Korean Job Discussion Forums

alinkorea · Joined: 02 May 2005

My contract with my school finishes near the end of March. I am going to start at another public school, in a different province, at the beginning of March. I was planning to ask my director to cancel my current visa for Feb. 25th (as this is a pay day.) In the meantime processing the new visa.
Would this work? Thanks

xCustomx · Joined: 06 Jan 2006

You may want to find out if they will still pay your severance on a pro-rated basis. If not, see if you can negotiate with your new school to start at the end of March.

Regarding the visa, you should check your contract about quitting early. I don't think SMOE grants letters of release. If you can get the letter, then I don't see any reason why your plan wouldn't work.

Bibbitybop · Joined: 22 Feb 2006 Location: Seoul

OP, are staying in the same system, like staying wiith SMOE or EPIK? In SMOE, you can ask to change schools and the contract is the same since it is through SMOE. I don't know how the other organizations work, though.

alinkorea · Joined: 02 May 2005

I would be leaving a GEPIK, new school is outside Gyeongi-do. Regarding pension: I've been at this school for over two years. I understood that after completing a full year, pension can be paid per month. If I finish at end of Feb. I'll have completed 11 months of this my 3rd contract. Therefore, my pension will be 11/12th's of my normal monthly salary

Bibbitybop · Joined: 22 Feb 2006 Location: Seoul

tob55 · Joined: 29 Apr 2007

alinkorea, you are correct. The pension office allows you to collect a certain percentage of your pension if you are leaving the country. You have no need to collect your pension from the one school because you only have one account with the pension office in the country. Your pension will simply be transferred to the new school and you will continue to collect it as if nothing had changed.

If you are leaving the country and you bring your exit information to the pension office, they will pay you your pension into your Korean account and then transfer the remaining portion of your pension to your home country when you leave. My wife and I have worked with a number of foreigners leaving the country, and it is a simple process if you have the paperwork in order that is needed.

alinkorea · Joined: 02 May 2005

My school, or GEPIK, should be able to terminate my visa at the end of Feb?

tob55 · Joined: 29 Apr 2007

Your school is the holder of the visa and it is their responsibility to cancel it. They should know what to do, but may not know exactly what to do if they have not worked with a number of foreign teachers prior to you.

alinkorea · Joined: 02 May 2005

How do you go about altering the expiry date of your visa? If a trip to immigration is required, will a school official, or principal need to come with me?

tob55 · Joined: 29 Apr 2007

If you need an extension you must have your school take care of that. If you are canceling your visa, the school must also take part in that process as well. There are some threads on this in the sticky section, but I am not sure which posts they are in.