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* Foreign Language teaching (E-2)
Application Eligibility
Those seeking position of foreign language instructor at foreign language institutions or educational facilities (primary school and above)
- Qualification: Natives of the country whose mother language is the one they are teaching. In addition, they must have acquired a bachelor's degree or higher from that country.
Organization that are permitted to hire Foreign Language Instructor
Educational facilities (primary school and above) or an attached language institution
Organizations with a training institute for the employees
Foreign language institutes registered by the Article 3-2 of the Presidential Decree of Institutes' Establishment, Operation & Private Instruction Law
- Multiple curriculum can be registered and performed
- Applicable to foreign language institutions corresponding to those described under Article 12 of the Presidential Decree of Immigration Act.
Facilities which is set up based on the law of lifetime education and coincides with the standard the Minister of Justice made.
Lifetime education facility set up and operated by the nation or the local autonomous entity based on other laws.
Institutions or corporations for developing abilities for employment which are set up based on the employees' job training promotion law.
How to apply
The Applicant: the person himself/herself
Where to apply: The embassy or the consulate of the Republic of Korea 
Required Documents: Refer to the required documents listed below
- The person who applies for visa with the certificate for confirmation of visa issuance should go through consulate's interview.
How to apply → Click Here
The process to apply for a certificate of recognition of visa issuance
The Applicant: the person himself/herself or the inviting party
- When a faculty staff is applying as a representative, a letter of attorney, a working certificate and a copy of ID are submitted.
Where to apply: local immigration office or branch office
Required Documents: refer to the required documents listed below
Application for the visa can be made at the embassy or the consulate of the Republic of Korea after the applicants get a certificate of recognition of visa issuance or certification No. of visa issuance
The process to apply for a certificate of visa issuance → Click Here
Required Documents
※ Items subject to change depending on individual circumstances

Passport(A photocopy of passport if applying for a certificate of recognition of Visa Issuance)
Application for Visa Issuance   or Application for Recognition of Visa Issuance  
Employment contracts
Self-health statements
A certificate of degree(Applicants may choose one of the following)
- Original copy of the diploma (will be returned to the applicant after making a copy and having it sealed as a legitimate copy)
- Copy of the diploma (verified by the Korean consulate or attached with documents verifying highest education, issued by ‘Korean Council for University Education’)
- Certificate of academic degree issued by the relevant university. (Affixed with an apostille or attached with documents verifying highest education, issued by domestic verification agency)
- Certificate of graduation that lists acquisition of diploma (Affixed with apostille or attached with documents verifying highest education, issued by domestic verification agency)
※ Nationals of countries that have not signed the apostille treaty must get verification from the local Korean consulate or attach documents verifying highest education, issued by domestic verification agency
※ According to regulations, suppose that a foreigner already submitted documents verifying the highest level of education that was issued by a domestic verification agency (‘Korean Council for University Education’) when he/she has applied for visa issuance certificate. In such case, they will be exempted from having to submit documents that prove their education level again if they need to apply for Foreign Language Instructor (E-2) visa or visa issuance certificate.
The change of 'self verification of the original diploma' syste
- From 2010.9.1 when you get visa status invitation, apply for extension, apply for the permission to move into a new workplace and all kinds of sojourn related applications you will have to submit a copy of your diploma or graduation certificate or certificate of obtain degree which has a Apostille stamp or verification from the Korean Embassy in your own country or a verification from the Korean Council For University Education.
* The original rule for submitting the original diploma and sealed transcript system will be abolished.(from 2010.9.1)
Issuance of proof  of (lack of) criminal records
※ The records must be affixed with the relevant nation’s Apostille
※ Nationals of countries that have not signed the Apostille treaty, (China, etc) must get their records verified by their local Korean consulate and those already in Korea who were issued their criminal records from their consulates in Korea have no need for an Apostille
※ In case applicant stay in Korea and is sent Criminal Background Check by mail, Or one's entry to Korea is imminent, the document notarized by one's embassy in Korea may be exceptionally acceptable. 
※ Immigration office will not recognize the criminal records issued by online website or E-mail notarized by consulate's office in Korea as a valid criminal records.
Criminal background check reinforcement
- A criminal background check from your own country's government which covers the whole country's information is required.
- According to the Korean immigration law a criminal background check from the Korean Ambassador of your country will not be accepted.(But, if the document is issued by the verification of your own government and it is proved, the document will be exceptionally accepted.)
- Until 2010.12.31 the criminal background check from either central government, local government or the Ambassador in other country except Korea will be accepted. But, when the time applying for alien registration or the next sojourn related application is made, you will have to hand in the criminal back ground check which is nation wide version.
Related documents for setting up an organization (a copy of business registration, a copy of institution registration, lifetime education facility registration certificate, etc)
Reference
Sealed transcript(must be sealed-issued by the alma mater)
* Submitting the sealed transcript will be omitted.(from 2010.9.1)
A letter of recommendation of the Minister of Education, Science Technology or the superintendent of educational affairs is needed for lifetime education facility (except lifetime education facilities operated by the nation or the local autonomous entity)
Fee (single-entry visa: $50 (USD), multiple-entry visa: $80 (USD))
※ Charges not applicable if applying certificate of recognition of
visa issuance
1 color photos of the applicant are needed when applying for the certificate of recognition of visa issuance
size : 3.5㎝ x 4.5㎝
Photos must have been taken within the past 6 months.
