jimbo

Not sure how correct and/or where they got their information from, but this is what my school posted on their intranet recently:


Korea Immigration Service has introduced a new set of requirements for foreign language teachers residing in or entering Korea on an E-2 teaching visa.

Those applying for their first E-2 visa must submit a verified Criminal Background Report (CBR) and a Medical Health Self-report with the other documents when applying for a visa. An interview at the Korean embassy or consulate in the applicant’s home country will be necessary before a visa will be granted. First time applicants will not be issued a visa in a third-party country like Japan (ie. no Osaka visa runs for first time E-2 applicants).

Those already in Korea with an E-2 visa or who have held an E-2 visa will still be required to submit a verified CBR (must have an apostille attached – Canadians must go through a different procedure since Canada is not part of the international apostille agreement) and a Medical Health Report (MHR) obtained from an approved Korean clinic or hospital which includes the results of a Tuberculosis test (TBPE), a cannabinoid test for drug use and an HIV/AIDS test. The consular interview will not be necessary.

Under the new regulations it will become easier for present E-2 visa holders to change jobs without having to leave Korea to get a new visa (ie. transfer visa sponsors). Additionally, once your degree/qualifications are verified, they will be put on file with Korea Immigration Service meaning you will not have to submit your degree and transcripts every time you apply for a new E-2 visa.

If you are planning to extend or re-sign your contract with ******* then you will have to submit a CBR and MHR when you go to Immigration to extend/renew your visa. For some Ts this means the changes will have an immediate impact while others will have several months to take care of getting the new documents ready. In any event, the documents must be less than three months old when they are submitted.

We will continue to post notices as we get more information about the new E-2 regulations. For more information on how to obtain a CBR, contact your embassy.
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"Contact your embassy!" I'm sure they'll be real helpful.

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soijetcornergirl

If you really must live and work in Korea for the money or something equally as significant, it may be worth the hassles.

May because the money made there would not be enough for me to jump through all their hoops. As an example, I previously held an E-2 for many years but am presently living outside of Korea. How would I go about getting my MHR? Fly to Korea? How long will it take me to get a straight answer from someone who really knows? Not worth my time.

Then again, fortunately for me, I have never had to rely on my ESL wages as my primary source of income and so have little patience with bureaucracies thinking I will spend my waking existence satisfying the requirements of the moment.

jimbo

As visa regs tighten tempting an exodus of mass proportions, the education ministry proposes ALL subjects be taught in English in Korean public schools in the near future.

Very interesting future here.

The Korean public school teachers will be crying out for foreigners, privately, in institutions and in the public schools themselves, but they'll be long gone because of a pot possession on their record or just because they couldn't be bothered to get the background check done.

hmmmmmmm

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Lizara

I've whined about this repeatedly on the Korean forums, but anyway...

it's not the check. I got that done quite easily. It's the fact that I then have to have it notarized/apostilled, which is a colossal pain in the ass and would probably require me to go back to Canada AND doesn't even mean anything useful in this circumstance. Combine that with the total confusion and lack of definite information about the new rules, and it's just not worth it to work in Korea now. I've left and a good 50% of my friends there are leaving within the next year as well... so good luck with getting all of those subjects taught in English, guys.

I'm in favour of requiring criminal record checks, for what it's worth... but they've taken a good idea and completely fucked it up by adding all these other requirements. plus, they don't seem to know the difference between state and national criminal record checks, so from what I hear, someone with a record could just apply for their check in some state they'd never been to and it would come up clean.

jimbo

All I know is that those of us that "weather" the storm (and if there really is a mass exodus) are due for a whopper of a salary increase..., just like after the IMF 10 or so years ago.

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AjarnYaiMak

Then and only then do I go to Korea. Not less than 3mill per month.

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jimbo

One well-educated and experienced (level-headed) Korean Samsung lawyer (whew!) I taught today thinks that these two things, (like others in the past) will just kind of fade away.

Politicians might seem dumb, but they rarely shoot themselves in the financial face.

The new president takes his seat in one month from now.

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MisterStretch

This is kind of my thinking as well and I am considering staying to see it happen. Am already a tad over 3 mil (without privates)...would like to see more, for sure.

Capricious

So what are the summary of visa rule changes implimented thusfar?

phuketbound

I don't know about that. From what I've heard here in the public school system (only hearsay at this point), Koreans want to phase out foreigners and have Korean teachers become the sole English teacher. I heard this from a few reliable sources, but nothing is set in stone. I heard this may happen by 2009. I can't really see it happening though. Should be interesting to see what happens. I am leaving so I can't be bothered, although if I decide to come back, I'll have to go through all this new stuff.

Capricious

That's because Koreans invented English.

jimbo

Depends on who you talk to.

But, criminal background checks from home country, cannaboid screening, AIDS test, more thorough degree check(?), although non-newbies (moving jobs and staying on) have been finding loopholes in the disorganized system, thus skirting the return trip to their home countries.
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That is what the old government "wants," yes. The new president however is more "foreigner friendly," and will most likely reverse this, (as well as loosen the proposed/already implemented visa regs) according to my lawyer friend's opinion.

Also, if they were to proceed with the old plan, they'd still need a mac-daddy load of crackers to train those Korean teacher's to teach in their respective fields. A huge task in and of itself. 40-50 year olds don't tend to learn in a hurry.

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grasshopper

Korea opportunities, the ones that never knock

Ev'ry job they offer you's to keep you out the dock

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MisterStretch

Those that are currently in Korea don't have to go home for the home-country consular interview...newbies cannot get there new E-2 in a 3rd country, only in the home country.

Said rules (including the ones in Jimbo's quote) are to take effect on March 15th, I think.