Everybody gets those mass emails from the education office, right? Here's the attachment they sent which lists the new requirements. It comes from Andrea, who in turn gets it from somebody else I guess, but again, there's been no official word on if these are finalized, or what. Also, no word on the process by which these things should be obtained. Basically a copy-and-paste, so the vagueness and formatting problems are not my fault.
Anyway:
~~~
E-2 Visa Application (Amended)
Enforced as of December 15th, 2007
- Newly Required Documents
*Criminal Record (should be submitted with other documents when you apply for E-2 Visa to immigration office)
*Health Statement (should be submitted with other documents when you apply for E-2 Visa to immigration office)
*Health Certificate (should be submitted when you apply for ID card to immigration office after your arrival in Korea)
Criminal Record,
America, South Africa, UK, Ireland, Austrailia : needs Apostille stamp/seal from his/her own country authorities
(should check where you can get the stamp/seal in your country)
if criminal record certificate is issued by his/her consulate/embassy in Korea, apostille stamp/seal does not need.
- Canada : criminal record should be certified by Korean Consulate/Embassy in Canada
- Criminal Record Certificate issued within 90 days as of the date of Visa application to
immigration office is only valid.
Teachers who will apply for Visa after Dec 15th, 2007
should submit criminal record, health statement and health certificate.
Teachers who are working in Korea currently
should submit criminal record and health certificate when they extend Visa to renew their
contract or to change their work place
if any teacher who has to extend his/her visa has a criminal record check certified by
Apostille or Korean cosulate within 90 days before Visa extension application date, he/she can submit the criminal record check with other documents to extend his/her Visa
Or if he/she does not have certified criminal record check, he/she can submit other
documents to extend his/her Visa and submit the certified criminal record check later
within 90 days after the date of Visa extension application date.
Health Statement
should be filled in by applicant himself/herself.
Health Certificate
issued in Korea within 90 days as of the date of Visa application to immigration office
is only valid and TBPE, Cannabinoid, HIV check should be included.
Visa-run is possible only for the teachers who have worked in Korea with E-1, E-2 and
E-3 Visa.
Interview : All the E-2 Visa applicants should have interview with Korean consulate but
it could be omitted according to Korean consulate's situation.
If I may be so bold as to give an opinion, health checks and criminal checks are fine. Inconvenient, but a necessary step, and hopefully the government will finally learn to keep these things on file.
What bugs me is the business---again, nothing official---of having to go back home to have a bunch of this stuff done. I really don't understand why these things can't be handled in-country.
And, it goes without saying that I strongly object to the racist characterization of foreigners as criminals, drug-addicts, AIDS patients, pedophiles, and unqualified loafers. I've made my opinions known to Andrea, on Dave's, on blogs, and in the paper, so I won't get into it now. It's worth having a look, though, at the notice sent out last month by immigration, and which appeared on its website. There is a translation on
Pusanweb, but the choicest quotation is this:
The Korean Government will prevent illegal activities by verifying requirements of native English teacher and tighten their non-immigrant status [...] [and will] eradicate illegal activities of native English teachers who are causing social problems such as ineligible lectures, taking drugs and sex crimes. English teachers, who disturb social order during their staying in Korea such as illegal teaching, taking drugs and sex crimes, will be banned from entering South Korea.[...] [They will] prevent illegal English teaching activities and the taking of drugs and sexual harassment of English teachers, [...] teachers who disrupt the social order by taking drugs, committing sexual harassment and alcohol intoxication.
As much as I'd love to "grin and bear it," I find this prevailing attitude offensive, and hard to justify.
Don't want to get into an argument about loving or hating Korea . . . I provided sources, so I think I'm safe for now. 
