Korean Job Discussion Forums

[kamutflake]

So I thought I was all ready to go to S. Korea to teach. Timing was going to be tight, but it was doable. I have to go to Taiwan anyway for a school program, from July 22nd until mid-August, and I figured I would stay in the area while I was at it and celebrate my mid-summer graduation with a year long adventure.

But ohhhhhh. nooooooo. It couldn't be that easy.

No no now I find out I won't get my diploma until mid-November. So I guess I'm asking (and I guess I know what the answer will be) - would it be wisest for me to take my return ticket and go home to montreal and wait possibly until almost christmas to apply for a job in Korea (would they even be hiring then?). Or should I hope I bring enough money to live on/wait it out in a cheap country/get odd jobs and hope a tourist visa isn't TOO illegal to do that on? Yeah, I should probably go home and wait.

Other question: if I've never gotten an E2 visa before and I decide to do it on my own, is that like, mission impossible? There's a consulate about a 6 hour bus ride away from the city, which isn't impossible, just inconvenient.

Um, one third question: what do you mean they don't have oats in that country? :O !

Fourth Question: anyone seen Crying Nut live before? How are they so good?

[CentralCali]

Don't come to Korea to work illegally. All you'll accomplish is making life harder for those of us who are working legally here.

Korea requires that you have the actual diploma, not just verification from your school that you have graduated and a diploma will be issued at a later date.

If you've never had an E-2 visa before in Korea, you'll be wasting your time and money by coming to Korea prior to having the consular interview in your home country. There is a chance that a Korean Consul in another country might waive the "in applicant's home country" rule, but do you really want to spend that much money on an off chance?

Oat meal is not a big item in this country. The popular method of getting fiber in one's diet is to drink a kind of soft drink, conveniently named "Hwa-i-ba" {Fiber}. When I was hospitalized for a month a couple of years ago, my visitors bringing me that stuff was a godsend!

Oh, I forgot something. Although Korea won't recognize the degree verification letter from your university in advance of your diploma, you still need to bring that letter with you along with the diploma. Yes, I know it's not logical. Be prepared for many governmental and work issues that are nowhere near logical and you'll do fine here.

[freakyaye852]

Actually, you can use an apostilled copy of a letter of completion from your uni.I think the process has a diff name in Canada, but basically get the letter, take to lawyer, take to apostille office = good as original diploma.

One other thing, was your degree from an english uni? Language of instruction must be eng.

[ttompatz]

[littlelisa]

Are you talking about a Korean consulate 6 hours away from Montreal?! There's one IN Montreal, in Place Ville Marie.

I also agree with everything ttompatz said.

And you can get oats here, just at a couple of places with imported stuff, and it will be expensive.

[CentralCali]

[kamutflake]

Thanks everyone for the clarification! I guess it is best to wait and do this properly. Somehow I'm guessing that an extra handful of months to figure out the paperwork might be just what the doctor ordered... plus this way I can stay and audit a class on Chinese Politics & Religion that I was sad about missing, too, yay! Oh oh... and attend my own graduation ceremony and say goodbye to the family properly, you know, little things.

[kamutflake]

[reactionary]

[ttompatz]