Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Bearach]

My friend left her hagwon job early, and spent the last month or so trying to find a new job. But when she got one lined up the new school contacted immigration, and they said she is in the country illegally and will have to pay a fine to leave. A previous school had contacted immigration, but were told she needed a letter of release before starting a new job, which the original hagwon had refused. She is still within the period of her original E2 visa.

Has anyone got any experience of this? Did her school cancel her visa without her knowing? What should she do?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[Carla]

[yingwenlaoshi]

You can get a 2-week extension after you've completed a contract or if you're waiting for documents to come in while you're on an exit order or certain other sojourns.

If you quit or get fired, then you have 30 days to leave the country. You should, however, get an exit order. Exit orders can be had before the 30 days are up. So you need to go in sometime before 30 days after your last teaching day. Immi will cancel your alien card and keep it and give you a sheet of paper which is your exit order with the date on which you must leave the country.

I know this because I have much experience in this matter.

As far as fines for overstays go, that's discretionary. She's probably being given a hard time because she quit and didn't give notice.

[Bearach]

Looks like the new school assumed he finished her contract, and then stayed another 7 weeks, which would have been illegal. But she quit early, and was still within the original 1 year visa period. All over now anyway, just another example of crossed wires leading to immigration headaches.
Thanks for the responses anyway!