Footprints Recruiting

British Getting an E2 Teaching Visa in the UK

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

• STEP 1 - Documents Collection, Notarisation and or Apostille Authentication

• You can start this process BEFORE you get a job offer.

1. Original University Degree
   • degree must be a Bachelor's degree (at minimum) in any discipline
   • 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 notarised copy
     • make a photocopy
     • have the copy notarised by a notary public
     • send or take the notarised copy to the apostille in the United Kingdom
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 Record Check - Subject Access Form (Apostille Authentication)
   • the Criminal Records Bureau is NOT where you need to go.
     http://www.crb.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=417
   • you need to contact the Data Protection Office at the police headquarters within the area that you last resided or currently reside in the UK.
   • FEE: £10 and takes up to 40 days to process
   • the forms are available at each police headquarters and need to be returned to the same place
   • the "subject access permission" record check certificate must be less than 6 months old
   • this record check can be a local, city, or county clearance letter or report.
     check back to make sure progress is being made... you would be amazed how these little things can slip through the cracks and get lost
   • have the results sent to YOU
   • if they ask tell them it is for the issuance of your working visa for South Korea and if they require a company and address pleasue use Footprints Recruiting and provide our address: 500-55 Water Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6B 1A1
   • this report must then be notarised by a local notary public or lawyer
     once notarised, send it to the send the locally notarised record check results to the United Kingdom apostille office 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 documents.
     • find your state Apostille office contact info here: www.footprintsrecruiting.com/apostilles-united-kingdom.php
     • NOTE - if you are abroad please contact the nearest British Embassy or Consulate
     • IN-PERSON DROP OFF - this authentication can be done quickly
     • MAIL IN - if you mail in your application be sure to include a
       • RETURN ENVELOPE with postage and address back to you. Their address information is on the Foreign Commonwealth Office website: www.fco.gov.uk
       • FEE - £27
       • indicate that the document is bound for South Korea
       • do NOT send it to the Korean Consulate/Embassy. Send only to the state office for the Apostille Authentication
         You will receive an Apostille certificate that accompanies your record check [see an example here].
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
     photos must not be older than 6 months

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. notarised 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
  9. Please send your documents by Royal Mail’s Airsure® or by International Signed For™
     • Both these systems allow for online tracking
  10. 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 the website that will allow us to track the documents.
      It is IMPORTANT to spend the extra couple dollars to get the tracking number.

Once your documents are in Korea, 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 – Apply for your Visa and 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.
  1. 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

1. completed E2 Visa Application Form
2. 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
3. Photo: You will need to send a passport picture with your application
4. Confirmation of Visa Issuance Number: Fill in the reservation number at the top of application form
5. Transcripts: Send one set of sealed transcripts to the consulate
6. Consuls Checklist: A simple two page document required by the consulate. Click here to download it - You must fill this out in front of a Justice of Peace and have them witness it
7. Fee: The cost will be: ￡25
   • This HAS TO BE cash or a money order – this will likely be a single entry visa – you can change your visa to a multi-entry visa when you get your registration card in Korea. There is an additional cost for this but it will allow you to leave Korea and return on the same visa. If you don’t have this, 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. There is a chance they will allow teachers to send in a voice recording answering a set of specific questions that will serve as the interview but that is yet to be determined. Please call them to confirm. This may only be done with candidates outside London.

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 Korean Orientation Package? There is LOADS of information that will help you with culture, packing, arrival information and so forth.

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