 months or else they are invalid.

And by the sound of things, some people seem to indicate that you have no date on your transcripts or at least on the envelope. This would present an opportunity rather than a hinderance.

As many of us can see, there are alot of places where you can get signature stamps made, some of them as souvenirs. Now what is to stop an enterprising young person from going to one of these places and having a date-issued stamp made, find some black ink and stamping the envelope?

Problem solved......

After living in Korea for 10 years and teaching for 6 of those years, I have found that having a work visa to have its ups and downs;

Ups- Medical insurance (easily replaced by AIG once you start making some money), pension plan (which many people won't get at all and some won't get until they leave there).

Downs- Locked-in employment (sometimes with sucky employers), still have limited rights under Korean law, and Bureaucracy at its very best- Korean style

I think that the hurdles immigrations makes people jump through is sometimes not worth the effort.

Remember, they need us, we don't need them. It is easy for us to move on to other places then it is for them to find people now. And with the new policy, it sounds like the turn-around time from application to visa-in-hand is alot longer than it was before. Trust me, they might be able to find people, but with the way institutes treat their staff, it will only be a matter of time before this steady stream of people starts to dry up. Then what will happen to Korea?

babtangee · Posted: Sun Aug 13, 2006 7:39 pm Post subject:

dogshed · Joined: 28 Apr 2006

dogshed · Joined: 28 Apr 2006

I found two $30 rebate checks on my desk from a year ago that said they expired in 90 days.

For giggles I deposited them at the Bank of America ATM so a teller would not see them. I figure if they are processed in batch mode the date would have a greater chance of being overlooked. So far they have not taken the money out of my account.

Not going to the teller may have helped or may not have.

What kinds of human issues effect the visa process?