Korean Job Discussion Forums

[injuredeagle]

hey ya'll,

first I'll apologize if this is a dumb question or answered ad naseaum. I've been searching for hours and I don't find a complete answer:

The situation is this:

I am leaving EPIK and want to look for a hagwon job. I'm not too picky about hours or where -- just something. My visa expires at the end of August.

I have an E2 visa now. But when I joined, I only needed state background checks and the notorized diploma.

So, do I just need to renew my visa if I find a hagwon job? Or do I have to change to another kind of visa?

Either way, I'll probably need the FBI check, right? Will I need it in hand or can I sign something saying I will have it by XXX and they grant me the visa?

Will I need another notarized diploma or will they still have mine on file at immi?

Finally, is anyone else in this boat? Will I have a problem getting my FBI check back in time if it is needed by August?

Thanks -- you all are lifesavers...

[injuredeagle]

bmp

[ttompatz]

IF you can get a LOR (I assumed you are leaving your current job early) you can transfer:

LOR
new contract
new employers business registration (copy)
letter of sponsorship (from the new employer)
ARC
passport
application
fee (60k won).

If you can't get a LOR you will need a new visa and that means you WILL need a FBI check with apostille and degree (photo)copy with apostille.

.

[isitts]

[isitts]

I'll add this, too...

There's a sticky on E-2 visa regulations. I've copied and pasted the following from page 69 of "New E-2 Guidlines" sticky

http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?t=104249&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=1020
It's the 5th post down written by melirae1976


[begin quote]

I'm going through this now, so I'd like to offer what I have found through phone calls to the FBI and talking to the office in my state that issues apostilles (this is for Americans). I'm renewing for the third year and I need to submit both my apostilled diploma copy and my apostilled FBI check because my visa expires after 1/1/2011.

An FBI check can be done from here, but give yourself a lot of time (like 12 weeks) [<---doesn't take this long anymore. But still could take a while. isitts] and plan to spend a bit of money sending things FedEx because you want to be able to track it! http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/background-checks/background_checks has all the forms you will need. There are links on the right side of the page. Make a few copies of the Standard Fingerprint Form to take with you to get fingerprinted in case one of them gets smudged. I went to a police station here and they did the prints for free.
The above website also contains the address of where you need to send the fingerprints and application once you have completed them. It is suggested to send them FedEx or DHL so that you can track them. Also, make sure to request that the copy of your background check is authenticated by the FBI so that you can send it to the US Dept of State for an apostille. Explicity state this on the application to save yourself the delay.

Obtaining an Apostille on Your FBI Background Check
Once you have received a copy of your background check, it then needs to be forwarded to the US Department of State Office of Authentications. This is the only office that can do it- your FBI check cannot be apostilled at the state level because it is a federal document, so you must mail or hand deliver your document to the Authentications Office. The FBI will not send your background check to another federal office.

US Dept of State Authentications Office
[email protected]
phone: 202-647-5002 202-647-5002
fax: 202-663-3636
15 day turn-around time for mailed in documents.
Fee: $8 per document- check or money order to US Dept of State. Credit cards can only be used for walk-ins.
Walk-ins: 7:30-11am M-F, 15 documents per day only.

U.S. Dept of State Authentications Office
518 23rd St NW
SA1 Columbia Plaza
Washington, DC 20520

Diploma Apostille
You need to make a photocopy of your diploma to have apostilled, as Korean immigration will not return documents submitted. This procedure will not necessarily need to be done in the state where your diploma was issued, but check with the state you plan to have it done in to make sure. The reason you can get the notarized copy in a state different from the one it was issued is that the notary is not certifying that you did the work to obtain the diploma, they are simply certifying that the copy is a true copy of the original document. You will need to have a notarized photocopy made and most states have a certification form that needs to be completed and attached by the notary. Once you have the notarized copy, then take it to the appropriate office for the apostille.
Here�s a link that has the location of the offices for each state that provide apostilles.
http://www.apostilleinfo.com/usa.htm

[end quote]

[injuredeagle]

Thanks for the responses everyone.

I am not leaving early; I would just be attempting to find a new job to start when this job ends.

I have my diploma here in Korea, so it makes all of this a bit harder, since I'll have to mail back and forth.

Phew!

[injuredeagle]

Just trying to think outloud and maybe one of you can give me an opinion:

I've also been thinking about traveling for six months and THEN coming back to Korea for the next hiring period.

Can you see any complications with that plan?

On one hand, I thought I could make this visa process easier if I just stayed in Korea, but if I need all these new documents again, than it doesn't seem any different than leaving and coming back.

Thoughts?

[isitts]

[isitts]

[injuredeagle]

thanks isitts. You didn't sound lazy -- I'm in a similar boat. I didn't figure the gaps mattered as much here, since many of those hiring know we are all here for different reasons and tend to be flighty. I had a year of unemployment before coming here and that didn't hurt.

Thanks again -- now I just have to see what is better -- taking my time on my background check and go for 6 months or going for it now and staying and waiting to travel.

I hate hard decisions

[injuredeagle]

also, just for searching purposes if others have similar questions as me,
I called immigration and they first told me I'd be fine since I came in August so I don't need the background check until the next time my status changes. But then I called back, just to see, and they said I would need it since technically my visa expires a week before my current contract ends. I asked if I could just do both (transfer schools and extend visa) in the same visit, and they said no. It'd have to be different trips.

So it seems there is a "one time waiver" for people who came before these new rules, but unless you are staying at your same school, you probably can't use it.

BUT I have also PMed a few people who transferred schools this past spring and they said they didn't need the new CRC or apostilled docs. So WTF?!

Basically the second said something that is probably the ultimate truth:

It depends on the immigration officer and what kind of day he/she is having.

That makes this all the more frustrating...

[isitts]