Korean Job Discussion Forums

[mr_twister]

When I talked to the Oregon State Police today they told me there is a lot of misinformation out here about obtaining a criminal history check and apostille in this state. Many prospective visa applicants for ESL jobs, particularly those going to Korea, don't know that a personal criminal history check for Oregon cannot be notarized without fingerprints being submitted. Anyway, I hope this will be helpful. The information I found on here earlier is dated and the links aren't accurate.

To obtain an Oregon Criminal History for yourself you need to go to the Identification Services Division of the Oregon State Police.

Link here: http://www.oregon.gov/OSP/ID/

The form itself can be located by clicking the phrase "Click here for Copy of Own Record Request Form" at the bottom of the information page here:

Link: http://www.oregon.gov/OSP/ID/docs/copy_own_or_record.pdf

Form: http://www.oregon.gov/OSP/ID/docs/own_record.pdf

Since the form must be notarized to be apostilled, you will need to provide a proper fingerprint form from a law enforcement agency or by going to the Oregon State Police office at 3772 Portland Road NE, Salem OR 97301. Phone 503-378-3070, Fax 503-378-2121, email [email protected].

The cost for fingerprints is $20.00 and their business hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., but I was told to arrive no later than 4:15 p.m. The cost for each copy of your criminal record history is $33.00, plus $5.00 for the notary. You can obtain multiple copies and they said it takes approximately seven working days to process.

To get the apostille, you can contact the Oregon Secretary of State by mail or in person:

Corporation Division
Notary Public Section
255 Captiol St. NE, Suite 151
Salem OR 97310
Phone: 503-986-2593

Link: http://www.sos.state.or.us/corporation/notary/howtoauth.htm

The cost for the apostille is $10.00 each. You must send in the original notarized document or walk it into the office in Salem (the page says this process will take about 20 minutes if you do this in person). Your check or money order should be payable to the State of Oregon, or you can pay by credit card. You must include a self-addressed envelope for return or a prepaid air bill to send express mail outside the country. (it's been my experience in Korea that DHL was pretty reliable).

[bry0000000]

I had all of my documents notarized and apostilled in Oregon.

WRT fingerprinting, you can have that done locally. It cost me about $15 and I had it done at the local sheriff's office, but I did have it done there.

What confused me the most was getting a copy of own record request form. It's part of a PDF document, and they didn't make it clear that the phrase was a link.

And I went to Salem to get my docs apostilled. Took me all of 10 minutes... or it would have if I had went strait to the right office.

[8minutepopsong]

are either of you leaving on the 19th to seattle? if so, let's meet up at the airport maybe?

i had to ask the salem police dept to rush the CRC because i didn't know it was going to take so long and got it back the next day. the fingerprinting guy was pretty nice about it.

[Cheetah]

Twister & Bry,
I have read how to do the CRC and Apostille and it is nice to see, from your experiences, that it is fairly hassle-free. I have the web-sites and know what to do, but my problem is that I can find no way to do the CRC & Apostille from my current location, in Thailand. I plan to go to Korea in Feb-March when my contract ends here, but I can't finish the hiring procees until I get the CRC. I don't have the time, or money to go back to Oregon and it doesn't look like I can get someone to legally proxy for me. I have Emailed a couple of the recruiters about this, but so far no response other than the web-sites they give me, which I already had. Anybody know how I can get this done, without going back to the USA?

[8minutepopsong]

you can totally get the apostille through postal mail, but i think you need to go in person to a state police dept to do the CRC because they require you to do the fingerprinting for it (as far as i know). you should call to find out for sure. maybe the other two know about the CRC

[Big Pun Lives]

Also you can get fingerprinted in Korea ( I went to Yongsan, it was free as wel) and send them to Oregon State Police - make sure you pay the extra money to get it notarized. Once they send it back to you, then you can go to the US Embassy for the affidavit. (In place of the Apostille)

- Big Pun

[Cheetah]

Hey Big Pun,
Is it really possible to get a CRC apostilled at the US Embassy in Seoul? If so, that would save me a lot of hassle and means I wouldn't have to return to the US before coming to Korea. I wonder if I could do the same at the embassy in Bangkok? Hmm! Anybody know about doing the CRC apostille at a US embassy in other countries?

[kswords]

Fellow Oregonians, where in south korea will you be?

[8minutepopsong]

seoul! what about you?

[Cheetah]

I see KSwords is from Eugene, my old stomping grounds, and I hope to be in the South of Korea, but I'm not far enough along in the hiring process to know for sure and I don't plan on coming until March.

[Big Pun Lives]

Cheetah - You cannot get anything apostled in South Korea. You go to the US embassy in Seoul and you swear an affidavit (in place of) on the Criminal Records Check.

It worked for me. Not sure about Bangkok.

- Big Pun

[kswords]

cheetah & 8minute

sorry I am not sure how it works out of the country. i went to the sheriff's office here and then did everything else by mail, but the fingerprinting part would be a problem for you. i'll see if my recruiter knows anything.

yes i am currently in eugene heading to Masan, near Changwon, next month. i was supposed to be going to Jinju but got screwed over at the last minute. pretty frustrating, but now i'm just happy to have gotten a placement and am getting anxious about getting over there.

my last day of work at a stupid corporate job was friday woohoo!!! i feel awesome!!!

cheetah how do u like your thailand gig?