Public School Visa Documents Preparation (to obtain a work visa for a Public School position) All of the following documents need to be sent to PlanetESL by FedEx or DHL as soon as a teacher passes the EPIK interview. **NOTE: Do not send documents via USPS, Canada Post or Purlator. They do not allow for tracking within Korea, only send via FedEx or DHL! We strongly recommend that you courier your application and visa documents to us while you are waiting for your EPIK interview. If we need to courier them back to you in the future or to someone else, we are more than happy to do this. All of the documents should be sent to Planet ESL. Once your documents have been mailed, please make sure to e-mail us your the tracking number and the name of courier service used (Only use FedEx or DHL!)
Mailing Address to courier your visa documents to:
Planet ESL Recruiting Ltd. Yongsan-dong 2Ga 5-1501, 2nd Floor.
Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Postal Code: 140-834
Phone #: +82 10-9012-0579
E-mail: EPIK@PlanetESL.com
*With the exception of the transcripts (which must be sealed), all of the documents listed below need to bephotocopied by the applicant and included in the document package. Please do NOT to remove staples in order to photocopy documents. If an Apostilled document is altered or damaged in any way, it is considered invalid. Please be sure to keep extra photocopies of your apostilled Bachelor’s degree & criminal record check!Mail the following Visa Documents to Planet ESL: 1. A completed EPIK Application Form
This is a hard copy of the complete application form you already submitted electronically. It must be typed in and then printed out, with ink signatures in all signature fields.
*Seoul applicants must include the hard copy of their Two Page Lesson Plan and signed Seoul Addendum Form. Please refer to the EPIK application form and contact Planet ESL if you have any questions or need any more information about this part of the application.
2. Apostilled and Notarized Criminal Background Report
Beginning from January 1st, 2011, all applicants, regardless of nationality, will be required to submit a National level CRC when getting or changing a visa, obtaining an alien registration card etc. Please ask Planet ESL if you have questions about this very important change.
When you are applying for your criminal background check, be sure that you also request a Sex-Offender Registry Check (some reports do not specify that a sex-offender check has been done). The Criminal Background Check must check from the time you were 19 years of age, or from the time you were enrolled in university.
*Note: Canadians have to get their CRC & Bachelor’s degree copy notarized by Korean consulate instead of having it apostilled.
If you are a US Citizen:
US citizens must submit an apostilled copy of a Federal Criminal Record Check, obtained through the FBI. This copy must have been issued within the past 6 months. The process to obtain an FBI level Criminal Background takes at least 4-6 weeks, so US citizens must start the process ASAP.
Previously it was possible to apostille the FBI check at a local Secretary of State office, with a notarized affidavit. This affidavit states that the FBI check is a true document from the FBI and you are using it to obtain a visa to teach in South Korea. However many states are now being told by the federal government to NOT apostille federal documents. But if your state will apostille the FBI check it will save you ALOT of time, so please call your local Secretary of State office and ask if they will apostille the FBI check with the notarized affidavit. If they say they won’t, then you must mail it to the Secretary of State office in D.C.
For more Apostille info, http://www.apostilleinfo.com/
3. Apostilled and Notarized photocopy of your Bachelor’s degree or Letter of Expected Graduation (as appropriate).
*Note: Canadians have to have copies of their Bachelor’s Degrees notarized then verified by a Korean consulate.
Remember not to unstaple to make photocopies. If the Apostilled document is unstapled or damaged in any way it is considered invalid!!
*For teachers who are already in Korea: You still need to obtain an Apostilled copy of your diploma from your country. Please have a relative or a friend do this for you because sending through the mail is time-consuming.
For more Apostille info, http://www.apostilleinfo.com/
4. Two Sealed Official Transcripts of Bachelor’s Degree
Do NOT open your sealed transcripts! Send one of them to us with your couriered documents, and keep the other one to bring to Korea to obtain your Alien Registration Card. *For teachers who are already in Korea: You still need to obtain 2 sealed transcripts from your university(s).
5. Two original letters of recommendation
These must be the original, signed letters of the scans that were submitted with your initial application.
6. Photocopy of the information page of your valid passport
Note: This is not a photocopy of your passport cover! Make sure you have at least 6 months remaining on your passport before it expires. Make sure there is at least 1 completely empty page in your passport for the E-2 Visa.
