Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Daniel1981]

Two teachers at my school have just signed a new contract to renew for another year. They both did Criminal Background Checks and Degree procedures when they first came to Korea last year as part of the new requirements then.

They've been told they need to renew their Visa (not just their ARC). So they have to submit new CBCs, resubmit their degree, etc..

I thought the new system was we just extend our ARC. 30,000won, passport, ARC card, the two school forms for business registration etc, and new contract..

Having to get a new visa, with CBCs and degree and everything is concerning....

[ttompatz]

[Daniel1981]

Thanks a lot ttompatz, that's reassuring. I like my school and want to stay. And I also want to clock as many years as I can on the same Visa without switching to a Visitor Visa. As with all the rumors going back and forth it seems there's a non-zero chance that time on 1 visa might be handy down the road.

If worse comes to worse and the people at my school are talking to the wrong immigration people, and they require a background check to be re-issued. Then I may need to see if someone at home can help me get my RCMP CRC/CBC processed faster than me mailing things back and forth.

Not sure if I should start a new thread, but as I don't want to pollute the other one that is going on:


Can anyone confirm if it is possible for someone back home (parent) to walk into the RCMP office and get a background check done for me (hence speeding up the processing time by removing mailtime)?

NOTE - I did it myself 13 months ago (Sept 2010) before I came to Korea.. Along with notarized copy of degree.. I have not left Korea since.


As far as I know, a fingerprint is not needed, only a national-lookup. So I am hoping my parents in Alberta can have this done for me, and they can get a notarized copy and send it to the consulate in Vancouver. I am thinking/hoping that is the fastest way possible.

[SeoulNate]

[Daniel1981]

That's really encouraging, thanks. I'm guessing the teachers at my school must have submitted different paperwork that was insufficient (maybe a local background check instead of national..) or it's a case of one immigration officer being more strict than another. I certainly see the logic in having to do what you had to do and *not* have to resubmit the forms after being in-country the whole time.

Thanks again!

I will follow-up once I know more to add my own experience..

[banjois]

I know that ttompatz has already assured me that if I submitted an embassy-approved CBC before the rule change that I'd be fine to re-sign again next year, but I'm looking for more assurance.

I did sign the whole "I'll get another background check" for next year when I re-signed in February. But then I didn't bother getting another one because it seems that according to the rules I don't have to. And I'm probably gonna re-sign again next February. And it's getting late to get another check from Canada if I do need one. And two Canadian co-workers just went to get fingerprints to get new CBCs...

Jeez. I think I just might wait and see. If they won't let me re-sign with existing documents I'll just head on out of country, even though I'd like to stay at my school....

[Feloria]

Ahhh-therin lies the problem.
If you signed the "I know I have to get a new set of documments sheet" when you were extending your visa, then what you were doing at the time was receiving the one extension that immigration was allowing for people who were in Korea before the new law was enforced.
The same thing happened to me last December.
My contract was up at the end of December; I extended it for 3 months and signed one of those sheets. After the three months was up, I had to get all new docs, including fingerprints, national CBC, apostilled copies of degrees; the whole shebang, even though I wanted to stay at my current job(and they wanted me)
I had to go back to the States to do all of this, but I hear it's easier to do it from Korea now.
Good Luck!
Just to clarify--the "one time option" extension was for any length of time with your current employer. It could be 3 months, 6 months, or a year with the current employer.
After that, if you DIDN'T GET an ENTIRE COUNTRY CBC with fingerprints and all before; you have to do it-even if you are staying with the same employer.

[banjois]

Yeah, but here's the thing. I GET that you need a new national FBI check from the States. I'm from Canada. The only thing you could ever get was a national check. And it was approved by the consulate. But this was BEFORE they changed the rules, so god knows if they kept it on file....

[Feloria]

That's the thing-it was before the rule change.
Everything was totally messed up after the rule change.
That sheet that we signed at immigration applies to ALL documments, not just the CBC, from what I understand.
Even if you gave them your degrees before, now you have to give them Notarized and Apostilled copies of your degrees; regardless of what country you're from.
I know it's all a major pain!

Maybe your National check won't take so long since your Canadian.
I've also heard that if you're "in the process" of getting this crap done, immigration might take that into account.
In any event--Good Luck!

[Daniel1981]

Just to follow-up ttompatz was absolutely right. Since they already had the proper documents on-file from when I came last October, there was no need to resubmit the paperwork. I had national-CBC and appropriate notary seals from a notary and consular stamps etc.. I did sign the February document many teachers got about resubmitting documents but it was not required as the docs were all here. Everything played out quite rationally.

[RSwanson26]

Not to resurrect this thread or anything, but I just went to the immigration office to extend my stay (I got here December 27, 2010, have to leave January 27, 2012), everything went smoothly, but they didn't do anything to my visa...they just wrote something on my ARC card. Will I have trouble when I leave in March?

[kardisa]

[Julius]

[ren546]

[ttompatz]