New E2 Visa Requirements (from 15 Dec. 2007)

In late 2007, the Korean government introduced new rules for people wishing to teach in Korea - E2Visa applicants. The new regulations went into effect on 15 December 2007. Following a summary of the new rules is an unofficial translation of the Korean information on the site of the Ministry of Justice.* 

Summary of new E2 Visa Rules for Teachers:**
Background:
The government introduced the new measure as part of efforts to diminish the risk of dangerous people getting hired, as well as to guarantee the credentials of foreign teachers. Officials believe this step to be essential to weeding out unqualified instructors, while parents welcome it as a necessary step to ensuring a quality and safe education for their children.  But foreign teachers and private institutes complain that the tougher rule will be too costly, time-consuming, and prohibitive, in addition to potentially violating privacy rights.

New visa rules
Under the new law, applicants for a new E2 visa or an extension have to submit their criminal background certificate and medical report. In addition, applicants are required to appear for a personal interview at the nearest Korean embassy or consulate in their home countries, with some exceptions such as, for example,  mission location unreasonably distant from applicant's location. (Criminal-check records are also required for C4 visa candidates who plan to work in English language camps here for less than 90 days.)

In their initial application package, prospective teachers must fill out a short, unofficial health statement regarding infectious diseases, drug use, and psychological problems. Then, within three months after arriving here, the official medical data must be provided to the immigration office, as part of the application for residence registration. The medical exam to be conducted by government-approved public and general hospitals includes tests for narcotics use and HIV/AIDS, the ministry explained.

The academic-credentials check has also been toughened. The original degree, along with a copy of it, must be submitted. The original will be returned after the credentials are authenticated. The copy must be verified by the Korean consulate in applicants' home countries or the Korean Council for University Education (www.kcue.or.kr). 

For those whose credentials have already been authenticated by the KCUE, there is no need for the interview. They can apply for an E-2 visa at a Korean embassy in a third nation such as Japan. The Ministry of Justice has indicated that it will put those with verified academic credentials in its database so that they don't have to submit them again.


New E2 Visa Reforms Text (unofficial translation)

I. Rationale for changes:
- The number of ESL teachers who break the social laws in Korea are getting more severe.
- 2007.9.5 KBS 2TV program exhibited an expose on native (English) teachers; drugs, fake degrees.
- Due to the recent pedophile search by Interpol and that teacher having taught English in Korea, there is much concern about native English teachers.
- The issuance of E2 visas with regard to the qualifications of teachers and their social conduct in Korea has become an issue.
- A system of protection must be implemented so that sexual criminals, unqualified teachers, and drug addicts do not come into contact with students.

Ⅱ. Changes to the System:
- When applying for an E2 visa, a criminal background check and medical health report must be submitted.
- After arrival in Korea, applicants must get a medical health report from an approved government hospital, public health clinic, or general hospital.
- After an applicant has filed for an E2 visa at an embassy/ consulate, the applicant must have a personal interview.
- Applicants who have been issued an E2 visa in the past or have been verified to have certified documentation will be issued an E2 visa faster.

Changes to the Application Process:
1. Criminal Background Check
-To prevent applicants with convictions for drug offences or sexual offences from entering the country, a criminal background check must be submitted.
- Only local, provincial/ state, or federal government law enforcement agency issued checks will be accepted.
- The criminal background check must have an apostille (or postil).
i) An apostille is a seal applied by the Department of State in the U.S. to authenticate a document in a foreign country in order to assess the authenticity of an official signature. The Apostille is recognized as form of an international notary seal. An Apostille can be used if both countries (the country issuing the document and the country in which the document will be used) are part of the international "The Hague Apostille Convention".
ii) Applicants from countries that do not have an apostille agreement with Korea, (li.e. Canada and China), will have to submit the criminal background check for verification at the applicant's closest Embassy/Consulate.
iii) Applicants in Korea must receive the criminal background check from the applicants’ Embassy in Korea. The notarization or seal becomes unnecessary.
- The criminal background check is only valid within 90 days/ 3 months of the E2 visa application.
Note: Any applicant with any kind of criminal record will not be issued an E2 visa.

2. Medical Health Report
A medical health report is necessary for an E2 visa to protect Korean citizens from applicants who test positive for narcotic drugs, communicable diseases, HIV/AIDS physical and/or mental ilnesses.
After entering Korea, applicants must submit themselves to a medical check at a government approved  hospital, public health clinic or general hospital.

