Korean Job Discussion Forums

[annebonny]

Ok, here's my situation. I just found out my hagwon is closing at the end of the month due to financial issues. I've only been here for four months so I don't have the option of transferring my visa, I basically have to start from scratch and redo all the paperwork and everything. However I think that I have a better chance of finding a new position while I'm still in Korea, so I want to stick around a bit and do some interviews while I'm here . My hagwon owner offered to let me stay in the apartment for a while if I need to, so that won't be a problem for me. What worries me though is once the hagwon officially closes and my employer cancels my visa, how long can I stick around in Korea after that? Do I have to go to immigration and change my status to a tourist visa? Or does my status automatically change to a tourist visa once my E2 is cancelled? I just don't want to do something that could get me in trouble with immigration since I plan on getting another job here.

Thanks for the help!

[greekvvedge]

when you cancel your visa, go to immigration and request and e-2 extension.

you may have to bring proof that you have purchased an airline ticket out of korea.

you can do this all online, if im not mistaken, through the immigration website.

you should have 30 days from the date u cancel.

[kardisa]

I just had the same thing happen to me, except it was at the 4.5 month mark. You CAN transfer your visa to a new school within 30 days, though you may or may not require your old boss' signature (depends on whether or not he's filed the paperwork to cancel the school's business license).

You'll need to go to immigration, explain the situation, and ask for a "Report on Alteration or Addition of Employment Place." In ordre to transfer the visa to a new school, you will need:

Copy of the new hagwon owner's business license
Copy of the hagwon's education license
The aforementioned Visa transfer sheet
Passport
ARC
New, signed contract

That should be it. Once you have all of the paperwork, it should take less than a day to transfer your visa. They'll make a notation in your passport and on your ARC reflecting the changes.

[ttompatz]

[annebonny]

Thanks guys! I had thought that since I was under the six month mark that I couldn't transfer my visa, so this is great news. I wasn't worried so much about actually finding a job so much as dealing with the wait while I gathered all of my paperwork again. It's a relief that I won't have to deal with that right now. I'm alread stressed enough.

[Troglodyte]

Even if your boss won't help you out (although you could probably get immigration to force him to if necessary) you can get an extension for at least 2 weeks beyond when your visa will be cancelled. If you're already in Korea it's a piece of cake to get a new job.

If you can transfer, you'll have job offers within a week. If you have to do a visa run to Japan and have your documents ready, you'll also have offers within a week (maybe 2). Either way, get your documents ready. But if you can transfer, then be sure to tell schools (or recruiters if you're going that route) that you can transfer. It will make a world of difference. It basically means that you start ASAP and that it doesn't cost the school 1 Won to get you here. If you have to get a new visa, you can do it in Japan. In that case, the school will pay for your visa run.