Korean Job Discussion Forums

[passport220]

I started this discussion with a fellow board member via PM and would like to get see if I can get some clarification.

Part of my PM:

�As some background I was in my previous life a government employee and a notary public in the state of Oregon. A notarization really does not have anything to do with a document, a notary is only certifying that they have followed a criteria to insure that the person signing a document is who they say they are via identification checks (show me two forms of solid ID).

A notarization stamp on a diploma really does zero to ensure that it a really and truly earned diploma. An apostille offers no additional help to this end, it only says the notary public who checked your ID is in good standing.

Does that make sense? On any level, local, state, federal...no one is �notarizing your diploma� as it is written on the web boards. In all cases it is a statement or affidavit that the diploma is real. To notarize your actual diploma would require the notary public to see a university official sign your diploma, live in person, and only after they check the university official's ID!

That is why I think the US State Dept. can do what is needed to sign off on a non State document, affidavit. An affidavit or �true copy statement� so to speak attached to the diploma is not a �State-issued document�. The affidavit is generated at the US Embassy and would be notarized by a US Embassy official. In all cases, local, state, federal, it would seem we are dealing with some type of similar affidavit to be notarized and apostilled, not an actual diploma.�

Can anyone clarify what we actually need to get notarized, is it only an affidavit that states your claim that your diploma is real?

[ttompatz]

[Hawkeye Pierce]

An apostilled degree means one of Jesus Christ's twelve apostles has ceritified that it is authentic. There is still some debate whether Paul was truly one of apostles, so try to get one of the other eleven to ceritfy the degree. Try to avoid Judas too, since he isn't trustworthy.

Now in theory, Christ himself should be able to certify the degree, since he outranks all of his apostles. However, Korea is not all that Christian, so this could be a problem too.

If you went to a Catholic university, in theory the Pope may be able to help as well. If you send the document to the Vatican, they may be able to put a stamp on it that looks real nice, and keep Kimi happy.

[passport220]

Yeah, I agree tompatz the KCUE process seems MUCH cleaner. The PM sprung from a thread on how to get a degree Apostilled from within Korea. However, your employer must be up to speed on the KCUE process and it is clear not all are.

The recruiter I am working with is asking only for the �Apostilled Degree� to move along with the process. However again if in Korea or out...I don't think there is such a thing as an �Apostilled Degree�. I think we are talking about a notarized and apostilled affidavit that a degree is real.

Since I will have to send in my FBI check to Washington D.C. to have it apostilled, it seems easy enough to have the same done with my US Embassy notarized affidavit for my degree in the same envelope.

[ontheway]

Yes, by all means, don't tell Immigration that the new rules are silly.

They no longer will accept the original diploma. Immigration wants a copy of the diploma that has been apostilled. But, all the apostille does is certify that the copy is a true copy of the original diploma. It does nothing to guarantee that the original diploma was ever valid or actually real to begin with. No one has to check with the university, nor do they even have to check to see if the university actually exists, and the apostille could easily be obtained for a photocopy of a good, photoshopped fake original diploma.

The use of sealed transcripts was a much better way to verify that someone had a real degree. They should have kept the requirement for sealed transcripts and dropped the diploma requirement.

[nathanrutledge]

My diploma copies have been done at my University, signed by the Director of Records (who is a notary) on a line that says "This is a copy of a diploma granted to nathanrutledge on date of graduation."

Then I walked them over 4 blocks to the Capitol building where the SOS apostilled it. Before they apostilled it though, they looked up the notary in their database and verified that he was, in fact, the Director at the University.

My second visa, I tried to have my copied degree apostilled with a notarization from my father's secretary, and the SOS office refused to apostille it, because the notary couldn't verify if it was official or not.

I don't know about other states, but a Nebraska apostilled diploma is official.

[kiteflyer]

[dharmasister]

So do you have to get your diploma apostilled in the state where the university is? I graduated from Bradley University in Illinois, but I now reside in Louisiana. Do I have to make a trip to Illinois to get this done or can any states SOS do it? I'm going to call Baton Rouge tomorrow to see if they will do it, but will Korean immi accept it?

[kiteflyer]

[northway]

Regarding the KCUE process:

I'm one of the many folks who came over here with their original degrees. I assume the KCUE only accepts copies. If that is the case, what kind of copy do I need? Do I need to get an official copy from my university, or will a Kinkos type deal do the trick? Thanks.

[jamiemexi]

Each requesting agency have their own policies in regards to accepting diploma apostille. Some South Korean teaching agency want the apostille on the original degree whereas others want a copy of your degree apostille. 90% would want a copy of your degree apostille. It's less of a headache because the apostille would actually ruin the degree because of the stamp and staple; hence, if you get a new job, you have to order a new degree from your university and that sometimes takes a month.

If you need a degree apostille and if you're in south korea, you can contact Apostille Pros. www.apostillepros.com

You send them the original degree/diploma and they provide the notarization, apostille and send to South Korea via FedEx.

Also, one note, if they require a background check apostille, most South Korean teaching agency will require a FBI background check, that takes 8-12 weeks. Some people get the results (CRC) in 4-6 weeks, depending on how busy it gets. So make sure you do the background check ASAP. Furthermore, make sure you get good prints on the FD-258 card 'cause if it gets rejected you'll wait another 4-6 weeks minimum.

[Epik_Teacher]

[runthegauntlet]

[Epik_Teacher]

[Kwangjuchicken]