Korean Job Discussion Forums

ella · Joined: 17 Apr 2006

Yet another potential employer wants me to work illegally. He said he needs my documents and will take them to immigration to get a visa issuance number, and that takes 10 business days, then I take that visa number to Japan after that. He wants me to start working before then. Should I assume that the visa issuance number would just never show up?

ttompatz · Joined: 05 Sep 2005 Location: Kwangju, South Korea

Hyeon Een · Joined: 24 Jun 2005

It can be done quicker too if enough 'lubricant' is applied.

In 2004 I was working illegaly before my visa run. My school was busted the day before my visa run. Immigration said they wouldn't begin to process my papers before I left the country.

I flew to Japan one day later that week. The same day my boss went to immigration with my degree etc. He paid a bribe. He got issued the blue paper (you don't need this any more) the same day. He flew to Japan the next day and gave it to me. We spent a coupla nights in Japan (He'd never been there and wanted to check it out). Then we came back to Korea all sorted. He paid for everything, including the fine I was presumably issued for working illegaly.

If your boss wants you bad he can bribe people and get the paperwork done in a day. Your boss probably doesn't want the expense that involves though and wants to do it the regular way and hope you don't get busted in the week or so it takes otherwise to process the documents.

If you're doing it from abroad it takes a bit longer because of international postage etc. to get your documents to them. Internationally its gonna take a coupla weeks, locally it can be from a few hours to about 10 days circumstances depending.