[Yubumsuk]

As for the visa matter, if you're parents are Korean and you're eligible for citizenship in another country, you usually decide between one and the other when you turn 18. After that point, what difference does it make what your parents do or did, legally? They could have divorced and each chosen a different citizenship and it doesn't make any difference for getting a visa based on ancestry.

[ginger]

she has a BA. shes just never been asked to supply it. She's been on a E2 visa since she came to Korea 3 years ago. She has worked Public Middle / High schools and is currently at a Uni.

How else do you think Schools hire people from the States? The school vouches for them to Immigration to get a E2 and when they get to Korea they are usually asked to see credentials, but shes just never been asked. Its not like people are mailing there original diplomas to some random guy/recruiter in Korea first.

And your parents also have to renounce Korean citizenship also. My parents had to a few weeks back,

No...if you are applying for the E-2 from within the US, you *have to submit your diploma to the Korean Embassy.* The job can't just "vouch" for you--the Embassy needs to see your original transcripts AND your diploma before you can be granted an E-2. At least, that's how it works in the D.C. embassy.

-ginger

[Milspex]

You say you know one teacher on an E2 who didn't need to show a BA. I've known 100+ who did. Korea immigration needs to see your BA or a notarised copy of it before they'll issue an E2 visa. And yes, some people do mail their original degrees to recruites and / or schools, sometimes only for them to get lost. That's why the notarised copy thing is always a good idea.

ok?

I'm not denying the fact that you dont have to show your degree. You said my friend is teaching illegally without a e2. All I am saying is she has had a E2 since she arrived in Korea 3 years ago. get it?

No...if you are applying for the E-2 from within the US, you *have to submit your diploma to the Korean Embassy.* The job can't just "vouch" for you--the Embassy needs to see your original transcripts AND your diploma before you can be granted an E-2. At least, that's how it works in the D.C. embassy.

-ginger

That started this year. She's been in Korea for the past 3 years. Three years ago you didnt have to.

[Yubumsuk]

ok?

I'm not denying the fact that you dont have to show your degree. You said my friend is teaching illegally without a e2. All I am saying is she has had a E2 since she arrived in Korea 3 years ago. get it?


That started this year. She's been in Korea for the past 3 years. Three years ago you didnt have to.

Yes, three years ago you did. I know because I had to produce an original degree (or copy notarised by a Korean consulate) once in 2004 and again in 2005 for two different jobs, both of which required E2s. So did every other foreigner I knew who was teaching legally and didn't have an F2 or F4 visa.

[KYC]

That started this year. She's been in Korea for the past 3 years. Three years ago you didnt have to.

STOP sprouting hearsay. All that he said/she said/I heard crap is BS. There are people in this thread telling you the FACTS. The rules didn't suddenly change this year...well they did but not about having to submit a BA (that's ages ago!). The rules for getting an E2 visa is harder this year. You have to jump through more hoops..but you always needed a BA.

I looked into teaching English in Korea 3 years...maybe even 4 years ago and every agency/ad/recruiter/job I contacted specified I needed at least a BA and that must be submitted to immigration.

Now having said all that...OFF COURSE there are illegal teachers here. OFF COURSE there are some who didn't show any paperwork and are teaching here.

[j00n]

STOP sprouting hearsay. All that he said/she said/I heard crap is BS. There are people in this thread telling you the FACTS. The rules didn't suddenly change this year...well they did but not about having to submit a BA (that's ages ago!). The rules for getting an E2 visa is harder this year. You have to jump through more hoops..but you always needed a BA.

I looked into teaching English in Korea 3 years...maybe even 4 years ago and every agency/ad/recruiter/job I contacted specified I needed at least a BA and that must be submitted to immigration.

Now having said all that...OFF COURSE there are illegal teachers here. OFF COURSE there are some who didn't show any paperwork and are teaching here.

Keep in mind this is for E2 Visa. For example, i can qualify for a F4 Visa which is basically the Korean version of the US greencard...and is not bound by a lot of the restrictions that E2 Visa holders have. Inversely, the E2 Visa is similar to if the company you work in the US were to sponsor a foreigner to come work here.

