Korean Job Discussion Forums

[marki]

Hi

My girlfriend and I are traveling to Korea in about 2 weeks. She has an E2 visa and will begin teaching when we arrive. My intention is to do work other than teaching, but I am not absolutely opposed to it.

My plan is to look around for work when we arrive, as I can assess travel times, locations, etc. I have a 4 year bachelors degree in Engineering / IT , but no experience.

It would be great if someone could shed some light on the following issues:

1) How realistic are my chances of getting an E7 visa, any advice on how to get one?

I have been looking for jobs on jobs.seoul.go.kr and worknplay, and have applied for a few. I do not think it is likely that I secure a software development/electronics, etc, job but a job (technical editing?) in this sector would be great. I was invited for an interview last month, but did not attend.

2) Should I travel on a 30 day non-visa or a 90 day visa?

I can get a 90 day visa quite easily I believe, my problem is that it would be illegal for me to attend interviews, etc on this visa (would it be a problem if I arrived at the airport with CVs/copies of degree and transcripts, etc?).
On the other hand, it would allow me to hang around while I wait for my E7 to be processed (if I am lucky enough to get one).

The 30 day non-visa would mean that my job hunting is above board, but of course I would be stuck without a visa while I wait 4-6 weeks for my E7.

3) Finally, are there any recruitment agencies in Korea I can visit that could help me out?

Thank you!

[Cohiba]

[Zyzyfer]

The E-7 was recently changed, requiring new applicants to have a BA + 5 years of experience or an MA + 3 years of experience. So your lack of experience may likely pose a problem here.

If for some reason you still decide to go for it, what I find is the general process is to come here on the 30-day visa, find a job and start the application process, and more than likely end up working for the company on the tourist visa while you wait for it to be processed. You may also have to do a tourist visa run if the E-7 isn't prepared in time. You then would have to a visa run to get the E-7 finalized. If you haven't traveled much around Asia and have cash sitting around, it's not so bad, but if you're trying to save, you're looking at perhaps two extra trips out of the country to get your visa...

[marki]

Thank you, that helps me a lot.

I have heard the rule about requiring X amount of experience to get an E-7, although there is no consistency with the amount of years required. I have also heard that you need either a relevant degree, or lots of relevant experience. I have seen this requirement listed on job advertisements. Something like, �due to strict visa requirements you are required to have either a relevant degree or 2+ years experience�.

I have also seen many (non-teaching) jobs advertised for native English speakers with less than 2 years experience where visa sponsorship is listed as one of the benefits.

Needless to say, I am a little confused about this.

So if this rule about requiring experience is true (I hope it is not), is it set in stone? Or can I work my way around it?


It is good to know that I can (probably) begin working while my work visa is being processed, that would certainly help with the visa runs.

So is the consensus that I rather arrive on a 30 day non-visa, and make 2 visa runs? That worries me a bit...