Korean Job Discussion Forums

[stevieg4ever]

I will most likely be leaving my public school job next February. I had some basic questions:

1) If you leave your contract early do you need a letter of release in order to carry your existing visa / sojourn onto another job or employer?

2) If you stay and finish your contract at the end of the contract year do you need any kind of letter of release or are you free to pursue work and start a new job (assuming you don't overstay your sojourn)?

3) in terms of the visa and staying put in Korea, can you transfer to another visa that permits you to stay without having to leave and re-enter? I had heard that there was one of the D classifications of visas that does this but wasn't sure.

If you have any other useful advice then please fire away. Thanks!

[YTMND]

1) Yes, that would be the best route, but not 100% necessary. You could leave and get all your documents again. This allows you to take the next job with a gap of time in between.

2) In theory, should be no problem. You still need to time it within reason, if the new contract started the day after or a week later you should be able to transfer.

3) The D10 allows you to look for another job. The importance of a release letter is not 100% set in stone. It depends more on the officer who looks at your situation. If your school reports you left and didn't give notice, then you probably won't be granted a D10.

If you fall into the category listed in 2, I wonder if immigration might not grant a D10 because you have time to transfer to another school. Right now, it's probably not the case. However, I wouldn't be surprised if they made rules about the D10. So far, I haven't heard any problems. My approach would be to wait 1 month before the end of the contract and go to immigration and ask them. See what they say. If you get the same answer from multiple officers, then chances are that's what will happen when you finish your contract a month later.

It also helps to have a new employer lined up. If you show the officer an easy way to transfer to a new school, they are more likely to bypass the D10. If you show up without a new employer, then the decision is more difficult to make. Make the decision easier for the officer.

[isitts]

[TheUrbanMyth]

[ThingsComeAround]

Good luck with the move

Lets hope there is no interference with your transition to the next place