Korean Job Discussion Forums

[milarka]

I will be returning to South Africa in 3 months after my first year in Korea. Before I came I booked a return ticket with a travel agency in SA. Initially the return date was one month after arrival (since I didn't have a visa and came here "on vacation". doesn't everybody?). Within the first week the travel agent changed my return date to a year after arrival, but now suddenly she tells me I have to pay half of the ticket as mine was only valid for three months. I feel like screaming in her face endlessly now, but that's not your problem.
What I would like to know, is how does everybody organise their plane tickets (especially since I'm coming back in January)? Really, what do you do, because I pressume you can't show immigration a ticket with a return date of one year later while claiming to come and 'visit a friend'.
Any advice would help, please.

[huffdaddy]

[milarka]

Sorry if it's confusing. The trouble is with my ticket back, but that's largely the fault of the travel agency and probably my ignorance. This is why I don't want to make the same mistake again.
Thanks for the comment anyway.

[Novernae]

The best thing to do would be to come in on a work visa, that way you don't need to present a ticket out when you come in. If, however you can't do this and you are coming in on a tourist visa, the best thing to do would be to buy a refundable ticket somewhere to get into the country. Having a ticket out is all you need, regardless of the date. The problem with return tickets, however is that they generally must be used within a year before they expire (if you buy a one year open ticket), meaning all of your travel must be completed before a year has passed from the day you began your travel (ie if you leave SA on August 18th and arrive on the 19th, you must be home in SA finished with any connections you might have before midnight on the 17th, which means you have to leave Korea probably on the 16th... that's 3 days less than a year that you can't work your contract, which doesn't even count the days before you do your visa run, if you plan to only work legally). This is another argument for having your visa sorted out before you leave. My last school made the mistake of buying a one year open return ticket and nearly *beep* their pants when they found out it would cost them about 3.6 million won in airfare to have the two of us stay an extra week...

[Donkey Beer]

Did you have a maid in South Africa? (Sith Ifrica)

[milarka]

sith ifrica. We had a maid for a few years when I was quite young. Her name was Elsie, I loved her. She carried me around in a blanket on her back and learned me to speak Tswana.

[StAxX SOuL]

You're stuck with it...

Whenever you buy an airline ticket, the fare is sold with a set of terms and conditions... you'll find that there's a variety but generally most will only allow for a maximum 3 month / 90 day stay... there's some that only allow for a 14 day stay and so forth

You've got to think about the possibilities when you do things like this... you're right, you wouldn't have been allowed in here with a return dated a year later, the only way that's going to swing is if you have your Visa before you arrive which means committing to a position beforehand too... take that as some consolation

However, I'm assuming you're a teacher over here... doesn't every school provide airfare, and a return airfare on the completion of the contract... if that's the case, then you're return shouldn't be an issue because they'll be arranging it before you leave

[milarka]

Thanks for the replies. When I left South Africa last year I was in quite a hurry, so didn't research about this kind of stuff enough. The school told me to book a return ticket and they will pay for it, which they did. I organised with the travel agent to change the date later, but this seems to have blown up in my face as she (travel agent) messed it up completely. So the school already bought me a return ticket, but I booked it and the travel agent screwed it up. She now claims that I have to pay half of the ticketprice again as it alreadyexpired Anyway.
How did those of you who came here without a visa do it? Are refundable tickets to someplace else the main way to go?

[cruisemonkey]

[ttompatz]

[Novernae]

[Wangja]

[kiwikid]

You could also buy a plane ticket to somewhere else with a stopover in Korea. I bought a ticket Nz to Japan with a stopover in Seoul and just got off in Seoul. The airlines don't freak out because you have an onward ticket out of korea. The ticket to Japan was virtually the same price as a ticket to korea and it means if i want to take a holiday in Japan I have a one way ticket there I can use (or for a visa run or something).

[milarka]

Thanks kiwikid. Immigration is usually a bit more sceptical if you have an african passport - your idea sounds good and safe.