Korean Job Discussion Forums

[wanderingsalsero]

I was asked today by my supr. KET today when I was leaving Korea (visa expires 13 Dec). I told her I didn't know (the reason being, I'm still looking for other work but I didn't feel like it was any of her business).

She also wanted to know if I planned on extending my visa.

I told her that I didn't know that I could do that, or, if so....how it worked. I said so and she then told me that I could renew for 30 days but if I did so that the school wouldn't be bound to buy my ticket home.

Is that true?

I'm still not sure what's going to happen in the next couple of weeks re: being able to get another job but at this point I don't trust anything these people tell me.

I guess the question is:

What are my options on extending my visa....i.e. what does it take?

I know I can do a visa 'run' and come back in and I"m not adverse to doing that.

I get the impression that they are/she is kinda making this up as they go along. She's sitting here next to me now and reading something in Korean and telling me that it says I can stay for 10 days beyond my stated visa expiration date. I'm kinda suspicious of that, actually. Is that true?

Just in case I decide that I want to do a visa run and only go to Japan or somewhere and then come back in, can they refuse to reimburse me for the full amount of my airfare back home?

I wouldn't think so.

that's the latest.

[nomad-ish]

i believe, technically, the contract says the school will pay for your return ticket if the teacher leaves within 10 days of the last working day. you can get around that by simply buying a changeable or refundable ticket home, show it to them and get reimbursed. then just change your flight date.

for your visa, you can get a 30 day extension for non-working, travel purposes, but you have to apply for it online or at immigration.

[DWAEJIMORIGUKBAP]

1. They are only legally obliged to buy a ticket to your HOME COUNTRY. Sometimes you can convince them that logically it is cheaper for them to buy you a flight to Japan or Thailand or wherever you really want to go but Logic and Klogic are 2 different things and many bosses will spend the 1.2 or whatever to send you home rather than 400,000 to send you to Japan. Klogic 101.

2. Just go into immi and get the extension by asking for it. Say you want it so you can look for a new job. I did it 2 months ago and it took about 5 mins from me entering the building and was completely hassle free. I got 30 days.

[OculisOrbis]

[lifeinkorea]

[nomad-ish]

[wanderingsalsero]

Well, that's good. So it sounds like getting the extension is no problem. The only issue is: when I get the extension relative to my last contact with the school (i.e. when they authorize the reimbursement for my trip home).

I don't want them to know I'm getting the extension. They seem of the opinion that if I get any kind of extension, period, it negates their responsibility to reimburse me for my return airfare.

I did get them (i.e. 'her') to allow that the ticket could be to anywhere just as long as it was out of Korea and prevented me from overstaying my visa (as it exists now for 13 December).
And she also agreed that the ultimate and eventual reimbursement would be based on my regularly scheduled airfare back to my home of record (in this case, Dallas).

I really don't want to tie up the large amount of cash to buy the full fare back to the US so it sounds to me like I could by a ticket anywhere else, get reimbursed my full airfare by the school, change my destination to someplace adequate just for a 'visa run', then come back in on a tourist visa.

Or, depending on when they reimbursed me, maybe even get the extension while I'm still here.

Make sense?

My western logic tells me that it shouldn't make any difference to anybody whether I got an extension or not. As long as it's legal with immigration, nobody ought to care, right?

But.....trying to have a logical discussion with the school is such a hassle when it seems like they delight in being a PITA.

I'm getting all these criteria, on behalf of the 'education establishment' from one particular KET who I thought was my supervisor all this last year. I think part of these past problems has just been that she doesn't know and really doesn't care on spending the time to work out the logic of it all. I'm 'old laundry' around here now, I guess.

But, when I asked her if she'd write me a letter of reference she said it wasn't her job and to ask this other guy who supposedly is the 'English teacher supervisor'. I asked and he did (I actually wrote the letter myself. He's been a good egg all this time.

So....I guess the last big question I have is whether I really have to buy the ticket myself (and get reimbursed). Or require them to do it. If I can get by with just getting a ticket to Japan, that might be cheaper for me.

Always appreciate feedback and the expert opinions of ya'll.

[DWAEJIMORIGUKBAP]

[nomad-ish]

[OculisOrbis]

[DWAEJIMORIGUKBAP]

Nothing exeptional about it, I and three personal friends have done this in the past 6 months with no tkts.

Guess why we had no tkts???

Bercause we weren't intending to leave.

We were intending to stay and look for new jobs without leaving the country and we TOLD IMMIGRATION exactly that.

[OculisOrbis]

Congratulations to you and your friends, once again. I'm not disputing your stories, but the immi officer made an EXCEPTION in your cases. That is not the norm nor does it adhere to the rules as set out by immigration regarding extension of stays.

Most people know that immigration is erratic in its application of its own rules, but there are rules - and if you dont want any complications, you need to be aware of them and follow them.

Taking advice based on someone else's personal, limited, experiences is not a wise thing to do when accurate information is readily available in print or by asking a rep from the office about their standards and practices.

Again if you want the REAL requirements, call 1345 and ask them or read the information on the link that nomad-ish provided.

[jpotter78]

[lifeinkorea]

[nomad-ish]