Korean Job Discussion Forums

[jimmyjnc]

I've put in my one months notice and I'll be leaving my contract at the 6 month mark so I'm free of any financial obligations to the BMCOE. I gave a face saving excuse to why I'm quitting and I'm going to hang out with the principal this Sunday to make sure that the harmony is positive upon departure (I'm assuming his weight matters in how I'll be judged officially.) I'm looking to turn around and start working for my old Hagwon In Jan., which was a much better job. My face saving excuse is that I need to prepare for grad school.

I've checked out the immigration website and they state that with E-2 visas one can change the place of work while still retaining the duration of the visa. They also outline the procedure for doing so (although they don't supply the documents, or at least I couldn't find them.) What I'm concerned about is, if BMCOE doesn't want to allow the change of the workplace. Also what I'm concerned about is that my face saver contradicts the reality that I'd like to work in Korea again (and very quickly.) Could BMCOE notify immigration to cancel the visa AND to give me some sort of bad reputation status therefore affecting the ability of me to get a new visa. Looking for some advice about how to approach this situation.

[OculisOrbis]

Good luck getting a letter of release that will allow you to transfer to a new employer after telling your school that line about your reason for quitting. Without that letter, you are not permitted to transfer.

You can ask them for one, but then the jig is up and they will know that you lied to their faces. That's bad. It's also possible that, in addition to refusing your LOR, they could contact your new employer and bomb any chance you have of them hiring you at all. It has happened before.

Just take a bit of vacation time outside korea between jobs to allow your old/new hagwon to process a new, full set of documents with immi, get a visa issuance # and then pick up your visa and head back here to start work.

[Ramen]

liar, liar, pants on fire.

if they ever catch you or suspect that you're lying, you'll wish that you did a runner instead.

[jimmyjnc]

What else was I supposed to say? " I think your school is terrible, I hate working here, and I think I'm underpaid." I don't think that one would have gone over so well. BTW this is Korea... Lying is standard protocol with employers when it comes to quitting, that's what the Koreans do...

[Ramen]

[Sector7G]

[Troglodyte]

If they're letting you go on good terms then don't rock the boat. Get a copy of your documents ready and go to Japan. Sure, it will cost you about 300k Won, but if your school finds out that you're BS-ing them, in addition to not getting the LOR, they may also mess with your last paycheck.

Keep in mind that they may very well make "deductions" from your last paycheck anyway. I'm not talking about stuff that you've already agreed to. I'm talking about extra stuff that they thought up so that they could get out of paying you. Remember, they think that you're leaving the country and won't be able to force them into paying.

[stevieg4ever]

Say you need the letter of release as a reference. Done!

[Troglodyte]

[balzor]

if this Hagwon job was good, Why did you leave?

[jimmyjnc]

Thanks for the replies guys. I'm finishing at the public school on Jan. 14th. and I'm leaving Korea a week later. I'll go down to Southeast Asia for a bit and look for a job elsewhere. I'm gonna take a break from KOrea. Just want to let people know that public school is not what it used to be. Pretty lame job these days.

[imoscardotcom]

You could tell them you want the LOR just to have "on file" so that future employers know you left the school on good terms & weren't fired. I don't know if that would work though.

[superNET]

[jimmyjnc]

Supernet, I'm not sure what you mean. I'm not transferring within the BMCOE. I'm quitting my job but wanted to keep the duration of my visa. But I'm giving up on that because protocol states that when an E-2 person quits from the BMCOE that their visa is automatically canceled. They don't really need to cancel my visa. They could transfer the employer to who I want to work for. But BMCOE wouldn't do something like that because that's against protocol. And again the problem with public school surfaces; that is overly-bureaucratic methods.

[jimmyjnc]