Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Bryan]

I want to know what happens to people who were caught violating their visa (for example, working a second part time job without permission from their primary employer). I'm sure they have their visa revoked and have to fly home--but are they banned from Korea and for how long? Could they come back to Korea after the date of the original visa expiring? Were they banned from entering for a certain number of years?

I couldn't find any threads with people's experience on this. If you know any please link.

[bassexpander]

I got busted working at a new hagwon job without a visa several years back. I'd been there 2 working for days, after a week of free "training" and the school was raided, thanks to a Canadian guy who was angry at the hagwon -- the same guy who trained me. The hagwon had just moved me into a new apartment (I was living in a hotel) and was supposed to have been processing my documents. They weren't (they lied and had them in the office when immigration busted me). I wouldn't have worked, but the hagwon told me I had to, or they would kick me out of the apartment. I had a ticket to Japan in a week, and figured it wouldn't be a big deal to work illegally for a week until my visa was approved. Wrong, thanks to the teacher who ratted them out. If immigration had never come, it would have been a horrible job anyway. Obviously, the school was taking their time on bothering to get my visa.

Two of the other foreign teachers there were druggies, and one was supposedly dealing. Funny thing was, one was American, the other Canadian, and they hated each other. The Canadian was late virtually every day, stunk of pot, and had massive black circles under his eyes. He ended up taking off to teach in China soon after I left.

Immigration took my passport and told me to appear at a mini-trial later that week when they called. They called about a day before the trial, and I showed-up with my boss and another guy who was also busted at our school. I was fined 500,000 won, was told I couldn't work for that school (although I could try again in 6 months) and given an "exit order." An exit order means that you have to leave the country, but can come back in immediately after you arrive elsewhere. I did that, and was back searching for a job the next week. I got one, but immigration only gave me a 6-month visa, which turned out to be a blessing anyway.

The hagwon that I got busted at was fined something like 4 million won. The day wer were busted, the immigration officers told her that if she paid them a 3 million won bribe that day, they'd "go away." I distinctly remember that, because my boss was really pissed about it, and told me.

Since that time, laws have changed. I remember the immigration officers telling me that if the school hadn't paid for my apartment, I would have been deported and given a much larger fine. They actually went with me to see the apartment (had to get my passport there) and make sure it was true -- this proved that the school was possibly planning to get my E-2, at least.

The other guy who got busted either got an exit-order or was deported. He wasn't planning to come back anyway. He'd been there illegally for over 6 months, but the boss lied and said he'd been there 2 days also. It was easy to prove that I'd only been there a short time, because I had already completed another visa at a previous school just a few weeks before, and had a trip back home in there as well.

The hagwon went under in a matter of months.

[Bryan]

Thanks for the detailed reply. How many years ago was this?

If your co-worker was deported, did that mean he had to buy a ticket back to his country of birth? Or could he just fly outside of Korea?

Do they have like a "file" or something with a record that you had this problem before? For example, you apply for a new visa a year later and they know you got in trouble with immigration in the past.

[bassexpander]

This was over 4 years ago.

I don't know what the guy did. The last time I saw him was at the mini-trial.

They used to have a big file they'd flop down on the counter when I got my visas at the Omogyo office. Now I'm at another office, and they must have this stuff on computer, I suspect.

After completing the 6 month contract , I have completed several since with no problems. I am now very careful to do things legally, when possible. This often involves "training" schools on how to legally do the visa process, as most seem to have no clue.

[bassexpander]

Oh, and I had to pay my own plane flight out, as I had no contract with the school on file.

I did manage to get the school to pay my fine though, because they'd promised they'd take care of me if anything happened. Of course when the fine came down, they denied promising this, but they came around after I told them I was planning to turn them in for a number of other illegal things, as well as tell them that the illegal teacher who was busted with me had been there for 6 months plus.

The boss paid.

[poet13]

I know of a guy who was just recently given the boot. Seems like immigration thought it was kind of sketch that he had been on maybe 20 visa runs in the past five years, each time getting a new tourist visa. Don't know anything more about it right now.

[Bryan]

Bump

[TheChickenLover]

That little episode may very well be what they need to deny you an F-5 visa.

Chicken

[bassexpander]

<------- Has no need for an F-5 visa.

[bish]

[Mi Yum mi]

Know a girl who got caught working at a Samsung gig without the proper papers. She got a black check (that's what immi called it) next to her name. They said if it happened again she was gone. This was 3 years ago...if it happened today they might have tossed her in jail.

[Bryan]

Has anyone actually been blacklisted from re-entering Korea because of work related immigration law violations (ie, not drug dealing or assault)?

[isthisreally]

I never hear stories of people on E2s getting caught at their second jobs or tutoring or anything. But I'm pretty sure the only result would be a fine and possibly your primary employer firing you depending on how close you are to finishing your contract and them having to pay severance.

[ceesgetdegrees]

[Bryan]