Korean Job Discussion Forums

u05emk2 · Joined: 28 May 2006

I have a job but the school wants me to work before I go to Japan to get the work visa. Do you actually need to have the work visa in your passport to work or are is the 'visa issue number' sufficient? If it is illegal, as I suspect it is, what is the punishment should one be caught? Deportation? In a bit of a dilema as to what I should do/say. Any help much appreciated, cheers.

kat2 · Joined: 25 Oct 2005 Location: Busan, South Korea

You must take the visa issuance number to Japan (Or whatever Korean embassy you want). Then they will stick a visa sticker in your passport. You are legally allowed to work after you have this in your passport. Before that and you are illegal. Any school asking you to work before you have the visa is sketchy. I would think about moving on if they don't have your paperwork already.

u05emk2 · Joined: 28 May 2006

I've already signed the contract and they have my documents etc and are obtaining the number for the visa. I'm supposed to start teaching tomorrow. I assumed when I signed the contract that I would have to wait until I went to Japan. The people seem nice and the other teachers there seem happy so I really don't know what to do. Don't want to inflame the situation if I have to work there for a year but at the same time if its illegal then I should be very cautious.

Demonicat · Joined: 18 Nov 2004 Location: Suwon

I dunno, seems kinda typical to me. You get to Korea, they have you work a few weeks, then you get sent to Japan for the visa. I have never had a boss send me out for the V before I teached.

lastat06513 · Posted: Wed Nov 29, 2006 10:54 pm Post subject:

In the "old days"...
You used to be able to copy the "blue form" and use it as proof that you are going to do a visa run within the 90 day time frame needed to get your visa.
And after you get the visa, you had another 90 days to apply for your ARC....oh how things have changed!
But since people are only issued a visa issuance number, I am not sure.
If you have your number, your boss is obligated to let you go to Japan for those 2 days needed to get your visa.
My advice is to book a flight as soon as possible for your visa run, yet go to work as soon as possible to continue having good rapport with the school and your coworkers