Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Sector7G]

I can't say this is how it will be for everyone, as we all know how many different answers one can get depending on who and where you ask. But I have read a lot of helpful information on this board and thought it may be helpful to share my experience.

I was one of the Wall Street Institute teachers who took them up on their voluntary resignation program. I enjoyed teaching at WSI but saw a lot of what seemed to me to be better opportunities out there and so it didn't seem like much of a gamble. And I was right - I got no less than 7 solid offers that were better both in pay and in vacation time(which I had none of at WSI). So after carefully considering all of my options I chose a school in Daegu, which actually sweetened their original offer to get me. Life is a crapshoot but it looks like a good situation going in. Hopefully it will work out.

But I digress. I had read and been told that visas can only be transferred after working at a school for at least 9 months. Plus of course you need a Letter of Release. Well, getting the LOR from WSI was no problem, but I had only been there since October 2008. I was also getting conflicting answers on whether I needed another LOR from my legal afternoon school(which was making sounds like it would not cooperate without one month notice, even though I was losing my housing and would have no place to live.)

So I thought the best route would be to go down to immigration with a WSI manager and cancel my visa, which is what I did. Like I had read before on Dave's, they gave me 30 days to leave the country and stamped it on my ARC.(make sure you ask for 30 days because I heard sometimes you only get 14). I am going back to USA for a quick 2 week vacation anyway so that part did not bother me.

The very next day I went with my new school's owner to Daegu immigration to apply for a new visa. I had all of the necessary documents except for a new CRC which I was counting on not needing as it had been less than 6 months since I had submitted my last one.(again, you get different opinions everywhere).

First we had a 10 minute interview with a middle age guy at a desk who kept asking me why I canceled my visa, that I could have transferred it after all, and that now I would have to start from scratch, including getting a new CRC. At this point I was really bummed as that's a 2 to 3 week process minimum!

But then thankfully a younger guy sitting at another desk comes over and says that actually my CRC is still valid and directed me over to the regular counter to apply like everyone else(I don't know why my boss insisted on going to the desk area in the first place).

Here is where I lucked out. The girl at the counter said that even though I canceled my visa there was a new rule that allows up to one month to transfer. And even though I had only been at WSI 4 months I could transfer right then if I had a Letter of Release, which I did. Thankfully she did not ask for a LOR from the afternoon school. So after processing the paperwork she stamped my ARC good until one year after my start date, making it good until Feb. 2010. She said this date is in the system and will be my new visa expiration date also.

Again, not sure if I was just extremely lucky or if this is how it will be for everyone.

On a side note I am now on good terms with the afternoon school as I found them a replacement.

[Otherside]

Glad it all worked out.

I doubt you would EVER need a LOR from your afternoon school. They do not own your visa, nor are they your sponsor. Immigration has just given you permission to work there.

[Sector7G]

You see, that was exactly my thinking. But I asked my WSI manager to call Busan immigration just to be sure, and they told him it was necessary. But they never asked for it in the Daegu Immigration office.