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DavidP91
Joined: 29 Jul 2013
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 Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2013 2:20 pm Post subject: Applying to teach English in Korea |
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Hey guys,
I'm a recent college graduate (May 2013) and wish to find a job teaching English in Korea.
I have a Bachelor's and also completed a 120-hour TEFL course.
I'm here seeking advice on how to approach the whole process...
First thing is... do I need a visa before I go to Korea or can I get the visa while teaching in Korea?
Should I find an employer first? Would you suggest I find an employer myself or go through a recruiting agency? And if you suggest a recruiter, do you have any recommendations?
What should I have prepared before I contact employers/recruiters?
I have a renewed passport and a resume ready.
I am waiting for my University to send the diploma, it should be here in a couple weeks.
I don't want to write too much, I'll fill in more details as you guys ask me questions.
I have read a decent amount on this forum as well as online about the whole process, but I still do not fully understand it.
Additional information: I am male, 21 years old, born in America, I am a "gyopo", and I REALLY want to be in Seoul.
Thank you for the help in advance.
-David |
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oceanhue
Joined: 15 Sep 2012
Location: Santa Barbara, CA
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| Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2013 3:43 pm Post subject: |
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| Everything you're asking can be easily found in this forum. |
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Allthechildrenareinsane
Joined: 23 Jun 2011
Location: Lost in a Roman wilderness of pain
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| Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2013 6:16 pm Post subject: Re: Applying to teach English in Korea |
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| DavidP91 wrote: |
Hey guys,
I'm a recent college graduate (May 2013) and wish to find a job teaching English in Korea.
I have a Bachelor's and also completed a 120-hour TEFL course.
I'm here seeking advice on how to approach the whole process...
First thing is... do I need a visa before I go to Korea or can I get the visa while teaching in Korea?
Should I find an employer first? Would you suggest I find an employer myself or go through a recruiting agency? And if you suggest a recruiter, do you have any recommendations?
What should I have prepared before I contact employers/recruiters?
I have a renewed passport and a resume ready.
I am waiting for my University to send the diploma, it should be here in a couple weeks.
I don't want to write too much, I'll fill in more details as you guys ask me questions.
I have read a decent amount on this forum as well as online about the whole process, but I still do not fully understand it.
Additional information: I am male, 21 years old, born in America, I am a "gyopo", and I REALLY want to be in Seoul.
Thank you for the help in advance.
-David |
If you use the search function here at the site, you can easily find answers to all of your Korea-related questions. As for visa requirements and such, take a look here for a basic overview of what's required: http://www.footprintsrecruiting.com/visa-information-to-teach-in-korea/134-e2-visas-americans
Since you're gyopo, though, there might be some complicating factors -- have you checked to see if you're eligible for an F4 visa as opposed to an E2, or are you a dual citizen? If the latter, then you won't be eligible for either of the former. Find out if your name is in the Family Registry in Korea. If it is, I believe that means you're a citizen, so you'd have to renounce your Korean citizenship in order to get an F4 or an E2. |
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DavidP91
Joined: 29 Jul 2013
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| Posted: Fri Aug 02, 2013 5:28 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for the responses guys.
I am not a citizen of Korea. I was born in the US so I wouldn't be a citizen of Korea.
I'll continue to look into it more.
Thanks again. |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Fri Aug 02, 2013 6:20 pm Post subject: |
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| DavidP91 wrote: |
Thanks for the responses guys.
I am not a citizen of Korea. I was born in the US so I wouldn't be a citizen of Korea.
I'll continue to look into it more.
Thanks again. |
Actually, even though you were born in the US you MAY be a dual citizen depending on whether you were registered in Korea at the time of (or just after) your birth or whether or not one or the other of your parents still held Korean citizenship at the time of your birth.
Be careful young man. 2 years of Korean military service may await your venture as an English teacher.
. |
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beentheredonethat777
Joined: 27 Jul 2013
Location: AsiaHaven
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| Posted: Fri Aug 02, 2013 11:46 pm Post subject: |
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Be careful young man. 2 years of Korean military service may await your venture as an English teacher. |
^^. This happened to one of my co-teacher's in 2012. He was absolutely mortified to be summoned to serve. He was a lot older than you are, so it was doubly painful. Up until this point, he was 100% certain, he was excluded because he was quote/unquote "American." |
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Allthechildrenareinsane
Joined: 23 Jun 2011
Location: Lost in a Roman wilderness of pain
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| Posted: Sat Aug 03, 2013 12:12 am Post subject: |
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| ttompatz wrote: |
| DavidP91 wrote: |
Thanks for the responses guys.
I am not a citizen of Korea. I was born in the US so I wouldn't be a citizen of Korea.
I'll continue to look into it more.
Thanks again. |
Actually, even though you were born in the US you MAY be a dual citizen depending on whether you were registered in Korea at the time of (or just after) your birth or whether or not one or the other of your parents still held Korean citizenship at the time of your birth.
Be careful young man. 2 years of Korean military service may await your venture as an English teacher.
. |
Ttompatz is right -- you should definitely look into whether you hold dual citizenship or not. Getting unexpectedly called up on arrival in Korea has happened to more than a few people.
