Footprints Recruiting

Please follow these instructions for Americans to get visas to teach in South Korea.

This details some of the basic documents required for an E2 visa. These will vary between public and private schools. Please contact your Footprints placement coordinator for details that pertain to you and your school.

• STEP 1 - Documents Collection, Notarization and or Apostille Authentication
  • Get the following documents organized.  You can start this process BEFORE you get a job offer.

1. Original University Degree
   • degree must be from a 4 year university
   • degree must be from an accredited university
   • must be the original degree (not a photocopy)
     • if you do not wish to send your original degree you can get a notarized copy make a photocopy (public schools ONLY accept copies notarize & Apostilled)
     • have the copy notarized by a notary public in the same state/province as the university
     • send or take the notarized copy to the Secretary of State for an Apostille Authentication
     • please note the procedure for Apostille Authentication outline in the Criminal Background Check procedure listed below
2. Three Sealed University Transcripts
   • this means you need to contact your university registrar and ask them to give you your university grades in a SEALED (that's unopened) envelope from your university with a stamp or signature over the seal
   • you'll have to order 3 sets of sealed transcripts
   • 2 will be sent to your school in Korea
   • 1 will be sent to the Korean Consulate only once your reservation number has been issued - this is explained in Step 2
   • REMEMBER - do not open them
3. Criminal Background Check (notarized and Apostille Authenticated)
   • many American teachers have found that getting their Criminal Background Check takes far longer than they had originally thought and it has led to job offers being revoked and unnecessary expenses for those who did not get this done correctly
   • GET STARTED EARLY
   • the record check must be less than 6 months old
   • this record check must be a minimum of a state clearance letter or report.
   • note: FBI takes WAY longer - we recommend your local police
   • have the results sent to you
   • if they ask tell them it is for Footprints Recruiting and provide our address: 500-55 Water Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6B 1A1
   • this report must then be notarized by a notary public or a lawyer who is in the SAME STATE that background check was issued in
   • once notarized, send it to the send the locally notarized record check results to the Authentications Office of your Secretary of State for an Apostille Certification/Authentication
     • Apostille is a French word for authentication or legalization. According to the "Hague Treaty" of 1961, this is the agreed upon method to ensure the international validity of public document
   • find your Secretary of State contact info here: http://www.footprintsrecruiting.com/visa-information/apostilles-usa
   • NOTE - for the apostille to authenticate your record check for international use it MUST have a local notary stamp/seal on it FIRST. It is important to call the Secretary of State office to ensure that you send/bring everything needed (some require an application
   • IN-PERSON DROP OFF - this authentication can be done quickly in-person in most states. If you can't or don't live in a city where there is a Secretary of State, can you send your documents to a friend or family member to do it for you?
     MAIL IN - in many states this can take 2 to 3 weeks to process applications by mail and they can rarely tell you when it's done or what status the authenticate is at. If you can, go to the Secretary of State in-person or send a friend or family member. If you mail in your application be sure to include a RETURN ENVELOPE with postage and address back to you.
   • FEE - there is usually a small fee for this authentication - each state is different and will be indicated by the Secretary of State (this ranges from free to $40 depending on the state) - usually they do not accept cash. CHECK WITH THE SECRETARY OF STATE indicate that the document is bound for South Korea
     do NOT send it to the Korean Consulate/Embassy. Send only to the Secretary of State for the Apostille Authentication
   • You will receive an Apostille certificate that accompanies your record check [see an example here]. This process is not very common and many police departments are not familiar with it, so if you have ANY questions about this, please call us IF YOU'RE A FOOTPRINTS TEACHER and you need help.
4. Health Statement
   • this is a simple questionnaire form from the Korean government where you personally answer the questions. Once you arrive in Korea, a full blood test and physical exam will be administered
   • the test will include testing for narcotics, TB, HIV, and other communicable diseases. The government suggests that they are not testing for THC or marijuana but please note that smoking marijuana in Korea is a criminal offense and is NOT handled lightly. Foreigners are not exempt and are in fact targeted. DO NOT BRING OR DO ANY DRUGS TO KOREA.
   • if you do not pass the health exam in Korea you will likely have your visa revoked and will not have a job or health insurance
   • Click here for a PDF of the Health Statement
5. A Passport Photocopy
   • no this is not a photocopy of the cover of your passport. We have had that a lot...
   • photocopy the information page of your passport
   • make sure you have at least 6 months on your passport before it expires
   • make sure there is at least 1 completely empty page in your passport
6. Resume
   • print a copy of your resume
7. Signed Copy of the School Contract
   • the contract will be provided to you by email once you agree to the contract and
   • the school accepts you as their teacher.
8. 4 Passport Sized Photos
   • standard passport photos - the same that you would need for a new passport.

