Q&A on Working in Gwangju

Q: I am an English teacher on a F-4 visa. Can I lecture and do a part-time job at the same time?

A: F-4 residence holders are not limited in terms of the field of work the are engaged in, except for the following categories: simple labor activities, speculative activaties in violation of social order.

Q: I have been approached by a number of parents asking me to tutor their children. I am married to a Korean and have an F2-1 visa so I’m sure that my visa status does not prevent me from doing this.

A: According to the Immigration office, you are eligible to work in corporate setting or other legitimate organizations with your current visa status. However, you are not allowed to do private teaching.

Q: Can F-3 visa holders have a part-time job? Both my husband and I are foreigners.

A: According to Immigration Office, you can have a job with your current visa as long as you get permission from Immigration. There is a list of jobs eligible for work permission in the website given below. Otherwise, you can change to a work visa, if you find a job and the company is willing to sponsor your visa. For more details, please contact the Immigration Office at 1345 (Ext. 3 for English) or refer to www.hikorea.go.kr (Go to Information→Immigration Guide→E-7)

Q: I am currently in Korea on a holiday visa but I am intending to work as an English teacher, so I am preparing the necessary documents for an E2 visa. I am aware that a “criminal background check record” is required, but what I really want to know is whether I need to provide a criminal record check again if it is NOT my first time applying for an E2 visa.

A: You still need to submit a complete set of requirements for your new E2 visa application, including a criminal background check record. Please refer to the following link for detailed information on these requirements. http://www.hikorea.go.kr/pt/index.html  
Should you have further inquiries, you may get in touch with the Immigration Office at +82-1345 or +82-2-2650-6399 if you are out of Korea and just 1345 or 02-2650-6399 if you are in the country.

Q: I am a E-2 visa holder. I’d like to transfer my work to other country (i.e. Japan/ China). Can I transfer my work if I finish my work according to the contract?

A: In regards to your E-2 visa status, typically you have 2 options:
1. If your current employer provides you with a release letter, you can apply for the change of work place once you have a new contract with another employer. You would be able to switch an employer without leaving Korea.
2. If your current employer refuese to provide you with a release letter, you need to do a visa run, which means leaving the country and re-applying for an E-2 visa.

Q: I have been working for this company for 1,5 years. When I asked for my retirement allowance from my boss, he said there isn’t any, so he doesnt pay for it. Can I get paid retirement allowance?

A: If an employer and a worker agree that retirement allowance would not be paid, the worker who has been working over 1 year in the workplace which employs over 5 persons can request the employer to pay it.

For more cases, please see ‘Legal Advise’ in this section. 

*Information and cases are collected from various sources.