Ajarn Forum - Living and Teaching In Thailand - View Single Post - Korea - New Visa Rules Mean Some Teachers Have to Go Home?

Benedict XVI · 5th December 2007, 13:04

Here is an excerpt from the article that is linked above in the OP:

Quote:

New visa rules may force some to return home

English teachers to be required to furnish their criminal record

....the Justice Ministry has announced that starting in less than two weeks foreigners who teach English will be required to provide their criminal record and undergo a medical checkup to renew or receive a visa.

In many cases, the new requirements will force English teachers to return to their home country to get the criminal record check. Many embassies here have already announced they cannot or will not conduct such a service.

In addition, even if the applicant submits a criminal record, it may not be accurate.
In the United States, for example, criminal records are compiled and maintained on the local, state and federal levels. Therefore, a person could commit a crime in one area, then move to another area. The criminal record check from the second area would not reveal the crime in the first area.

The changes have frustrated English teachers, who point out that only a few of them have committed crimes. Some have suggested the new rules could lead to a shortfall in the number of teachers here.

“I don’t have any problem with the changed regulations, if the ministry arranges the procedures with the embassies here so that we could follow the regulations more timely and efficiently,” said Frances Lucas Murray, an English teacher from Australia. “Otherwise, there could be a shortage of foreign language teachers.”

Teachers have complained about the additional expense of traveling home to get the police check, when in the past a short trip to Japan or Hong Kong was enough for a visa renewal.

Entire: http://joongangdaily.joins.com/artic...sp?aid=2883449

In a few months things should be sorted out and be back to somewhat normal.