Korean Job Discussion Forums

GloomyRumi · Joined: 17 Mar 2013 Location: Oregon

From my experience, an E2 Visa is denied for those with chronic Hepatitis B and communicable diseases in general. That's fine. I'm trying to obtain an F4 Visa that would grant me dual citizenship, so that I can enter Korea without being deported for health reasons.

Here are my questions:

Do all public schools require health checks for teachers? If so, will F4 Visa holders with Hep B even be considered?

Do all private schools require health checks for teachers?

Do people with Hep B even have a chance to teach English in Korea?

I need to find out if I'm wasting my time searching for teaching positions. So any helpful response will be much appreciated.

Thanks, thanks and thanks.

tiger fancini · Joined: 21 Mar 2006 Location: Testicles for Eyes

I'm fairly certain that a health check is required to work at a public school, regardless of visa status. All teachers have to register with the Ministry of Education, which involves undertaking a health check. This is not for immigration, but the hospital will likely treat you as a foreign teacher and do the E2 immigration health check on you anyway.

The more established, well-known private schools do the same as far as I know. Again, regardless of your visa. If you're one of the 'foreign' teachers, and teaching the native speaker's class, you'll probably have to do a health check. Not for immigration, but for the Ministry of Education.

In the case of smaller private schools, you might not have to. But be aware that you will probably set alarm bells off the moment you start probing about the health check.

The health check is a real pain in the a$$ due to lack of clarity. Do they check for Hep B? Well, some places might and some might not. If you have Hep B, is that enough for visa cancellation (not deportation)? Nobody really knows for sure. If you fail a health check, your boss might report you to immigration or they might allow you to go quietly. Again, it's a crapshoot.

I recently had a health check at a large hospital in the centre of Seoul. I don't know what I was checked for, and I didn't get ANY communication from the hospital. I was just told by the guy at my school who deals with it that "Everything is OK." This is despite the fact that I filled in the forms with MY address, MY phone number and MY email.

Confused

GloomyRumi · Joined: 17 Mar 2013 Location: Oregon

@ tiger fancini

thanks for the reply.

So it appears that having Hepatitis B could potentially hinder my chances of teaching, but that it also remains relatively unclear. I suppose I can understand that.

If I was a parent or a part of the faculty, I would want preventative measures to minimize the risk of contraction. But even so, it still feels a bit discriminating.

I'm surprised to hear the lack of transparency between you and the hospital. Was your health check required because you recently began teaching? Or do they randomly request it?

Anyways, I'll continue more research. Thanks again for the response.

ttompatz · Joined: 05 Sep 2005 Location: Kwangju, South Korea

Hep "B" means dead in the water on an E2.
It means dead in the water to be a teacher on an F4.
(MOE requirements to be a teacher (public school, private school or hagwon) are the same as immigration requirements for an E2).

You may find work as a teacher without being registered as a teacher by your hagwon but you and they are at risk of being fined for it.

You can probably find other work that doesn't require a medical.

.

GloomyRumi · Joined: 17 Mar 2013 Location: Oregon

@ ttompatz

I was afraid of this. Nevertheless, thanks for your reply, it is much appreciated.

chopstick · Joined: 03 Oct 2012

If your school picks the medical results up for you is it they who see the results before sending it off?

Are you allowed to get a copy of the results from the hospital? I hate doing a medical and then someone else has the results without me having seen them!

Cave Dweller · Joined: 17 Aug 2014 Location: Seoul

Likely they can. Korea is really bad for not respecting peoples privacy.

jvalmer · Joined: 06 Jun 2003

Every time I've done a health check I was the one who had to pick it up. And of course I've look at it before handing it over to the school.

alongway · Joined: 02 Jan 2012

F4 is not dual citizenship. Just so you know. They are not at all the same thing. F4 visas are given to ethnic Koreans so they can come live and work here. But they do not get a citizenship number or the rights of a citizen.

As far as being a teacher goes, there are many jobs you can get, legally, that do not require you to be a registered teacher with the MoE. Any hagwon that does not sponsor E2s and does not teach children does not need to register its teachers with the MoE. Corporate gigs also don't require a health check and there are many positions available for gyopos, especially if you are fluent in Korean as well.

drcrazy · Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2015 8:49 pm Post subject:

Are you one of the unlucky 5% for whom the hepatitis b vaccination did not work? I got my first shots as an adult in 1982 because when I was born they did not have it. Your students shoud be safe because it has been about 20 years since Korean law required the hepatitis b vaccination for new borns. But many born before that had it. I heard that for the first 5 years hepatitis b vaccination was available in Korea (1982-1987) everyone had to get the vaccinations.