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by Kendra
VISA
AMS Korea is dedicated to providing full support during the VISA application process. The procedures required can seem quite confusing to new applicants; that is why we are committed to providing informative, timely support every step of the way. If you have any questions about teaching in Korea please contact us.
Required documents for VISA application:
1.) Your resume
2.) Your diploma (Bachelor’s or higher)
3.) Official college transcripts (2 copies)
*Please make sure that the back of the envelope wherein your transcript is enclosed has your school’s official seal and/or the Registrar’s signature. It must be sealed and unopened.
4.) Photocopy of your passport (pages 1&2).
The photocopy of your passport should include both pages 1&2 attached together on one sheet.
*After you have been placed, you will have to sign some documents including your teaching contract. Your signature must be identical to the one that appears on your passport.
5.) 3 passport-sized photos
6.) A criminal background check:
A background check on THE STATE LEVEL should suffice until further notice. You can do this by contacting your local police department or sheriff’s department. Unfortunately, as of July 17th 2008, background checks from independent, online companies are no longer accepted. You must obtain your criminal background check from either your local police department or the FBI. It is recommended that you go through your local police department as they are generally much faster than the FBI.
When you receive a background check, the report must be notarized. After notarization, the background check needs to be brought to a Sate government office and be affixed with an “Apostille Seal”. For those in the U.S., your background check can be easily notarized by a notary public. After the document is notarized and confirmed by the county clerk it is ready to receive an Apostille seal, which can be granted by the Department of State Secretary, either through the mail or in person. If you should choose to do it through the mail, the process will take a lot longer so please keep that in mind.
How you obtain this seal is dependent on the state in which you live, so I would advise contacting your state government to inquire for more information.
7.) Health Statement
This form is required by Korean immigration. Once you have arrived, you will be required to submit to a medical check at a designated hospital.
8.) 3 signed copies of employment contract
Required Procedures:
Once all of these documents have been gathered and are in order you will need to send them to our office in South Korea for submission to immigration. We strongly recommend that you use a reputable shipping company, preferably UPS, FEDEX, or DHL. The U.S. Postal service can be very unreliable when it comes to international shipping.
After we have received your documents they will be submitted to immigration. Once immigration approves your application, they will issue a “VISA Confirmation Number”. This number will be submitted to your local Korean Consulate along with your passport, and a consulate interview form.
Certain consulates require an “interview” before they will issue your VISA. If this is the case, you will need to visit the consulate in person, along with your VISA number and passport. For those who live a great distance away from the nearest consulate, you may be able to do an interview via webcam or over the phone, depending on the particular consulate.
After this process is complete it normally takes approximately 2 business days to process your VISA. Certain consulates may take longer, for example, the Korean Consulate in Chicago normally takes about 5 days.
