Last Updated on April 1, 2011 by Nancie
I’m writing this series because I receive a lot of emails asking me about teaching English in Korea. These days it seems that many people are contemplating teaching English in Korea as an overseas lifestyle option. I’m into my eleventh year of teaching on the ROK. By the end of this series you should have the knowledge and necessary resources to become an English teacher in Korea.
Part 1 First Things First : Do You Qualify
Before you seriously consider teaching EFL in Korea you need to do two things. First, you should take some time and answer the question “Why do I want to teach English overseas?” Be brutally honest with yourself. If you think that this is a perfect way to solve your life’s problems, you’re probably wrong. If you’re a drug or an alcohol addict at home, you’ll still be one in Korea. Are you drowning in debt? Those debts won’t disappear just because you decide to move overseas. All I’m saying is KNOW why you’re leaving your home country, and everything that’s familiar. Teaching in Korea can be a fantastic experience, but it’s not a cakewalk.
Most English teachers need an E-2 Visa to teach in Korea. Once you’ve decided that you’re coming here for all the right reasons (or at least a few), be sure that you have the proper credentials and paperwork to obtain your E-2 Visa.
1. Korea only hires native English speakers from the seven major English speaking countries; Canada, America, Australia, New Zealand, Britain, Ireland and South Africa. Unless you hold a passport from one of these countries you won’t pass go (or in your case immigration).
2. You must have a university degree. Your degree can be in basket weaving, but it must be from an accredited institution. You’ll have to send your original degree to the Korean Embassy closest to where you live to be authenticated. Embassy staff will copy your degree, reduce it, and add some pretty stamps. Be sure to pay for a few extra copies. They’re not expensive. You’ll probably end up taking your original degree to Korea along with the copies. Sometimes employers will want your original degree. Don’t give it to them; copy only.
3. Sealed transcripts from your university.
If you meet the requirements above, then read on.
4. You will need a Criminal Records Check (CRC), not older than 3 months. This can take time to obtain, so you should start the process early. Korean immigration will no longer accept CRCS from local police departments. If you’re a Canadian, that means your CRC must be processed through the RCMP. Americans must submit a CRC from the FBI. You should check out your government’s website to determine how to obtain a CRC in your country. Your documents will have to be notarized and apostillized. You can find out more about that here: “Process to Apostillize the Required Documents” here: http://www.korvia.com/index.php/how-to-apostillize-document.html .
Canada does not have an Apostille agreement with Korea. This means that Canadians must have their documents notarized at a Korean embassy.
In early 2011 Korean immigration implemented some changes regarding the CRC. As always, it can be difficult to find out exactly what you need to know. Here’s a great article to help clear up any confusion…
http://www.chrisinsouthkorea.com/2010/12/important-update-on-e-2-visa-regulations/
5. If you have never taught in Korea before, you may have to be interviewed at your nearest Korean embassy. This requirement is a little vague. Here is what I found on one website:
Recent changes in Korean immigration policies require that all new E-2 visa applicants with no previous teaching experience in Korea to attend an interview session at the nearest Korean diplomatic office (where you send your visa applications to). This is normally the last step before they place the visa on your passport. When approved, your passport will be ready 2-3 days after the interview and the embassy / consulate will send it to your address. In Canada, in most cases you can pick up your passport with the visa on the same day of your interview. Please be ready to make a trip to the Korean Consulate or Embassy for this. Interviews are not required to applicants with previous teaching experience in Korea. (http://www.asia-pacific-connections.com/visa_issuance.html)
This specifically mentions Canada, so you’re not a Canadian, check with a Korean embassy in your country.
Also, it should be possible to arrange a telephone interview if the nearest Korean embassy is far from where you live.
That’s really about it, for qualifications and documents. However, you will need to have a medical examination upon arrival. There’s a bit of controversy surrounding this one due to the requirements for drug and HIV testing.
This is what I found regarding the medical examination requirement.
http://gurl.co.kr/zeroboard/view.php id=englishteachers&page=1&sn1=&divpage=1&sn=off&ss=on&sc=on&select_arrange
Medical Records
Steps of submitting medical records and issuer.
