Korean Job Discussion Forums

[jdog2050]

Per my friend's email:

"So apparently I'm NOT going to Korea. After months of careful preparation and planning, I received a call from my would-be employer informing me that, according to the Korean Consulate, his school isn't big enough to sponsor an American teacher. This basically leaves me sitting on an $1800 plane ticket with no job. The man whom I was going to work for has kindly offered to put me up for a while, so I'm planning on flying out there on my departure date anyway, and just vacationing in Korea for a few weeks. So thanks for all your fond wishes, and I'm sorry for jerking everyone around. I promise this was NOT the world's most elaborate ploy for attention. I'll still be shipping out on the 29th, but I'll be back before the end of July, at which point I'm going to have to start looking for work."

This is absolutely mindboggling. Can't sponsor a teacher because the school isn't big enough. What's screwed up about it all is that I know the guy starting the school, and he has a great concept, and one that could be a nice little market niche, but obviously it'll be stymied because he can't hire teachers. My friend who was coming over has a master's degree, and was going to do it to see the world and make some dough. I talked to him on the phone, and he said that he's way too blown out from the process itself to even bother with another school. He said that every step was screwed up, from just getting his passport, to getting the Illinois CBC (they just printed out a computer screen, and didn't notarize it so he could get it apostillized).

As I went through my own travails this time around (well documented in the jobs section), I couldn't help but keep thinking "if I were new, I'd have given up already". Looks like a lot of people are, because when I went to the Seattle consulate, it was dead, and the consular flat out told me that not many people are applying for E2's anymore. Gee, I fucking wonder why.

[peppermint]

It sucks for your friend, but I'm sort of glad to hear that immi is cracking down on schools too. Can your friend change the date on his ticket until he finds a school that can get him a visa?

[icicle]

While I do sympathise with your friend .... This is precisely the reason why employers do not buy tickets ... and why individuals should wait ... until after the visa is actually approved ... before buying a ticket ... The fact that he is left with his ticket without a visa is actually his fault ... not his school ... or immigration ...

There are all sorts of reasons for visas to not be approved ... or to take longer than expected to go through the process ... so booking a ticket which cannot be changed or cancelled before you actually have the visa... is NOT a good idea ...

Actually it is also a good reason for not buying the ticket yourself and then being reimbursed ... but getting the employer to buy it ... There is nothing to stop the employer from changing his mind and leaving you out of pocket ...

While I know there are conditions that employers need to meet before they can employ / sponser and E2 visa ... It is also possible that the employer has simply changed his mind...

[Cheonmunka]

[Yesterday]

A school cannot employ a foreign teacher if it has less than 80 students.


Take up your "almost employer's" offer and come over and stay with him for a few weeks.

Schools are desperately seeking teachers this year - most unable to find teachers due to a shortage of teachers during 2008.

The couple of weeks you spend over here - staying for free at your "amost employers" place - will give you plenty of time to take up another position with a different employer.

[RJjr]

[IncognitoHFX]

[Captain Corea]

[Return Jones]

Sounds to me like they found someone they liked better at the last minute. My friend's tiny three-class school has less than 80 students and he's been working there for about 2-3 years. If I were you, I would check in a month or so and see if there is someone else working there instead of your friend.

[PeterDragon]

I guarantee your friend can find another job by the time he flies in. PM me, there's a few jobs I know for a fact are open. Or better yet, just have him contact another recruiter and explain the situation--- they can have a job waiting for him by the time he arrives.

[PeterDragon]

[double post][/double post]

[pkang0202]

[icicle]

I agree that he can probably get another job before he is due to fly in ... But then he has the issue of getting the visa ... Which as it sounds like it is his first time ... Would usually mean an interview in his home country ...

[Stevie_B]

If I were you, I would reply to your friend and upbraid him for beginning his email 'so...'.

[Juregen]