[jurassic5]

been in and out of the ESL game in Korea for the past 5 years or so. To get the E-2 even in 2002, you still needed to prove that you had a bachelor's degree from an English speaking country. Yes, you were to produce an original copy...or, if you're lucky, just a copy would do. but just having a hagwon or school say, i have john smith from the USA coming to teach...so he needs an E-2 visa etc....that would not fly....unless the school showed immigration lots of envelopes with green in them.

[Aarolye]

I'm sorry if this has been asked already, but I'm not really in the mood to read all 21 pages of comments...

Has any Korean people who are fluent in English been able to find ESL teaching jobs in Korea? I hear they want anyone except Asian-looking when they typically hire people. I'm Korean and I'm kinda put off by this so I might have to consider teaching in Japan.

[Yubumsuk]

I'm sorry if this has been asked already, but I'm not really in the mood to read all 21 pages of comments...

Has any Korean people who are fluent in English been able to find ESL teaching jobs in Korea? I hear they want anyone except Asian-looking when they typically hire people. I'm Korean and I'm kinda put off by this so I might have to consider teaching in Japan.

Are you a Korean citizen and speaker? If so, your English is good enough to land a really good job if you have any uni degree (and a good iBT TOEFL score would help, too).

If you're not a Korean citizen you can still get a job with any degree from an English-speaking country, but you might want to brush up on a few things like subject-verb agreement before you write your cover letter.

[j00n]

I'm sorry if this has been asked already, but I'm not really in the mood to read all 21 pages of comments...

Has any Korean people who are fluent in English been able to find ESL teaching jobs in Korea? I hear they want anyone except Asian-looking when they typically hire people. I'm Korean and I'm kinda put off by this so I might have to consider teaching in Japan.

This might have been the case a few years ago but that trend is quickly changing. While there are still some Hagwons that will prefer Caucasian teachers, a majority will be open to Korean Americans as long as they do not have a fobby accent. The trend is changing because of some past issues with Caucasian teachers, a lot of parents and schools feel that Korean American teachers are able to bridge the culture gap between western and Korean cultures better and easier. In some schools they are actually offering more salary for Korean American teachers...however, if you speak both languages - Korean/English you're better off getting a F4 Visa and trying to get a job in a company because they will pay substantially more.

[Drusilla]

I'm Indian, and I suspect this is not going to work out for me at all since you guys say they insist on people from English-speaking countries (and I don't think India's included in those by popular perception, even though we were colonised by the Brits and all, and I've been taught in English my whole life. As for accents, I'll leave it to other people to judge). It's a shame though, I'd have loved to try teaching for a bit and I pick up languages pretty easily.
Just a question, though- what is a 'fobby' accent? I'm slightly puzzled..

[j00n]

I'm Indian, and I suspect this is not going to work out for me at all since you guys say they insist on people from English-speaking countries (and I don't think India's included in those by popular perception, even though we were colonised by the Brits and all, and I've been taught in English my whole life. As for accents, I'll leave it to other people to judge). It's a shame though, I'd have loved to try teaching for a bit and I pick up languages pretty easily.
Just a question, though- what is a 'fobby' accent? I'm slightly puzzled..

The reasons have little to do with colonization or history but rather from a more aesthetics point of view. Korean parents want their children to adopt the US (American) English accent, or the British...with some exceptions for select others. A "fobby" accent means anyone that speaks English that is heavily accented due to influences from speaking their native language. The Indian "fobby" accent would be something like Apu from the Simpsons.

FOB = Fresh Off the Boat
or what some are calling FOP (Fresh Off the Plane)

[Drusilla]

I've always found Apu funny, partly because I live in India and don't know anyone who acually sounds like that in my own generation (at least, not anyone who's actually been taught in English). But thanks for the explanation!
PS: Can someone tell me a little about 'English villages' in Korea? A bunch of my friends went there last year and some of them were asked if they wanted to teach there, in an English village. And they were college students who were pretty far from graduation- as per what I understand from this thread, wouldn't that have been illegal?
PPS: Just a question to those who actually live/have lived there, how easy/difficult is it to get your hands on books and periodicals in English? I'm a book addict, and it's going to be tough if I have nothing around to read in a language I comprehend..

