As of Sept. 1 a new requirement called the Vulnerable Sector Screening came into effect for all Canadian E-2 Visa holders and renewal applicants.  The most difficult aspect of this appears to be fingerprinting at the local police station, which may mean for those renewing applicants a return flight home. 

According to the Joongang:

Vulnerable sector screening, or VSS, is required in Canada if someone is going to work with a “vulnerable” group such as children, the disabled and the elderly.

This is a combination of a local check from one’s home province and a national background check by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the federal state police in Canada.

The candidate’s local record is checked and then the candidate is fingerprinted. The fingerprints are sent to the state police and are compared to a national database of criminals with a history of sexual or mental health related offenses.

The Korean immigration office started requiring the document on Sept. 1.

The problem with getting the VSS is that the vulnerable sector is defined as children, the elderly or the infirmed. That’s key because Canadian English teachers teach not only children but also adults.

Most adults taking English classes at hagwon do not belong to any vulnerable sector but regardless of who they are going to teach, all Canadian teachers are required by the Korean Immigration Service to submit a VSS to acquire or renew their E-2 visa.

The consequences so far have been numerous bouts of confusion on the part of new applicants and renewal applicants.  Complaints have been lodged, and the current status of the VSS is that the Korean Government has placed a 3-month grace period for applicants to fulfill requirements. 

… 

This is in light of the fact that:

1)  Teachers already working in Korea are burdened with having to fly back to Canada for the purpose of fingerprinting and/or paperwork

2)  Local Canadian municipalities and police stations, to include the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police), have provided limited assistance (due to varying procedural interpretations)

3)  The VSS is not approved for use by a foreign government to process employment applicants, according to Canadian consulate authorities in Seoul, and thus a new solution or abandoning the requirement is in the works 

…

For now, the important thing seems to be to plan ahead and stay informed.  Here are some more resources:

Brian in Jeollanam-do has a posting

A Vulnerable Sector Screening site

Op-ed/Editorial at the Korea Times by Brian Deutsch

Korean Consulates in Canada:

Vancouver
(Serves BC, AB, SK and YK)
1600-1090 West Georgia St.
Vancouver, British Columbia
Canada V6E 3V7

Phone: (604) 681-9581
Fax: (604) 681-4864

Toronto
(Serves ON and MB)
555 Avenue Road,
Toronto, Ontario
Canada M4V 2J7

Phone: (416) 920-3809
Fax: (416) 924-7305
http://www.koreanconsulate.on.ca/

Any Canadian readers have more information on the matter?  Help out by posting in the comments section!

…

Similar Posts:

• Blogs | Teaching in Korea Perspective
• LMB Moving Against Private Tutoring Costs
• 10 Reasons Why Teaching in Korea Works
• Hagwon Curfew Idea Quashed By Lawmakers