Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Trevor]

Sorry folks, I know that I am going to get pointed to the several hundred pages of posts regarding the new E-2 regs, but they are confusing and they keep getting updated and not all of the info is correct...

I am changing jobs in February, haven't signed yet but everybody says I need to get started on the criminal background check and the medical exam.

How?

Is there a short list of valid data as of today? Sifting through the hundreds of pages inaccurate, rambling posts doesn't help much.

Thanks.

[idonojacs]

I was thinking of starting the same sort of thread and calling it E-2 Renewals for American Dummies, but I guess that's redundant.

We do need the facts sorted out. I renew in April. I asked my co-teacher to ask the county supervisor to tell me what I needed to do. All he heard back was that they were going to ask higher authorities.

So I asked again. This time I was told that the county school district has some teachers renewing in March, and they would figure out what they needed to do by what they were told to do at that time.

Besides the fact that this is no help to any of us, the rules change for people renewing on March 15, or so they say. If this is so, then I am going to be the real guinea pig, not those fellows in March.

So the first question is do the rules change on March 15?

What rules apply before March 15? What rules apply after March 15?

What, specifically, do we have to do?

What can we do in Korea?

What will we have to do back home?

How long will each step take and cost?

If you have other, more specific questions, let's set them out now.

Please limit yourself to what you know to be a fact from authoritative government sources, and cite those sources where possible, or from first hand experience renewing your visa.

I suggest we all start by asking our schools to help us figure this out, especially public schools, which should be familiar with these government regulations. They can read Korean, they can call up the appropriate government officials and ask for answers. If they can't figure them out, how the heck are we supposed to?

Plus, they need to know exactly what we are being put through. And they need to realize they might have trouble hiring new teachers because of it. Ask, and keep asking for answers.

That's my suggestion.

Good luck, Trevor!

[Trevor]

Some posts say march 15, but the latest sticky emphatically says no March 15.

Despite a 27 page sticky and and a real best-effort to figure out what I can do in anticipation of my new job, I don't have the slightest idea what to do and no one at immigration can tell me.

[moosehead]

none of this will ever get sorted out until those of you who keep getting the runaround hold firm and tell your prospective employers to get the facts straight and tell you EXACTLY what it is you need to do, provide forms for you to complete and then stick to it.

people who keep running back and forth on dave's are truly amazing in the fact they seem to imagine some sort of magical wand is going to be waved and all their answers will appear.

you will get as many different answers as you have questions, period.

because the E2 regs are new and NOT sorted out yet and because there is a rampant lack of transparency EVERYWHERE in k, not just the govt, but EVERYWHERE, there will continue to be a lot of difficulty finding out what people need to do and how they need to do it in order to comply with the regulations.

furthermore, govt sponsored e2s such as thru public edu will invariably be given loopholes to shimmy thru where little momandpop hakwons will have bigger obstacles in their path. hakwons who have little experience with immi and especially those in the boonies will have even more difficulty.

therefore, the onus is on YOU the foreign teacher, the applicant, to HOLD FIRM and insist on being given the proper information so that you may, indeed, apply for and receive your proper working visa.

yes, i know, this is wasting my time typing this, oh well, just needed to get it out....

[fruitcake]

ok..for the second (and last time). I have talked to TWO different immigration officials, the first at the International Cooperative Division (02-500-9191) and the second at the Seoul Immigration office English counseling (02-2650-6212). This information I was ASSURED is correct, and I was sure to be very clear in my questions.

as said in previous post:

I called the International Cooperative Division for Korean immigration today, and thought I'd just clarify (and re-confirm) some info.

Regarding the difference between "renewing" and "extending", which has been a major source of confusion:

you are "extending" if you are remaining at your current job and signing another contract. You are extending your current visa for another year. Your sponser remains the same, so you don't need a new visa issued to you.

you are "renewing" if you had an E-2 but are changing employers, thus changing sponsers and will need a new visa issued to you.

you are "applying" if you are not a holder of a visa at the moment.

The grace period indeed only applies to those who are EXTENDING, and that must be done before March 15th to be exempt from the new rules.

Basic rule of thumb: if your paperwork can be handled in country, then you are extending. if you must go outside of Korea, then you are renewing or applying.

feel free to call and verify this. I have heard it from multiple sources, so I am confident this is the case.

So, if you are asking questions, CALL THE ABOVE PHONE NUMBERS, don't just keep running in circles around here. If you have any concrete information, then please post it.

argh...I won't be back for a while. readin this just gets me irritated.

PM me if any of this information is FALSE.

[Trevor]

Is there a web page where Korean immigration says what the official rules are?