Korean Job Discussion Forums

[crito03]

I have a friend who has been offered a job to teach in Korea without a degree (she has a college diploma). According to the school, she can teach parttime with them if she acquires a working-holiday visa. They made it clear that she has to ask immigration when she arrives for a working holiday visa so obviously I get the impression that this visa might actually exist. However it is not an E2. (no degree)

I would appreciate any input. Thanks.

[JackSarang]

To teach English in Korea you specifically need an E-2 Visa.

I have never ever heard of a working holiday Visa and I imagine the recruiter or whatever is lying to them so they aren't scared of working illegally.

Its Japan where you can get a 1 year working holiday visa quite easily.

All the work visas in Korea are designed to give all the power to the employer.

[waterbaby]

There is a Working Holiday visa for Korea (H1 visa)... but to teach English, you need permission from Immigration... and to get permission, you need a Degree... and to sign a contract yadda yadda ya...

I also think you need to apply for your working holiday visa from your home country before coming to Korea.

I found this on a Korean Working Holidays site...

[BTM]

Tangentially related, but they have the same sort of stipulations in a certain land-down-under for working holiday visas (ie 3 months per job etc), but I worked 12 months for the same employer full time about a decade ago with the working holiday visa, and have been back to work twice since then on business visas.

Not really pertinent here, maybe, but it's always good to remember that rules are flexible if you wear a tie, cross your i's and dot your t's (without disclosing things unnecessarily) with officialdom, and talk the upstanding citizen talk. Bureaucracies are hideously inefficient.

[crito03]

Thanks for the info guys. Especially waterbaby, I appreciate that post cause all I got when I looked under Korean Immigration was the diplomat stuff. So it is possible to work here as long as it is not full time and for the same employer for three months. Guess that one is not publicized as often. You guys have been a great help.

[waterbaby]

Which country is your friend from? Try doing a google search for a Korean Embassy in your friend's home country. For ex... I just found this website - info on working holidays visas for Australians...
http://www.korconsyd.org.au/en/visahome.html

[Gord]

[waterbaby]

[Gord]

Lucky Australians. Canadians only get until age 25.

[camel96]

...Gord was wrong...?...

[some waygug-in]

I worked with an 18 year old girl from Australia last year who was on one of those working holiday visa thingys. She wasn't supposed to work full time, but the employer didn't care. She had no degree either, she was just out of high school.

I would not recommened this course of action for anyone however, the said employer took this as being an exellent opportunity for exploitation. The girl was made to work extra hours for no pay, live in deplorable conditions, and told that basically she had no rights because of her visa status. Finally the girl did a runner and then worked illegally at another school for twice the money. But when the first employer found out where the girl was working, she threatened her with deportation unless she was willing to pay a huge amount of money back to the original employer. The girl was forced to leave her second job as well, she returned to Australia.

All I can say is, if a school is not willing to hire a teacher the normal legal way then look out. That's a sure sign that they are having money troubles or that they are just plain cheapskates. BE CAREFUL!
Cheers