Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Katie26]

Hi all

Ok so when I have all of my required documents to go to the Embassy for my visa what is the proccess from there?

I hear that you have to take all your docs in then a week later have an interview then finally 5 days after that they give you your passport back (with visa in?)

So does the process for getting your visa (when you have all required documentation take 12 days...that seems like a long time? Can't it all be done in one day or at most a week?

Thanks
Kat

[asams]

you need to mail all your information - passport, transcript, and all that mess - to the consulate, right after you call and schedule the interview - include a SASE with it - probably express if you want it quickly

then you need to go to the interview on the day they tell you

you'll get your passport with visa mailed back to you within 24-48 hours.

more like a week - 10 days at tops

[oldtactics]

If you live in Toronto/wherever, I found it much faster/safer to just drop off and pick up all my paperwork - Obviously only effective if you live close enough for 3 trips.

I didn't trust Canada Post enough to mail my passport, so I dropped everything off at the consulate and made my interview appointment while I was there, came back the same week for the interview, and picked up my visa 2 business days later. Less than a week for me, but it depends completely on what the interview schedule is when you apply.

[oldtactics]

Also, I do know of one or two people who have picked up their visas the same day as their interview, but they called ahead and explained that their flight was set to leave "the next day" and had to do some sweet-talking, so I think that depends on who you speak to on the phone and what kind of mood they're in. Worth a try if you're in a big rush.

[Katie26]

Thanks everyone!

I will definately try the 'my flights leaving tommorow' on the day of the interview thing.

I will also drop my documents off at the consulate myself (about �20 on the train each time) but I think it's worth it.

[mekku]

my visa was in my passport before i even had my interview

.....of course, i still had to go through the interview because technically it was required. it was about 7 minutes of telling me how much i would enjoy korean autumns because they are so beautiful, then handing me the passport with a visa dated three days before my interview

i figure not a lot of people go through the korean embassy in anchorage...it is fairly new, my recruiter didn't even know there was one until i googled it to find the nearest one and to my surprise found one in alaska. the last time i needed a visa i choose to spend a week's vacation in san francisco and get one from the embassy there. there are some benefits to dealing with the embassies and businesses more 'out of the way'

[cruisemonkey]

Katie26,

All anyone can say with any certainty is that the actual procedure and processing time vary from embassy to embassy or consulate to consulate.

[sugarloaf82]

Yeah, every embassy/consulate has different procedures. I was confused as well so I just called the consulate and they told me everything they required, which was a lot less than I was originally told by my recruiter in the US. They also didn't require me to go for an interview, which was great. Four days after I sent in my documents I received my visa. Just call and ask your embassy if you have any questions.