Dear editor,
I'm writing in response to an Oct. 6 article, ``Foreign Teachers Say Visa-Rule Biased," which appeared on the front page of The Korea Times.
While I do agree with my fellow English teachers that the E-2 visa regulations are restrictive; one common argument that always appears is that F-4 and F-2 are not subject to these regulations.
Whereas the E-2 visa is specifically for language instruction in Korea, the F-2 and F-4 are not solely intended for this purpose. The F-2 is for those who form permanent residency in Korea. The F-4 is for those who are of Korean descent and adopted Koreans.
While there are a number of people who obtain these visas and teach in Korea, there are others who get these visas for reasons other than language instruction. Would it be fair to subject these people to criminal background checks and medical check-ups just to obtain their visa?
There are also a number of other visas given besides E-2, F-2 and F-4. Should everyone, then, be required to submit medical and criminal checks in order to obtain a visa no matter the reason?
It's one thing to cry foul due to regulations placed due to past actions of other E-2 holders, it is quite another to point fingers and blame people who are able to obtain different visas and call it discrimination.
Matthew Seton
English instructor
At a private academy
Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province