Job Discussion Forums

annmt · Joined: 05 Nov 2008 Posts: 28 Location: NY, NY

Hi,

I'm epileptic and suffer from depression. I thought I'd end up in Korea, mostly because that seems to be where the most demand is. However after reading a bit on the Korea forums, it doesn't seem like it might be the best place for me. Can anyone recommend somewhere that would be a decent alternative to look into?

THanks!

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

I honestly don't know, but I would say try going through a big school or recruiter, such as Fulbright. Being left in the middle of a country with no language skills and no info about where doctors or medicine are could be difficult.

tttompatz · Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2011 5:48 am Post subject: Re: Health issues (again)

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

IF you could get into intl schools, then that's a different story, but for TEFLing and making very little per month, I wouldn't risk it.

annmt · Joined: 05 Nov 2008 Posts: 28 Location: NY, NY

Hmm..

Well I don't intend to teach in a 3rd world country Smile

I'm aiming for a developed city. I plan on bridging the language gap for doctors by bringing a translator.

What kinds of health questions are asked on a visa application? I was able to go to Egypt with my conditions, but it wasn't under a working visa...

tttompatz · Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2011 9:56 am Post subject:

annmt · Joined: 05 Nov 2008 Posts: 28 Location: NY, NY

Re health insurance: I've done some reading about this and you can front the cash and get it refunded to you through insurance by submitting a claim under an international insurer as the country in which I receive health care will most likely not accept foreign insurance.

I never said Egypt was a developed country. I was there on a student visa. Obviously, I don't know whether the applications differ in regards to health, in general, between student and working visas (anywhere).

I've found a copy of a Korean visa application, but it does not mention any questions about health (Or criminal record, so I'm sure that this is only a preliminary questionnaire). Instead of biting my head off, please try to answer some questions for me.

Aside from potentially losing my job, what is the worst that can happen? Deportation? What impact does deportation have on any US records, if any?

tttompatz · Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2011 12:27 pm Post subject:

annmt · Joined: 05 Nov 2008 Posts: 28 Location: NY, NY

I edited my response before I saw that your reply to mine was posted.

Pretending I get a visa, what is the worst that can happen after I am fired?

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

I know nothing about Asia, and have a couple of questions.

What normally comes first - job offer or visa?

In the case that the OP were offered a job in spite of his/her health issues, will the visa application disclose the problems? Will this be likely to cause the visa application to be denied?

How likely is it that an Asian employer would offer a job to someone with potentially problematic health issues?

In Central/Eastern Europe, where US citizens can still legally get work visas, I am pretty sure almost no employer would agree to go through the visa procedure for a candidate with these problems, particularly at the newbie level. The job market here is pretty saturated to begin with, and UK teachers are preferred because there is no paperwork hassle. With both nationality and health difficulties, you wouldn't be a strong candidate for the jobs that are going.

Further, for what it's worth, I think that care for depression would be very difficult to obtain in Central/Eastern Europe. And the wages there would certainly contribute to a worsening of the depression problem, I'm afraid - they are subsistence level only.

Overall, it seems to me like a difficult prospect to find something that would be workable in this situation.

annmt · Joined: 05 Nov 2008 Posts: 28 Location: NY, NY

I'm hoping to end up in Korea, mostly because it suits my purposes as being (hopefully) able to find a job in a city that is either small enough to walk or has decent public transportation.

I don't know the answers to these questions, and I really appreciate them as they are ones that I can bring to the hiring service that was attached to my certification (which service begins soon, however I wanted to get a feel for people's thoughts on the matter).

smurfetta · Joined: 14 Nov 2010 Posts: 38

I could be wrong but I am pretty sure you need to fill out a health form as part of the E-2 visa process. I know that you have to get a Korean health check if you work in a public school.

If you are really really set on going to Korea, you need to be in Seoul. You have more of a chance getting English services than in a small Korean city. I lived in a small Korean city and the hospitals, to be frank, are not very good. It was hard to find an English speaking doctor there.

One other thing... I've seen ambulances stuck in traffic. Cars don't move out of the way quickly like they do in North America.

Chamomile · Joined: 13 Oct 2008 Posts: 3

All teachers on E-2 visas in Korea have to do health exams. I don't know what conditions would disqualify you.

About international health insurance...As I understand it, there are basically two types of international health insurance:

1. "Normal" health insurance designed for expats. This is like health insurance back home. You have to submit an application that includes your medical history, so there's a possibility that you could be disqualified for health reasons. Also, like insurance back home, if you're paying for it yourself it's usually pretty expensive. You could be paying thousands of dollars a year.

2. Travel insurance. Cheap (like $20-30/month) and no medical questions asked, because it does NOT cover long-term and/or preexisting medical conditions (like epilepsy or depression). It's for stuff like breaking your leg or getting swine flu.

Make sure that you get the right insurance for you.

I've known people who thought that they were covered with travel insurance and were unpleasantly surprised later.

Also, if you need to show proof of previous insurance coverage later (for example, if you get insurance with a new company), travel insurance is often not counted as "real" insurance.