E-2 Visa Process for Canadian Applicants

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*This page details the entire process necessary for Canadian applicants to get an E-2 visa to teach in Korea. Please follow this procedure carefully as even a small mistake like a missed signature could result in having to submit the paperwork all over again. Please note that this page has been updated (July 2010) to reflect recent changes in immigration policy.

Please contact us with any questions or concerns you have. We will guide you through the entire process. Also, please let us know right away if you notice any procedural information that has changed so that we can update our files.

The following is a list of all of the documents you will need to teach in Korea. Some of these documents need to be sent to your employer in Korea and others need to be sent or taken to the Korean consulate/embassy which services your region. We recommend making a photocopy of all your documents. These documents will be explained in greater detail in steps 1-3 below. The total set of documents required are:

  • Copy of university degree (with notarization from the Korean consulate). Please NOTE: As of August 31st, 2010, Korean immigration will no longer accept original degrees.
  • 3 sealed transcripts
  • Criminal background check
  • health statement (2 copies)
  • a valid passport
  • a copy of the information page in your passport
  • a resume
  • 4 passport photos
  • a signed contract
  • Consul’s checklist

✳ Please make a photocopy of your university degree and criminal background check (after it has been notarized). You might need these copies to send to the Korean consulate in your region (depending on the consulate).

Note: Your name must appear the exact same on all documents submitted. If you have a middle name, middle initial, or if one or more of your documents is written differently, it could create problems with your application. Your middle name (if you have one) should be written in full. Initials should not be used for any of your documents. Please contact us if you have any questions about this.

Step 1: Gather all your documents

✳ It is advisable that you start collecting the documents you will need well before accepting a job. You will need all of the above documents for whatever job you accept. Some of the documents, particularly the criminal background checks (CBCs) can take time to process resulting in job offers being taken back. Get started on collecting your documents now.

  1. Copy of University degree with notarization from the Korean consulate.
    1. Your degree must be a Bachelor’s degree (3 or 4 years) from an accredited university.
    2. Please note that as of August 31st, 2010, original university degrees will no longer be accepted by immigration in Korea. Only copies of the university degree which have the Korean consulate notarization will be accepted.
    3. To make a notarized copy, make a photocopy and have this copy notarized by a notary public within the jurisdiction of your Korean consulate. Then, send or take this notarized copy of your degree to the Korean consulate in your region for consulate notarization. Find the Korean consulate which serves your region here. Depending on the consulate, you may need a set of sealed transcripts when you send your degree to the consulate (Vancouver requests them). Also, be sure to bring the $2.20 notary fee for this document (payable by cash or money order made out to the “Korean Consulate General”). Contact your consulate to confirm this fee, necessary procedures and payment methods as they do differ from consulate to consulate.
    4. Note: If you have graduated, but do not yet hold a degree at the time of applying for a visa, you have two options:
      1. Option 1: Obtain a degree verification certificate from the Korean Council for University Education (KCUE). The applicant sends an original copy of a ‘Certificate of Graduation Completion’ to their prospective employer. The employer then submits the applicants certificate to KCUE and then the KCUE will issue a degree verification certificate for the applicant.
      2. Option 2: Certificate Verification by the Korean Consulate. You will need an original ‘Certificate of Graduation Completion’. This certificate must include the following: duration of study at the school, major, expected date for graduation and degree acquisition. You may also need a set of transcripts and a small fee for certificate verification. Please call the consulate in your region to confirm this.
  2. 3 sets of sealed/stamped university transcripts
    1. Sealed and stamped means still in the unopened envelope from the applicant’s school with the university stamp or registrar signature across the back seal. Korean immigration is very strict about this requirement. For examples of acceptable transcripts, click here. It is advisable for applicants to contact the registrar’s office when they order their transcripts to specifically request for their transcripts to be stamped as not all universities automatically do this.
    2. You should order 3 sets of transcripts from the registrar office of your university as you will be required to submit one copy to immigration in Korea and one copy to the Korean consulate in your region (Note that not all consulates are requiring this, but some are). You may also need one copy of your transcripts when you notarize your degree at the Korean consulate. Also, please make sure that the transcripts are individually signed across the seal and in separate envelopes.
    3. Do NOT open or tamper with the envelope in any way. If the seal has been opened, the transcripts will not be accepted.
  3. Criminal Background Check
    1. Get started on this document early. Criminal background checks (CBCs) are accepted by Korean immigration for up to six months from the date of issue. Processing times and fees may vary from place to place, but we have found that on average it takes about 7-10 days to receive your CBC.
    2. The CBC for Canadian citizens must be done by the Provincial Police department. Please note that CBCs done at the local level or by private agencies are no longer accepted by immigration in Korea. Also, note that the RCMP check is not necessary and takes much longer. When you request this CBC, you will need to bring 2 pieces of ID, your SIN number and the processing fee to your provincial police department. If you have any questions about this document or wish to confirm that you have ordered this CBC from the correct office, please contact us anytime. We are always available to help and we find that getting the right advice early in your document processing will help save time and money later on.
    3. You need to request on the CBC that they conduct a vulnerable sector check (like a sex offender check in the U.S.) and make sure that this is clearly indicated on the report. It must be clearly indicated on the report for the consulate to accept it. Tell them it is for teaching overseas in Korea. Have them send the results to you.
    4. Once you receive this CBC, you must then take it or send it to the Korean consulate which serves your region for consular notarization. When sending to consulates in Canada, contact the consulate in your region to confirm their accepted method of post as some consulates will not accept documents sent by certain couriers. As of this writing, most consulates in Canada use XPresspost or Priority Courier (although apparently the consulate in Toronto will only accept XPresspost). You will need a $2.20 money order for the consular notarization.
  4. Health statement (2 copies)
    1. This is an easy step – simply fill in the health questionnaire from the Korean government. You will need to prepare two copies, one for immigration in Korea and one for the Korean consulate in your region (some consulates require you to submit this and some don’t). The two forms must be completed with exactly the same answers. Please complete your answers honestly.
    2. This questionnaire will be testing for serious medical conditions like HIV or TB. It is important to note that while the marijuana test has been dropped from the health test, using drugs in Korea is still a serious offense. Do NOT bring drugs into Korea.
    3. Shortly after you arrive in Korea, a full physical and blood test will be administered at a local hospital (within 90 days of arrival). It is advisable that you have a health check in your own country before submitting this form.
  5. Valid Passport
    1. All applicants must have a valid passport. The passport must be valid for a minimum of six months after arrival to Korea. Failure to have this minimum will result in being denied access into Korea when going through customs. However, we recommend having a minimum of 12 months validity on your passport after your arrival to Korea.
    2. Make sure that your passport has at least two blank pages for the consulate to place your visa. Failure to have these blank pages will result in the consulate refusing to process your visa.
    3. Your passport must be signed.
  6. Photocopy of the information pages of your passport.
    1. Only copy the information pages of your passport (the picture/information and signature page)
  7. Resume
    1. 1 copy of your current resume, signed, with your correct address and contact information
  8. Signed contract
    1. 1 copy of the school contract, signed and dated by you
  9. 4 passport sized photos
    1. 3.5 cm x 4.5 cm, in color, and date stamped on the back (photo must have been taken within the last six months and have a white background)

