Korean Job Discussion Forums

[david]

I am supposed to leave the country on October 7, but have found an employer and will stay in Korea. I'm waiting for the apostille on my diploma and would like to get a visa extension rather than depart Korea for a day in order to obtain 90 days.

What do I need to do to receive the extension? What documents will I need? Any tips on bettering my chances of receiving the extension? Please let me know in the near future.

[ttompatz]

[lifeinkorea]

You need to talk to the school that fired you. You are in a "gray area", and you want to clear things up with them. If they fired you for stupid reasons not associated with you (like lack of funds to pay you), then they might be willing to help extend your visa.

If not, you will most likely need to leave the country. I don't know what ttompatz's suggestion is about the extension. Even if you were to get it, the work visa would have ended, and your new one would be on a tourist status. This, in theory, means you have to go through the hoops as if you left the country.

So, if the first school won't help to extend your CURRENT (work) visa, you are better off leaving and coming back with a new work visa. A tourist visa would only give you an opportunity to stay in the country to find a second employer. Since you already have one, you don't need to worry about this. Maybe they can talk with the first school to work something out. If you think that will bring trouble, that is an indication the first school won't help you either.

You could let us know why the first school fired you so we have some basis to help you further. Did you perform bad? Did parents complain? Did the first school run out of money? What were the circumstances?

[david]

I was fired after turning up late one Monday and not contacting the school. ( I was in Japan, overslept, missed a ferry, and had left my cell phone in Korea. The only e-mail I had was my recruiter's and he didn't open it in time to contact the school. )

This is what I know at the moment. I was supposed to take a job with a small school, but after they returned from Immigration they said that the process would take too long and that they were no longer willing to sponsor me and pay for a visa run. ( They were hoping that the LOR I had from the first school would permit a visa transfer, but the school had cancelled the visa and I wouldd have to apply for a new one.) The official at Immigration stated that I had until October 7.

I would like to extend past the seventh. Possible? Likely?

[ttompatz]