Korean Job Discussion Forums

arrangingpieces · Joined: 08 Aug 2009

hi everyone!

i'm currently in a bit of a sticky situation as i have a public school job with SMOE and am supposed to be in seoul on august 23. the problem is i am still waiting for my notice of appointment and probably will not get it until next week. that would leave me about 3-4 days to get my E2 visa...if i'm lucky!
my recruiter seems positive that it is going to work out but i don't think the timeline is realistic. it doesn't seem that coming late to orientation is an option either.

i guess my advice or question is has anyone come late to orientation before or knows of a way to speed up the E2 visa (i'm going to drive to the consulate and hope that in person makes it faster)? if i can't get my visa in time because they interviewed me so late am i just dropped? will they send my documents back and i can apply for a job in 2010?

i appreciate all your help.

Rory_Calhoun27 · Joined: 14 Feb 2009

where do you live, and how far from the consulate are you?

Going yourself to get it FEELS faster to me, but I can't verify it- I go to the Chicago consulate- dropped off my passport one day, and while bumming around Chicago, went the next afternoon just to see if it was done, and it was!

so the next morning I was off back home. your mileage may vary.

arrangingpieces · Joined: 08 Aug 2009

well, i'm in southwest virginia visiting my family at the moment. it's about 5-6 hours from d.c. which is where the embassy is.

did you have to make an appointment?

thanks!

lifeinkorea · Joined: 24 Jan 2009 Location: somewhere in China

Also, remember that if you stopped they would have to get someone else. That person would have to start from scratch. Even if you are a little late, the school might wait it out with you because they probably don't want to wait longer with someone else.

Whether or not someone (like myself Razz

) has their paperwork ready to take that job is another story. If the recruiter is on your side then you got 2 things going for you. The recruiter will want to make sure you get a job, and the school will most likely only be using one recruiter.

I tried to get my current school to use another recruiter to get a new teacher, hoping that recruiter could arrange a better transition, but they wouldn't go with them. They only wanted the recruiter that hired me (which happens to be WorkNplay, there's your plug WnB).