What kind of working visa can I get for South Korea?

Hi Emiima,

You are right to be sceptical about this job offer. The E-2 visa is the visa foreigners need to apply for when they get a job offer as an English teacher. However, this visa only applies to citizens from native English speaking countries like the USA, UK and South Africa. Often times the owners of English academies (called hagwons) in Korea try to employ foreigners who aren't native English speakers as they get away with paying them much smaller salaries. These employers will also not offer workers basic compulsory things like medical insurance and accommodation.

There is no visa for non-native English speakers to teach English in South Korea. Some non-native speakers go to Korea on a tourist visa and teach illegally. However, the government has been cracking down on illegal English teachers very severely in the last few years. In 2018 many teachers were deported and banned from ever entering South Korea again.

Work visas in South Korea are mostly aimed at people with special skills (like doctors) or skills that are in high demand (like the IT field). Do you have any special skills? You can have a look at our guide on visas for South Korea for more detailed information. However, you should think about this job offer carefully, as there is no legal way for a non-native English speaker to teach English in South Korea.

Rianca