Korean Job Discussion Forums

[bluethree]

I'm thinking of taking a trip to Japan 2-3 weeks before my contract starts in early October. Only problem is, I don't expect to get my visa until sometime in mid-September. Visa runs to Japan are obviously pretty common, but has anyone gotten their visa there (or anywhere else that isn't their home country) before heading to Korea? Is it at all possible and would it potentially create any problems in the visa process?

[Chambertin]

If this is your first visa you have to do the paperwork from home country.

If you work for a private school then you have to do an in person interview at the regional embassy / consulate.
If you work for a public (government) school then it can be done through the mail.

The major problem is that you have to give up your Passport to them. The visa is placed in the passport so you can�t really be in Japan as they process your E-2.
EDIT: However if you get the E-2 first and have time to spare then off to Japan you go.

Also as this may be a cause of concern later. They hold your passport when you finish immigration procedures, as in getting your ARC card. Don�t go all nutty, this is how it works.

If your school don�t return that passport and ARC card then feel free to go walnuts.

[bluethree]

Alright, thanks. As I get my visa in mid-September at the latest and the job starts very early in October, I'd only have a couple of weeks in Japan.

Since this is a public school job and will have plenty of vacation, it'd be kinda pointless to go to Japan now if I'm not going to get any extra time out of the experience.

[Chambertin]

Your best bet is to go when you have vacation.
It is much easier to get straight reimbursement for a straight flight than try to navigate the when and where of a multi stop ticket.

Fly a nice carrier too. Dont save a couple bucks of their money only to have to pay baggage and breathing fees to some crap airline. I swear that the US carriers will have Oxygen fees added to their tickets soon.

[bluethree]

I have another question so I'll just bump this thread.

Do I still need a visa interview if I was hired by a public school independently? (Keep in mind: The school's in Gyeonggi-do and the contract is 100% the same as the standard GEPIK one). After doing a bit of searching here it seems some posters say that's the case, but I'd just like to double-check to be sure. Since Japan's out of the question for now, I'd like to do some traveling in my own country (the US) before heading to Korea, but it seems like the interview might get in the way of that.