Korean Job Discussion Forums

[tcatsninfank]

Hey guys,

This situation seems a little unique so I thought I'd post here and see if I could get some information. Thanks in advance for reading/replying.

I currently teach through EPIK and have a few months left on my contract. However, I've found a teaching position for teaching English to adult engineers. It would be more advantageous for my career to have this job, namely because it will give me experience working with adults that I can use toward getting my DELTA later.

However, the date that the job will be filled is before my EPIK contract is up. I know someone who works there already and they're sponsoring their visa, so I'm not worried about that part...but would there be any visa problem for me if I didn't finish my EPIK contract?

I fully intend to give notice and all of that, but I'm unclear as to what would happen afterward. I read somewhere on here awhile back that EPIK might "freeze" your visa and make it impossible to get a new visa until the EPIK one has expired. I have no idea whether that's true, though, or if it is true whether there would be a way around it.

[ttompatz]

Changing employers while on an E2 is problematic at best and impossible at worst.

EPIK has an officially stated policy that they will NOT allow or issue a LOR to employees during the term of a contract.

Without a LOR you cannot transfer your visa to a new employer or switch to a D10.

Exiting Korea to cancel your visa and beginning again with all new documents MAY allow you to begin a new visa application but often it does not (it will depend on the immigration officer working at the counter on your date of application). It is NOT a fail-safe method of changing employers.

You might end up unemployable until your current ARC expires (more often than not when leaving a government job) at which time you can start again as a new visa applicant with all new documents.

.

[basic69isokay]

Yeah the whole point of the E visa system in Korea is so they can have full control over you. That's why many places don't hire F visa people. You are basically trying to take that control back.......so theyre not going to make it easy for you.
If you try it, dont expect any favors (such as severance or LOR). They want patsies, not people standing up for themselves.

[DaeguNL]