Korean Job Discussion Forums

cedarseoul · Joined: 16 Feb 2008 Location: nowon-gu

i guess i'm planning ahead a bit, but...

my contract expires on july 15, while my ARC expires on july 2. (the expiry on the E2 visa in my passport is actually some time in June, but i'm pretty sure that the date on the ARC is the only one that actually matters, right??)

obviously, i'll need to extend my period of sojourn as per my ARC. i know you can do the whole 30 day extension online, but i'm pretty sure that's for tourist purposes only. i'm sure plenty of people work through that tourist extension, but i'd prefer to stay legal. Wink

is there a simple process for me to extend my E2/ARC to the end of my contract (july 15)? i don't have to go through the CRC/medicheck stuff, do i? i certainly hope not...

also, i'm wondering about the timeframe. how soon should i apply for an extension?

i'd appreciate some insight. thanks!

Mosley · Joined: 15 Jan 2003

Immigration will only be concerned w/the expiry date on your ARC.

Around mid-June, got the immigration office. Take your passport, ARC, and flight ticket(with departure date). They will give you 2 or 4 more weeks and they won't charge a fee(at least they didn't when I did this).

And best to take your contract w/you, too.

Atavistic · Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 8:59 pm Post subject:

Problem is...isn't immi saying that people can only apply for extensions or contract renewals BEFORE MARCH 15TH without having to go through all the crap again? And you can only renew 60 days in advance.

Mosley · Joined: 15 Jan 2003

The OP only needs 2 weeks. Surely to Keerist he'll only the need the items I listed.

But this being Korea ya never know....

cedarseoul · Joined: 16 Feb 2008 Location: nowon-gu

Is there a foreigner assistance office at K-Immi that I could contact to clarify this stuff? (Is it possible to clarify anything in Korea? Smile

) Perhaps an email address? I checked on the Hi Korea Web site, but I didn't see anything especially helpful...

Young FRANKenstein · Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2008 8:46 am Post subject:

Mosley · Joined: 15 Jan 2003

Well, you could be right Frankenstein(you seem to have a pretty good pulse on Korean bureaucracy) but I had to once do what the OP has to.

It was a few years ago but I remember taking only the items I listed above(including the contract). A guy from the BOE went with me to immigration. And I was told that since it was only a 2 week extension there would be no fee.

In light of some contradictory advice here the OP should get someone from his school to phone the nearest immigration office and see what the deal is.

Atavistic · Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2008 6:33 pm Post subject:

Mosley · Joined: 15 Jan 2003

Oh, I've been paying attention...in fact, it's on principle that's part of the reason I'm leaving: a new E-2 visa set-up that is as asinine as it's xenophobic.

So, it was 3.5 yrs. ago that I got the extension. So maybe it's changed. If you have to now go through tons of BS just to get a 2 week extension, then I'll know for sure that I made the right choice to get the fack outta Dodge....

Young FRANKenstein · Posted: Thu Mar 06, 2008 3:28 am Post subject:

cedarseoul · Joined: 16 Feb 2008 Location: nowon-gu

thanks for your comments. i'll ask my director to contact immigration and see if she can clarify whether i need the CBC etc. to extend. i'll post whatever we find out, as i imagine there will be other people in this situation in the months to come...