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the4th2001
Joined: 12 May 2009
Location: Tokyo
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 Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 12:37 am Post subject: No interview required to get first visa |
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For those of you who are trying to get your first E-2 visa, you do not need to interview in your home country . . . or return to your home country at all for that matter.
What do you do?
Have your employer contact the KCUE (http://english.kcue.or.kr). They should request a degree verification form and have you fill it out. Your employer will then need to submit it to the KCUE. It typically takes 2 ~ 3 weeks for the degree to be verified.
Once verified, your employer will receive an official document specifying that your degree is legit. With your visa number and the KCUE document in hand, your employer will then need to visit immigration. Immigration will enter your degree details into their database (this is the most important point of all).
You're done.
The Korean Consulate/Embassy in Japan is familiar with the process and if you go to one of them, you shouldn't have any problems picking up your first E-2 visa.
I did this at the end of last month. I'm American with no prior working visa. Easy as pie, yeah? The thing is though, you will probably have to tell your employer what to do as they will more than likely not know about this. I work for a large, reputable company and they had no idea. |
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Carla
Joined: 21 Nov 2008
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| Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 1:09 am Post subject: Re: No interview required to get first visa |
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| the4th2001 wrote: |
For those of you who are trying to get your first E-2 visa, you do not need to interview in your home country . . . or return to your home country at all for that matter.
What do you do?
Have your employer contact the KCUE (http://english.kcue.or.kr). They should request a degree verification form and have you fill it out. Your employer will then need to submit it to the KCUE. It typically takes 2 ~ 3 weeks for the degree to be verified.
Once verified, your employer will receive an official document specifying that your degree is legit. With your visa number and the KCUE document in hand, your employer will then need to visit immigration. Immigration will enter your degree details into their database (this is the most important point of all).
You're done.
The Korean Consulate/Embassy in Japan is familiar with the process and if you go to one of them, you shouldn't have any problems picking up your first E-2 visa.
I did this at the end of last month. I'm American with no prior working visa. Easy as pie, yeah? The thing is though, you will probably have to tell your employer what to do as they will more than likely not know about this. I work for a large, reputable company and they had no idea. |
Yes, there are some loopholes that allow you, I think it has something to do with SMOE or something like that. But it does not apply to EVERYONE. So someone who comes to Korea to get a job and can't get one that falls into that category will be SOL. |
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losing_touch
Joined: 26 Jun 2008
Location: Ulsan - I think!
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| Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 5:00 am Post subject: Re: No interview required to get first visa |
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| the4th2001 wrote: |
For those of you who are trying to get your first E-2 visa, you do not need to interview in your home country . . . or return to your home country at all for that matter.
What do you do?
Have your employer contact the KCUE (http://english.kcue.or.kr). They should request a degree verification form and have you fill it out. Your employer will then need to submit it to the KCUE. It typically takes 2 ~ 3 weeks for the degree to be verified.
Once verified, your employer will receive an official document specifying that your degree is legit. With your visa number and the KCUE document in hand, your employer will then need to visit immigration. Immigration will enter your degree details into their database (this is the most important point of all).
You're done.
The Korean Consulate/Embassy in Japan is familiar with the process and if you go to one of them, you shouldn't have any problems picking up your first E-2 visa.
I did this at the end of last month. I'm American with no prior working visa. Easy as pie, yeah? The thing is though, you will probably have to tell your employer what to do as they will more than likely not know about this. I work for a large, reputable company and they had no idea. |
Yeah, I know. I did it too. I had to walk the embassy in Bangkok through it too. |
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roadballmint
Joined: 09 Jan 2009
Location: Seoul, Korea
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| Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 5:32 am Post subject: |
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| I got a visa from Fukuoka in March without an interview. Quite honestly, I think it depends on your school's relationship with the local immigration office more than anything. I have no idea what the secret is, but lots of teachers get visas from Japan. |
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losing_touch
Joined: 26 Jun 2008
Location: Ulsan - I think!
