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Native English speakers who want to teach the language in Korea will face tougher regulations for a work visa. The Justice Ministry on Wednesday announced a revision of the enforcement ordinance of the Immigration Control Law that prohibits granting work permits to those with criminal records.
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 new rules come in response to public perception that some foreign English teachers are little more than cowboys. "In principle, you have to have a clean criminal history to get an E-2 visa," a ministry official said. The E-2 visa is valid for up to two years and is issued to nationals of seven countries where the native language is English, including Australia, the U.K. and the U.S.
The revision will go into effect from the end of March after approval by the Cabinet.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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