E2 and D10 VISA FAQ (In Progress)

Hey guys,

Myself and my husband are currently travelling through Asia and hope to teach in Korea this Feb. We have all the documents but need to obtain the E2 visa from abroad. I've heard conflicting things about getting the visa in Japan prior to teaching. This is the 1st time we have applied for an E2 visa.

Anyone have experience of this? Any help is warmly welcomed!

Thanks

Yes.  Often people get the visa from Japan via a visa trip.   Through people have been able to get the E2 visa from other countries in Asia like Thailand, Hong Kong, etc.  Basically from most Korean Consulates you should be able too.  The time from applying to getting varies and some consulates are not used to dealing with E2s.   Just you need a sponsor first.

The only visa hassle I know for doing the Japan trip is for South Africans.  Of the Seven golden English E2 countries South Africa is the only country that needs a tourist visa to visit Japan.  The other six are exempt as they are on visa waiver.

Question about D10.  Do you have to get it before your contract ends or just before the E2 expires?  We have one month extra on the E2 visa after the contract is finished.  That's what I'm unsure about. 

Question about D10.  Do you have to get it before your contract ends or just before the E2 expires?  We have one month extra on the E2 visa after the contract is finished.  That's what I'm unsure about.

Timing is an issue. 
Best is to get the D-10 after contract is finished.   Cause you can not work on the D-10 and transferring it to the D-10 could have you forgoing you end of contract benefits.  That one month extra technically is not for working but more towards wrapping things up.
Two other issues with timing and the D-10.  One it takes time to get the D-10/get the ARC card changed.  It takes a couple of weeks.  Yet most often once you are waiting you are fine visa wise.   Second problem is when you apply.   Let's say you have that one month before end of visa.  Work is finished.  For some officials it is still too soon and they may tell you to come back close the end.  Add in the waiting time it can create a weird limbo.

Good Luck.

Hey all,

I submitted my D-10 application 3 days after my contract finished, on
Dec. 11. My certificate of Application for Permit of Stay (temporary piece of paper they give you) designates the ARC pick-up date as 1/08/15. Does anyone know if this is the latest pick-up date, and if my ARC will possibly be ready before then?

In the interim I had to prove my residency and alien registration with another bureaucracy and thus applied and received 외국인등록사실증명, Certificate of Alien Registration. It accounts for my D-10 visa registration and lists my period of sojurn until 7/08/15. Can I use this certificate to travel outside of the country?

I want to visit my family and book a flight as soon as possible. I am wondering if I can use this certificate or pick up my ARC perhaps early to get this show on the road.

Thanks!

no, you cant leave Korea for two weeks after applying for your D-10.   That's why most people apply for  their D-10 two weeks before their contract ends......which is the advice that people have been giving on this site consistantly  for more than a year.

Hi, does anyone know if we need to do a health test when going from a D10 to an E2?!

Hi, does anyone know if we need to do a health test when going from a D10 to an E2?!

It depends.  In general in the past if you were transferring from E2 to E2 from school to school you would often be asked for a health check. If renewing the health check would be skipped. The same could be said of the D-10 to E-2.   

Through my advice is save yourself the hassle and ONLY get the health check if immigration asks for it.  It might mean another trip to immigration.  Often recruiters and schools will ask for a check as they either for three reason.  One they just want all stuff needed for the visa ready even if it does not get looked at.   Two, they want to snoop.  Three, they just don't know any better.

Now the government regulations and procedure documentation says drum roll.  Yes you will need a health check. And a criminal health check!



edit: resized image

Skippy, many thanks for your response.. :)

I'm currently coming back from my vacation in the United States on the D-10. As was suggested earlier in this thread, it would be a good idea to get another FBI check to transfer back to the E-2 (even though immigration has my initial criminal check on file). I've applied for the check but it doesn't appear I will be able to get an apostille before I start my new contract.
My recruiter and the administration at the new job I have lined up say I don't need a new one, but I don't know that they know for sure.

Are there any Americans with first hand experience who went home to the U.S.A. and came back on the D-10? Did you need a new FBI check to get your E-2? Informative experiences would be much appreciated. 

OR does anyone know if there there is a time limit for travelling to your home country, shorter than the 90 days?

Korvia posted these on their Facebook the other day. It's a set of guides for both the E2 (Renewal and Transferring) and D10 process.

E2 Guide for New Teachers
http://www.korvia.com/e2-process-step-by-step-instructions-for-new-teachers/

E2 Guide for Transferring Teachers
http://www.korvia.com/e2-process-step-by-step-instructions-for-transferring-teachers/

E2 Guide for Those on a D10 Visa
http://www.korvia.com/e2-process-step-by-step-instructions-from-d10-status/

A friend of mine has a problem:


His contract (with EPIK) finishes on March 25th but his ARC expires on March 20th. He went to immigration today to try and get an extension on his visa but they would not allow him to do it without a housing contract for the time he will be here.

He also plans on staying here after his contract ends in order to find a new job.

Could anyone please advise on what he can do?

TIA

A friend of mine has a problem:


His contract (with EPIK) finishes on March 25th but his ARC expires on March 20th. He went to immigration today to try and get an extension on his visa but they would not allow him to do it without a housing contract for the time he will be here.

He also plans on staying here after his contract ends in order to find a new job.

Could anyone please advise on what he can do?

TIA

Hey look at that. I'm in a similar situation, my ARC expires the very same day as my contract ends. It was a cock up in immigration, but it kinda puts a crimp in my plans since I plan on staying in-country for a few months. Here's what I've come up with:

1) I can't apply for the d-10 early. I called immigration and they specifically said I can't apply for the D-10 until I am no longer employed. Not just that I can't receive one, but I can't even apply. It's a pain, but there you have it.

