Korean Job Discussion Forums

[curlygirl]

According to the Ministry of Justice website, criminal background checks must be sent to the Authentication Unit to be apostilled � see link

http://www.dia.govt.nz/diawebsite.nsf/wpg_URL/Services-Document-Authentication-Index?OpenDocument#two

On this web page it states ��documents not on coloured letterhead paper... do not count as originals and must be notarised � before being sent to the Authentication Unit.�

The criminal background check is not on coloured letterhead paper so I e-mailed the Authentication Unit to ask if I would need to get this document notarized before sending it to them for apostillisation. Here is their reply.

�Thanks for your email. You are right, we don't accept the black and white copy �however instead of paying to have it notarised you can contact the Ministry of Justice and ask them to reprint it on their coloured letterhead paper.�

So when you request a criminal background check be sure to ask for it to be printed on coloured letterhead � it will save jumping through more hoops later.
You can download an application form for a criminal background check here.
http://www.justice.govt.nz/privacy/request-by-individual.pdf

[potin14p]

really? bugger. i wish i'd known this a month ago when i got mine sent to me here.

but hang on, do we know for sure that immigration here in Korea won't accept just an ordinary Criminal Record check?

[suneater]

I'm currently home in NZ, and for an EPIK position I just sent the Korean MoE the copy sent to me by the justice dept (it wasn't on coloured letterhead) and the MoE said that that would be fine and that my visa docs are in the post.

I also attached the third-party request so that the MoE can directly apply for my security clearance if they felt the need (apparently they don't!)

So, I'd hold off on the appost. nonsense for the meantime...it's just one more hoop that I'm not up for jumping through right now.

Although, it'd be nice if the criminal check were on pretty letterhead because the current format looks like it was drawn up by my six-year old nephew.

[kiwiana]

I tried to download the application form for the crim check but I am having problems with the PDF file--the internet page just comes up blank.

I am using the latest version of Adobe.

Anybody else having this problem?

[potin14p]

bloody hell what a drama. South Korea counts at a Category B country, meaning that they wil not verify the MFAT signature on a document, so instead they require docs to be forwarded via a NZ overseas post. what a headache.


Verification by foreign diplomatic mission of a 'Category B' country:

The Ministry will forward your documents to the foreign diplomatic mission for you via a NZ overseas post.
The process is as follows:

* The Ministry processes your documents.
* The Ministry forwards your documents to a New Zealand overseas mission where there is also a foreign mission of the country in which the document is to be used.
* The New Zealand overseas mission verifies the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade's signature and seal and forwards the documents to the foreign mission.
* The foreign mission verifies the New Zealand overseas mission's signature and seal and returns the authenticated documents to you by your self-addressed envelope or prepaid (international) courier pack.

are they trying to make things more difficult? and by they, I mean the Korean govt?
and, from what I can make out, I have to pay $80 plus international postage.

[suneater]

wow...that's hardcore

I wonder if this is the process for hag, uni, and PS positions.

Is this for first time teachers to korea, or are recidivist expats also required to wade through all this red tape!?

Have you tried sending to your recruiter or employer-to-be just the basic criminal history letter sent out to you by the justice dept.?

It seems like we're all being asked to fulfill different requirements. So far, things haven't been too convoluted for me - but I'm not gonna feel sorted until I've got that ARC in my hand!

GOOD LUCK!!!

[potin14p]

I've already got an ordinary CRC, with no apostille . I got in done about 2 months ago when I heard about the new regulations, just in case. I only change jobs in February, but I want to be certain that Immigration won't just look at mine ordinary CRC and says its not good enough.
So I guess I will have to get the proper one on fancy-shmancy coloured paper, and then jump through all those ridiculous loops to get it properly apostilled.
Korea, you're making it so much harder than it has to be! Grrrrrr!

oh. and the Dept of Internal Affairs says we should contact the NZ Embassy in Seoul, and the NZ Embassy in Seoul says we should contact the Dept of Internal Affairs. great.

[potin14p]

bump

has anyone actually got their apostilled CRC from NZ yet? or been to immigration to use it?
or applied for it?

[suneater]

I called up the Dept of Justice prior to Chrissie to suss out this apostille carry-on...but it has shut up shop 'til the seventh of Jan...bloody typical!

[potin14p]

hhhmmm, my humblest apologies, I reread the DIA website again and i think I got my wires crossed with that Country B nonsense. thats for something different, not for the apostilled docs. I'm going to ring the Authorisation Unit on MOnday and have a chat to the lady in charge, and find out as much as possible, and then post it here.

update: once you send the Min Of Justice your forms, they are more than happy to forward them on to the DIA for apostilling (is that a word?). You just have to send them the exact details (eg: name, DOB, the DIA address, that you want an original copy etc).
The friendly lady at the Apostille place said that today alone, she'd already had 7 phonecalls about Korea and CRCs!
It costs $40 for the apostille, and then postage on top of that if you want them to send it to you here in Korea. If they organise the courier postage fo r you, it costs $40.

[suneater]

well...just had an apostille attached to my CRC and it took about three days.

I had previously requested and been sent a CRC from the MoJ (took about a week), but it was a generated black & white document (the default format which isn't sufficient for an apostille), so I called up MoJ and requested another copy on coloured letterhead, which I received two working days later.

Then, I sent the CRC to the DIA for an apostille, and three days later I received the document back with a snazzy blue ribbon & wax seal apostille attached. The CRC is free and the apostille costs $40 plus postage (national).

So...relatively painless for me here in Aotearoa...and still pretty doable if you're in the republic - as long as you've got a point of contact in NZ to pass on the CRC to the DIA.

Not even sure if I'm gonna need the apostille - but I guess it's better to cover all the bases.

ka kite

UPDATE: I see from potin14p's updated post that the MoJ will pass the doc straight on to the DIA...even easier!

[potin14p]

yip, it was quite a worry-free (albeit expensive) process. My docs arrived on Friday in Korea, ie 5 working days for processing and sending it to me.
The apostille is quite pretty, but the MoJ CRC is quite boring, and the wording will probably confuse Korean Immigration.
oh well, what more can we do...

[ceesgetdegrees]

It sounds like it would be next to impossible to do from korea, if that's the case then screw them. Japan/taiwan/middle east here i come.

[suneater]

potin14p - who seems to currently reside in korea - appears to have had no probs getting a CRC with apostille sent to him.

I agree that it is a pain in the ass - and will probably be the last straw for many. The $$$ for me still outweighs (just) the bureaucracy.

I almost took a position in japan, but decided at the twelfth hour to forgo the 'coolness' of japan for the better net remuneration in korea.

each to his own, though

[kiwiduncan]

Useful information here . So let me get this right. I waltz into the Dunedin police station tomorrow with the printed out "Request By Individual" form for my CRC, they can then send it directly to the DIA apostille office for me and I can have the apostilled CRC sent directly to my future employers in Korea (who will be waiting for my other documents too).

Jeez, six years in Korea on and off and even still, everytime I get a new contract I have to repeat this whole procedure again right from the start.

Is it true that once the Korean Immigration Office processes my latest application (with all the new CRC malarkey) there is a chance that in future I won't have to do this all again?

Cheers, Duncan