Korean Job Discussion Forums

exit_everything · Joined: 02 Dec 2009

My prospective employer has just informed me that my visa application in Korea has been rejected because my CRC is not from the same country as my passport.

This is my situation:

I was born in Australia and have lived here my whole life. My parents are from New Zealand so although I am a permanent resident in Australia, I am a New Zealand citizen.

This has made the whole visa process a confusing affair. I am applying for an E2 visa for the first time and I understand that I am meant to apply for the visa in 'my own country'. I rang the South Korean consulates in New Zealand and Australia and although I didn't get a straight answer, I am fairly certain that I can actually apply here (Australia).

I didn't realise that I should have a CRC from New Zealand (a place I have never resided) as well as Australia. Now of course I have no time to apply for a New Zealand CRC in order to start my job in two weeks.

Has anybody been in a similar situation? Do you think I should appeal to the consulate? Or is there no hope?

Senior · Joined: 31 Jan 2010

This is actually pretty good for you. Getting the CRC in NZ is a piece of cake. I got two sent to Korea, with three phone calls, within 14 days. Additionally, you can now commit as many crimes in Aus as you like, without affecting your CRC.

Are you not eligible for an Aus PP? You were born there after all.

exit_everything · Joined: 02 Dec 2009

I am eligible, but it takes 3 months minimum to obtain citizenship and only then can I apply for a passport. Bloody pain! So do you think I should try to get the CRC sorted and sent directly to my employer? They need me over there as soon as possible. I figure they'd rather give up on me and move on.

catatonia56 · Joined: 06 Mar 2010

I've just been through the same situation as you, but in reverse! Have spent most of my adult life in NZ, but am an Aussie citizen. I had to get an Aussie CRC and a NZ CRC (for my fiance) and I can assure you that the NZ check was WAY faster.

They say it takes up to 20 days to process but its much faster then that(think it took 5 days), and beauty is that they will send it straight to the Authentication unit. You can also fax the request for the CRC and the Apostille is free!!! Check out;

http://www.justice.govt.nz/services/get-a-copy-of-your-criminal-record/requirements-to-work-as-a-teacher-in-south-korea

Good luck!

exit_everything · Joined: 02 Dec 2009

Oh excellent! That sounds quite promising. Have you applied for your E2 in your 'home country' yet? Did you apply in NZ or Australia? I'm actually in Perth so it would be incredibly expensive to travel to NZ just to get a visa. I was told that this wouldn't be a problem but now that I've encountered other difficulties I am becoming wary again.

blonde researcher · Posted: Sat May 15, 2010 9:40 pm Post subject:

If you are going to a hagwon job.
That is; your papers are going into immigration for processing rather than getting a NOA from an office of education, you are definitely required to have a departure interview, as a first timer to Korea, in the country of your passport. For you this is NZ.
The only exception to the departure interview is if you are going to a NOA EPIK position. For a NOA job you could depart from Australia.

If you go ahead and get the NZ police check and travel on the NZ passport, you will have to go to the Korean embassy in NZ NOT AUSTRALIA

I am amazed as to why your recruiter did'nt tell you of this situation with your passport and the departure interview? Recruiters should know this rule by now after all it has been in place 2 years. OR>>>(maybe you did'nt use a recruiter? Question

)

exit_everything · Joined: 02 Dec 2009

I am not using a recruiter but I did call the Korean consulate in Auckland, then Sydney, and then Canberra (they each directed me to the next), and I was told that I could apply in Australia. But I was also told by them that I wouldn't need a NZ CRC for clearance in Korea. So that's... great. Someone (everyone?!) needs to get fired.

Cheers for letting me know. I'm going to have to decline this job and get my documents sent back to me and start again. Save my pennies for a trip to New Zealand! I guess this way I get to visit my cousins...

Sad

fusionbarnone · Joined: 31 May 2004

exit_everything · Joined: 02 Dec 2009

I'm a victim of some illogical changes in the late eighties. My parents are New Zealanders and even though they were Australian permanent residents at the time, they had to get a New Zealand passport for me. That meant that even though I was born into Australian citizenship, my citizenship was renounced. I apparently couldn't get dual citizenship at the time. It's never been a problem until now because of the special visa agreements between New Zealand and Australia (going through the school system, claiming allowances for uni etc. were fine), so I never bothered to resume Australian citizenship. Now I wish I had an extra four months up my sleeve.

It sounds like you're technically in the same position as me. Unless you've already taught in Korea under an E2?

blonde researcher · Posted: Sun May 16, 2010 3:04 pm Post subject:

Having residency of any country or the wonderful 'green card' makes no difference to how Korea processes the visa papers. T
Immigration expect to see the CRC from the same country as your passport that you first submitted your papers to the school on and that you will be travelling on. ( This is the same same for all EPIK and hagwon jobs)

Your diploma can only be Apostilled in the country it was earned.(this can only be a bachelor diploma from one of the seven qualifying countries)

In both of the above circumstances ( NZ passport applying from Australia, and USA residency but has NZ passport),you MUST depart from your country of passport and get the departure interview at the Korean embassy in NZ. IF THIS IS YOUR FIRST VISA TO KOREA.

If you have previously worked on an E2 visa in Korea you can depart from any country as you do not need to get a departure interview.

suggestion:
Why not apply only to a public school position such as EPIK or to a city or province such as Gyeongnam or Ulsan that hires directly later than EPIK as they do do not use the immigration process.

For such office of education jobs you ARE NOT REQUIRED TO GET A DEPARTURE INTERVIEW and you can depart from any country as a first timer. The offices of education and most EPIK contracts issue Notice of Appointments (NOA) directly to you.

Major exception: The Korean embasies in Canada and USA will not process E2 visas for citizens of other countries, where as all the other qualifying countries' Korean embassies will process other citizens with a NOA.

exit_everything · Joined: 02 Dec 2009

Just in case anyone else is ever in the same situation as me, I was able to apply for an 'Application for evidence of Australian citizenship'. I had to provide documents proving I lived in Australia until the age of ten (school reports, vac records etc.). It will only take two weeks to be granted a citizenship certificate, then I can apply for a passport which will take ten days to process. So the whole process will take about a month and I'll have dual citizenship. Pretty awesome!

oldfatfarang · Joined: 19 May 2005 Location: On the road to somewhere.

Just a heads up about dual citizenship with NZ or Aussie.

My brother (born a Kiwi) changed his nationality to Australian because he'd lived and worked (and had a family/property etc) in Australia for over 30 years.

He became an Aussie because Australia pays very generous old age pensions - and he didn't want to have to move back to NZ to get a NZ pension.

Even though you guys are probably too young to think about pensions, getting your citizenship fixed is something woth thinking about.