The law requires those wishing to obtain the E-2 visa to submit a police certificate of their personal criminal history issued in the country of citizenship or residence and stamped by the Korean embassy. The new version also requires the applicants to hand in a health certificate to show the person has no infectious or sexually transmitted diseases, and a transcript from the last educational institution attended in a sealed envelope.
The spirit of these regulations have been in place for over a year, although the stamp at the Korean embassy is news to me. The article also includes this winning line:
The new rules come in response to public perception that some foreign English teachers are little more than cowboys.
So does that make Koreans little more than cows? For a lengthier treatment of this issue, see this post from a couple days ago.
6 comments:
"Be careful what you wish for" Korea--it may come true.
J
I had to get my stuff stamped at the embassy in Toronto prior to coming to Korea in August.
So I guess we're back to doing visa runs to Fukuoka AGAIN. I wish they would make up their fucking minds.
Actually, the ATEK press release focused on a bill introduced to the National Assembly. This is an entirely different animal to the regulations that the Korea Immigration Service is implementing in March. The bill, if it becomes law, will require criminal background checks (among other things) of all workers on employment visas. It will not directly affect E-2 visa holders, because they already have the checks required.
The immigration rules the Chosun Ilbo reported on are a separate and distinct group of rules being adopted by the Korea Immigration Service itself (not the National Assembly) and will require E-2 visa holders (and maybe everyone if the proposed bill passes) to get their criminal checks sent to the consulate or embassy in their home country before they come.
Hope that clarifies.
Yes, that helps, thanks for clearing that up.
SO what does that mean If you've already been here and handed in a criminal check - Please don't tell Me I'm going to have to go home and get another one stamped!?
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