First?

We realize that it can take time to organize your life to come to Korea ? landlords, bosses, and your flatmates need notice, and you will have to find somewhere to store your stuff etc. etc., so we guarantee that from finding a job for you to you having to fly to Korea that you will have AT LEAST TWO WEEKS to do so. You only have to fly earlier if you agree to do so. We realize that 2 weeks still isn’t enough time for many people, but because of negative experiences with other recruiters we are reluctant to say “we will definitely have a job for you by the end of the week” and have you start packing only to get to the end of the week and not have anything for you. For your sake we do not want you to start packing if we don’t have a job for you yet, and end up living in hotels in your hometown because you arranged things too early, so from the start we will be frank and forthright about your chances and how long we expect things to take. We can say that if you are not too fussy about where you work so long as the institute is good and offers a standard contract, then we will probably find you a job within a week. In fact usually from sending us your resume to you flying to Korea takes about 4 weeks - we insist on employers giving you at least 2 weeks, but most are quite happy to give you a month.

We’ve found you a job!
We will let you know this, and the conditions of the job, as soon as possible.

Most employers are content to give you a job simply because you have a degree, but occasionally employers want to interview you by phone (or webcam), and we will arrange a convenient time for both of you to do this. If you yourself want to speak to the employer and ask about the job, and most of our teachers naturally do, then of course we will arrange this for you also. We are quite happy to be present at the interview with the employer in case of any language difficulties, but most don’t need us.

Please don’t feel intimidated during the interview at all, usually the employer just wants to say hi! Definitely don’t expect to have to haggle about the contract, this has already been agreed to with us and so he or she shouldn’t be doing that, and in fact it never has happened during the interview. But if your boss suddenly does start saying that he can’t afford…etc. etc. then let us know straight away. The contract you will be sent us WILL have the conditions that the employer originally agreed to.

We will send you the contract by express courier, and should get to within 1-2 days.

Now…all the forms(1)
1) You will need to sign this contract.

2)You will have to visit the Korean Embassy or Consulate in your country with your original degree and photocopies and pay a small fee to get them notarized by them. They can NOT be notarized by any civic official, but ONLY by embassy or consulate officials.
- If you live too far away from either, these documents can be sent by mail (you will have to arrange this yourself).
- If you have recently graduated but do not physically have a certificate yet, then universities can provide notarized letters that say you have a degree for a small fee again, and the embassy or consulate officials will notarize those. It is worth getting at least two copies of these from the university in case one is lost.
- You MAY need to also get your academic transcripts, again available for a small fee from your university, notarized at the embassy or consulate as well. Even if you don’t need them this time, many ESL employers do need them so it is worth getting them (get 2!) to be able to use them in the future. But WE WILL LET YOU KNOW if you need them this time (p.s. nobody actually reads them, so don’t worry about that ‘D’ in German 101!)

3) You will have to get a photocopy of your passport pages with your photo and details on. These do NOT need to be notarised.

4) Send the signed contract, notarized copy of your degree, notarized copy of your transcripts (if required), and photocopy of your passport either to us or directly to your employer. This will have to be by courier, which you will have to pay (sorry)

5) Once received, the employer will sort out things with the immigration department in Korea. This will usually take about 7-10 days. Once completed, he or she will courier your Visa Certificate to you.

In the meantime, the travel arrangements
We can make your travel arrangements if you like, but most teachers prefer to make their own. Your employer, through us, will provide funds for the cost of a economy class-return ticket from your nearest international airport to Seoul, Busan, or Jeju, and if you need further air travel to another city then funds for these will be provided as well.

Sorry, you are never actually given the money (!), but we pay the air ticket by credit card. You will have to pay for and arrange both travel within your home country to the closet international airport, and travel insurance.

Please note that this system is different to what was the norm only 3 years ago, when you would have to provide half of the cost of the airfare and the employer half, and the employer would give you back that half when you finished your contract, as a way of making you stay for the year. But you WILL have to do something like this if you finish your contract early (see Contracts).

Some employers will only provide funds for a one-way ticket to Korea, and give you funds for a one-way ticket home upon completion of your contract, which is still a way of ensuring that you will stay for the year, but the crucial difference to the old system is that you don’t have to pay anything yourself.


Back to the embassy…
Once you receive your visa certificate then you will need to take or send that and your passport to the embassy or consulate again to get your E-2 Visa stamped in it. Again there may be a small fee, and they will need to keep your passport overnight. Once that is ready, there is nothing more to do except saying goodbye and getting on the plane.

Travelling
If your new job is in Seoul, Busan or Jeju then someone from work will meet you at the airport. If you need to take another domestic flight, then someone will be there to meet you at the airport at your destination. You won’t be flying again if you land in Jeju, and Busan airport is so small that international and domestic are right next to each other. Gimhae domestic airport in Seoul is quite some distance from Incheon International Airport, but there are so many special airport buses and English signs and English speakers there that you won’t have any trouble with the trip, and besides which we will give you all the maps and information you will need well in advance.


Finally, forms in Korea…
Within 90 days of your arrival you will have to go to your state immigration office with your passport (your employer will take you) and obtain an ID card, and either get a single-entry visa or multiple-entry visa stamped into your passport. You may or may not have to pay for these depending on what country you are from. If you plan to make any international trips while in Korea then you will have to get the multiple-entry one, and it is a good idea to get this anyway because it is just a little more expensive anyway (or be free if you are British!), and you may simply change your mind about not wanting to go overseas in the future or alternatively have to because of a family emergency or something.

What will happen after you apply…lite.
Often an employer is so desperate for a new teacher that he or she will ask for you to arrive on a tourist visa, to work while all your documentation is sorted out (which you will still need to bring with you), and then will pay for you to go to Japan to get your E-2 Visa stamped in your passport there. Although it is technically illegal to do this, it is a very common practice and doesn’t mean at all that your employer is evil or a shady character. So please don’t be put off by this, and it will mean that you will get a free trip to Japan on top of everything else!