Korean Job Discussion Forums

Ramones · Joined: 23 Oct 2006 Location: In Hell in my own mind...

I was reading some information that a recruiter sent me.

One of the informational points stated that when you arrive to Korea and are get to your school you have to let them hold your return ticket and some schools may require you to give them your passport as a "Saftey measure".

Input on the return ticket and passport ?

poet13 · Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2006 9:17 pm Post subject:

No person or organization can hold your passport. It isn't even technically yours. It belongs to your government.
Never, ever give it up. I wouldnt even discuss it with them. When that issue comes up, simply refuse. If they were to take your passport, a call to your embassy would likely get that sorted out double time.

ilovebdt · Joined: 03 Jun 2005 Location: Nr Seoul

NEVER GIVE UP YOUR PASSPORT or your return ticket if you have one.

The only reason a school would want to keep your passport and the return portion of your ticket is to prevent you from taking the Midnight Express.

If a school insists that they need to keep either of these find somewhere else to work.

ilovebdt

kat2 · Joined: 25 Oct 2005 Location: Busan, South Korea

What poet said.

About the ticket. If the school paid for it, they can hold it.

You will be required to give your passport to immigration for a few weeks so they can issue your Alien Card. Be sure to go do this yourself. Don't give your passport to your school to register you.

Young FRANKenstein · Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2006 11:38 pm Post subject:

spliff · Joined: 19 Jan 2004 Location: Khon Kaen, Thailand

No! Why would they hold my passport? I simply wouldn't give it them. Return airfare the school pays for when I'm near to leaving as I always come on the one-way reembursed ticket arrangement. So far haven't had any problems...

overq64 · Joined: 08 Mar 2006

It takes days (at most) not weeks to get an ARC.

I've had this done by our (amazingly efficient) general affairs chap in an afternoon...

But - inefficiency make turn hours into days - weeks and they're messing with you.

Schools have no legitimate need to hold on to passport, degrees or tickets. If they want to they are just trying to control you. Don't let them.

overq

Tantric Avenger · Joined: 25 Nov 2006 Location: Anyang

Even when it comes down to the ARC... Have the school fill out the papers.. and then take your passport to immigration yourself... get the job done... then go back and pick it up yourself.

Don't fricking give your school your passport for any reason. If you have to give it to them for your ARC then be prepared to refuse to work if they delay its return in any way.

spliff · Joined: 19 Jan 2004 Location: Khon Kaen, Thailand

You don't give your PP to the school for an ARC, you give it to the immy office. And, it has to be returned to you.

wylies99 · Joined: 13 May 2006 Location: I'm one cool cat!

ontheway · Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 7:18 am Post subject:

Sounds like an "honest" recruiter telling you what some schools do, although without any editorial comment. It is true that some schools do the things the recruiter is telling you. But, you shouldn't work for those schools.

Since the recruiter actually works for the schools he represents, he would be dishonest if he told you that an employer was bad, even if it were true. He would be violating his fiduciary duty as a representative of the employer.

As far as your documents, it is perfectly fine to give your school your passport and ARC for a short period (a few hours or a day) to get you registered with the local education office, for your insurance, and for the pension. Each of these offices requires copies of your documents and registration can be expidited if your wonjangnim takes in your documents, in person, and signs you up and pays (in the case of health insurance) on the spot. And when you sign up for your ARC, Immigration will hold your passport for a few days (I've never seen it take longer than a week, but I suppose it could at some offices.) and then mail it back to you along with your ARC. They generally mail it back to the school.

If you are new at a school and you already don't trust your employers to take your documents to sign you up for your visa, ARC, insurance, pension, and with the local education office - all as required by law, then you have bigger problems to deal with.

Mr. BlackCat · Joined: 30 Nov 2005 Location: Insert witty remark HERE

Juregen · Joined: 30 May 2006

blackjack · Joined: 04 Jan 2006 Location: anyang

i don't know about other countries but it is dead easy to get a new passport at the new zealand embassy (pissed off girl friend, she has your key a lighter and knows when you work Embarassed

) but still i would never let anyone "look after my passport"

crazylemongirl · Joined: 23 Mar 2003 Location: almost there...