Printed photographs are not accepted
Bright background is preferred over a dark one.
Native instructors invited by the Ministry of Education Science Technology 
Passport
Application for Visa Issuance   or Application for Recognition of Visa Issuance  
Employment contract made out by the superintendent of educational affairs
Notice of success in exam of native speakers teacher issued by National Institute for International Education Development or Municipal/provincial educational superintendent
Fee: single-entry visa: $50 (USD), multiple-entry visa: $80 (USD) 
Revision of Foreign Language Instructor (E-2) visa issuance requirements
Required submission of proof of criminal records
(the records must be affixed with the relevant nation’s Apostille or their consulates in Korea)
※ Nationals of countries that have not signed the Apostille treaty, (China, etc) must get their records verified by their local Korean consulate, and those already in Korea who were issued their criminal records from their consulates in Korea have no need for an Apostille
(If they have previous criminal records, they cannot be issued a certificate of visa issuance unless otherwise specified)
※ Exceptions are made if the nature of the crime is light and does not affect their ability as a teacher
Issuance of proof of (lack of) criminal records
Consulates located in Korea cannot issue proof of criminal records to individuals currently.
Korean government requires a proof of criminal records issued by the relevant nation’s government for its citizens to use for any number of international activities, such as employment. It will accept records issued by the federal, provincial, state authorities.
※ The document is valid for six months form Criminal background Check issuing date. Please check the local government resources to find out how you can obtain one.
※ If obtained through consulates in Korea, please refer to the list below or the local webpage.
- U.S. : FBI CJIS DIVISION(Federal bureau of investigations), http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cjisd/cjis.htm
- Canada Royal Canadian Mounted Police, http://www.rcmp.ca
- New Zealand : Ministry of Justice website,http://www.justice.govt.nz/privacy/
Required submission of self-health statement
- Upon applying for visa or visa issuance certificate, Submit a self-health statement
- Submit health examination records upon applying to be a registered foreigner after entering Korea.
※ “Recruitment health exam” MUST include TBPE test(tests for drug abuse) and HIV test (tests for AIDS) results(cannabinoid test for Marijuana need not to be included)
※Those that list history of drug usage, AIDS, or other disease the law defines as serious contagious disease in their self health verification are not allowed to be issued a visa issuance certificate
※Those that are found to have drug intake, AIDS or other disease the law defines as serious contagious disease in their health examination will have their stay cancelled and be deported. 

※ Those whose education has been verified may apply for visa from countries other than Korea, and will be exempted from consulate interview.
The following outlines the differences when applying for visa issuance through overseas consulate.
By rule, must apply from the Korean consulate that is located in the applicant’s country.
※ When applying from a third country is permitted:
- Those that have worked in Korea as a Professor (E-1), Foreign language instructor (E-2), or Researcher (E-3), and have no record of law breaking
-‘Those whose education level has been verified by domestic verification agency (‘Korean Council for University Education’) that was created based on Law on Korean University Education Association
▶By rule, must go through an interview at the consulate. (However, those that applied for visa issuance from a third country may skip this portion as situation warrants)
- According to the standard interview manual, conduct a face-to-face interview. However, if circumstances were such that making a visit is not possible or plausible, then it may be conducted over video conference.
- If, after the interview, the applicant is deemed unfit to work as an instructor, visa will not be issued regardless of the issuance of visa issuance certificate.
Notes for consulates receiving visa applications
Checking whether the applicant is eligible to apply for a visa from a third country.
- From immigration information system: Navigate to「Visa→Visa issuance certificate」, find Education Verification (new), then check for entry of 「Education verification (‘Korean Council for University Education’)」
- From immigration information system: Using「Stay →Registration→Foreigner registration」, check for whether the applicant has a record of having stayed with Professorship (E-1), Foreign Language Instructor (E-2) and Research(E-3) status
- From immigration information system: Using「Crime control →Crime inspection→Search criminal record」, check for record of lawbreaking activities during the applicant’s past stays in Korea
For foreigners that are not eligible for application in the concerned consulate, instruct them to apply for visa issuance from a Korean consulate in their home country.
Special privileges granted to foreign language instructors selected through the English Program In Korea (EPIK) system (as overseen by Ministry of Education, Science Technology)
Visa issuance application and approval process will remain unchanged.
Certification of criminal records is exempted for foreign instructors that are extending their stay for the first time, if they have entered or registered as foreigner before the revision of the law made it a requirement. Also, instead of submitting their health examination records, they must submit HIV test results and drug usage test (TBPE test) results.
Apostille Treaty
Apostille treaty abolishes requests for validating foreign documents (Tresty #1854, Effective as of July 14th, 2007)
Documents from countries under the same treaty (92 countries) affixed with an apostille bear the same effect as having verification from the local Korean consulate.
If applicant's nation is not member of Apostille Treaty, consulate's verification is the same as the past. 
For more information on the apostille treaty, please visit http://www.0404.go.kr
For issuance contact points in countries that signed the apostille treaty, please click here.