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u/EmmaDaeguUni
1d ago

Friend got fired on E-2 with 5 months left on contract — how much time does she have?

Posting on behalf of a friend who's panicking. She got pulled into a meeting yesterday and the hagwon basically said "we're letting you go, your last day is in 2 weeks." She's been there 7 months on a 12-month contract.

She's freaking out about visa. Some questions she has but is too overwhelmed to post herself:

  1. How long until she has to leave Korea or get a new sponsor?
  2. Can she switch to D-10 (job seeker)? She has a BA but no Korean uni degree.
  3. The hagwon is saying she "wasn't a good fit" — does that affect anything legally? She doesn't think she did anything wrong.
  4. If she finds new hagwon in time, how does the visa transfer work?
  5. Is there ANY way to keep her current housing while she figures this out?

She's American, in Daejeon, no Korean family or sponsor besides the school. She has maybe 1.5 months of savings.

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2 replies
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u/SeojinVisaHelp
Verified expert · Immigration paralegal·1d ago

Tell her to breathe. This is stressful but not catastrophic, and there's a clear path. Going through her questions:

  1. Timeline. When a hagwon terminates an E-2 employee mid-contract, the visa technically expires when they cancel it with immigration. Most hagwons don't cancel immediately — they file the termination report and the employee has typically 30-60 days to find a new sponsor or change status. The exact buffer depends on the immigration office. Your friend should call 1345 (English available) tomorrow morning to confirm her specific timeline.
  1. D-10 switch. Yes, possible. Requirements: BA degree (she has it), financial proof (~3M KRW in bank), and an explanation of why she's job-seeking. D-10 is granted for 6 months, extendable to 1 year total. She'll need to leave to a job within that, but it buys her time. Application at her local immigration office.

3. "Wasn't a good fit" termination. Korean labor law requires just cause for mid-contract termination, AND 30 days notice OR 30 days' pay in lieu. "Wasn't a good fit" is NOT just cause. Two important consequences:
- She may be entitled to compensation (severance for the 7 months worked is required by law, plus possibly damages for breach of contract)
- File at Labor Office (고용노동부) within 3 months — they handle foreigners regularly and the process is free
- This doesn't undo the firing but it puts money in her pocket for the transition

4. Visa transfer to new hagwon. Within the buffer period, she:
- Gets job offer + new contract
- New hagwon files Employment Confirmation Request with immigration
- She does status update at her immigration office (no need to leave Korea)
- Processing: typically 2-4 weeks
- During processing she's on her current visa (still valid)

  1. Housing. Almost always the housing is tied to employment. When the contract ends, she usually has 7-30 days to move out (varies). New hagwon may provide housing, or she'd need own apartment. If she has Korean labor case (point 3), she may be able to delay the move-out by 1-2 weeks while it's processed.

Practical priority order this week:
- Today: call 1345, ask about her specific timeline
- This week: apply to 10+ new hagwon positions (E-2 mid-year positions exist, just smaller pool)
- Next week: file Labor Office complaint about wrongful termination
- Week after: have D-10 application ready as backup if no new offer

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u/DanielF27Content
Verified · 5-year resident·1d ago

Echoing the immigration advice, just adding the emotional / practical side. I went through something similar in year 2.

For your friend:
- Don't sign anything from the hagwon without reading carefully. They might present a "voluntary resignation" letter to make it look like she quit (so they avoid the just-cause requirement and severance). DO NOT SIGN that. If they push, she should leave the meeting and consult before responding.
- The "let go" language is for HR cover — Korean labor law doesn't care what they call it, just whether termination was justified. Make sure she has any written termination notice / email.
- Daejeon hagwon market specifically — there are 12-15 active hagwons in the area at any given time. She should be on every recruiter list within a week. Daves ESL Cafe, Korea Bridge, FB groups for Daejeon teachers. The mid-year position market is real even if quieter than spring.
- Mental health: this is 2x harder when she's already in another country alone. Tell her to call her parents / a friend tonight. Don't try to be tough. Year 1 panic is universal.

Good luck to her. The first 72 hours feel impossible, but most people get through this with a new job within 4-6 weeks.

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