Korean Job Discussion Forums

[kpmth00]

I am in the process to teach in Korea, but the costs before even getting there was more than I thought it'd be.

I just did a criminal background check with American Database for 93 dollars (NY costs more), and I had to fax something for 2 bucks. So far that's almost 100 dollars. I think that's a lot.

Anyone else spent a lot before going?

[lifeinkorea]

No, the CBC is the big one, unless you go to the Korean Consulate. You may have to get a plane ticket and be reimbursed. I would ONLY do this if it was with a public school. If it is a hagwon, DON'T pay for it. Make them pay for it.

Before I came to Korea, one recruiter helped a lot but after everything was squared away with the job she told me my e-ticket would be emailed to me. Instead, I got an email asking me for credit card info from the travel agency. I tried to email the recruiter about this and she never replied to me.

So, I went with another school.

Make sure you have some spending cash when you come to Korea. You won't be paid for a month, and don't rely on any settlement allowance promised to you. You won't get it until your first pay day. It's meant to offset the costs of moving, so first you have to spend your money. Teachers often come to Korea thinking they will get 300,000 won within the first week at a school. It's possible, and a hagwon owner even offered to lend me money until pay day, but it's rare.

You should also ask what their pay schedule is. Even if the contract has a specific date, it might not correspond with the "accounting office schedule".

[kpmth00]

^ Wait, so you didn't have to pay for the criminal background check? You didn't mention that.

Also, the school I'm going with is a really big one: CDI. If I have to buy my own plane ticket, even with a big established school as that, you're saying you wouldn't do it?

[jmuns]

i think they mean that the CBC was the big cost, unless your korean consulate is far away. if it is, then it will cost you some money to travel to the consulate for your interview. so factor in travel costs of gas/plane ticket, hotel, food, and anything else you need getting there and that 'interview cost' will be bigger than the cbc. cdi will buy your ticket for you. it is going to cost you anther 60-70 dollars to fedex your stuff to korea as well.

[sulperman]

You must be very poor.

[AsiaESLbound]

About $1200 for airfare and documents expenses plus the expenses of your 1st month in Korea of maybe $500 to $1500 for health exam, visa, food, transportation, new cell phone and activation fee, and other expenses that fall on you. The job doesn't help you at first financinally speaking. Requires about $2000 to $2500 initial outlay plus money to leave Korea on your own dime should the job not work out or you simply want to do something else instead. It costed me a bit more than anticipated due to having to take a bus into Seoul and rent a room on my own dime, because I used a shoddy recruiter who lied to me about picking me up at the airport. I also had a little more other extra costs such as having to give extra blood to be looked at under microscope by a doctor due to having a cold causing high white blood cell count. Expect a nasty runny nose coughing cold for a while shortly after arriving.

[oldfatfarang]

I budget about $3,000 to change my PS job (while living in another Asian country away my home country). This covers all hidden visa costs: degree notarisation & apostilles, CRC & apostille travel, medical check, a cheap flight to Korea, and unexpected accommodation costs etc.

If your recruiter starts playing around with you (delaying your acceptance or arrival), you will pay for many unexpected courier, email and telephone fees.

You can expect to pay more than you budget, because Korean decision making and hiring processes are fluid (in their favor). If you have unexpected delays in arriving at your school you could have extra accommodation costs in your home country - or in Korea.

When you arrive in Korea - you need money for ARC registration costs and multiple re-entry visa etc). You'll also need food, transport, clothes, travel, and maybe emergency accommodation money (approx $1,000).

Good luck. Don't arrive without money.

[Ramen]

[ThingsComeAround]

not to mention fees to "express ship" documents to the recruiter.

When I got my CBC- I paid nowhere near 100. I paid 60, because I got 2 made from the NYPD at the headquarters near City Hall. Add the apostille (3 bucks each) for my diploma- I think the most I paid for one single item was shipping- Fifty Five bucks! Only once if your recruiter is decent enough to do their job!

[loyfriend]

You people are outragous saying someone needs 3k to come and get a job in Korea.

I came with $200 to my name. But to be relistic think of it this way.

Most people can and do live on 600,000-1,000,000 a month. That is about 850 US dollars. Add 150 for visa cost so thats 1k.

I would add 500-600 or have a credit card that you can use in case of an emengercy. Say your school pulls a fast one on you and you have to buy an airfare ticket home. If you have that on a card then don't worry.

So 1k - 1,500.

[jonpurdy]

I came with like 200,000 and got my 300,000 settlement the first night. Plus I had my MasterCard for big stuff. No problems, though I'd suggest not counting on the settlement allowance for now.

[MalFSU1]

I think the people who said around $3,000 were including the upfront cost of a plane ticket, which in most circumstances, is not paid until about a month after you get to the country.

[oldfatfarang]

Sorry, I included all costs in my $3,000 estimate.
I see the op's questions was: What are the costs BEFORE coming to Korea?

For my last E2 visa change the total cost of my E2 visa before I landed in Korea was $1,339.00 USD.

That included all costs for documents, communication, courier, legal requirements, travel to embassies (X2) etc, and also a very cheap flight ($580 from Korea to Thailand). It also included $235 for new teaching clothes.

Add on another $600-1,000 USA for the first month (until payday) and I needed approx $2,000 in cash to get to Korea (and live until payday).

Hope this helps. Although I did my visa process in Thailand - so some costs there were very cheap compared to a Western country.

[JFuller317]

If you luck out and get an apartment that already comes with a microwave, rice cooker and some utensils and basic household items (or if the school is willing to buy these things for you without deducting it from your settlement allowance), you could cut 100-300k off your initial cost. I lucked out in that regard, as did a few other teachers I know.

[oldfatfarang]