Korean Job Discussion Forums

[pianowill]

Does everyone go through the same process of having to mail/e-mail dozens of documents over a period of months? I'm supposed to start on September 1st, but the Consulate is still processing my visa. If I don't have my visa by August 24th (when I'm planning on flying to Korea), or worse, by 9/1, what do I do?

First I went through the process of obtaining a passport (forms and a looooong wait).

Second I e-mailed my recruiter:
Application form
Health form
Cover letter
Resume
Recent photo
Scanned degree

Then I had my webcam interview with the school.

Then I mailed to the school:
Contract
Resume
A new health form (old one got updated, see my thread)
Copy of passport picture page
Sealed transcript
Apostilled degree
Apostilled background check

Then I mailed the Korean Consulate:
Passport
Copy of passport picture page
Copy of passport picture
Visa application

Now I need to:
Mail the Korean Consulate a Consul's checklist form
Mail the Korean Consulate a new photo (last one wasn't good enough)
Have a webcam interview with the Consulate
Mail an application for U.S. Residency to the IRS
Bring two letters of recommendation to Korea with my proof of U.S. Residency

Is there any end in sight? I will admit though, I have had to force myself to become better at collecting various documents, organizing them, and sending them out ASAP.

[pianowill]

P.S. I am planning on buying airline tickets AFTER getting my Visa. I've heard of people who haven't been able to leave when they originally scheduled their flight because of a Visa conflict. And they haven't been compensated.

[cruisemonkey]

As soon as you get everything finally done, the employer will turn around and say "Don't bother coming... we no longer need you."

[wallythewhale]

It's typical. You should have sent your documents in to a consulate that didn't require an interview. It should take less than a week for your visa to get back to you if all the proper docs were sent in.

[meghanr83]

I'm going through the same thing at the moment.
I'm waiting for my documents to come back from the Korean embassy in Vancouver to me (in a small town in BC) then I have to send them to my recruiter. Then .... then .... then.... It seems like so much red tape. Notarize this. Money grab this. I understand that the documents need to be assured real, but it's very frustrating.

[iggyb]

I've been held up by getting specific letters of previous employment by hakwons in Korea who ripped me off in the past...

My recruiter finally sent the paperwork into SMOE today minus two of those letters that were not sent which means SMOE will want me to sign a new, lower contract.

Luckily, I'm within driving distance to the Korean Consulate, but I've pretty much put the SMOE job in the ? box -- along with the university job that hasn't answered any emails in a week after offering me a position ---- and have started contacting private jobs and more recruiters and getting my mind fixed on the idea I won't get to Korea until maybe October or later...

(Which sucks considering my wife (Korean) will have to go soon to be with her mother for a few weeks and I can't share some of that time with them...)