2) what I CAN do is get an E-2 extension. There's a step by step guide around, and they say that if I get that, I get the month that everyone else gets normally. Of course I have to pay for that mistake of theirs, but it's the  best I've got.

I'm a little confused about one thing though, do I forgo my exit allowance if I change to a D-10? If so, with all the visa application fees, it might be better to do a quick flight out then come back in as a tourist.

Australians get a 90 day tourism visa for free... I was hoping to stay for four months rather than three (waiting for my girlfriend to finish her contract), if I overstay my tourist visa is it the same exorbitant fee? And finally, can I leave the country then come back again and get ANOTHER 90 days?

Thanks for any help anyone can give me!

A friend of mine has a problem:


His contract (with EPIK) finishes on March 25th but his ARC expires on March 20th. He went to immigration today to try and get an extension on his visa but they would not allow him to do it without a housing contract for the time he will be here.

He also plans on staying here after his contract ends in order to find a new job.

Could anyone please advise on what he can do?

TIA

Hey look at that. I'm in a similar situation, my ARC expires the very same day as my contract ends. It was a cock up in immigration, but it kinda puts a crimp in my plans since I plan on staying in-country for a few months. Here's what I've come up with:

1) I can't apply for the d-10 early. I called immigration and they specifically said I can't apply for the D-10 until I am no longer employed. Not just that I can't receive one, but I can't even apply. It's a pain, but there you have it.

2) what I CAN do is get an E-2 extension. There's a step by step guide around, and they say that if I get that, I get the month that everyone else gets normally. Of course I have to pay for that mistake of theirs, but it's the  best I've got.

I'm a little confused about one thing though, do I forgo my exit allowance if I change to a D-10? If so, with all the visa application fees, it might be better to do a quick flight out then come back in as a tourist.

Australians get a 90 day tourism visa for free... I was hoping to stay for four months rather than three (waiting for my girlfriend to finish her contract), if I overstay my tourist visa is it the same exorbitant fee? And finally, can I leave the country then come back again and get ANOTHER 90 days?

Thanks for any help anyone can give me!

I have absolutely no idea, but interested to know if you find out anything because my ARC also expires the same day my contract ends.

We called 1345 yesterday and managed to speak to someone at immigration (her English was pretty good and she seemed to know what she was talking about). I'd suggest giving that number a call and asking them your questions.

no, you cant leave Korea for two weeks after applying for your D-10.   That's why most people apply for  their D-10 two weeks before their contract ends......which is the advice that people have been giving on this site consistently  for more than a year.

D10 : How to apply?

-you need to apply before your ARC expires, but can't apply while you're still working

Hi all, I was wondering if you could suggest the best course of action for me.
I have added the above 2 quotes as they contradict each other a little, but may be needed in someones suggestions.

Situation

- Contract Ends  July 17th 2015
- ARC Ends  August  18th 2015
- Looking to go back home from  July 20th - August 14th
- New contract in new school would start Sept 1st ideally (From CNOE to GEPIK)

So would I be best of

A. Just going home , coming back with my current ARC and just get a new visa when I sign with the school ? (or will the interim 2 weeks be a problem)

B. Going about getting a D10 visa which the above says to do 2 weeks before my current contract finishes, and then change back (but that's 200k + gone) and also the conflicting above...that I can't apply while currently working

or any suggestions are more knowledgeable person might have ?


I just got off the phone with Immigration , they said that they'd take my ARC off me at the airport and that I'd have to make a new E2 Visa back home (which takes forever if I remember correctly )...so this isn't really the option I'd like.

I could really use some help on this, anyone, please ?

So I looked through the D-10 visa forum, but could not find the answer.

My contact finished in August and I have already bought a ticket home the day after my contract expires. My E-2/ARC expires on October 8th. Would I be able to fly back to Korea say the first week of October and apply for a D-10 visa then?

As long as you have a visa application in process you are allowed to stay in Korea ie. you have to apply for the D10 before your E2 expires.

I could really use some help on this, anyone, please ?

I'm planning on a similar situation to what you were questioning and was wondering if you could offer some insight based on what happened with your circumstances.

My contract will end February 25, 2016.
My ARC expires March 25, 2016.

Ideally, I would like to do a South East Asia trip from February 25 - March 20th, return and apply for the D10 before my ARC expires March 25th. I'm not sure if this is possible as I have heard different information from various sources (some say the ARC visa is automatically cancelled 14 days after your contract expires (which would be mid march as my contract ends Feb 25th, others say it only end on the date on your ARC which would be March 25th.

I would then hang around and wait for my new ARC following the D-10 application around march 22/23. I plan to book a flight home or travel more on the new ARC ( D-10) until mid-June, and would return to Korea then to find a job.

Anyone got insight if this timeline is possible? My main concern is whether I can travel for a month from Feb 25th - March 20th and apply for the D-10 right before my ARC expires March 25th. or if my visa will be automatically cancelled 14 days after my contract ends February 25th. I phoned immigration 4 times and spoke to 4 different people who gave me 4 different answers. So would appreciate any insight from someone who has experienced this situation.

Thanks~

Can you apply for a D10 visa more than once? I completed a contract last year and switched to a D10 to go home for a bit between jobs. I'm leaving my current job in March with a LOR (it's the start of the school's new year so they're allowing me to leave early if I want, and I do) and was wondering if I could go back on the D10.