Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Blanca]

Apologies if this has been asked before, I had a cursory look around and found nothing.

I finished my last contract on 1st March and am due to start a new one on the 1st April, with a new school. In the week before I came home from Korea, my new boss took me to immigration to get my E-2 extended/renewed/whatever so that I'd be able to take the new job at the start of April (my ARC expiring on the 4th of April). The immigration people told him he needed (or rather I needed):

A copy of the contract
A newly apostilled CRB Disclosure Scotland form (English criminal check)
A newly apostilled copy of my degree
A medical check from the hospital in Korea (to be done when I get back)

Can anyone confirm this is the case? Some of the details of the above may have been lost in translation and I don't want to needlessly fart about getting apostilles if I don't need them.

Now the twist. At immigration upon leaving Korea, the man took (and kept) my ARC and promised I wouldn't need it to get back in as long as I came back 4 weeks later as promised. He simply stamped my passport with a blue "Korea Immigration 2nd March 2013" stamp and sent me on my way.

Reassure me please everyone, tell me I'm not going to get turned away at the border and that my new Visa will go through. In case it's relevant, I'm English and I'm arriving back at Incheon on the 28th March.

[tanklor1]

You might be in a bit of trouble. What it sounds like is you didn't extend your visa and you forfeited your ARC card thereby cancelling your visa outright. I hope that I'm wrong though. Worst case you'll have to get a new visa from outside the country once you have all the documents.

[ttompatz]

ARC gone, visa NOT transferred...

You will need a new visa (with all that getting one entails likely including a visa run to Osaka) and MAY need all new documents as well.

The good news is that you won't get turned away at the airport (ICN)
but
the bad news is that you may be refused boarding in the UK for your return flight (unless you can show onward passage) since you no longer have an ARC or a valid visa.

.

[Blanca]

Just the person I wanted to hear from. Thanks for the reply ttompatz. I have a question though. It looks like I'll have to fork out for a visa run, fine, but should at least be able to re-enter the country. However I'm confused about the getting refused boarding in the UK - would I have to have my flight confirmation to Osaka in hand in order to prove I was going to leave Korea and thus be able to get a tourist visa?

Also, any idea why they would've not renewed my visa at immigration 2 weeks ago? My boss says I need to get my new CRB check and a new appostilled copy of my degree, but as far as I can gather you just turn up with money, copy of the contract, passport, boss and his licence, ARC and 30000W, which I did.

Also, won't getting a new CRB be impossible since I haven't lived in the Uk for a year? Wouldn't I just be able to get my documents back from immigration?