| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
thebektionary
Joined: 11 May 2011
|
 Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2011 11:53 pm Post subject: Calling your congressperson |
 |
|
Hey guys,
I have been relentlessly staying up all night, emailing recruiters, talking to you guys, etc. for the past 3 weeks and I'm very proud to say that I got hired as a GEPIK Middle School teacher in Bucheon for Spring semester. I'm really proud of myself for getting this job, as well as working so hard to find it and saying the right things in interviews.
I sent my background check and it arrived to them on December 5, so it's been a little over three weeks. I was worried that it wouldn't come in time, but last week I submitted a case to my congressperson. Yesterday I got a letter from my congressperson stating that the case had been started and that I would receive another letter when they heard back from the FBI. This morning a woman from the FBI called me and told me that she would complete my FBI check right then and there. Unfortunately there was no way she could track my application because she told me they receive over 30,000 requests a day, so she told me to re-submit my application and that she would do it for me as soon as she received it. She gave me her direct phone number and her direct address. I express mailed my new application today with a delivery confirmation number.
I am very happy about how all this panned out and hope that it pans out for all of you similarly in the future. It is nice to know that there is a light at the end of this stressful process. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
jrwhite82
Joined: 22 May 2010
|
| Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2011 12:38 am Post subject: |
|
|
| People don't realize how much your Congressperson can do for you when it comes to circumventing the crushing weight of our bureaucracy. Each congressman has a fulltime employee whose job it is to call government offices on behalf of their constituents. Mine was quite helpful in pushing my wife's immigration papers through US Customs and Immigration Services (which is 1000X worse than FBI fingerprints). |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
koreatimes
Joined: 07 Jun 2011
|
| Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2011 1:27 am Post subject: |
|
|
How exactly do you expedite things this way? What do you say? It just seems like they would reply back with, "Sorry, but everyone before you wants their documents processed too."
Are you paying an extra fee to get it done faster this way? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
nathanrutledge
Joined: 01 May 2008
Location: Marakesh
|
| Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2011 4:01 am Post subject: |
|
|
Monday, February 27th is when you should expect your results back. The FBI website clearly states that it takes up to 12 weeks to process.
I'm with Koreatimes on this one. Sure, calling a congressman might get it done faster, but at the expense of other people. Maybe that's why it takes 12 weeks - everyone sends it in, then calls their rep, then send in another one and the FBI is busy sorting through the originals and resends, and refiling the order in which they are processed...
What I"M curious about is - how did you get the job if you don't have the FBI check yet? How did a recruiter even give you the time of day without the check? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
jrwhite82
Joined: 22 May 2010
|
| Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2011 4:17 am Post subject: |
|
|
| koreatimes wrote: |
How exactly do you expedite things this way? What do you say? It just seems like they would reply back with, "Sorry, but everyone before you wants their documents processed too."
Are you paying an extra fee to get it done faster this way? |
For me, my wife and I wanted to return to Korea for 2 years with her US greencard. This is against the rules and can result in her US visa being revoked. We applied for an exit permit but it takes forever. So we called our Congressman and sent him a letter too. We stated our situation, why we felt it should be expedited (she was pregnant and I had a job offer to work there) and a nice little not reminding him that I voted for him in the past. They spoke with USCIS directly and had our case expedited. For free...although because his office took the time to intervene in my personal life, I voted for him come re-election. If you have a legitimate reason, for example, the chance to be gainfully employed as opposed to having no work in America, and that you will miss the opportunity because the FBI takes 12 weeks for a simple background check, damn straight they're gonna speak up. They want your vote.
I think we all forget that in the US there is an awful lot of people employed by the government who just do barely a damn thing. (Have you ever gone to the DMV or a government office to apply for some kind of permit?) They could easily speed up the process that now takes 12 weeks. But there is no incentive for them to work harder (or at all essentially) unless some congressman or someone else with the power to hold them accountable comes around raising a stink.
