Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Hankukin]

A friend of mine(Canadian) would like to come here and stay with me whilst she looks for an EFL job. Will she require a return ticket to satisfy Canadian or Korean officials?

[the_beaver]

I've never needed one and I've come into this country on a one-way ticket a whole lot.

[kimcheeking]

Check with your airline, some posters have reported having problems boarding with a one way ticket and no work visa. I have never had a problem, but it reportedly does occur.

KK

[William Beckerson]

The King is right, your pal should have a return ticket to make the airlines happy.

As for the guys at Incheon airport: I always tell them "My boss said it was okay to come here on a one way ticket. They'll be sending me to Japan to get my work visa next week."

[chronicpride]

I was behind a Korea-bound guy in an Asiana Airlines check-in desk in Seattle and she raised the 'you must show proof of onward travel' to his one-way ticket. I can't remember what it was that he said, but it was half-assed like, 'I was told I didn't need one'. She just looked apprehensive for a moment and kept going ahead with his check-in. That's all I've ever seen with my own eyes regarding the situation, as I have always had open-ended returns.

If you don't want to spring for the return, you can always just say something like what WB said, or that you plan on visiting Japan and will be buying a hydrofoil ticket at Busan seaport. Or something to that effect.

There's been a lot of threads on this subject before, but I can't recall anyone with first-hand experience saying that they were flat out denied to enter the country without onward travel tickets. I just know people that bought returns, because their travel agent said that they needed to.

[ratslash]

i got stopped at tokyo with united airlines when i was doing a visa run. they wouldn't let me board without evidence of an onward ticket. cost me 200000 won to get an onward ticket from the korean airlines desk. got all the money back thankfully but it was still a pain in the butt at the time.

[sunlit]

i came on a one way and tourist visa and had no probs with it, but working with the immigration offices can be a pain in the ass, so unless they/you know a person with a friend in immigration or are able to bribe in a subtle manner, get a visa asap.
as for visa run, i don't know a thing about them. just be sure to have lotsa yen ready.

[TECO]

Get that return ticket.

Save youself the headache.

I was doing the same thing basically coming from the Philippines to Taiwan and they wouldn't let me board my plane in Manila because I didn't have an outbound/onward ticket out of Taiwan.

If all you have is a Tourist VISA - invest in the return ticket.

That day I almost missed my flight because I had to scramble off to a travel agency to buy an outbound flight from Taipei.

[riverboy]

If I land in Incheon with al my gear, no E-2 visa and a return ticket, then I should not have a problem getting in the country eh? I want to hang out for a month before I start looking for work.
Also, would it be okay to tell them I a looking for work eventually, or should I just say I am a torist(how long should I say I am staying)?

[BTM]

"I am planning to leave on the hydrofoil ferry from Busan to Fukuoka."

Keep a printout of an information page about the trip (in Korean, preferably) handy to show the immigration guy if he balks, to prove that you really really plan to do that. No tickets sales months in advance, oh darn! No sweat.

[TECO]

River - keep it simple.

You're a tourist, man.

[riverboy]

I just concerned on what I should say if they ask me how long I plan on staying. I was also wondering if my ticket's return date should be within the six month tourist visa. Any help here?