Korean Job Discussion Forums

Graz · Joined: 07 Jun 2008 Location: Gimhae

Hi, when I came here last year my criminal check was clean. I have a minor charge in the states from in college and it was supposed to be erased. My parents just sent over my check from the states and it is showing that old charge. It is a marijuana charge and I don't know if that will prevent me from getting a new visa for thae next year.Any expierences or tips?

berrieh · Joined: 10 Feb 2009

Everything I've ever read pretty clearly states that drug charges are an immediate disqualifier. I don't see how you could get around it unless you could get a check that didn't show it. Is it supposed to be expunged? What record is showing up? The arrest or the conviction?

I know that the lady who gave me mine said that arrests would show up even if there was no conviction (we were just chatting-she was quite nice, it was a Friday). In your case, if you plead guilty/no contest/pretrial diversion/etc, you couldn't claim to be exonerated, but I wonder at arrests showing up if someone was!

You could try a different police department near where you lived and see if it shows up on that one. The Criminal Check is ill-conceived (imagine that) in that they request a local check which usually only shows local arrests. Presumably they don't care if you were arrested in another county. (Or maybe those would show up anyway - I've got no record, not even traffic, so no way of testing, thankfully.)

mscoop1085 · Joined: 12 Feb 2009

Yeah i heard if you go to a neighboring county where you have no record except maybe a speeding ticket, you would be fine. The only disqualifiers I have heard for getting visas are drug, sex crimes, or violent criminal offenses. I have an underage drinking citation and my recruiter says that is not a problem but you might want to go to neighboring county clerk of courts since yours is drug related. Good luck.

Graz · Joined: 07 Jun 2008 Location: Gimhae

Thanks, that is what I thought it is just annoying since I have already been here for a year, and it didn't show up last year or the one other time I had a check done about 2.5 years ago. Oh well I will see what I can do.