Korean Job Discussion Forums

magyar · Joined: 12 Nov 2007

I'm leaving shortly for a job in South Korea. I just went to the Korean Consulate here in the States to get my diploma notarized by them, because that's what the recruiter told me to do. When I got there they said, "we don't do that anymore."
They referred me to the Secretary of State's office (four blocks from my home) where I got an "Apostille," which means they looked at my copies of documents, researched to make sure the notary public who notarized them was in good standing, attached a fancy page with a gold sticker and signature, and charged me ten dollars apiece.
The copes of documents need to be notarized before being given the Apostille.

Julius · Joined: 27 Jul 2006

Problem is for those of us here in Korea to get it done.

but will you be happy about having to fly back to do it and have a local interview, every year for each new visa?

magyar · Joined: 12 Nov 2007

Yes, I've been reading all the posts. I can't speak to that issue, because I'm not in that position (yet.) I guess I was posting for new people out of Korea who are trying to get paperwork done. Maybe it's in the wrong spot.

sojourner1 · Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2007 7:46 pm Post subject:

It's OK to have to do this at home as I probably would and planned on going home after my current contract, but the problem is that this new process will make me stay home much longer than I want to. I wanted to stay just 3 or 4 weeks, but it looks like it could be 2 or 3 months of camping out on relatives couches.

Julius · Joined: 27 Jul 2006

sojourner1 · Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2007 5:56 am Post subject:

It's the waiting on the consulate interview and then getting approval waiting game is what is time consuming after having a job offer and apostilled your documents. And then you have to send off to get a visa number. And then you have to submit your passport to the consulate for a visa to be entered into your passport. It is a much longer process now.

Gamecock · Joined: 26 Nov 2003

I could have read the information wrong on the other threads, but someone threw out the bit about only being able to have "apostille" done in the same state as your university. If this is true, it's great that you can do this four blocks from your home, but I would have to travel 1500 miles from my family's home to the state where I went to university. As well, the nearest consulate to mine is Chicago, a four hour drive. Not exactly the way I want to spend my vacation time (or $$$ for the additional flight/drive/rental cars).

I don't think Koreans really understand that you can't drive the length and width of many other countries in under 5 hours. I'm hoping this all gets re-thought before I have to change jobs.