Step 2: Sending your documents to Korea

Once you have gathered all of the documents listed above and accepted a teaching position in Korea, you now need to send some of the above documents to Korea to begin processing your visa at Korean immigration.

The documents you will need to send to Korea are:

  • original degree (or notarized copy)
  • photocopy of the information pages of your passport (do NOT send the actual passport)
  • 2 sets of university transcripts, sealed and stamped across the fold
  • Criminal Background Check (with Vulnerable Sector Check) – with notarization from both a notary public and the Korean consulate
  • one copy of your health statement
  • 2 passport sized photos, in color and date stamped on the back (must be taken within the last six months)
  • a signed copy of your contract
  • a copy of your resume, signed and containing your current contact information

✳ Please do NOT send your documents by regular mail to Korea as this is quite slow, more likely to get lost and cannot be tracked. Please use either FedEx or DHL. Once you have sent these documents, please email us the tracking number and the courier company you have used so that we can track your documents.

✳ Once we receive your documents, your school will take them to Korean immigration and receive your Visa Issuance Number. This number will be a code where the first four characters are letters and the remaining characters are numbers. It will look something like – ABCD 01234567. It will usually take 7-10 business days to receive this number.

✳ Once we get this number, we will email it to you. You will need this code to put on the top of your visa application form that you need to bring to the Korean consulate.

Step 3: Getting your E-2 visa stamp at the Korean consulate

This is the final step in the visa process. Once you receive your Visa Issuance Number, you are ready to go to the Korean consulate in your country. If you live far from the consulate, you can send your documents by mail. Please do NOT send them by regular mail. Contact the Korean consulate that services your region to determine your consulate’s accepted method of post as not all consulates are the same. If you are sending your documents, be sure to include a self-addressed stamped envelope with the appropriate postage affixed so that the consulate can return your documents.

Required documents to bring/send to the Korean consulate are:

  • The completed E-2 Teaching Visa Application form. Download the form here. Make sure to fill it in properly and attach the Visa Issuance Number at the top of the form. Some of the areas of the form that you may have questions about:
    • Section 8. Classification – OR (ordinary)
    • Section 16. Occupation title – teacher
    • Section 21. Desired length of stay – 1 year
    • Section 23. Address in Korea – you can use the school’s address
    • Section 27. Who will pay for your trip – Employer
    • Section 31. Guarantor in Korea – the director of your school
  • Passport – make sure that it meets the requirements mentioned in step 1
  • Photo – 1 passport sized photo, 3.5 cm x 4.5 cm, in color and date stamped on the back (not more than six months old).
  • A photocopy of your university degree (some consulates require this, but not all)
  • A photocopy of your CBC after it has been notarized (some consulates require this, but not all)
  • 1 set of sealed and stamped transcripts – stamped across the seal (Some consulates require this and some don’t. Both Vancouver and Ottawa require it.)
  • Official health statement – the answers must be the same as the one sent to Korean immigration (not all consulates are requiring this, but some are).
  • Consul checklist: A two page document required by the consulate to confirm your information. Download it here.
  • Fee – The cost for the visa stamp will be $55 CDN. This has to be in cash or a money order (no travelers checks). