Anybody wanting to show English in South Korea, or anyplace else on the planet, will want a working visa. I’ll briefly define a number of the completely different visa sorts that are wanted to to work as an ESL instructor in South Korea, in addition to present some perception as to what they actually imply.
Firstly, there are a number of various kinds of visas that South Korea points. They’ve an E2 visa (the commonest visa for international lecturers) an F3 visa (a visa allotted to the partner of an E2 visa holder – please be aware you can not educate when you maintain an F3 visa), and an F5 visa (an F5 visa is a F3 visa with the added situation that the visa holder could educate English).
A vacationer, or guests visa, can also be issued to those that are solely within the nation for non-work functions. A number of individuals have been capable of travel to South Korea, enter the nation on a guests visa, search for and safe a job as an ESL instructor after which get their E2 visa software began whereas they’re nonetheless in Korea. It should nonetheless be famous that these guests visas are for both 30 days, or 60 days lengthy (relying in your nation of nationality). One cannot truly get an E2 visa in South Korea, and must travel to a different nation to get the visa. I bought my E2 visa whereas in South Africa, however some visa candidates travel from South Korea to Japan to finalize the visa course of busandal.
At present, I maintain an E2 visa, and my spouse has an F5 visa. Each visas are legitimate for one yr from the date of subject, until they’re lengthened by Korean Immigration. As soon as the visa expires you might be given a interval of 1 month to depart the nation, and lots of lecturers use this time to tour Korea for a final time. Concerning my spouse’s visa, she had an F3 visa (often known as a partner visa) and when she bought a place as an English instructor in Gyeongju her college director assisted in amending her visa to an F5.
Please be aware that you’re not allowed to show English with out the right visa. It’s unlawful and if you’re discovered to be in violation of the legislation you’ll be fined in any case, or presumably deported. The immigration officers in South Korea are quite powerful, and shouldn’t be taken evenly. Fines usually vary from 500,000 Korean Gained to 1,000,000 Korean Gained (for the instructor), and from 1,000,000 Korean Gained to 2,000,000 Korean Gained for the college. Even when your college director insists that it’s okay so that you can begin instructing, please remember that with out the right documentation in place you face the risk of deportation.
After you have your E2 or F5 visa and you might be in Korea, you will want to take a medical check in an effort to get your official identification card (or “alien registration card”). The medical check is sort of a process and was positively an expertise for me. Your college director ought to be helping you in each stage of the visa course of, so you don’t want to fret an excessive amount of about truly go about all of this. After Korean immigration has your entire documentation, it is best to have the ability to acquire your alien card. The alien card is essential as it’s your major type of identification in South Korea, and is used for opening bank accounts and getting any kind of contract.
I’ve written extra articles which go in to additional element on the medical check, the visa software course of and the alien registration card. You’ll be able to both go to my weblog which has further details about South Korea on it, or you possibly can alternatively browse the opposite articles I’ve written.