[njunnuity]

PPS: Just a question to those who actually live/have lived there, how easy/difficult is it to get your hands on books and periodicals in English? I'm a book addict, and it's going to be tough if I have nothing around to read in a language I comprehend..

Finding books in English won't be a problem at all. The large bookstores have English sections with plenty of material. I went to Bandi & Lunis in Coex mall and Kyobo.

[Yubumsuk]

I've always found Apu funny, partly because I live in India and don't know anyone who acually sounds like that in my own generation (at least, not anyone who's actually been taught in English). But thanks for the explanation!
PS: Can someone tell me a little about 'English villages' in Korea? A bunch of my friends went there last year and some of them were asked if they wanted to teach there, in an English village. And they were college students who were pretty far from graduation- as per what I understand from this thread, wouldn't that have been illegal?
PPS: Just a question to those who actually live/have lived there, how easy/difficult is it to get your hands on books and periodicals in English? I'm a book addict, and it's going to be tough if I have nothing around to read in a language I comprehend..

Do you have US citizenship and a degree from the US (or any English speaking country?). Your written English seems good enough to pass yourself off as a native speaker. As long as Koreans don't find you noticeably harder to understand than most native speakers I think you'd be able to pass yourself off as an American (or Brit, or whatever). There's such a demand at the moment that as long as you have the right docs you should be able to find a job fairly quickly. I've met a number of south-Asian looking people who do jobs similar to mine.

English Villages are generally a joke, though they could be a good introduction to Korea if you want to be around lots of other foreigners. Some EV teachers do quasi-classroom teaching, others do 'edutainment', and some do both.

English books aren't hard to find, but the selection is limited. Classics are easy to find; academic books can be impossible, even to order. English periodicals are almost non-existent.

[Drusilla]

I guess that knocks it out then...my citizenship and (law school) degree are both Indian, and even if English happens to be one of our fifteen official languages (we do have something of an Anglophone heritage) I suspect I won't qualify. I might still give it a shot anyway, though I don't fancy the idea of being isolated with other foreigners in an English village.
Thanks j00n, njunnuity and Yubumsuk for answering my questions!

[Yubumsuk]

I guess that knocks it out then...my citizenship and (law school) degree are both Indian, and even if English happens to be one of our fifteen official languages (we do have something of an Anglophone heritage) I suspect I won't qualify. I might still give it a shot anyway, though I don't fancy the idea of being isolated with other foreigners in an English village.
Thanks j00n, njunnuity and Yubumsuk for answering my questions!

That's a pity since your written English looks better than some native English 'teachers' I've met. If you do give it a shot just bear in mind that some employers will try to use your background to give you a much lower a salary. Also, if you're in the country illegally some employers will use this as leverage against you.

[KYC]

I guess that knocks it out then...my citizenship and (law school) degree are both Indian, and even if English happens to be one of our fifteen official languages (we do have something of an Anglophone heritage) I suspect I won't qualify. I might still give it a shot anyway, though I don't fancy the idea of being isolated with other foreigners in an English village.
Thanks j00n, njunnuity and Yubumsuk for answering my questions!

Sorry, you will not qualify. And even if some hogwan hires you illegally, I'd be very careful. Hogwan owners are not benevolent. Also, I'm in northern Gyeonggi and there are lots of East Asian factory workers here. Some of them are looked down upon and treated...not so friendly. I'm of Southeast Asian descent but I blend in more so I get mistaken for Korean a lot. I don't get treated badly, but I have had a few bad experiences. Korea...it's a friendly place...but not always. Some ppl are still very backwards in their ways. Good luck.

[summa_snow]

i'll be leaving next month to South Korea to teach English at a public school in Gyeonggi .. hopefully it will be a great experience

[CRNmutt]

I'm in my third year at UCI and I am thinking of teaching for a year in Korea after I graduate. I'm a halfy so I would qualify for the the F-4 visa I believe. I read that it is actually harder for Koreans, or even an asian, to get a job as most employers want whites. Anyone experience this or is it nothing to be concerned about.

English is my first language and I know some Korean so I'm in this middle zone of not being white and not being fully bilingual. I'm trying to figure out if I should really be considering this.