“With that said… The hurdles that I (and most people??) went through were not that much of a pain. The medical check was done in Korea, and it took all of 20 minutes at the local hospital. My father was able to get my criminal background check for me quite effortlessly at the local police office back in my home country. ”

And here is where the problem lies. ATEK (and others including the Korean Government) think that just because something is true in one country, it must be true for all.

In the UK, I can order my criminal record check. A family member can not. It has to be paid for in sterling.

The Korean government are trying their hardest to make Canadians get a vulnerable sector search. Some Canadians are managing, even though the VSS Is supposed to be for employers in country. The ones who are not able to get it are given some leeway at the moment, but that could change and Immi are insisting that soon enough all Canadians will get one.

The UK also have a VSS. It can only be applied for by certain UK employers, and NOT the general public. I can not apply for it. It is intended as the ultimate security for schools, babysitting services, supply teacher agencies, hospitals, etc. If Immigration pick up on this and request it, I would be forced to break a promise I made to my wife in that I would never force her to leave Korea.

Honestly, if Immi start requesting that, UK teachers are screwed. I do not want to be put into that situation because of some shortsighted planning on the part of an organisation with no mandate.

“With that said… The hurdles that I (and most people??) went through were not that much of a pain. The medical check was done in Korea, and it took all of 20 minutes at the local hospital. My father was able to get my criminal background check for me quite effortlessly at the local police office back in my home country. ”

And here is where the problem lies. ATEK (and others including the Korean Government) think that just because something is true in one country, it must be true for all.

In the UK, I can order my criminal record check. A family member can not. It has to be paid for in sterling.

The Korean government are trying their hardest to make Canadians get a vulnerable sector search. Some Canadians are managing, even though the VSS Is supposed to be for employers in country. The ones who are not able to get it are given some leeway at the moment, but that could change and Immi are insisting that soon enough all Canadians will get one.

The UK also have a VSS. It can only be applied for by certain UK employers, and NOT the general public. I can not apply for it. It is intended as the ultimate security for schools, babysitting services, supply teacher agencies, hospitals, etc. If Immigration pick up on this and request it, I would be forced to break a promise I made to my wife in that I would never force her to leave Korea.

Honestly, if Immi start requesting that, UK teachers are screwed. I do not want to be put into that situation because of some shortsighted planning on the part of an organisation with no mandate.

I can’t speak for Joe (he’s the one who is burdened with having to find advertisers – which is no easy feat) but as a merciless capitalist I’m happy for anyone to advertise on the show.

The ad for ATEK was added in post so I didn’t hear it until I listened to the show well after we recorded it, but at the end of the show you would have heard me “raise an eyebrow” as we went down the list of advertisers / sponsors.

I like to think we are fairly balanced (politically anyway, not necessarily psychologically!) We’ve had on people from the right of the political spectrum and people from the left, and likewise we have heard from Pro-ATEK people as well as their dissenters – and I might be marginally considered one of those.

I can’t speak for Joe (he’s the one who is burdened with having to find advertisers – which is no easy feat) but as a merciless capitalist I’m happy for anyone to advertise on the show.

The ad for ATEK was added in post so I didn’t hear it until I listened to the show well after we recorded it, but at the end of the show you would have heard me “raise an eyebrow” as we went down the list of advertisers / sponsors.

I like to think we are fairly balanced (politically anyway, not necessarily psychologically!) We’ve had on people from the right of the political spectrum and people from the left, and likewise we have heard from Pro-ATEK people as well as their dissenters – and I might be marginally considered one of those.

With that said… The hurdles that I (and most people??) went through were not that much of a pain. The medical check was done in Korea, and it took all of 20 minutes at the local hospital. My father was able to get my criminal background check for me quite effortlessly at the local police office back in my home country. I got it sent by mail in just a few days. That was all… Nothing else… There was no need for me to fly home. If there had been, then I probably wouldn’t have come back to Korea (well… That’s a lie.. My fiance would have been a little upset )

From what I see being posted in various blogs/forums about ATEK, I get the feeling that a great deal of the backlash comes from people on non-E2 visas who are worried about having to do extra steps in order to work/stay in the country. The issue of plagiarism (and I totally agree with you) only seems to be a recent occurrence that “anti-ATEK” bloggers/posters have used to further support their opinion. I feel that it wouldn’t have been as much of an issue if the group of “non-E2 Anti-ATEK haters” hadn’t formed in the first place.

With that said… The hurdles that I (and most people??) went through were not that much of a pain. The medical check was done in Korea, and it took all of 20 minutes at the local hospital. My father was able to get my criminal background check for me quite effortlessly at the local police office back in my home country. I got it sent by mail in just a few days. That was all… Nothing else… There was no need for me to fly home. If there had been, then I probably wouldn’t have come back to Korea (well… That’s a lie.. My fiance would have been a little upset )

From what I see being posted in various blogs/forums about ATEK, I get the feeling that a great deal of the backlash comes from people on non-E2 visas who are worried about having to do extra steps in order to work/stay in the country. The issue of plagiarism (and I totally agree with you) only seems to be a recent occurrence that “anti-ATEK” bloggers/posters have used to further support their opinion. I feel that it wouldn’t have been as much of an issue if the group of “non-E2 Anti-ATEK haters” hadn’t formed in the first place.