Democracy in action! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
koreatimes
Joined: 07 Jun 2011
|
| Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2011 5:08 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: |
| (Have you ever gone to the DMV or a government office to apply for some kind of permit?) |
When I was 16 I remember standing outside the local SOS office like I was getting tickets to a concert. Then, the next time I had to go (maybe ~1995), they improved services. I was in and out within minutes. It was like that in 2007 as well, Michigan. I am not sure what it's like today or what other states experience. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
jrwhite82
Joined: 22 May 2010
|
| Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2011 5:29 am Post subject: |
|
|
| koreatimes wrote: |
| Quote: |
| (Have you ever gone to the DMV or a government office to apply for some kind of permit?) |
When I was 16 I remember standing outside the local SOS office like I was getting tickets to a concert. Then, the next time I had to go (maybe ~1995), they improved services. I was in and out within minutes. It was like that in 2007 as well, Michigan. I am not sure what it's like today or what other states experience. |
Some offices are better than others. You'll find ones that don't have a lot of "face time" with the general public to be the worst. The ones where everything is done by phone. An organization like USCIS deals with primarily immigrants- who have no power whatsoever. They are extremely slow, rude and worthless IMO. I've visited offices in both DC and Baltimore. Terrible. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
thebektionary
Joined: 11 May 2011
|
| Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2011 10:49 am Post subject: |
|
|
| koreatimes wrote: |
How exactly do you expedite things this way? What do you say? It just seems like they would reply back with, "Sorry, but everyone before you wants their documents processed too."
Are you paying an extra fee to get it done faster this way? |
No, I'm not paying an extra fee. My congresswoman called the FBI and put in a case for me and they called me and said they'd do it for me as soon as she received my new package (there was no way she could track my old one).
Also I don't think doing what I did slows the process... the process takes the same amount of time for other people anyway. Just because they're doing mine before someone else's doesn't mean that it increases the waiting time... the waiting time is the same because there are still the same number of applications... do you know what I mean? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
thebektionary
Joined: 11 May 2011
|
| Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2011 10:50 am Post subject: |
|
|
| nathanrutledge wrote: |
Monday, February 27th is when you should expect your results back. The FBI website clearly states that it takes up to 12 weeks to process.
I'm with Koreatimes on this one. Sure, calling a congressman might get it done faster, but at the expense of other people. Maybe that's why it takes 12 weeks - everyone sends it in, then calls their rep, then send in another one and the FBI is busy sorting through the originals and resends, and refiling the order in which they are processed...
What I"M curious about is - how did you get the job if you don't have the FBI check yet? How did a recruiter even give you the time of day without the check? |
Probably because I have a good resume with a lot of relevant experience. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
yfb
Joined: 29 Jan 2009
|
| Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2011 12:15 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Why would you even talk to a recruiter before you had the documents in hand? If you don't get your check back, you're just wasting everyone's time. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
thebektionary
Joined: 11 May 2011
|
| Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2011 1:28 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| yfb wrote: |
| Why would you even talk to a recruiter before you had the documents in hand? If you don't get your check back, you're just wasting everyone's time. |
I think I just explained this in my post. I had confidence that my congressperson would help me and I also had enough time to get the check back normally, albeit it might've been a bit rushed. The FBI received my check in the beginning of this month so if it had taken 8-9 weeks it would've been okay. This is the average processing time. If i had waited until I got my check back, I wouldn't have gotten this awesome job. I have one woman (who I am in constant contact with) specifically working on my FBI check right now and sending it back to me by next week, so I'm not wasting anyone's time. I have confirmation numbers on both packages (the one being sent to her and the one I included in my package for her to send back to me) and the check was sent directly to this woman's office.
