Korean Immigration has recently implemented new policies on the E2 visa requirements, such as requiring medical records, criminal records, and interviews at overseas Korean embassies. This is a very fluid situation and there is a general opinion that the execution of the policy will continue to be refined. As a result, we cannot guarantee that our information will be current, to the moment. If you wish for the latest information and safe guidance, we please encourage you to contact Rowan at ESL-Planet, who is always at the forefront of industry changes and helping teachers get good jobs.

Part of a series on ESL in Korea
Chapter One- The Job
Chapter Two- Before Coming to Korea
Overview Are you employable? Compensation and benefits How much can I save? Private lessons When do schools hire? Job hunt advice How to check out the school before deciding Schedules Employment process Contracts Salary Accommodation Airfare Proof of onward travel Vacation and National Holidays Severance bonus Medical Insurance Taxation Know your expatriate taxation Tax issues for Canadian expats Pension National Pension Offices Visa Sponsorship Alien Registration Card Immigration Visas Visa application form Multiple entry visa Visa expiration Permission to work a 2nd job Letter of Release Visa run Fukuoka visa run Osaka visa run Surviving and succeeding as a teacher in Korea Teacher training KOTESOL Teaching resources Classroom games Legal matters English-speaking lawyers throughout Korea Labor Board Labor Standards Act

As an expat in Korea, you're going to need to learn the words 'visa run'. This means a trip out of the country to change or renew your visa.

In Korea, most visas cannot be acquired in the country itself. You need to go to the nearest Korean embassy or consulate and have them issue the visa. If you agree to a contract from your home country before coming to Korea, you'll need to take (or mail) your passport and visa code number to the nearest Korean embassy or consulate, and they'll issue you the proper visas. So you don't need to do a visa run, in this case.

However, there are many situations when you might find yourself doing a visa run. For example:

• You decide to fly to Korea on a tourist visa, so you can inspect the school and accommodations, and interview in person, prior to signing a contract. After signing the contract and having your documents processed by Immigration, you'll need to do a visa run to get the E2 teaching visa.

• Your contract expires and you are signing with a new school. As your teaching visa is owned by the school, your visa terminates along with your contract, so you'll need to do a visa run for the new contract at the new school (note: if you are renewing a contract at your current school, you don't need to do a visa run to renew the visa. The director just needs to take your new contract and your ARC to immigration, to get an extension on the current visa.)

• You are a student or tourist and plan to stay in Korea for awhile. You need to leave Korea to renew your tourist visa, every 3-6 months, depending on the visa reciprocity arrangement that Korean Immgration has with Immigration of your home country. (note: tourist visas do not need to be obtained at an embassy or consulate. You can literally leave the country, turn around and come back on the next boat and pass through Korean Immgration to get your tourist visa re-issued. However, if you are a US citizen, you'll only be granted a 30 day visa, this way. To secure a 90 visa day, US citizens will need to go to the Korean embassy or consulate, first.)

[edit] Visa run destinations

The closest destination to Korea is in Japan. As a result, visas runs to Osaka and Fukuoka are usually the most common. For more detailed information on each see:

• Osaka visa run
• Fukuoka visa run

[edit] Costs

Your employer should be paying for the costs of your visa run. If they aren't, then you should re-consider signing the contract, as most other employers will pay for this. The costs of visa run usually include the flight/boat trip and accommodation, and that's it. All other expenses are your own. You'll usually be there for 1-2 nights, depending on what time you get to the embassy and however long they say that it takes to process that particular visa, these days. E2 visas have historically been known for a 24 hour turnaround, but have been known to take longer in the past year, due to immigration procedural changes.

In short, try not to look at a visa run as an inconvenience. It's a 2-3 day paid vacation in Japan, before your contract starts. Things could be worse.

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