Korean Job Discussion Forums

[mrthingy]

Sorry if this has been asked a hundred times before but everything I read seems to say something slightly different.

I'm just getting my documents ready for my visa and I'm not sure which bits need what. Do I need by criminal check and degree notorised and Apostilled or just one of the two?

Thanks

[Hokie21]

[mrthingy]

Thank you.

One more thing, when I get my degree notorised does it need to be just saying 'this is an official copy' or does the notory have to check with the university that it's genuine and supply a separate certificate confirming this?

[Abacus]

Can you get your university degree apostilled at the same time you get your FBI CBC apostilled? I remember reading that a state won't apostille a federal document. But is the opposite true? Just trying to save my parents back home some extra hassle.

[Hokie21]

I'll tell you my personal story because I just went through this routine last week.

I currently live in Pennsylvania but my diploma is from Virginia Tech which is obviously located in Virginia. Now I was told by Pa Dept of State they could not apostille a diploma from out of state, that I would have to get it done in DC or Virginia. Being in that I'm in a rush I drove down to DC and got it notarized at the Moultrie Courthouse in DC by a Ms Lisa Johnson, this took all of 5 minutes and cost only $2. This was a photocopy of my degree, I had to write "I certify that this is a true copy" and then sign my name. I then had to raise my right hand and swear an oath.) I then tried to take it to the same office where I got my FBI CBC apostilled but they told me that because it was a DC document they could not apostille it, this office is called The Department of Authentications. The lady there told me to take it to a separate office at 441 4th Street NW. There on the 8th floor I gave them my notarized diploma and was asked what country it was needed for (South Korea) and was given an apostille for $15. Took about 20 minutes.

It is my understanding that if you currently reside in the state in which you got your diploma you can get it notarized and then apostilled in person at the Dept of State of your State. So if you live in California you can get it notarized and then head down to Sacramento and get it apostilled. If you mail it then you are looking at a 3 week turn around.

Hope this helps.

[mrthingy]

I'm still confused about this. Do I just need my degree signed by a notary or does the notary need to contact the university to confirm the degree is genuine and supply a certificate confirming this?

Most people I've spoken to/things I've seen on the internet say that it's a 5/10 min job and should cost �15 max (just getting the degree signed). But I've contacted a couple of notaries and they've suggested something that will take a week and cost �60 (cause they have to spend time chasing the uni for confirmation). I don't mind paying more if that's what I need but I don't want to be conned into getting it if I don't need it.


Cheers

[CtotheB]

Just get your diploma notarized by your university's registrar office and then they can forward it to your state's Dept of State for apostille. My school notarized it for free, and the state apostille was $10, which was paid for by including my debit card number on the apostille application. Got the apostille back from my state in about 1.5 weeks.

The apostille on the CBC can be apostilled by your state, but most people recommend getting it done by the US Dept of State, because no one is sure of whether or not Korean Immigration will accept the state-level apostille on a CBC or only the federal. That's why it's important to get the CBC as fast as possible and send it off as soon as you get it back.

[mrthingy]

ALthough I appreciate the help I'm not asking where or how to get it notarised.

I am in touch with people who can act as a notary for my document, but I'm not sure about what they have to do to it. It seems they can either verify that the document is legitimate or make a notarised copy.

There's a massive difference in the cost and time required for both of these and I want to make sure I get the right one. Everything I read says I need to get it notarised, but when I ask talk to solicitors or public notaries about getting it done they all ask me exactly what I mean by 'getting it notarised' and I don't know.

[Hokie21]

[Abacus]

Not surprisingly I'm still confused. But that's because my process will obviously be different than those that are able to hand deliver their documents thru the process. I'm currently living in Taiwan and that's really not possible. But it sounds like I can get my degree copied and notarized as a real copy by pretty much any notary in the world. Is that true? And then I simply mail it to the MI department of state office (state I graduated in) for the apostille?

[CtotheB]

Can you get it notarized in MI? I'm pretty sure that it has to be an in-country notary because they mail their records to the state on a regular basis. That, and a notary living in Taiwan might only be authorized by the Taiwanese gov't, and a Taiwan notary might look awfully suspicious... just some thoughts.

[Abacus]

Can you notarize something if you're not present? Because I'm not flying to Michigan to get something notarized. Can a third party notarize it?