7. Two passport photos. Must be a professional-quality formal head and shoulder shot.
Extra documents if applicable (To qualify you for higher pay levels)
8. Copies of Teacher’s license 9. Proof of TESOL certification completion
Teachers who are in the process of completing TESOL certification (minimum 100 hours) need to submit Proof of Enrolment and a signed Sworn Declaration of Intention for completion.
10. Proof of Full-time teaching experience
In order to qualify for a higher pay, teachers must submit proof of full-time teaching experience. The teaching experience must be for a minimum of one year, and it must be full-time work to qualify. The proof of full-time teaching experience must include the exact start and end date of the teacher’s employment.
11. Apostilled and Notarized Copy of Master’s degree 12. One original sealed transcript of Master’s degree *REMEMBER – Do NOT open your sealed transcripts! *Optional Documents (For ethnic Koreans only)
A. Copy of citizenship or a copy of legal residence certificate (for Korean nationals) B. If you are an ethnic Korean and do not have citizenship but legal residency in a country where English is the primary language, you must be able to provide proof of English education beginning from the junior high school level to the university level.
After a successful interview with EPIK:
After applicants pass an interview with EPIK, they will recommend applicants to the POE (Province of Education). The POE will review the applicant. If an applicant is hired by the POE, a Notice of Appointment and a Contract will be Issued.
After you receive an Official Contract & Notice of Appointment:
Once you have received all necessary documents, it’s time to send/take the contract and the Notice of Appointment with other visa application documents to the Korean Consulate/Embassy nearest to you. Note: The documents required differ from consulate to consulate, so please be sure to contact them ahead of time to see what they will need.
E-2 Teaching Visa Application Form
Answers to the most common questions about how to fill out the Visa form:
– 8. Passport Classification: OR – Ordinary (Unless you are a diplomat!) – 16. Occupation: English Teacher– 19. Purpose of Entry: To teach English – 21. Desired Length of Stay: 1 year – 23. Address in Korea:EPIK/NIIED, 43 Ihwajang-Gil, Jongno-Gu, Seoul, Tel: +82 2-3668-1383 – 27. Who Will Pay For Your Trip? EPIK – 31. References in Korea: EPIK/NIIED, 43 Ihwajang-Gil, Jongno-Gu, Seoul, Tel: +82 2-3668-1383 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 E-2 Teaching Visa at the Korean Consulate:
- Your passport and 1 copy of its personal data page. Make sure your passport is signed, has at least 6 months left on it before it expires, & that there is at least one empty page for the visa!
- Completed visa application form
- A passport picture (2”x2”/3.5cmx4.5cm, color) attached to the application
- Notice of Appointment
- Employment Contract
- Self-addressed, pre-paid envelope for return of the passport by mail
- Visa Fee: A$75/US$45/CA$55/UK£25/NZ$50 *Cash or Money order only. If Money Order, pay to: Korean Consulate General
*Fees can change without warning so applicants should check with their local Korean consulate. Applicants not in their home country may incur additional fees. Some consulates may request a photocopy of your criminal record check, 1 official sealed transcript from your university &/or your original diploma.Please make sure to contact your nearest consulate to see what documents they require before you go and try to get your visa!! In most cases, a visa interview is not required for EPIK teachers. But the Consulate still holds the right to interview applicants. Please contact your nearest Consulate to see if you will have an interview and to prepare, if necessary. Once the consulate receives your application and paperwork, they will inform you on the approximate time it would take for you to receive your visa. In many cases, visa interview is not required for EPIK teachers but the Embassy/Consulate still hold the right to interview. Please contact the Embassy/Consulate to prepare in advance. Each consulate has different processing times (from one hour to 5 days), please ask for an approximate time on completion and please keep Planet ESL informed of your progress. Once you receive your passport back with your E-2 visa, you are all set to begin your journey to Korea!
After you receive your E-2 visa:
Next, teachers need to book flights and pass the information on to us. It is our responsibility to meet teachers at the airport and guide them to EPIK transportation to the orientation site. Teachers also need to bring with them to Korea, hard copies of any documents they submitted electronically because the courses weren’t complete at the time of application. Final TESOL certificates, Final Sealed Transcripts etc. are required before the contract period begins. Please contact Planet ESL for more information.