Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Jarome_Turner]

...and the porridge-headed tw@ts you employ.
Why the hell are you working there if you can't answer the most simple of questions? Yes, I checked your kcufing website. No, the answers I was looking for were not there. Why the kcuf do you think I took the time to come in and talk to your dough-brained ass? How much kcufing money is my country paying you to sit on your tw@t all day and read that book I so ignorantly interupted you from?
Thanks for absolutly nothing but a waste of 7 hours on my day off. Bravo for locating your useless waste of tax-payer money next to a Burger King tho.

[ajgeddes]

elaborate

[RACETRAITOR]

Maybe he was asking them how to spell "fuck."

[The Perfect Cup of Coffee]

[cheeseface]

Jarome_Turner I feel your pain, I felt the same way after getting married
at the Bristish embassy last November. The most unhelpful, lazy and condesending people I've ever come across. I felt embarrassed to be British. The "It's on the website" line was given to me repeatedly, my Korean wife actually wrote and complained about the Korean woman who was working there.

[Kimchi Cowboy]

I agree, the people at the Cdn consulate aren't the most motivated nor friendly people around. But, I also agree with ajgeddes, we need more info. It seems from your post that you went there for "answers". You tried the website and didn't get the info you wanted. Did you try phoning them first? Did you ask around here? What info do you need?

[Jarome_Turner]

I just finished my own email. I'm thinking it'll be read and dis-regarded by either the same useless tw@t that I spoke to this morning, or someone of equal uselessness.

Elaboration on my OP:
My girlfriend of two years has applied for a working holiday visa. We had been planning to go to Canada for a year so she could meet my family, see the country, etc... and also pick up some part time work if she so desired to make some extra money and improve her English. She applied for the visa back in November, and originally it was supposed to be ready by the end of February. That worked out perfectly because my contract expires March 1st.
About a week after she applied, she got an email informing her it wouldn't be ready until the middle-to the end of March. A little less convienient, but no problem. We figured we'd take a trip to SE Asia for a month or so, then come back to Korea, pick up the visa and head to Canada.
A few days ago, she gets another email saying the visa wouldn't be ready until the end of April. "WTF?" I think. How the hell is anybody supposed to make plans dealing with such incompetence? So I sent off and email asking them if it were possible for her to go to Canada on a tourist visa, then have somebody in her family send the papers for the working holiday visa when they're issued, then change over from a tourist visa to a WH visa. Quite a simple question I thought. Guess not. Got a automatically generated email reply saying to contact the embassy if I have any questions (which I thought I had done by writing an email? )
Anway, I try calling the embassy a few times, only to get redirected by automated machines for 10 minutes.
I figure "Kcuf it. I'm not working Wed-Fri this week, I'll take a few hours out of my day to make the trip in person and sort everything out in person."
Got up at 6am and took the bus to Seoul (had to make the visa and immigration sections 9-11am workday. ). It took me a little while to find the embassy (my fault, I didn't bother to find out where the new building is located). I get there at about 10am, plenty of time to spare.
I walk into the building and ask for the correct place to make inquiries about the working holiday visa. They tell me to go downstairs to the visa and immigration section. I get downstairs and am immediatly greeted by a young man (who I'll refer to from here on as "Ballbag").
Ballbag asks my nationality.
I tell him I'm Canadian.
Ballbag tells me I'm in the wrong spot.
I tell him I'm here to ask some questions on behalf of my friend, who works a day job and can't come herself.
Ballbag looks confused. He asks my nationality again.
I repeat "Canadian", and try to take a number.
Ballbag puts his hand on my back and motions towards the door, politely informing me "Canadian people don't need visa to go to Canada".
I become slightly irritated and give him the "leave me the kcuf alone, I'm done talking to you" look I've perfected over my 4 year tenure in Korea.
Ballbag gets the idea and lets me take a number.
To my delight, there was nobody else waiting to see the receptionist. I get to the counter and politely explain the situation to a young girl and ask a series of questions regarding the WH visa.
Question and answers go something like this:

Q1: Do you know exactly when the working holiday visas will be issued?
A: No, we have no idea.
Q: Do you know "about" when they'll be issued?
A: No.
Q: Really? None whatsoever?
A: Maybe....... after March?
Q: That's all you know?
A: If you want more information, you can check our website.
Q: I've checked your website and couldn't find any updated information. Actually, I couldn't find any information on the working holiday visa at all.
A: It's there...

Q2: Ok, ummm.... do you know if it's possible to go to Canada on a tourist visa, then change over to a WH visa when the application is processed without having to leave the country?
A: Ummm... (looking confused)...Did you check the website?
Q: I already told you I couldn't find any information on your website regarding the WH visa.
A: Well, I don't know exactly but I think maybe it's possible.
Q: Ok... is there anybody here that I could ask who would know the answer?
A: No, you have to send a fax if you have any questions.
Q: I don't have a fax machine, can I make an appointment or maybe contact them by phone?
A: No, it's their policy to not take questions in person or via phone. You have to send a fax or email.
Q: I already tried emailing but got an automated reply telling me to call or visit if I had any questions.
A: Try a fax.
Q: (giving up) Ok. Can you give me the fax number?
A: It's on the website.

Q3:
Q: Do you know if the $130 application fee is refundable if my friend decides to withdraw her application?
A: I don't know, you'll have to fax or visit the website to find out that information.
Q: (beginning to become very agitated). OK, thanks.

Q4:
Q: Is it possible to extend a tourist visa without leaving the country?
A: Tourist visa??
Q: Ya, for a Korean tourist visiting Canada, is it possible to extend the 6 month tourist visa without leaving the country?
A: (looking very confused). Korean people don't need visa for Canada.
Q: OK. What I mean is, when they enter Canada they're given a 6 month tourist visa upon entry, right?
A: (sucks through teeth and looks confused) Yes.
Q: So, after they have stayed six months, do they need to leave Canada or is it possible for them to extend their stay without having to leave?
A: I'm not sure exactly... I think that information is on the website.
Q: You don't know? Is this the correct place to ask questions regarding tourist visas?
A: Korean people don't need visas to go to Canada, so I'm not sure. You should check the website.
(I did find the answer to this question on the website when I got home.)

At that point, I walked away. I nodded at Ballbag on my way out, and drowned my anger in a Garlic Steakhouse Burger at Burger King.

Anybody have a fax machine I can borrow?

[yingwenlaoshi]

My first visit to the embassy surprised me. Not a Canadian in sight.

I like your use of the scrambled F word. More effective.

Anyway, they shouldn't be telling you to check the website. They could at least take down your info and/or get someone who has any idea to call you. Something like that.

Koreans shouldn't be working in the Canadian embassy. I don't know. I just find that wrong.

[Newbie]

[pkang0202]

[Jarome_Turner]

[blaseblasphemener]

I wanted to strangle the Korean who wouldn't accept my original birth certificate because the laminated edge of one corner was beginning to peel, not withstanding that it didn't infringe at all on the actual document. Funny how a 30+ year old document might actually be aged? So I had to order another copy from Canada. I literally could have glued the corner in 30 seconds and she would have never known, it was that tiny, had I known ahead of time that the analretentive korean making 6,000 won an hour would be working that day.

Canada sparkling.

[SHANE02]

[Vancouver]

[CentralCali]