Korean Job Discussion Forums

Nicekid81 · Joined: 11 May 2008 Location: Mapo

Hey, I'm new to this place, so don't be too harsh on me;

Let me just give you a low-down;

Details:
- I'm an F4 holder
- I've been working for a CDI branch in seoul for the 4th month now
- My wife, an E2 holder, has changed job times to first shift (whereas I work 2nd shift - and she works an hour away (we live separately, for now) - so unless I find a new job, I can't see her other than the weekends.
- Out of professional courtesy, I told my hagwon that I might need to change jobs due to her changing jobs. (about 2~3 weeks ago); I know, I know, that may have been a stupid move on my part

Question:
- Now the director is asking that I re-submit my passport and alien registration card (he made copies of it before), he still has my diploma, and he's now telling me that he needs the original passport and ARC to register with the education board . . . 4 months after I started work.

Is it me or does that sound a little fishy? I don't want to lose my only forms of ID here - is that legit? Do they need to originals?

TOMODACHI-KID · Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 9:09 pm Post subject:

you are NOT to give your original passport to anyone--no matter what circumstances you are confronted with...!

Wink

icicle · Joined: 09 Feb 2007 Location: Gyeonggi do Korea

There is no way that I would give both of them to one person at any time ... Unless they were immigration ... You are legally required to have one or both of them with you at all times ... so if someone did need them it would have to be only for a short time ... or you risk being fined ... OK Maybe that is playing it up a little bit ... But there is no reason that anyone other than immigration would need to take your passport away from you and keep it for any amount of time (ie any longer than to take another photocopy) .... The same with the ARC .... Someone from my school borrowed my ARC from me briefly one day because they needed to go to register me for health insurance and they brought it back within a couple of hours and gave both it and the health book to me .... But that was legitimate ... But I know that my passport is not needed for things like that ... so would be loath to give it up for any reason .... And if someone needed the ARC I would expect it back within the day ...

ttompatz · Joined: 05 Sep 2005 Location: Kwangju, South Korea

Photo copies are all that is required.

WoBW · Joined: 07 Dec 2007 Location: HBC

Get your original diploma back!!

Do not give him your passport or ID card. If he says he needs it he is either misinformed or lying so he can blackmail you.

WoBW · Joined: 07 Dec 2007 Location: HBC

My school asked me for my original diploma when I transferred from a hagwon to a PS. I just said no, but here's a copy.

GerryTulip · Joined: 14 Nov 2007

ask for your diploma back firmly, if they say no and come up with some petty excuse then politely inform them that you cannot teach if neither you nor they can locate it because immigration may inspect the premises at any time.

I would personally order one from your college ASAP in case these guys don't give it back to you.

And under no sircumstances give them your passportor ARC.

wylies99 · Joined: 13 May 2006 Location: I'm one cool cat!

This sounds very shady. Have other "teachers" done runners lately?
Rolling Eyes

huck · Joined: 19 Jan 2003

Which branch is it?

ontheway · Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 6:08 am Post subject:

Every school is required to register their legal teachers with the local education office. They should have done this before - four months is already past the deadline. To do this they need your ARC (Alien Registration Card), and maybe your transcripts, passport and/or diploma - depending on what the local officials demand. Photocopies should be enough, but they sometimes demand to see originals and make their own photocopies. As we know, here in Korea, local offices make up their own rules.

At our school, the Wonjangnim helps the new teachers get their ARCs. Then she uses the ARC and copies of other documents to register the teacher for pension, insurance and at the local education office. She can visit all three offices in one day, after Immigration sends the ARC, and returns the card and any other documents to the teacher.

You should be able to get your ARC and get registered for insurance, pension and at the local ed. office within the first month of your arrival here on an E2.

After you have been registered everywhere, there is no reason for your school to hold any of your original documents. They should have photocopies of all of them on file for the occasional inspections by education and immigration officials, but not your originals.

Suwon23 · Joined: 24 Jan 2008

I'm also a n00b at CDI, and I started at the same time you did. I've given my ARC and passport to my boss before. In retrospect I probably shouldn't have taken the risk, but he gave them back to me the next day. And he's no less shady than your average hagwon boss.

Still, I wouldn't recommend it.

EDIT: also, if your wife has an E2, and is therefore not Korean, how do you have an F-series visa?

ldh2222 · Joined: 12 Oct 2007