Medical Health Report Process
Process When submitting an E2 visa application ⇒ When registering for alien registration card.
Needed Documents:
Self Medical Report: After an applicant submits the self medical report to the school, the report must then be submitted with all other documents by the school when applying for the E2 visa.
Korean Health Medical Report issued by an approved government hospital, public health clinic, or general hospital
- After receiving the E2 visa the applicant must go to an approved government hospital, public health clinic, or general hospital and submit the report to the immigration office.
※ After an applicant receives their alien registration card, the applicant must submit the Korean Health Medical Report within 3 months/ 90 days.
Contents of Korean Medical Report:  A drug test, (for narcotics)  TBPE (Tuberculosis) test, and cannabinoid test (cannabis) test, as well as an AIDS/ HIV test 
Following receipt of registration card-
• After arrival in Korea and receiving an alien registration card, the applicant must submit themselves to a physical health test at the above mentioned approved places and submit the report to immigration.
• If the health report is not submitted within the 3 months/ 90 day period, test positive for drugs, alcoholism, or communicable diseases, the E2 visa will be cancelled and the applicant will be deported to their home country.
- If the self medical report is positive for any history of narcotic drug use, HIV/ AIDS, or communicable diseases, then an E2 visa will not be issued.
- If the health report is not submitted within the 3 months/ 90 day period, test positive for drugs, alcoholism, or communicable diseases, the E2 visa will be cancelled and the applicant will be deported to their home country.

3. University Degree and Documents
To verify a document above an undergraduate degree, at least one of the following methods will be used:
- the original degree (after a copy of the original has been verified, stamped and filed, the original will be returned)
- the copy degree (must be verified by the Korean consulate in the applicants home country or through the Korean University Education Union/ Community)
- documented proof from the issuing university (by Apostille or by Korean educational verification methods) 
- Once an applicant goes though this verification method to get an E2 visa, this process does not have to be repeated in the future
- The sealed transcripts sent by the university to immigration will remain the same.
If the document is verified through the Korean educational verification method, the process will be as follows:
- The applicant’s school must submit the documents to the Korean University Education Union/ Community to be verified.
- If it is verified, the information will be inputted into the Korean Immigration Database.
- Therefore the applicant’s information will be in the database and easy to retrieve.

Changes to the Visa Process in Korean Embassies Abroad
1. C4 English Camp Visa
- All C4 visa applicants must submit a Criminal Check
- Applicants with a degree higher than an undergraduate degree must include at least one the following:
a. the original degree (after a copy of the original has been verified, stamped and filed, the original will be returned) or
b. the copy degree (must be verified by the Korean consulate in the applicants home country or through the Korean University Education Union/ Community) or
c. documented proof from the issuing university (by Apostille or by Korean educational verification methods) 
- Once an applicant goes though this verification method to get an E2 visa, this process does not have to be repeated in the future
- The sealed transcripts sent by the university to immigration will remain the same.
If the document is verified through the Korean educational verification method, the process will be as follows:
- The applicant’s school must submit the documents to the Korean University Education Union/ Community to be verified.
- If it is verified, the information will be inputted into the Korean Immigration Database.
- Therefore the applicant’s information will be in the database and easy to retrieve.
Criminal Background Check
- Process for submitting a criminal background check for a C4 visa will remain the same as an E4 visa with details in P-2.

2. E2 Visa Process and Application
- All new applicants must have an interview at a consulate
- In general, all applicants must submit the E2 visa application to the Korean embassy/ consulate in their home country.
- Any applicants who qualify within any of the conditions below can apply for an E2 visa at Korean embassy/ consulate of a third party country.
a. Applicants with a past history of an E1 visa (university professor), E2 visa (English instructor), E3 visa (academic research/ student visa), with no history of breaking Korean law
b. A member of the Korean University Education Union/ Community that verifies academic qualifications
Consulate interview
Your E2 visa will only be issued after a successful interview.
Applicants Requiring a Personal Interview
- In general, all applicants for an E2 visa require a personal interview.
Note: Applicants that qualify to submit an E2 visa application in a third party country may/ may not be required to have a personal interview.
※Any applicants who qualify within any of the conditions below can apply for an E2 visa at Korean embassy/ consulate of a third party country.
a. Applicants with a past history of an E1 visa (university professor), E2 visa (English instructor), E3 visa (academic research/ student visa), with no history of breaking Korean law 
b. A member of the Korean University Education Union/ Community that verifies academic qualifications
Interview Questions and Process
- Personal interviews will be conducted using the interview questions listed below (Consul’s Checklist for E2 Applicant)
- If the Korean e\Embassy/ Consulate deems that the applicant lives an unreasonable distance to be physically present for a personal interview, a web cam interview via the internet will be substituted
If the interviewer at the Korean embassy/ consulate deems the applicant is not suited for an E2 visa, the issuance of a new E2 visa will be denied regardless of the applicants past history.

