Korean Job Discussion Forums

tony602 · Joined: 13 Feb 2006

Can anyone comment on this??? Is this a necessity for all newbies??? Ive tried checking other threads for info with no luck....plus sounds like we may need to make visa run to japan....haven't heard/read this before...anyone feel like commenting??? Especially if we should have to do the visa run?

Big Mac · Joined: 17 Sep 2005

Is it a recruiter asking you to do this?

It sounds like a scam to me. They want to sell your degrees and transcripts. DON'T DO IT.

You don't even need to send an original degree. You can get a copy notorized by a lawyer and the Korean consulate and that is it. And one copy of your transcript is fine.

Really, I think it is pretty obvious that this is not a legitimate request.

denverdeath · Joined: 21 May 2005 Location: Boo-sahn

I think that that poster was saying that so the OP would be ready for the future...ie, a little planning. What happens if you don't like your new school and want to get out of it? If you are able to get a letter of release, you will most likely need the docs to get a new visa with a new school. After your first year, if you decide to stay in Korea, but change schools, you will need the docs. I recommend scanning the notarized copy so you can print it off from a colour copier whenever you need to(I've been doing that since '97). The extra transcripts advice is currently good.

p.s. You'll only have to make a visa-run to Japan or elsewhere if you don't already have your E-2 visa in your passport(processed in Boston, I'm assuming). If you have your visa before leaving, you're good to go.

ontheway · Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2006 11:29 am Post subject:

tony602,

This advice you received was from an experienced teacher here. It was so you would have extra copies (not originals) of your degree that have been notarized by a Korean embassy and extra copies of your sealed transcripts. These documents are your security, a kind of insurance. His advice was to bring enough so you could go job hunting and get visas in the future. You might stay more than one year and want to change jobs. You might have bad luck and need to get a new job during your first year. Maybe even more than once.

He gave you good advice.

I would suggest 5 certified photocopies of your degree and 10 sealed transcripts, if you plan or might like to stay more than a year or two here. But, I'm probably overcautious.

Good luck.

(And I see that, as I wrote this, another poster gave the same info.)

tony602 · Joined: 13 Feb 2006

thanx bigmac, and denverdeath for your replies. No it wasnt a recruiter asking for this info, I read it on the what do i need to take thread posted earlier today...one responder said on that thread to take all these copies...and it did seem unusual to me, i hadnt seen that any place else.......but now that I read denver's response, makes some sense for personal use, and seeking other employment while there.....but no I didnt feel comfortable, nor do i normally, about releasing that much personal info to a foreign office or employer......and denverdeath.....if you read this again......those copies you have scanned, should i seek further notarization of that degree by lawyers or consulates, or is the normal stamp from the university sufficient for when I need to go retrieve my visa and so forth.....again, thank you both, and anyone else who would like to contribute

chronicpride · Joined: 16 Jan 2003

Just to be clear, but remove 'notarization by lawyer' completely from your memory. Once that's done, just remember notarized degree from a Korean embassy or consulate, plus a handful of unopened transcripts in their original envelopes, sealed by your university. Frankly, I'd even forget about the whole notarization thing altogether and just bring the original, in the event that an overzealous immigration clerk is in a bad mood and decides to be a stickler.

denverdeath · Joined: 21 May 2005 Location: Boo-sahn

tony602 · Joined: 13 Feb 2006

Great stuff denverdeath and chronicpride, thank you both very much for clearing things up, "10-4" on the Boston thing, and "10-4" on forgetting some of it too....i think im over-complicating slightly.....charachter flaw I need to check, but absolutely makes sense to have both hard copies and electronic copies, which I do, just not stamped by the consulate yet.......one other quick idea.....Im not yet sponsored for the E2, lots of inquiries out, and lots of offers from multiple towns......but, hypothetically speaking.......without the sponsorship as of today......could I show up down at the Boston office and get that "stamp of approval"?? What's anybody got to say on that, wasted trip (since I may have to go back to beantown, or on visa run anyway??), could see friends down that way, but should I just wait for the official sponsorship? Just trying to line up the ducks before I sign my name on the proverbial line....ideas welcome....thank you all!!

BigBuds · Joined: 15 Sep 2005 Location: Changwon

denverdeath · Joined: 21 May 2005 Location: Boo-sahn

tony602 · Joined: 13 Feb 2006

BigBuds, thanx for your chime-in, one question for you if you follow this up.....any difference between consulate or local notarization of degree before actual acceptance of position, or sponsorship by school? We do have multiple official copies of diplomas ($20 a pop for those for me denverdeath, I heard ya when you said you didnt want to send those babies out, cant blame ya there) but I guess what I dont know/understand is whether or not they will actually notarize facsimile/photocopies of the thing if I have the original present? am I overcomplicating again-----I am a secondary level social sciences guy trying to make this transition to ESL edu------does it show too much???? Very Happy

tony602 · Joined: 13 Feb 2006

and thanx to all who are trying to help the newbie out, I do appreciate all this info...Ill buy the beers, or rice wine, sometime....

BigBuds · Joined: 15 Sep 2005 Location: Changwon

Not sure what you mean by local notarization (lawyer?) but the only place that can notarize your degree for Korean immigration purposes is the Korean consulate. They won't accept one that is notarized by a lawyer or whatnot. Must have the Korean consulate offical stamp on it.

You'll need to either, take in your original with some copies (photocopies are fine. That's all I've ever used) for them to notarize, or mail off the original with some copies to get them notarized. This can be done anytime before or after you've accepted a position.

After my first year here, I decided to stay and got my mother back home to go to the consulate for me (I was still in Korea) to get more notarized. So, it's a good idea to get a few done at once, just in case.

tony602 · Joined: 13 Feb 2006

Excellent BigBuds, just what I needed, sounds like an initial trip to the consulate in Boston might not be such a bad idea afterall....you have all been hugely helpful and i thank you for your posts....also BigBuds, noticed youre in changwon, we're entertaining an offer from there right now, whats your opinion of the town/area/your situation?

buster brown · Joined: 26 Aug 2005 Location: Seoul

Getting certified copies of your diploma is the way to go. You don't want anyone else to have control of your original documents if there's an alternative. I had my copies certified at the Atlanta Consulate, but all of them have a paper stick-on stamp in addition to the big Consulate (inked)stamp. It just means that denverdeath's method of scanning and printing won't work with the way they're doing them now. At US$2 per copy it's still a cheap insurance policy.