Korean Job Discussion Forums

[spc525]

When you cancel a visa to get a new visa for a new job before your contract is up, do you have to get a new criminal background check from your home country and a background check in Korea? Do you need new transcripts also?

How easy is it to get a background check for the US while in Korea? I know there have been multiple posts on this topic, but it seems like things are always changing.

[elizabethbennet]

Yes, you'll need transcripts and a background check. You don't need the background check from your home state according to research my husband and I did, although I can't be 100% about that, since we did go with our Oregon background check.

This is all possible to do though. I quit a horrible job 3 months ago and am now 3 weeks into a wonderful job in a better city.

Step 1 - Get on your documents ASAP. You can get new fingerprints done at any police station in Korea to mail home for your background check - download the form your state provides or find the FBI form from the U.S. Make sure that the fingerprints are dark ink prints, however. We had ours done in Gyeong-Ju and they were deemed "too light." They seemed to be using some special high-tech ink which really didn't cut it. The police in Korea were among the friendliest Koreans I met, by the way. They served us tea; it was kind of surreal. Once we had our fingerprints we fed-exed them home to my brother with our forms and he took care of the sending them to the office, retrieving them, and fed-exing them back. Fed-Ex everything. Get your transcripts too. The sooner you get your documents the better.

Step 2 - Find cheap accomodation and budget for a month and a half to two months. If you have to stay more than a month make a run to Japan - you can then come back in on a tourist visa for 90 days. Fukuoka is fricking AWESOME, by the way. You may just decide you'd rather work there.

Step 3 - Call every recruiter there is and get on their lists. If you're looking in Busan, Director Su (ESL Jobs Korea, I think?) and Mary and James are both good. RBI steered me towards some shady jobs, so I'd avoid them.

Good luck!