Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Gollum]

Is it a trend for schools to offer a 1 year contract, then get a 10 month (or less) visa from immigrations? Are schools asking for this, and getting it?

I'm hearing of several cases from other teachers where they seem to get only 10 months issued for their visa. Not the usual 12.

In this case, the school can avoid severance.

Is this a trend we should be wary of? I'd like some discussion.

I've heard of 4 cases like this recently, along with my own.

The next contract I sign, I will include this line before signing:

"In the event that immigrations issues a visa for less than a 12 month period, this contract will immediately become null and void, if the teacher chooses. In such an event, the school agrees to immediately provide or sign a letter of release, releasing the teacher from the contract and visa. In the event the school fails to comply, the Korean Labor Board will be notified of breech of contract."

[Ilsanman]

I wouldn't mind a quick clause allowing me to get out of a shit school, and a free trip to Japan.

I guess the bad side is, no one will want to hire me. I don't understand this 10 month bullshit. Criminals, more or less.

[dominic]

i understand it...universities started this first I heard, maybe that's not true, but they would hire the teacher for 10 months so they wouldnt have to pay bonuses and airfares at the end of the 12 months, so immigration issues a 10month visa because thats the contract they see, the time line. of course some schools have the teacher work the whole 12 months and dont pay them either

[Gollum]

[ulsanchris]

I was under the impression that anything less than one year was illegal. I would send an email to efl law about this.

[kangnamdragon]

I don't think there is really a trend to "screw teachers." Despite what many think, Koreans are generally not devious.

[Corky]

How about a tactic to save money then?

[kangnamdragon]

[Gollum]

Ok, I agree. A tactic to save money, which ends up getting us screwed.

[Zed]

[lawyertood]

Not to sound like an apologist but one university that I interviewed with told me that they offered a 10-month contract to begin with because some teachers in the past had said they were going to renew, went home over the paid two month period at the end of the contract and never came back. This left the school with little or no time to hire replacements. This school also went on to say that the second year contract was for 14 months to make up for the two and severance was included. Don't know if it was the truth because I didn't take the job. I do know some teachers who have done this even in the middle of the contract so they could collect during the vacation period. The rest of us were burdened with extra overtime hours at a poor rate because the school didn't want to/couldn't hire replacements.

As for the OP's point, the teacher(s) in question should try to accompany the director to immigration and make sure the visa period corresponds to the contract (as signed) period. Immigration goes by the contract submitted with the paperwork, usually in Korean. It wouldn't hurt to have a trusted Korean friend along to translate the Korean contract to you before it is submitted.

[kangnamdragon]

[Harvard Material]

I'm with ulsanchris on this one. I believe it can be no less than 12 months through Immigration; at least with hakwons. Maybe universities are different, but the general E-2 teaching visa is a full 12 months. Checking efllaw is good advice, and/or contact the Immigration web site.

Some of the less than admirable hakwons have a steady 6 or 7 month revolving door. Doesn't matter what your contract/visa states, because there is little intention to renew contracts at suspect locations. Replacements are recruited long before a contract is honored in some cases, regardless of the visa duration.

[kiwiboy_nz_99]

I was expecting this thread to be about something a little more exciting ...

[dominic]

the contract and the visa dates must be the same or immigration is not supposed to issue the visa. LOL at kiwiboy