but I am mentally ill.. Could my plans be jeopardized?
Hi there FoodObsessed,
I am a part-time ESL teacher. Unfortunately yes, if you are truthful about your mental health issues (you don't say what- but if it is depression, schizophrenia, ADHD, bipolar, anything clinically-definable basically) then Korea will deny you a visa.
Mental health issues are far less culturally acceptable in Korea (and most, if not all, parts of Asia).
If you are interested in ESL, check out Dave's ESL Cafe. There ARE other countries that accept teachers with mental health issues but it's because they don't ask. http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewforum.php?f=3
Sorry to not give you a good answer, but that is unfortunately the reality of EFL (English as a foreign language).
Are you absolutely set on Korea? I know it's quite popular due to the amount of money one can make compared to expenses but it happens to be the one place where mental health issues are an automatic denial (either declared on an E2 visa or if it comes up during the medical/needing medication).
Other places in Asia (Japan, China) can be an issue socially but it isn't something that would be automatically flagged to deny you a visa.
There is of course Latin America and South America which are great places to go, but do not offer the financial benefit of Asia. Eastern Europe (Russia, etc) has great opportunities. Again, the money is not great, but they are great places to teach.
I assume you do not have your MA in TESL + experience so the Middle East would not be an option (mental health issues would probably result in a denial as well anyways)
I taught in China for 4 years, and I don't know about an automatic visa denial, but mental illness would make it VERY difficult to enter the country, and would certainly make finding a good position difficult.
If you're set on Asia, I wonder about Thailand? Or possible Taiwan?
Besides Dave's ESL Cafe, I think the Thorn Tree forums over at the Lonely PLanet might be a good place to ask for info.
Ha! I'm glad that I found this thread. I'm teaching in Korea right now. For years I've struggled with anxiety and depression, but have never really had an official diagnosis. I just didn't tell the visa people anything. No one has to know ****.
Hi, I taught in South Korea for three years. You do not need to take a psychological assessment, but you do need to do a physical. You do not have to tell them about any mental health issues. What you can do is take a prescription there, and they may have that type of generic medicine that you refill. I don't have this issue nor take meds, but I know other people that take meds for depression that have lived and worked in Korea.
There may be a way you can find out if the medicine that you take is available in Korea. Pm me for more information. I can ask friends that still live there for more information if you are really interested.
Like jojo says, many people working in Korea have had mental health issues. And like recycledartgirl says, it depends on what you actually state on the application (like I said, if you are truthful about your diagnosis on the application, it will be denied - but this is your choice if you wish to disclose or not). If you have something like untreated schizophrenia then of course it's best to avoid Korea - but something like clinical depression that is managed with medication, something a lot of functioning people have, eh.... I would say just go for it.
Have you talked to your doctor about this plan? What does your doctor say?
You really need to figure out what is best for you. Will you be able to seek mental health services in Korea? I'm guessing no if you are trying to hide the fact that you have them. What if your medication needs to be tweaked?
I wish you luck but I'd seek advice of a medical professional here about this plan to find out the feasibility.
I have schizo-affective disorder and take prolixin..
Korea is very strict on health rules. If you do a physical before you enter the country, you have to get a doctor stating that you do or do not have any physical or mental issues. If you wait and do the physical when you arrive in country (which is possible), you will also be asked. I don't know much about the disorder that you have, but you have to be honest and think about whether it could affect you teaching children/adults in foreign country.
Moving to another country that is so different than one's own country is stressful and you have to be adaptable, flexible, and open to whatever happens. A lot of crazy stuff can happen, as in contracts not being fulfilled that have been offered, changing your hours at the last minute, etc. I'm not saying that is going to happen, but you have to be able to be ready for any type of uncertainty that could happen living abroad (especially in Korea). I am not saying that you could not do this, but so many things happen that you have to be the type of person that can handle a hectic and 'anything can happen' lifestyle.
If you lie on the physical then this could affect you in the future. I am not sure if you can get that type of medication in Korea, and you would be taking a chance on that. I'm just trying to let you know what risks you may be taking if you go to Korea. You may want to try and find out first by even asking at your Korean embassy before you apply. Best of luck!
Last edited by Jojo381972; 09-27-2010 at 12:19 PM.
Reason: forgot something
I plan to teach in Korea next year
