Changing jobs, 45+ day gap and visa run issues

[Epistemology]

Ok, I'm about to finish my current contract in mid September and start a new job on November the 1st. My ARC doesnt expire until the 14th of October, but my recruiter wants me to leave the country and go to japan right after my contract ends, and sit and twiddle my fingers until the new school gets a visa issuance number to me, so I can apply for a visa there. Basically she says that Immigration won't issue a new number until I hand in my ARC card, but theres a kind of major huge problem with this. I won't have a mail address, nor a friend I can rely on in Japan, ergo I can't actually get the paperwork that I need to actually get the visa.  The recruiter says it can be emailed, however the last time I got one of these things, it came through the mail and had all the official stamps and what have you.


And thats not accounting for the fact that I wont exactly have a good reason to enter japan if I dont have the visa letter on hand -_-. Lets assume I enter japan, what do I have? No visa for getting back into Korea, No evidence that I am there to get a visa and no ticket to my home country(no chance am I buying a useless and absurdly expensive ticket to go back to that hell). Thats going to look so good a Japanese immigration.


This is just bloody insanity, all of it. my ARC expires a mere 16 days before the start date.

[cmster]

If you have your new contract, see about extending your visa so you don't have to go abroad.

[Epistemology]

Yeah, I would love to do that, would save me a huge amount of hassle.  I fear though that I can't because of the rather large gap between my contracts.

[elzoog]

Just tell Japanese immigration that you are there to tour the country a little, maybe see Mt. Fuji (or some other excuse).  If you are from the US, they will stamp your passport with a 90 day tourist visa.   If they ask you what hotel (in Fukuoka) tell them you are staying at the Twins hotel (which is near the Korean embassy and actually reasonably priced). 

If you are going to sit and do nothing though, it's cheaper to do that in Korea than in Japan.   

Being in either Japan or Korea wouldn't be a problem since you can always rely on a tourist visa.   Mailing documents will be a problem if you don't know ahead of time where you will be staying.   This is the only area I see where you will need a friend.  (i.e. have the document sent to a friend's address).

[Epistemology]

yeah true, It has also been suggested to me that I try to get my current school to extend my contract until the end of the visa, though unpaid, so that I can get a letter of release dated the 14th of October and then take that to immigration. I'm on good terms with my coteacher now, but i dont know if the school would be willing to do that for me. I can only ask though.
A month of doing nothing in Korea could be pretty handy though, it would give me some time to get my head down and actually study Korean, beyond survival Korean. And while its still warm, a visit to Jeju would be sweet.

[elzoog]

yeah true, It has also been suggested to me that I try to get my current school to extend my contract until the end of the visa, though unpaid, so that I can get a letter of release dated the 14th of October and then take that to immigration. I'm on good terms with my coteacher now, but i dont know if the school would be willing to do that for me. I can only ask though.
A month of doing nothing in Korea could be pretty handy though, it would give me some time to get my head down and actually study Korean, beyond survival Korean. And while its still warm, a visit to Jeju would be sweet.

At least you are in a better position than me.   I am one of the GEPIK victums that stupidly thought that my school was going to renew me.   Then GPOE decided to cut the budget and now I am out.   Since I didn't need these specific things to get the job when I started, this means that I don't have my university degree apostatised or an apostatised CRC from the FBI.   And because I didn't absolutely know I was getting cut until the end of July, it means that I can't get them in time to start in September.   

I could stay in Korea past September on a tourist visa, but that would be a worse position than you because I would be in Korea with no job and not knowing where my next job will be.  I may have a job at a university in China in September which I will probably take since a job, even if I am unsure of it, is better than no job.

Of course, 90% or more of this problem is due to a lack of due diligence on my part.

[cruisemonkey]

I may have a job at a university in China in September which I will probably take since a job, even if I am unsure of it, is better than no job.

Dollars to donuts they will want you to enter China on an L (or F) visa, promising it will, at a later point, (somehow) be 'converted' to a Z... and eventually a Residence Permit . You will find yourself working illegally - being 'farmed out' & regarded as little more than chattel  ??? - and the 'conversion' is not possible (even if you do a visa run to Hong Kong... who will tell you to go back to your home country).  ::) It could also be they just want to get you there on 'spec' at absolutely no cost to themselves... and be able to 'cut you loose' if you have a big nose (or a hot blonde applies).

Edit: 'No job' is preferrable to a 'crap job' in a foreign country and possibly subject to: exploitation, blackmail, fines, detention, imprisonment and deportation.  :o

[Epistemology]

Thanks, Most of my worries stem from the fact that it has been posted over the internet that Korean immigration won't let people in without a valid return ticket, or a work visa. Every time I tried to look for imformation, there was always that warning from someone. Obviously it was impossible for me to verify if its true, or if its just another one of those bloody rumours spread by people who know nothing.

My recruiter sugested that I get my coteacher to sign a letter of release dated the 14th of October(the last day of the ARC) instead, a month after my contract ends, because my ARC is still owned by the school. The Recruiter believes that immigration will accept that and I could do a visa transfer that way.....but something doesn't seem right about it.

[aalbo]

There must be some way around this.  I am currently in orientation right now and will start teaching on Monday, but we did learn in one of our classes that in order to get another visa or visa extension u have to leave the country.  not sure the reason behind this, but people are always renewing their visas to stay here so it must not be that hard.  Maybe try and talk to someone whos been here for over a year, im sure there easy to come by.