Korea - New Visa Rules Mean Some Teachers Have to Go Home? - Page 3 - Ajarn Forum

soijetcornergirl · 29th January 2008, 07:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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.

Very positive spin there, jimbo.

One thing is for certain, though, and that is if the Philippines and India are successful in getting their nations added to the list of "approved" nations for Korea (I think it's a done deal) to recruit English teachers, the demographics and salaries of the the foreign English teachers in Korea are about to change radically.

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Quote:

Originally Posted by grasshopper

Korea opportunities, the ones that never knock

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

I'm curious.

What are you saying?

jimbo · 29th January 2008, 07:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by soijetcornergirl

One thing is for certain, though, and that is if the Philippines and India are successful in getting their nations added to the list of "approved" nations for Korea (I think it's a done deal) to recruit English teachers, the demographics and salaries of the the foreign English teachers in Korea are about to change radically.

I'd only agree partially. Koreans seem ok with learning English from Fils and Indians in their respective countries (or on the phone english programs), but I'm not so sure they'd be that keen on it at home.

K1: "What!? You're Eng. teacher is Filipino?"

K2: <extreme loss of face>

soijetcornergirl · 29th January 2008, 10:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimbo

I'd only agree partially. Koreans seem ok with learning English from Fils and Indians in their respective countries (or on the phone english programs), but I'm not so sure they'd be that keen on it at home.

K1: "What!? You're Eng. teacher is Filipino?"

K2: <extreme loss of face>

At the same time, I have found after living in Asia (including Korea) for many years that loss of face often comes in second when money is involved.

Time will tell.

jimbo · 29th January 2008, 10:29

True that, and I may be a little jaded living in Bundag among the so-called "elitists."

losing.touch · 6th February 2008, 04:17

Alright, I am freaking confused. I have been all over the internet to determine this information, so I hope someone can help me. I am leaving the US on May 21. I will be going to Thailand for a while, but the money is peanuts there. I want to go to Korea for a year or two with my Thai wife. This background check crap is confusing as hell. I called up the embassy here in DC. I explained that I spend half of my time in DC and half in Bangkok. I explained that I didn't know how long I would be in Thailand for. I also explained that I don't want to look for a job on the internet. What the hell is this? She told me to get a job through an agency and get the visa in Bangkok. She said she had no idea which background check was appropriate. She said "just go state police and get anything"!!! OMG - frustrating!

soijetcornergirl · 6th February 2008, 05:33

I'm not certain I understand exactly what your question is but I will try and respond.

The lady at the Embassy seems to me to have given you some decent advice.

Why not get the FBI check done now while you are still in the U.S.?

Check the sites of some of the major chain employers in Korea and you will get some needed info on what needs to be done to meet all of the new requirements.

Yes, you can get both a tourist visa and a work visa at the Korean Embassy in Bangkok but the latter will require your jumping through various hoops first. These include having a sponsoring employer and such. I would seriously advise that you do this while you still have the time and are in the States.

Good luck.

losing.touch · 6th February 2008, 05:39

Why not get the FBI check done now while you are still in the U.S.?
I asked her if I should get an FBI check. She explicitly told me no. She told me I need one from the state I live in (Maryland). This makes no sense at all.

Check the sites of some of the major chain employers in Korea and you will get some decent info on what needs to be done to meet all of the new requirements.
The sites state one thing, and people state another. I have no problems going on down to the local cop-shop and grabbing a police report, but but there are many!

Yes, you can get both a tourist visa and a work visa at the Korean Embassy in Bangkok but the latter will require your jumping through various hoops first. I would seriously advice that you do this while you still have the time and are in the States.
According to the Embassy, I need a job first. That means I need to find a job in Korea before I even leave for Thailand. That would be alright I suppose, but I don't know when I will be leaving Thailand. To make matters worse, my degree will be delivered in Thailand in June. How can I get a job without having it. I will be done on May 11.

Good luck.

Lizara · 6th February 2008, 08:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by losing.touch

This makes no sense at all.

Welcome to Korea!

AjarnYaiMak · 6th February 2008, 08:33

Or better yet, just satay home. It is going to get worse before it gets better.
If these hoop jumps frustrate you b4 arriving, you are in for a treat when you arrive.

jimbo · 6th February 2008, 20:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by losing.touch

This makes no sense at all.

You are most certainly getting the hang of it!

This whole thing is a cluster fuck of epic proportions.

You want some runaround talk, try calling the US embassy in Seoul, or better yet, Korean immigration in Seoul!!

Last guy I talked to (at the latter) scorned me and said, "check the internet!"

losing.touch · 12th February 2008, 22:38

LoL - Fantastic! No E2 Visa from 3rd consulate. I suppose I will get on the horn with the Korean Embassy in Bangkok this evening and see what they say about this mess. It seems odd to create this insanity with the push for even more foreign teachers associated with the new claims put forth by the government to be (article on Ajarn's front page). Should I just set up a job for July and go through the mess before I leave the states? What if I wanted to go and look for a job in-country so I know what I am getting? Jeez - that seems like a common sense way to approach the situation.

Lizara · 12th February 2008, 23:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by losing.touch

Jeez - that seems like a common sense way to approach the situation.

You need to get out of that mindset if you're planning to go to Korea. Trying to apply common sense will only drive you crazy.

About the push for more English: I know someone who went to a conference which included the new Korean Minister of Education, and he asked the guy how they were planning to implement it so soon considering the shortage of foreigners in the country since the new visa rules came into effect. The guy said something like, "Uhhh, well, we still haven't worked out all the details yet..."

also, jobs don't tend to advertise until almost the last minute... I don't know if that's changed since the new rules, but I kind of doubt it... so I'm not sure how much luck you'd have trying to set up a job in Korea in July if you're leaving the States in May.

jimbo · 13th February 2008, 05:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by losing.touch

that seems like a common sense way to approach the situation.

Wrong, wrong, wrong....

tedkarma · 18th February 2008, 15:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by MisterStretch

You can do a US check by mail, just have the local embassy send you the FBI's fingerprint card, have the local police print you and then send off with required fee and cover letter (from the FBI's website).

This is not as easy as it seems as many "local" police haven't the foggiest way to print people properly and the prints are often rejected as being smeared or incomplete.

Personal experience with that one.

goo_stewart · 18th February 2008, 18:34

My disorganized owner has just started to look for new teachers to replace 3 leaving at the end of June. This is remarkable foresight for Korea! I had a word with her about 2 months ago (about the recent changes) and now she is actively looking for replacements. At least 1 hogwan owner is taking the changes seriously, I wonder if word has spread and they will become more proactive in their employment practices now (at least the better places)?

I feel that the market may change, only time will tell.

Btw there does seem to be less teachers around in town lately (I live in a smaller southern metropolis).