Steps : When applying for visa issuance number
Document: Self-Medical Evaluation Form
Issuer : Applicants themselves
After arrival, when applying for Alien Registration Card
Doctor’s Medical Check
National hospitals, Community Health Centers, University hospitals
1. Self-Medical Evaluation Form
Employer has to submit the self-medical evaluation form which is handwritten by the applicant and submitted to the Immigration Office in Korea when applying for visa issuance number.
2. Doctor’s Medical Check
After entering Korea with E2 visa, a doctor’s medical check (specifically Medical Check for Employment Purposes) issued from national hospitals, community health centers, or university hospitals has to be submitted when registering for Alien Card.
The doctor’s medical check must be issued at least 3 months before the Alien Registration. Information that needs to be included in the medical check: TBPE and Cannabinoids test for drug test, HIV test for AIDS
* For applicants who do not submit the doctor’s medical check or is found out to have taking drugs, have AIDS or Alcoholic, having a contagious disease etc, his/her visa permit will be cancelled and consecutively will be deported.
Your employer will help you arrange the medical check. You want to get this done as quickly as possible, so that your Alien Registration Card (ARC) can be processed. You need your ARC to open a bank account, to purchase a cell phone, register for National Health Insurance., etc. etc. Once you have your ARC day to day living on the ROK becomes much easier.
Part 1 Checklist:
• Native speaker from one of the seven major English speaking countries
• University Degree
• Sealed University Transcripts
If you have the above, then…
• Criminal Records Check
• Medical Examination (in-country)
Obtaining a visa really isn’t that difficult. If you have the necessary qualifications, it’s just a matter of being organized enough to obtain and submit the necessary paperwork. You can be teaching English in Korea in ninety days or less.
In Part 2 I’ll talk about become TESL certification. Is it really necessary?
28 responses to “Ninety Days to a Job Teaching English in Korea: Part 1: First Things First: Do you Qualify?”
i never knew there was so much to teaching english
Zablon, if you qualify it isn’t all that difficult to get your documents together. It’s knowing what you need. Also, the thing with Korean Immigration is that things can change, and sometimes the changes are not communicated very well.
it isn’t too difficult at all, I agree. In fact, if you try to get any other job abroad, there will probably will be even more paperwork! Teaching abroad is the easiest profession to get, imo.
Back to the article: So informative, definitely saving this for whenever (if I ever) take the plunge. I’m currently working on developing my full-time nomadic translation (and travel writing) career, so once that kicks off, I think I’ll be fine.
However, I’m still in the US paying for all my debt (mostly student loans!), so I might be able to leave sooner IF I do teach abroad… Very very tempting!
Currently though, I am waiting to hear back from an agency (marketing manager position in Korea!). Been thinking about teaching abroad a lot lately, but let’s see what happens with this one gig first…ah! I hope it materializes!
Sorry for the long long ramble By the Way, Nancie haha 😉 I get excited whenever I think about working abroad, experiencing a new country, while earning some good bucks!
– Maria Alexandra
You’ve probably dissuaded a few people – now that they know how much work it will take. Eleven years -are you there for the long term??
Leigh…You know it sounds like a lot of work, but it really isn’t. If you have a degree, it’s really a matter of getting your criminal check and your 90% of the way there. Certainly a lot more work involved than when I came here 10 years ago. Well. the plan had been to leave this year, but like all good plans, they change 🙂
sorry about the typo….you’re 90% of the way there; NOT your.
Tried to edit the post, but the edit button is on holiday today 🙂
STILL entertaining the idea of doing this…thanks!
It’s not a bad gig Candice. Keep reading my series and you will learn to avoid the traps that many new teachers fall into.
I love that last photo. I thought Korea was one of the only places where you didn’t need a college degree? Maybe the program I was looking into was different than long term teaching. I was considering doing this for a year, but I couldn’t convince Scott. 🙂
I don’t think so, or at least I’ve never heard of it.
Wow, it was a LOT less complicated in 2005. Are the CRC, interview, and medical exam for real?
Hal, I don’t make this stuff up. That’s why I included references from websites.
Sorry Nancie, wasn’t writing that in an accusatory tone at all–just shocked how much things have changed! When my wife and I went, waaaaay back in ’05, we entered as tourists and then got jobs/E-2s in-country. I wonder if the rules are different for this route, or whether it’s even still possible?
