Korean Job Discussion Forums

[bassexpander]

Ok, I want to clear some things up as far as the F-2-1 Visa is concerned.

I had been told that people with an F-2-1 visa can do as many privates as they want, and they're not illegal.

This is FALSE.

Immigration may not haul you in for it, but you're still in trouble with the tax authorities if caught. How much trouble? According to new laws being passed right now, it's 5 million won or 1 year in jail -- for tutoring.

They are still illegal. As it turns out, they are illegal for Koreans as well, unless properly registered with SMOE. After hearing this, my wife and I undertook what was supposed to be a simple process of getting registered. Along the way, we learned that legally, there is a maximum amount per hour which you can charge legally when tutoring. That amount changes, depending on how many hours per month you plan to teach. At 21 hours per month of tutoring (that's what I applied for) the maximum per-hour rate I could legally charge is 4,900 won! That's right... I didn't leave a zero out: 4,900 won.

This is the law for Koreans, too. So basically, everyone who is charging 30,000 or whatever per month for English tutoring is working illegally -- Korean/Foreigner with an F-2-1 visa -- doesn't matter. Foreigners who have a hagwon in their house are controlled by this law as well. In fact, it is even illegal for ANYONE (Korean or foreigner) to tutor a student in someone else's home. There may be a special designation for that, but it's not in reach of the common individual.

Insofar as we can tell, you can teach a maximum of 9 students with a tutoring license. I might be wrong on that, but at 21 hours per week, the education office said the MAX I could charge each student was 100,000 per month. A mere pittance.

The frustrating thing for me is that I was approved for my tutoring license last week. They told me to come pick it up on Monday. I came there to get it, and they then told me that it is denied, because I am working full-time as a professor at a university. According to the "law" you cannot work full-time at a uni or a public school and get this tutoring license. Why they didn't figure this out before they asked me to come down there, I don't know. It's sure frustrating.

[mrsquirrel]

At the same time as feeling somewhat bad for you since you do appear to be a decent enough a fella.

It is also quite amusing knowing that all the posters who have been blowing their trumpets about tutoring and privates on their golded F-2-1 visas are able to blow no more.


So are you planning on quitting you job to work for 900k a month?

I take it there is now way around this and it's written all in stone.

[bassexpander]

Worse, SMOE called my uni to ask why I was seeking a tutoring license, and now my boss is pissed. Oh well, we were planning a move anyway. May just happen sooner than expected.

[R. S. Refugee]

Anecdotally, I have been told in the past that it is illegal for Korean uni professors to ever teach a private lesson and could lead to their being fired (at least).

Sorry to hear about your troubles.

[ED209]

This is all to protect the socialist paradise that is South Korea. I'd hate to see a South Korea that didn't give it's poor and less fortunate an equal chance in life

[The Hammer]

Anybody have a clue as to whether or not it's legal for recruiters to farm out F-series visa holders to Korean companies for business English classes?

[tob55]

I would suppose just as long as the F2-1 person is not working a fulltime contract as bassexpander mentioned.

[Hank the Iconoclast]

They are just making it impossible for people to do this legally. What are they going to do? Kick out all the F-2s? Since I am sure a large percentage of them do teach privates.

[bassexpander]

Actually, it's legal for me to work a 2nd job as a uni teacher, public, or whatever... it's just that my new contract forbids it "without approval."

Fine.

Unless you sign a contract against it, there's nothing wrong with working 2 jobs as an F-visa (even for an E-2, although for E-2's, immigration must approve the number of hours and the change).


On the tutoring front, however, it's just a stipulation of Korean law that a full-time teacher cannot tutor. It's all sort of for nothing anyway, because the legal tutoring amount is so low, you'd have to cheat to make enough money at it anyway.

As my wife and I said, I just signed the contract and we've already started the semester. They're not going to fire me for this, as they are short one teacher and overloading classes as it is. We'll just see how things look as the end of the semester approaches. I might consider some morning business gigs along with a PT afterschool program, and tutoring in between when I feel I have time. I can legally get my tutoring license then, as I won't be FT anywhere. The education office said that would be no problem.

[nicholas_chiasson]

[Suwoner10]

[cdninkorea]

After reading this BassExpander, I have to say what you wrote under "location" is spot on correct.

Here there are people who, without directly harming anyone, provide lessons for other people who want to hire them. No coercion, only voluntary exchange. Allowing voluntary exchange is a necessary part of free market capitalism (redundant I know; there can be no capitalism without free market).

What does the Korean government do? Regulate it. Were this only one case I would not have grounds to say this, but because the Korean government (as well as the government in my country of birth) regulates and even manages many parts of the economy, it is not capitalist.

Korea is a mixed economy.

[bassexpander]

[Easter Clark]

[Netz]