Korean Job Discussion Forums

kiwiduncan · Joined: 18 Jun 2007 Location: New Zealand

A few points first.

Yes, I did read some of the stickies and I tried using the search function. The stickies did not answer my questions however and, as we all know, the search function is crap.

Yes, I did check the New Zealand Embassy's website to find more information about CRC requirements. They suggested going to the Korean Immigration website. The Korean Immigration website, yes, you guessed it, suggested finding information via the New Zealand Embassy.

Yes, it would be great if the Mods had a sticky specifically for CRC related queries and processes in different countries.

What I need to know is the basic process for getting a CRC. Ideally I'd like to hear from Kiwis who have already gone through the process.

I'm a Kiwi currently in Korea and I'd like to arrange my CRC from here. As it happens I've got dual citizenship and I'm currently here on my UK passport, but I'll switch to my NZ passport if (and that's a very big if these days, given all this petty and counter-productive bureaucratic bullshit being foisted upon us) I come decide to stay beyond August 2008.

Can I arrange a CRC from Korea? Do I have to ask the local Korean police station to help send my fingerprints back to NZ? Does anyone know how much the whole thinkg costs and how long it takes? I've got absolutely no criminal record, no warnings, not even a speeding ticket.

And one more thing here (sorry to be straying away from CRC questions). I've worked in Korea for about 5 years with no legal or visa problems at all. Does anyone know for certain if I am still required to go all the way back to NZ for a new visa and stupid fucking interview?

Cheers,

Frustrated in Yeosu

Hightop · Joined: 11 Jun 2003

Hey

I am in the same boat as you, Kiwi in Korea on a UK passport. For the new E2 the recruiter said I should stick to the UK one to avoid having to go back to NZ for the interview if I got it in the NZ passport (could be rubbish, who knows, but the only difference seems to be the free multi entry visa that the UK passport gets)

CRC: go to the ministry of justice website and follow the instructions http://www.justice.govt.nz/privacy/#application Says it takes 20 working days and I believe that as I applied for mine on January 16 and still have not got it back.

Good luck

Katchafire · Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 9:21 pm Post subject:

Hightop, thats what I did also. I printed out the form off that site, attached a photocopy of my NZ drivers license along with it and posted it off to NZ Ministry of Justice in Wgtn.
I got a letter back about 3 weeks later stating that I had no criminal record ... and that was it. No particularly official looking form or anything.

kiwiduncan · Joined: 18 Jun 2007 Location: New Zealand

Thanks for the advice. It seems like it's not as much of a headache as I thought it might be.

I think I'll use my NZ passport this time round though, as I've only spent three years on and off in the UK and the UK CRC seems like a bigger hassle.

What have you heard about interviews in our home countries though? I've heard conflicting opinions about whether someone who has worked in Korea previously is required to do this silly interview thing.

Cheers,

Duncan

ceesgetdegrees · Joined: 12 Jul 2007

air76 · Joined: 13 Nov 2007

My girlfriend and I were in the same boat. We are currently in Chile but returning to work in Korea. In the end all of the extra paperwork and apostilles really weren't that difficult to get. Anyhow, I'm American but my girlfriend is from New Zealand and this is what she said in regards to the easiest way to get through the process:

Download the 3rd party form from Justice webpage. Fax the 3rd party request to the Authenication Unit at Internal Affairs along with ID and credit card payment details(costs $40). (Don't fill out the 3rd party's info- they will). Call them first so they know it's coming. They fax the info straight to Justice and your criminal check is sent directly to them. They deal with everything and then post it on to you. The Authentication Unit at Internal Affairs were incredible. Carlee was incredibly helpful and onto it. I definitely recommend calling her first and she can walk you through the process. The whole process took about 3 and a half weeks-but it was over the Christmas holiday period.

Also....we both just got our visas stamped into our passports and we didn't need an interview, but we took in our old passports that showed we'd been to Korea on an E-2 before.

Hightop · Joined: 11 Jun 2003

Kiwiduncan,

I used the UK passport with NZ CRC, no problem so far.

ceesgetdegrees,

PS job said I did not need apostille. If you need apostille it is easy enough http://www.apostilleinfo.com/newzealand.htm here has all the info, should only take 5 days and you can request the ministry of justice to send the CRC straight to Internal Affairs to cut down on the posting times.

kiwiduncan · Joined: 18 Jun 2007 Location: New Zealand

Thanks for all the helpful replies above everyone. I decided to leave Korea a couple of months ago but now, with only 20 days before I'm due to fly out I've started having second thoughts.

Ah bugger it, I've committed myself to going home now, so if I do ever work in Korea again I'll sort out all the CRC paperwork back in NZ.

Cheers,

Duncan