I'm encouraging others to use your congressperson to get the job done for you. I wrote my congressperson a nice letter politely requesting that the process be changed because it is negatively impacting so many Americans. It is democracy in action. This is what is good about our country. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Gamecock
Joined: 26 Nov 2003
|
| Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2011 4:05 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| thebektionary wrote: |
| yfb wrote: |
| Why would you even talk to a recruiter before you had the documents in hand? If you don't get your check back, you're just wasting everyone's time. |
I think I just explained this in my post. I had confidence that my congressperson would help me and I also had enough time to get the check back normally, albeit it might've been a bit rushed. The FBI received my check in the beginning of this month so if it had taken 8-9 weeks it would've been okay. This is the average processing time. If i had waited until I got my check back, I wouldn't have gotten this awesome job. I have one woman (who I am in constant contact with) specifically working on my FBI check right now and sending it back to me by next week, so I'm not wasting anyone's time. I have confirmation numbers on both packages (the one being sent to her and the one I included in my package for her to send back to me) and the check was sent directly to this woman's office.
I'm encouraging others to use your congressperson to get the job done for you. I wrote my congressperson a nice letter politely requesting that the process be changed because it is negatively impacting so many Americans. It is democracy in action. This is what is good about our country. |
Haha. Glad you're excited about your AWESOME GEPIK middle school job as well as your faith in the American system. But you haven't got your FBI background check yet, right? But you're assured the "check is in the mail!" Maybe let people know how this works out when you actually have your papers in hand.
Also, a piece of advice- lower your expectations for Korea and especially this awesome job or you'll be hitting depression and culture shock well ahead of most newbies. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Gamecock
Joined: 26 Nov 2003
|
| Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2011 4:13 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Well, i see from your other posts that you are not a newbie to Korea...which makes your enthusiasm for GEPIK even more baffling! 
Good luck to you! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Feloria
Joined: 02 Sep 2006
|
| Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2011 6:16 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Even with re-reading your post, I'm a bit confused--are you talking about the actual FBI Criminal Background Check, or the APOSTILLE which you have to get on the CBC after you receive it?
I've heard of people calling their congressperson to try to expedite the Apostille process, but that you can't rush the FBI process.
If you can now use them for both, hooray! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
thebektionary
Joined: 11 May 2011
|
| Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2011 7:32 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Gamecock wrote: |
| thebektionary wrote: |
| yfb wrote: |
| Why would you even talk to a recruiter before you had the documents in hand? If you don't get your check back, you're just wasting everyone's time. |
I think I just explained this in my post. I had confidence that my congressperson would help me and I also had enough time to get the check back normally, albeit it might've been a bit rushed. The FBI received my check in the beginning of this month so if it had taken 8-9 weeks it would've been okay. This is the average processing time. If i had waited until I got my check back, I wouldn't have gotten this awesome job. I have one woman (who I am in constant contact with) specifically working on my FBI check right now and sending it back to me by next week, so I'm not wasting anyone's time. I have confirmation numbers on both packages (the one being sent to her and the one I included in my package for her to send back to me) and the check was sent directly to this woman's office.
I'm encouraging others to use your congressperson to get the job done for you. I wrote my congressperson a nice letter politely requesting that the process be changed because it is negatively impacting so many Americans. It is democracy in action. This is what is good about our country. |
Haha. Glad you're excited about your AWESOME GEPIK middle school job as well as your faith in the American system. But you haven't got your FBI background check yet, right? But you're assured the "check is in the mail!" Maybe let people know how this works out when you actually have your papers in hand.
Also, a piece of advice- lower your expectations for Korea and especially this awesome job or you'll be hitting depression and culture shock well ahead of most newbies. |
Why is everyone here so rude? I'm happy I got a public school job close to Seoul and that I don't have to work at a hagwon again. It's not like I'm expecting this job to be without frustrations or expecting it to be my absolute dream job. Give me a break. I went through a hagwon nightmare. Why is it so bad to be happy and excited about this?
I have lived in Korea before. Why would I have high expectations of something that I'm already familiar with?
Jesus. Everyone needs to get off their high-horse and chill out.
THIS THREAD WAS SIMPLY ABOUT ENCOURAGING YOU TO CONTACT YOUR CONGRESSPERSON AS IT WORKED FOR ME. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
