Korean Job Discussion Forums

Linda868 · Joined: 16 Nov 2008 Location: Korea

So an employer is quite interested in taking me on as a science teacher. My major is in science and I have one year of work experience in a lab. However, we are both unsure whether my experience will count and if I will encounter difficulties in trying to get the visa.

Does anyone have experience getting an E-7 visa for a teaching position? What was required? I was reading on the immigration site and it said masters, or 5 years experience or bachelors and 1 year experience but it did not specify what kind of experience. The employer thinks I need research experience but my experience was more along the lines of lab work and assisting with research....Thanks

update: called immigration and got even more confused :S He was telling me that science teachers cannot get an E-2 or E-7 visa and then there was some language barrier problems:S

big_fella1 · Joined: 08 Dec 2005

Once had an E7 although not for teaching. My understanding is that the test for an E7 is that a Korean can't do the job.

Korea used to have a goldcard program for getting E7 visas for science and IT related roles, it now redirects to http://www.contactkorea.go.kr/en/index.do I don't have time to read it, but I suggest you look there.

In the past if you could get the reference from the appropriate ministry you got the visa. I am not sure now.

Your best bet is to apply and take your chances providing you can wait for the processing time. It took me 3 months to get a 1 year visa, many moons ago.

Good luck.

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

They might be thinking of it being in the E9 category but I think something was lost in the translation process and he got confused if you were talking to him about working in a lab.

School science teacher = E7.

Related bachelors degree and 5 years of experience as a teacher is the requirement. If you were home country certified as a science teacher then possibly only 1-2 years would be needed.

If you hold a related science degree and have a year or two as a lab worker and a year or two in EFL then you would probably not get a visa as a science teacher. Apply anyway. The worst they can do is deny the application and you fix it up and try again.

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Linda868 · Joined: 16 Nov 2008 Location: Korea

Okay thanks. I will read about the E9 thing and check out the website.