Korean Job Discussion Forums

[millyfrend]

I just want some consenus/feedback on this topic and there has been some misinformation/confusion on the forum about apostilles. I will just tell you what my friend went through.

My friend got a FBI background check, which took her 7 weeks to get. Due to her job deadline, she must get her paperwork in by a certain time. She used an apostille agency to expedite the process. The FBI background check was notarized and apostille in California. Also, she had a degree from University of Florida and it was apostille in California for faster processing. She said, everything was accepted by Korean Immigration. Some people have been asking how you can go through a different state to get an apostille. You can used apostille agencies like Apostille Pros www.apostillepros.com
or if you know someone from those states.

What I don't get is some people said, if you have a degree from the issuing state, in this case (Florida) that it cannot be apostille outside of that state. Why was it accepted for her case and others (on this forum), whereas, some people said otherwise. Are people giving out wrong information or was there miscommunication at the Korean Immigration or people at the Korean Immigration have their own rules from person to person.

I know when I went to China and had to go through immigration to get my paperwork, each person who work for them had their own set of rules. It was so frustrating. One told me this and another told me that to keep rejecting my documents, but they were fine. The last person, who worked there longer said everything was fine and those people that told me otherwise were just new workers. I was furious 'cause it takes a very long time to wait at the consulate and nothing was wrong with my documents in the first place.

Anyway, I just want to confirm on her case that her degree from Florida was apostille in California and FBI background check was notaried/apostille in California and accepted in South Korea by Korea Immigration and for her job.

The reason why you would want to legalize your documents in another state is for faster processing to meet deadlines, like in her case, 'cause in her state it would have taken forever to get an apostille.

[eliross]

Well the FBI says local state governments will not apostille federal documents and only the federal government can do this.

The reason for this is that an Apostille is only an authentication of the notary or authentication service. Notary services are local state services so the local state department has to give the apostille. The FBI is a federal service so the federal government has to apostille. This is all according to some old Hague Convention which states how foreign paperwork is authenticated internationally, blah blah blah.

Anyway same goes with the diploma. The notary and Apostille have to be from the same state. This is straight from my local State Department by email.

I don't know how your friend did it unless the service mailed the documents or there is some other way to get around it they certainly won't let an individual do it.

[kp_vtekniks]

[3DR]

Look...everyone CHECK YOUR OWN STATE. It's that simple. It's different for every state.

I'm from Michigan and I was able to get my degree from a university in Virginia notarized and apostilled here.

Like posters above me, it may not work in your state, but the least you can do is try. Going down and finding out you can't do it is worth it since you can shave a lot of time off the process. just make sure it's notarized first.

And California and Michigan have been two of the states I've heard on this forum where you can get your FBI check notarized and apostilled without any problems.

[millyfrend]

You can notarize/apostille a degree that was issued in a different state and the FBI Background Check in TEXAS as well. Some people on this forum said in Texas you're not allowed to notarize and apostille a FBI Background Check, but my friend in Texas did that. There's a lot of misinformation by people on this forum and it confuses everyone. Or they went to a notary in the state and he/she doesn't know how to notarize a FBI Background Check. Not all notaries know how to notarize a FBI Background Check.

But YES a FBI Background Check was notarized and apostille IN TEXAS!!! It was accepted by Korea Immigration and employer.

[passport220]

[3DR]

I should also mention about getting something notarized...try a UPS service center. Dead serious. Just about all of them do it, and they are actually competent and know what they are doing. Just check with the one in your area first.

[waseige1]

[passport220]

[waseige1]

[passport220]

[jamo]

ok so what if I didn't know I needed to check that box for the notary/apostille at the time of requesting my CBC frmo the FBI. I assume now they will mail it back without the notarized and apostille...do I need to send it back to the FBI?

Thanks...

[waseige1]

[jamo]

thank you very much for your reply