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If you want to clarify all this confusion check www.g4f.go.kr it is the immigration website for foreigners. You can in fact extend your visa for travel purposes on this site too without having to go to the immigration office. They law states that you must be out within 24 hours. Don't believe anything else. I know a few people who believed this whole 2 weeks grace period garbage, one of which is teaching in Japan now, because he is banned from teaching here for visa violations. It is crap. There is no 2 week grace period. Your visa is from one year from the day you got off that plane and stepped onto Korean soil, not from the day you got it issued at the embassy. If you look at that paper in you passport it gives you three months to enter Korea before it expires. Then when your passport is stamped there is a date on the stamp and it is one year from that date that your visa expires. I got a letter from Immmigration a few weeks ago, and if you read that letter it tells you that you need to make arrangements for your flight or to extend your visa before that date. It also had that website on it, so I went there, and extended my visa in a matter of an hour and am done.

To get the extension you need to show your passport, ARC and exit ticket. The extension is free.

Under the new rules, IF YOU HAVE AN IMMIGRATION VIOLATION, (like an overstay) it can require you to have a consular interview (possibly required in your home country) before you can get a new visa.





An overstay will also result in a fine and notation in your immigration file.





It is always better to get the extension.

But you can file for an extension to the visa to allow up to 30 days I believe, or maybe 90. BUT, YOU MUST do it prior to the expiration ... at least 30 days in advance is enough

Talk to and request a copy of the law, the immigration policy, and a copy of E Class Visa Departure procedures for Immigration employees at the airport. They all clearly state the LAW. Ask EFL-Law, as any immigration attorney ... and have them show you the documents.

With the F2-1 you can get a tutoring certificate from the local Education department and teach privates English....legal.


I have one, and my wife and I run a small study room.

Immigration does control who can work and who can't..the F2-1 (different than the F2) does allow you to work. But not as an Englsih teacher. I got a tutoring permit ;not a permit to teach..maybe there is a difference to Koreans, as high school students can get a tutor permit.. but even Koreans are supposed to have degrees to teach at Hogwan...so again MAYBE there is a difference?

While I don't doubt that stunted wookie has registered with the min of education to teach privates and has been told all is fine...it technically is not. I have an F-2 and asked about teaching privates. The ministry of education said it's fine, just register with them, give them an estimate of the number of students I had. Also, register with the tax office. No problem. I was so psyched, planned on opening a kyoshil. Then, when I told immigration my plan (just prior to plunking down cash to rent a site) they pulled the relevant law and showed me a line that strictly prohibits F-1 through F-3 from tutoring. I was floored, said the ministry had no prob, etc. He got on the phone to the ministry, pointed out the relevant law and the minstry official humbly apologized to me. So, good on yah, stunted. I shouldn't have mentioned it to immigration.





That being said, instead of opening my own little study room, I've jumped in with both feet and will be opening my own little hagwon. Main differences being I have to come up with 27 pyung of usable classroom space, it must be in a building zoned for commercial endeavors, the site has to meet all ministry of education regulations for hagwons...and that's a long list...just a lot more red-tape. On the plus side I can hire employees (and exploit the living tar out of them - for I will be the EVIL hagwon director?) and go to hagwon director meetings (right!). Anyway, I envy you now, stunted. Imagine the degree of envy will grow in time...

If you have 27 pyung space you will not be opening a language hagwon. It would be a Bosup hagwon (a general study hagwon). I hope I'm wrong but I don't thinks so. If your wife opens it, immigration will NOT give you permission to work there. My wife and I were hours away from signing a least contract when immigration informed us that someone on an F-2 would not be allowed to work at a Bosup hagwon. That's my experience. Of course, they may tell someone else something different. Wouldn't be the first time.





If you want to open a language hagwon you need 50 pyung of classroom space.





I've given up on trying to jump through immigration's hoops. We've opened the kyoshil.

But I can tell you this, immigration don't consider the rules standard, but rather guidelines. I had other issues with immigration officials, and when dealing with other officers (even in the same office) I got different answers - and went with the answers I wanted. Bruhaha!





Oh, I also sat on my a ss (according to immigration) for months and no worries, when I visited the office for application for employment, and technically could do it for 2 years (duration of F-2-1). So you do not need to be employed to be in Korea....or else I woulda been booted. When I visited immigration after my break from all work, the guy joked with me that I must have married a rich girl and he envied my ability to do nothing all day. I told him that I was competing in the world computer games tourney, and needed all that time for training.....I think he actually believed me, sad.....