If you have drug or sex offenses on your rap sheet, forget about getting a teaching visa to Korea. Unless you enter on a tourist visa and then find a job.
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20 Comments
I just love the part about the two alcoholics being blacklisted. God forbid they apply that rule to the rest of the workforce…
Yeah, blacklisted alcoholics! That’s a riot. Koreans are so found of saying, “When in Rome, do as Romans do.” This just shows how it really is.
Yeah, man! Where’s the love for the guy (or gal) who vomits on the floor of the bar and then shows up late for work smelling of alcohol? Come on, people!
“The wrongdoings of unqualified foreign instructors have been a headache for the government. Earlier this month, Interpol arrested Christopher Paul Neil, a Canadian English instructor, who fled to Korea after sexually abusing dozens of boys in Thailand. He had worked at an international school in Gwangju until Oct. 11 before he was arrested in Thailand. ”
Just plain bad reporting. In reality, Neil was a certified teacher and had no criminal records.
This plan won’t work, but seeing as it is purely cosmetic, the objective isn’t for it to be successful anyway. It also encourages people to teach under the radar - by circumventing the legit process entirely or doing so out of necessity in the event a background check might take months to come through. Not the least bit surprising, is it? We’ll see if it even gets off the ground…
“Just plain bad reporting. In reality, Neil was a certified teacher and had no criminal records.”
Exactly. Neil could easily have been hired if he had been forced to conform to these new “standards.”
If they don’t let people with criminal records into the country I can understand, especially sex offenders, but blacklisting alcoholics?! That just reveals a ridiculous level of hypocrisy. Any person that argues to the contrary is a nut.
I meant to say so FOND btw.
this should boost the tourism statistics for next year.
koreans have a right to blacklist foreigners they don’t like. i mean look at all the good koreans have done in the world, like the US…they monopolized the dry cleaning industry. who the f**k are the white people gonna get to wash the j*sm out of their linen bed sheets?
…the answer, of course, are the chinese. china is the future.
Korea does have the right to blacklist people for whatever reason they want. The United States asks visa applicants whether they are Communists, have been convicted of a violent crime, or have worked as prostitutes. Korea gets to set its own standards — and drug conviction in the past usually points to the likelihood of future entanglement. Those people never learn.
What I just love is that the blacklist has lasted as long as it has without someone suing the KFTRA.
They don’t prosecute Canadians for minor drug offenses anymore. You have to be dealing large amounts drugs to minors in Vancouver before the cops even start to look at you and even then, if it’s a first offense, it’s just a slap on the wrist– usually an absolute or conditional discharge which, when the conditions are met (usually probation), are expunged from your criminal record after 7 years. With so many Vancouverites getting stopped at the US-Canada border because of the US Zero tolerance policy, It was affecting the border towns economy and thus policy was changed way back in the 90’s.
Not only is there a 6 month back-log to get a criminal record check from the RCMP, but you also have to do it in person (I had to be bonded for a job in Canada once). What if you are already in Korea? Getting a criminal record check would be impossible. Since only the police and you have access to it.
There is a certain irony (and a telling tale about the illogical mind of the government– Korean or otherwise) that the person responsible for this panic in Korea would have still been allowed entry to Korea since he didn’t have a criminal record and was way more qualified as a teacher then 99% of those who call themselves teachers here.
I think that the main outcome of this change is that schools in the less desirable areas of Korea will find it much harder to recruit teachers. They used to depend on being able to hire waygooks with no knowledge of Korea who decided to go there on a whim but now they will be put off by the bureaucracy
I imagine this thread would have had more replies if it was titled ‘No jobs for Neo-cons’.
Interestingly, the new Anti-Discrimination Act, if/when it’s passed, will prohibit private employers from discriminating against people on the basis of — among other things — nationality and criminal record or history of institutionalization. I know, because I’m finalizing a translation of the draft Act now.
So it’s lucky the government is mandating such discrimination on the immigration side lest some uppity foreigner claim against a responsible employer.
As long as they apply these rules to all people and not just those applying for teaching visas, I have no problem with such legislation. Of course, Korea being the kind of place it is, such legislation will probably only apply, or be enforced in regards to white males. That’s usually the group Koreans target when they talk about evil foreign English teachers, even if they don’t say so. I can’t see, for example, Korean-Americans or attractive females having many problems, but who knows.
Until the employers learn and follow the laws here, things won’t
get better. The Justice and Immigration Ministries can have us jump
through more hoops but that will have consequences. The employers
need to learn about/how to follow the labor laws. Stricter punishments
for the employer won’t do anything because they are rarely held accountable anyway(by the Justice/Immigration Ministries).
#17 So, you can worry about the employer if you want. We know, you don’t defend employees. Who and what did you mean by uppity? Foreign Teachers aren’t uppity are they? If an uppity person/employee is a victim then they shouldn’t expect justice?
Brendon Carr Dictionary… Uppity: Foreign Teacher/employee filing a claim against one of his employer clients.
It’s been my dream for years to teach English in Korea, I’m just waiting for my passport to start the process. My only concern is that I got a 1st offense misdemeanor DUI (alcohol) in college. Will this bar my potential employment, and where would I go to find out for certain.
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Criminal Record Check Required…
Starting December 1st new E2 visa (teaching visa) applicants will be required to submit a criminal record check. See IHT and Korea Timesone two for articles. The news actually came up over the weekend but due to being at the conference and other factor…