Korean Job Discussion Forums

Cedar

Folks,

I'm starting graduate school in Seoul this fall (come h*ll or high water) and trying to decide if I should find a job with low hours and come in on a work visa (and perhaps take fewer classes per term, thereby longer to finish the program) to make sure I have no worries about housing, money for food, etc. -or- come in on a student visa and find enough part-time work to keep myself in food and cell phone and housed- (and hope to solve the problem of next year's tuition off getting such high grades I get scholarships).

Of course
1. Part-time work is illegal
2. And part-time I did do would have to work around my school schedule, which last year's schedule had a darn lot of good classes in the later afternoons when many prime part-time jobs turn up.
3. Housing in Seoul is so expensive, and since I have a cat and stuff, living in a dorm is not an option.

Is it even realistic to hit Seoul with nothing more than a couple month's living expenses, tuition and a friend's sofa I can use for a couple weeks while I try to scare up a place bigger than a hatbox to live in?

Please tell me-- should I be an E-2 or a D-2?????

All serious tips about cheap ways to live in Seoul appreciated.

Thanks!

Cedar

kangnamdragon · Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Location: Kangnam, Seoul, Korea

I would go against the E-2 because your schedule is not in your control. Also, I heard that you cannot go to school on an E-2 visa. I may be wrong on that, so check. I am sure someone here knows better than I.

Demophobe · Joined: 17 May 2004

e-2.
you cannot technically go to school on an e-2, but if you are looking at breaking some law (and both of your choices involve illegality) then taking some classes in your free time is far less offensive than teaching privately. i had a friend a while back who did this....the uni didn't care at all.
good luck...!

Cedar · Posted: Wed May 19, 2004 5:28 am Post subject:

You're all wrong about the E2- it's perfectly legal. I just have to take one extra step at the Immigration office- at the time of or after receiving my E2, with an approval from my school and an enrollment paper from the school I will attend I get an extra little endorsement on my E2- it's like an E2 plus Student.... anyway, it does mean the place I work at has to know I'm going to school, but as long as they approve (and I wouldn't sign a contract with a place I wasn't up front with during the interview about the grad school program) then all is fair and square. So only a D2 and working on the side would be illegal, actually. Not that many of you aren't doing privates anyway...

Demophobe · Joined: 17 May 2004

pretty cool when you kinda answer your own question, huh?
e-2...

Sucker · Joined: 11 Feb 2003

You can work full time and study full time in Seoul - I did all of last year and I am now.

That said, it can be very difficult to find a job that allows you to do this.

I have an E2 and permission to study.

One of my classmates almost got into a lot of trouble for being an "illegal student" - she was studying on an E2 without permission - as I heard it she very nearly got deported..

cheem · Joined: 18 Apr 2003

Just so you know, D2 visa holders can apply for permission to work part-time under two conditions:

1. one year has elapsed since your admission
2. the work you do is somehow related to your field of study

ladyandthetramp · Joined: 21 Nov 2003

If you're looking for a job with low hours, be aware that lots of the part-time jobs won't provide you with an E2 visa. Even fewer will provide you with an apartment.

And does anyone have a link to where it says that it is illegal to study on a regular E2 visa? Are part-time language programs included in this?

Sucker · Joined: 11 Feb 2003

Cedar · Posted: Thu May 20, 2004 9:41 pm Post subject:

Yes, I'm aware on the rules for D2 visas and working. It's just living in Seoul is darn expensive, a lot more than I've spent in other parts of Korea. Where I used to live, I could spent 1.5 million for a year in a two bedroom place with a 1 or 2 million deposit. In Seoul I probably can't find a tin can to live in for that amount of money, not even a moldy basement closet.

I'd MUCH rather just sit back, study, study and study with no job at all. But that won't work so well if I am thinking "How can I get enough money to pay for next year's tuition?" instead of "How to write this research paper?"

C'mon someone has to have a useful piece of information! I don't want to get in a discussion about legality, I want to get some feedback from people who've been in this situation (like "sucker") and people who know how to live in Seoul on the cheap.

By the way, studying in language programs on an E2 is perfectly legal, the only time you need special permission is when you are in a degree program, not only an enrichment activity.

Sucker · Joined: 11 Feb 2003

Last year I pulled in around 1.6 -1.8 million a month, give or take. This was working "part-time" (7:30am till around 2pm every day). I could have made more with privates, but I was relatively happy with where I was working. I worked in the morning and attended classes in the late afternoon.

That said, I made enough to cover rent and expenses, as well as tuition (but 2/3 of my tuition is covered by a scholarship). Things were always tight however and I did end up quitting that job because I was doing to much work and just managing to get by financially. It was tough now that I think about it.

I did not want to get an E2 visa from that company because I did not want to be tied down to them. At the start of this year, I found a college position. Because money was tight last year, I decided to focus more on work this year - so I work four full days a week at the college and have one day off to attend classes (average class is 3 hours long - I am taking 2 classes this semester, next semester I just have to write a thesis). Money is much better. I have an E2 visa through the college.

Most of my classmates are either college teachers (and hance have a little free time for studying) or they have student visas and work on the sly.

The ones without full time jobs seem to be making more money - but I would not do this.

One of my classmates was working for ybm and found it really difficult as they kept changing his teaching schedule - meaning that he could not attend classes.

Anyway - what else do you want to know?

noelinkorea · Joined: 09 Apr 2003 Location: Shinchon, Seoul

I will study from next month at Yonsei''s KLI - I was hoping to continue on my E2...where does it say you need permission, and how do I get it?!

the_beaver · Joined: 15 Jan 2003

the_beaver · Joined: 15 Jan 2003

Sucker · Joined: 11 Feb 2003

I assume you mean that you will be studing Korean?

I don't know about the visa regulations for that, but yes, you do need permission to be enroled in a degree program (masters, MBA, etc).

You need permision from your employer, one of your professors and something to prove that you will be studying.

Several of my friends do not have permission and they have never got into any trouble - its not like immigration is prowling the uni campuses for illegal aliens. That said, I know one girl who was caught -she applied for a D2 (student) visa after having already been studying for 6 months or so - man was immigration pissed, we're talking huge fines and deportation - everyone was shocked, not even the uni admin knew that it was illegal to study im Korea without permission. Anyway - I'm not sure how but she got out of it somehow and is still studying (masters program by the way).