Korean immigration is very strict with all the E2 Visa documents in how they look with all the notarizations, apostilles and seals and whatnot that they want to see. However, just because you’ve managed to get your hands on something that looks and smells like a degree don’t bother trying to apply for an E2 Visa using a diploma from one of the made up universities or non accredited universities on the list below because it will be denied.
A few years back it may have been possible for someone to get one by an immigration officer, especially in an office outside of Seoul in smaller provinces like Jeollonam-do, but not now. It wasn’t too long ago either that newspapers and TV shows like SBS or MBC started showing ‘news’ documentaries reporting that lots of teachers had fake degrees (and are in Korea to party, make money and get laid – but that’s another story), but the scandal really blew up when it was found that many prominent Koreans had fake degrees too!. This naturally led to Korean immigration going on a witch hunt for foreigners or anyone in Korea with fake degrees and jail time was even handed out.
Back then popular belief was that a majority of English teachers had fake degrees. This of course was an overstatement, but it was nonetheless true that people got visas to teach English in Korea with degrees and transcripts which they picked up for a few hundred dollars to maybe a thousand from schools with a low budget university homepage talking about life experience degrees to fairly professional looking ones with their main office somewhere in the Virgin Islands. One of the biggest ones or most popular is Belford University and they must be making money because they have branched off into offer online high school diplomas!
Low Budget Fake School Website for www.uofcanbourne.org.uk
This isn’t a problem just reserved to Korea but more of a global phenomenon where anyone can get a degree based on life experience. It is hoped that now people looking to work in Korea, be they Koreans or expats will use better judgement because immigration is well aware of this list and stays current on all the new ones, so just do your time and get your degree and we’ll see you in 4 years or so.
Update: Have still heard of people in Korea teaching legally on an E2 Visa with degrees from Belford University, which really is a joke of a school, but I guess some can use it to further their career still here and in the US.
I have lived and worked all over the world. I must say that I have been amazed at the number of Indians that seem to be able to pick up visas based on fake degrees. They even buy medical degrees. With no conscience as to the harm they are doing, these people manage to pass themselves as being something that they simply are not. What really bugs me is that honest, hardworking blue collar types are refused visas because the quotas are full, but the bogus Asians get accepted. Then of course you get their families following.