If you are a Korean citizen, you have the option of renouncing your citizenship and applying for an F4 visa (which in some ways is preferable to the E2). |
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young_clinton
Joined: 09 Sep 2009
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| Posted: Sat Aug 03, 2013 12:58 am Post subject: Re: Applying to teach English in Korea |
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| DavidP91 wrote: |
First thing is... do I need a visa before I go to Korea or can I get the visa while teaching in Korea? |
You can come to Korea on a tourist visa then find a job teaching in a Hogwan somewhere. You will have to obtain an E-2 Visa before you can teach legally.
| DavidP91 wrote: |
| Should I find an employer first? Would you suggest I find an employer myself or go through a recruiting agency? And if you suggest a recruiter, do you have any recommendations? |
If you come to Korea first you can scout out the schools and contact the Native English Teachers at the school to see if the school pays, gives the benefits they promise or if they're are any other problems.
The downside is Korea is expensive to be in so you have to come with lots of money or know some friends there.
| DavidP91 wrote: |
| What should I have prepared before I contact employers/recruiters? |
You have to have a FBI criminal background that is apostilled by the US State Department and is less than six months old. The time it will take to obtain this is about 2 and one half months.
You also need an apostilled and notarized copy of your college degree certificate.
Don't come to Korea until you have these in your possession. You will be wasting a lot of time in Korea. |
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DavidP91
Joined: 29 Jul 2013
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| Posted: Sun Aug 04, 2013 10:24 am Post subject: |
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Wow I never heard about "American" Koreans like myself unexpectedly having to serve in the military like that.
I'll most certainly look into that lol, that's ridiculous.
And to young Clinton... It really takes 2.5 months for the FBI background check?? That's crazy... I may have to look for another part time job while waiting for that then.
Is getting the CBC apostilled another process as to just getting the FBI CBC?
Thanks a lot for your answers everyone, it's been very helpful. |
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Times30
Joined: 27 Mar 2010
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| Posted: Sun Aug 04, 2013 11:14 am Post subject: |
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| DavidP91 wrote: |
Wow I never heard about "American" Koreans like myself unexpectedly having to serve in the military like that.
I'll most certainly look into that lol, that's ridiculous.
And to young Clinton... It really takes 2.5 months for the FBI background check?? That's crazy... I may have to look for another part time job while waiting for that then.
Is getting the CBC apostilled another process as to just getting the FBI CBC?
Thanks a lot for your answers everyone, it's been very helpful. |
Heads up If you're serious about applying to Korea... get your FBI check like... now. You can find posts about how to do it and it's gonna be crucial you do it asap. |
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young_clinton
Joined: 09 Sep 2009
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| Posted: Sun Aug 04, 2013 10:59 pm Post subject: |
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| DavidP91 wrote: |
And to young Clinton... It really takes 2.5 months for the FBI background check? |
For the CBC and to have it Apostilled. Generally it takes 6 to 8 weeks for the CBC (sometimes longer), and another 2 weeks to obtain the Apostille. The Apostille can be done in one day if you go personally to the Headquarters in Virginia.
This has been on the forum many times. You have to apply directly yourself for the CBC, you cannot use Channelers or Expeditors. The CBC document you receive from Expeditors doesn't work. The CBC has to be Apostilled by the U.S. State department |
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Allthechildrenareinsane
Joined: 23 Jun 2011
Location: Lost in a Roman wilderness of pain
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| Posted: Mon Aug 05, 2013 7:12 am Post subject: Re: Applying to teach English in Korea |
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| young_clinton wrote: |
| DavidP91 wrote: |
First thing is... do I need a visa before I go to Korea or can I get the visa while teaching in Korea? |
You can come to Korea on a tourist visa then find a job teaching in a Hogwan somewhere. You will have to obtain an E-2 Visa before you can teach legally.
| DavidP91 wrote: |
| Should I find an employer first? Would you suggest I find an employer myself or go through a recruiting agency? And if you suggest a recruiter, do you have any recommendations? |
If you come to Korea first you can scout out the schools and contact the Native English Teachers at the school to see if the school pays, gives the benefits they promise or if they're are any other problems.
The downside is Korea is expensive to be in so you have to come with lots of money or know some friends there.
| DavidP91 wrote: |
| What should I have prepared before I contact employers/recruiters? |
You have to have a FBI criminal background that is apostilled by the US State Department and is less than six months old. The time it will take to obtain this is about 2 and one half months.
You also need an apostilled and notarized copy of your college degree certificate.
Don't come to Korea until you have these in your possession. You will be wasting a lot of time in Korea. |
OP, I wouldn't recommend doing the above. Schools (both hagwons and public) will either pay for your air fare up front or reimburse you for it upon arrival. You shouldn't pay for air fare.
You shouldn't come to Korea until you have both a solid job offer (meaning a signed contract) and an appropriate work visa (meaning you've submitted all of your visa documents to Korean immigration and have the visa stamped in your passport).
If you're worried about vetting potentially shady hagwons, just do a little research online and always, always try to talk to a former or current foreign teacher at the school. With public schools, you generally don't have to worry about the same suspect business practices that the hagwon industry is notorious for.
Just FYI: b/c you're gyopo, you may have trouble finding a hagwon job. Hagwons can often be discriminatory in their hiring practices, many (if not most) preferring young, white, North American female applicants over others. Public schools typically don't discriminate on the basis of race or gender, which is why you might have more luck (and probably a much better overall experience) w/ a public school job.
Also, like I mentioned before, you're eligible for an F4 visa, so you may want to look into coming over on that instead of the E2. Take a look at the links below for more info on the F4:
http://koreabridge.net/post/how-get-f-4-visa-teachkoreatips
http://www.korea4expats.com/article-visa-overseas-koreans.html
Good luck! |
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