Ⅲ. Minimizing the Impact of the New E2 Visa System:
Applicants who currently have verified qualifications will experience a faster and easier processing of their visa in the future.
- It is possible that applicants can submit an application from a third party country Korean cEmbassy/Consulate and even forgo the interview process
- Teacher in possession of an E2 visa (E1,E3) now or in the past will no longer need to submit documents for verification
- To compensate for the deficit of human resources in Korea due to the new regulations, the existing qualified foreigners will be given more flexibility within the system.
- Korean immigration laws will become more flexible by allowing more than one workplace and type of work (immigration law 20, 21).
Reduce the inconvenience of having to return to their home country to receive a new E2 visa.
- To avoid the inconvenience of having to return to an applicant’s home country to receive an apostille for a criminal background check, a criminal check issued by the applicant’s embassy/ consulate in Korea will be accepted.
- Instead of receiving an apostille for an applicant’s degree, a document of verification from the Korean University Education Union/ Community will be accepted.

Ⅳ. Government Sponsored Native Teachers’ Visa Changes
- The basic rules for attaining an E2 visa apply, except that an applicant can apply for a visa from a third party country. Personal interviews will be at the discretion of the embassy/ consulate.
- Teachers who were issued an E2 visa before the changes, working in an elementary, middle, and high school are no longer required to submit a criminal background check or health report (but must submit an HIV/ AIDS, drug, TBPE, and Cannibanoids/Cannabis test), when renewing, extending, or transferring their visa.
- In the situation where teachers were in the process of being hired by a school principal shall follow the same protocols prior to when the new visa changes came into effect.
 
V. Outcome for Applicants Who Were Being Processed During the Changes
- All applicants that were being processed for an E2 visa before the time of change shall follow protocols that existed prior to the changes.
- Teachers that qualify in the list below, who are currently in Korea and who wish to extend, transfer, or renew their visa will be required to submit a criminal background check and Korean health medical report:
a. teachers currently working in Korea with an E2 visa prior to the new visa changes
b. applicants currently in Korea changing to an E2 visa after the new visa changes

ⅤI. Punishment for Violators:
- A constant check will be put upon teachers to ensure no one violates the immigration laws. Illegal teaching, sexual offenders, and drug abusers will be deported and barred from entry into Korea for a time period.
- Private schools that hire illegal teachers shall receive more sever penalties. Private schools that hire illegal teachers shall be reported to the board of education and private school licensing board which will make running the business difficult.
- Sexual offenders, drug addicts, and alcoholic teachers that cause social problems in Korea will be blacklisted. This list of offenders will be posted by the Ministry of Justice and sent out to the educational centers and Korean hogwan union. These offenders will be barred from entry into Korea.

If you have any questions regarding the new E2 visa changes or visa application call the phone number at the Ministry of Justice, Immigration Division (02-500-9116/8) or your local Immigration Office.

Note: for information on other government offices that deal with issues related to working in Korea, lick  
http://www.korea4expats.com/article-government-information-sources.html

Editor's Note: The information above is based on the information K4E has available at the time of writing. Given how difficult it is to obtain clear and complete information in Korea as well as how quickly rules can change, please see this as a guide and do follow-up with the appropriate Korean government bodies to confirm its accuracy and/or to get the most current answers. K4E would appreciate your feedback should you find out that our information is out-of-date.

* Sincere thanks to the Dave's ESL Cafe moderators who did the original (unofficial) translation.
** Some of the information in this summary was taken from news articles, including Korea Herald, Korea Times and Joongang Daily.