Korean Job Discussion Forums

[verseinu]

For people who have dealt with the consulate in toronto, what has been your experience with the interview. I thought it was mandatory, though when I phoned them for general info and mentioned that I would be working in a public school they said that an interview may not be necessary. Maybe this was just me, but she seemed to backtrack on her statement a little as if it wasn't something she shouldn't have 'revealed'.

So....my question is, have people with a public school job ever been through the interview?

The reason I am asking is that I am planning a trip this summer where I will be away from toronto. I think I know the answer to this, but is there any option for having an interview (if one is required) in a city different from where you are a resident?

This is my first post on dave's....so a big hello to everyone as well!

[sbp59]

I don't have an answer for you. But I'd like to know the exact same thing. I'm a 10 hour drive to Toronto and it is such a waste of time and money to travel so far for a 5 min interview. Can this be done over the phone ??

[ThomasR]

From what I have read, Public School teachers (Epik, Gepik etc.) do not have to interview. This always seemed a bit off for me. I also understand the interview is quite pointless. Some people even flying a few hours to get asked 2 questions. Im still trying to find out if they do phone interviews or not.

[last goodbye]

All I know about this is that if you have worked in Korea before, you don't need to interview again...

[oldtactics]

I am EPIK and got my first work visa in January 2009 from the Toronto Consulate. I did not have an interview. YMMV.

[Girlygirl]

According to their website, if this is your first time, then you need an interview. I don't know how the other poster didn't need one. The Toronto Consulate is a joke then. I, on the other hand, needed the freakin interview even though it was my 2nd time. So I guess it depends on who's the idiot at the front desk/incompetent person will handle your case.

As far as the interview goes. It's very easy. When I was there, I saw a few didn't pass because they didn't attend school in Canada since grade 7.

[verseinu]

It almost seems as if the consulate doesn't have a fixed set of rules.

about being able to do it over the phone....everything I have read has pointed to no

Thanks for the reply's

[prairiegirl81]

I came over to Korea from Toronto in early March and my vote would be that you will most likely need an interview.

Here's what happened to me:

I had a job lined up with a Public school in GEPIK and had my VISA issuance number. I was scheduled to start work at the beginning of March and had about 2 weeks to get the VISA stamp done. (despite starting all my paperwork in November!) My recruiter assured me that I wouldn't need an interview and that they would be able to issue the Visa within a couple of days. However, when I went to visit the embassy I was given an interview time for the next week which meant that I would miss my employment start date. Being concerned, I called my recruiter who was adamant that I didn't need an interview. I called the consulate and she said that because I only had a VISA issuance number she had assumed I was working for a Hagwon and that I didn't need to interview. Great! Until she called me back the next day and said that they'd changed their minds. Long story short, I had the interview, made it to Korea a week late and everything is fine.

So.... if you are just given a VISA issuance number you will definitely need to have an interview.

However, if you are working for a Public school there is some other kind of letter they can give you that is supposed to exempt you from the interview. However, it seems like the people at the Consulate seem to prefer to interview everyone, just to be safe, and I would count on having to do an interview.

FYI - they only hold the interview about once a week and I've heard are quite inflexible about scheduling them. Also, make sure that you have many, many copies of your sealed transcripts. By the end I've gone through about 6 or 7!
Good luck!

[verseinu]

Thanks Prairiegirl

Is the visa issuance # the same as letter of appointment? or maybe the appointment letter is what you were talking about.... a letter from the public school.

who provides the visa issuance #?

[Ut videam]

If you have a LETTER OF APPOINTMENT, then your visa issuance has been approved by authority of a provincial/metropolitan office of education. According to Immi regulations, you ARE NOT REQUIRED TO INTERVIEW at a consulate in your home country.

If you have a VISA ISSUANCE NUMBER, then your visa issuance has been approved by authority of Immigration in Korea. According to Immi regulations, you ARE REQUIRED TO INTERVIEW at a consulate in your home country. Exceptions are made for those who have previously worked for at least a year in Korea and have no criminal offenses/"black marks" on their immigration files, and/or have had their educational background pre-verified by the Korean Council for University Education.

Bottom line: just because you're going to be working at a public school doesn't necessarily mean you're exempt from the interview. It all depends on how your visa was authorized�by the POE or by Immi.

[verseinu]

[Ut videam]

No, you can't request it. It depends entirely on whether you're processed through the POE or through Immi. If you're hired through one of the big public school hiring programs (GEPIK, EPIK, SMOE, etc.) you will most likely get a letter of appointment. If you're hired by an individual school or individual district working with a recruiter on their own (i.e., outside the EPIK/GEPIK/SMOE framework), they're most likely going to go through Immi and you'll get a visa issuance number. This is especially true if you're being hired for an after-school program�you're working AT a public school and they technically sponsor your visa, but you're actually working FOR a hakwon.