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| Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 5:34 am Post subject: |
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| roadballmint wrote: |
| I got a visa from Fukuoka in March without an interview. Quite honestly, I think it depends on your school's relationship with the local immigration office more than anything. I have no idea what the secret is, but lots of teachers get visas from Japan. |
Your first E-2? |
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rezonance
Joined: 23 May 2009
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| Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 5:34 am Post subject: |
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| Can this be done while in Korea or would coming in on a tourist visa make things difficult? Or is it the case that I have to accept a job contract while outside Korea and get the degree verified in another country such as Thailand? Definitely only possible for only SMOE jobs (are there any available now?) I'm beginning to think that it might be a bit difficult to get a job in Korea that begins in the near future, or even at all! |
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losing_touch
Joined: 26 Jun 2008
Location: Ulsan - I think!
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| Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 5:35 am Post subject: |
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| rezonance wrote: |
| Can this be done while in Korea or would coming in on a tourist visa make things difficult? Or is it the case that I have to accept a job contract while outside Korea and get the degree verified in another country such as Thailand? Definitely only possible for only SMOE jobs (are there any available now?) I'm beginning to think that it might be a bit difficult to get a job in Korea that begins in the near future, or even at all! |
Yes. Your employer has to do it. |
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rezonance
Joined: 23 May 2009
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| Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 5:40 am Post subject: |
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| losing_touch wrote: |
| rezonance wrote: |
| Can this be done while in Korea or would coming in on a tourist visa make things difficult? Or is it the case that I have to accept a job contract while outside Korea and get the degree verified in another country such as Thailand? Definitely only possible for only SMOE jobs (are there any available now?) I'm beginning to think that it might be a bit difficult to get a job in Korea that begins in the near future, or even at all! |
Yes. Your employer has to do it. |
Sorry, do you mean yes I can get it done in Korea or yes I will need to do it outside of Korea? |
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losing_touch
Joined: 26 Jun 2008
Location: Ulsan - I think!
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| Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 5:41 am Post subject: |
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| rezonance wrote: |
| losing_touch wrote: |
| rezonance wrote: |
| Can this be done while in Korea or would coming in on a tourist visa make things difficult? Or is it the case that I have to accept a job contract while outside Korea and get the degree verified in another country such as Thailand? Definitely only possible for only SMOE jobs (are there any available now?) I'm beginning to think that it might be a bit difficult to get a job in Korea that begins in the near future, or even at all! |
Yes. Your employer has to do it. |
Sorry, do you mean yes I can get it done in Korea or yes I will need to do it outside of Korea? |
You can be in Korea when the verification is done. It doesn't matter. You will have to leave the country to get your visa when it is finished. |
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the4th2001
Joined: 12 May 2009
Location: Tokyo
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| Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 5:38 pm Post subject: Re: No interview required to get first visa |
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| Carla wrote: |
Yes, there are some loopholes that allow you, I think it has something to do with SMOE or something like that. But it does not apply to EVERYONE. So someone who comes to Korea to get a job and can't get one that falls into that category will be SOL. |
| rezonance wrote: |
Can this be done while in Korea or would coming in on a tourist visa make things difficult? Or is it the case that I have to accept a job contract while outside Korea and get the degree verified in another country such as Thailand? Definitely only possible for only SMOE jobs (are there any available now?) I'm beginning to think that it might be a bit difficult to get a job in Korea that begins in the near future, or even at all! |
From my own experience (I have nothing to do with SMOE), conversations with immigration, and checking out the immigration website, there are no limitations as to who can do this. I came here as a tourist and was able to get my first visa in a third country without an interview.
In regards to SMOE though, they may have additional requirements which are not immigration related. They may require additional criminal background checks, interviews and what have you. Seeing that I don't work for a public school, I can't say. What I can say is that for the average Joe at a private school, this setup works. |
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lorenchristopher
Joined: 25 Dec 2007
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| Posted: Tue Aug 11, 2009 1:34 am Post subject: |
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This is exactly what I did when I came to Korea right after the new visa regulations. I work at a hagwon, so I do believe that ANYONE can go this route.
Skipped the interview, skipped the flight back to my home country, my employer paid for my flight to Japan. Yeah it is doable from within Korea for first-timers. I heard a lot of conflicting information, but don't listen to those people. You CAN come here first and then get a job. You'll have to wait around until your visa is issued before you start working, but it can be done.
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