We move to STEP 2 assuming you have been offered and have accepted a teaching contract in Korea.

STEP 2 - Send Your Documents to Korea

Required Documents:

1. original degree
2. 2 sets of sealed university transcripts
3. notarized criminal background check and appropriate apostille authentication
4. health check statement
5. photocopy of the information page of your passport
6. copy of your resume
7. a signed copy of the contract
8. 2 passport sized photos

Do NOT send your documents via the United States Post Office (USPS) or Purolator. Delivery can take 5 days to 2 weeks or more and there is no way for us or the school to keep track of your documents once they are in Korea (USPS and Purolator can't track it within Korea).

Once you've sent your documents, please retain a copy of your invoice with the tracking number of your package and the address you sent it to and please send Footprints a copy of the tracking number and tell us what company you used.

This will cost $40 to $80 to send depending on the company you chose, the weight and the service you use. It sounds rather expensive- and it is- but well worth it when you are sending your original degree, transcripts and your record check that all can take a very long time to replace if lost.

Your school will take these documents to the Ministry of Justice and Immigration in Korea to get a Visa Authorization Number for you.

Within 7-10 working days, the immigration office will issue a Confirmation of Visa Issuance Number also referred to as the Visa Reservation Number or Visa Confirmation Number.

The number will look something like this: UJBO 08007392 (the first four characters are letters, the remaining characters are numbers)

The school will then forward this number (by e-mail) to you (or us). You will need this code to put on your teaching visa application for the Korea consulate.

STEP 3 - Interview at the Korean Consulate

We move to this step assuming that you have received your Visa Confirmation Number. If you don't have it, please check with your Placement Coordinator and they will contact the school to see where things currently stand. Korean immigration usually takes 7 to 10 business days to process applications in Korea.

Once you have your Visa Issuance Number it is time to send or take your application and application documents to the Korean Consulate or Embassy nearest to you. Check the links below to find out which office has jurisdiction for your state.

• Download the E2 Teaching Visa Application Form
  • Fields on the form you might have questions about:
    • 8. Passport Classification: OR - ordinary (unless you are a diplomat!)
    • 16. Your occupational title should be: English Teacher
    • 19. Purpose of Entry: To teach English
    • 21 Desired Length of Stay: 1 year
    • 23. Address in Korea: Same address that you sent all your documentation
    • 27. Who Will Pay For Your Trip?: Employer
    • 31. References in Korea: Same person you sent all your documentation to.

Take the Korean Visa Application form and the required documents to the Korean Consulate with jurisdiction for your state or area.

Required Documents to Apply for an E2 Teaching Visa at the Korean Consulate

• completed E2 Visa Application Form
• Passport: Make sure you have your passport ready, that there is 6 months validity left on it and that there is at least 1 empty page. Make sure it's signed too.
• Photo: You will need to send a passport picture with your application or a picture that is 2 inches by 2 inches.
• Confirmation of Visa Issuance Number: Fill in the reservation number at the top of application form.
• Transcripts: Send one set of sealed transcripts to the consulate.
• Consuls Checklist: A simple two page document required by the consulate. Click here to download it
• Fee: The cost will be: $45 USD
  • This HAS TO BE cash or a money order – as an American you are generally given a multi-entry visa immediately upon application (typically without having to ask for it). Make sure of this if you don’t have this multi-entry capability, your visa will expire if you leave Korea to visit Japan or Thailand or elsewhere for vacation.

Once the consulate receives your application and paperwork, they will contact you to arrange an interview. Some consulates will let you call to book an interview before you have your visa number, others will not. Call them and try them out. Be nice.

You will be required to visit the Korean consulate IN PERSON unless special arrangements can be made. We are not trying to get your hopes up but there are some Korean Consulates who have become sympathetic to teacher applicants who have to come from a LONG way.

Each consulate has different processing times (from one hour to 5 days), so ask them when it will be ready and let us know as soon as you know so plans can be made.

Once you receive your passport back with your E-2 visa, you are all set to begin your journey to Korea! Your Placement Coordinator should have been working with you on arrangements for your flight arrival and your airport pickup. Keep in touch with your Placement Coordinator so they can make sure all the i's are dotted and t's are crossed. Have you read through the Footprints Teacher Korean Orientation Package? There is LOADS of information that will help you with culture, packing, arrival information and so forth.

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