(also, couldn’t open the link re: medical exams)
Thanks for sharing! Beth and I have been going back and forth about teaching English overseas and this really puts things in perspective for breaking into Korea. Can’t wait to read the rest of the series. -Randy
I think it’s good to know what your getting into. Lots more to come over the next while.
Yay! I’m working in Korea. I love it, although it is difficult. Also, I have one of the rare, non-teaching jobs, which always confuses people.
Hi Melanie…What are you doing here?
Hal…a lot has changed in the last few years. These changes were the result of a pedophile teaching here. The guy was eventually caught in Thailand and extricated to Canada..yes embarrassed to say he’s Canadian. Interpol wanted the guy so badly that they actually released his photo. Of course, there was a huge uproar here in Korea (and rightly so). That’s when these new requirements came into effect. They are for E-2 Visa applications only because these are the teachers who generally work with kids. I will talk about the various Visas available later in the series. However, I would say that at least 90% of teachers hold an E-2 Visa.
Thanks for letting me know about the link. I’ll check it out today, and try to get it working.
Informative article on teaching English in Korea. One of Ryan’s bestfriend did it for several years. As for myself, I won’t be able to do that since I’m not a native English speaker (and still make bunch of mistakes in speaking and writing).
[…] If you missed Part 1 of this series, you’ll find it HERE. […]
I thought that was petty accurate, for things as they stand now. I’ve been here for 23 years. As difficult as it is now the visa process is nothing compared to what it was in 1988.
I would warn people people that there aren’t all that many jobs here now. Well in a sense there are but, this is definitely not show up on a tourist visa and expect to get a job anymore.
Also the large school chains can be very exploitative.
When I came here I had no expectation of being here as long as I have been.
As far I am concerned I like the CRCs and stuff, I don’t have any problems with immigration ever, but Korea is the type of place, sort of like A Norman Rockwell painting of America in the 1950s, that if they know who you are… this place is so computerized… they laughed about the FBI CRC, these can take a while.They just laughed. I did finally get it. Even then they didn’t care. In that sense it is like 1984.
You know every single one of those embarkation and disembarkation forms you fill out is scanned and saved. In other words it helps if they know who you are.
The sealed transcripts aren’t needed now, but I’d guess that they might come back in the future. I think they are big into apostiles because they cost a lot of money. I think the idea is to keep the Bangkok trippers out. Paul Niel the pedophile is/was the exemplar of the type.
Funny thing about Korea, people come and go but after awhile you sort of know everybody who has been here for a while.
Korea can be very cold, other problems too. We all have online monikers I am of course …
Sigh… a little disheartening… I keep hearing yes and no on the B.A. issue. I have been short my B.A. by two failed classes in my last semester of college (working full-time and taking a full course load was a bad idea) for a while. I had a high paying sales job out of that last semester and just haven’t had a chance to get back to it. Not to mention my boyfriend would have to go with me and he only has his associate’s. Very frustrating when I know very well we would enjoy the culture much more than others… we eat Korean food a few days a week now and for some reason mostly enjoy Korean media too. I don’t know what it is about those variety shows but we end up watching them without subs and still laugh.
I very much doubt that someone who has finished their Bachelor’s in something other than Education would be much more qualified… what makes someone with two more classes in any subject more ready to teach than me (plus I went to the University of Michigan), especially if I get a TEFL certificate? I could even finish my classes but what would my boyfriend do?
Very informative, Nancie. Good luck to all of those who give it a try…
How about in my case? An American citizen with a degree from the Philippines? Will I be automatically disqualified? Its seems a bit ~ifey for me.
Hope you can help me out
Contact the Korean embassy. They should be able to tell you if they recognize your degree, or not.
I found your read very interesting and informative. Thanks for sharing this post.
A few years ago, I visited South Korea for a month, fell in love with it, and wanted to teach there, but, as you mentioned, because I don’t have one of those 7 nationalities, I had no chance. I am a qualified English teacher now teaching in Switzerland. South Korea remains one of the most strict countries in these matters, placing more importance on passport rather than experience.
[…] Ninety Days to a Job Teaching English in Korea — Part 1 […]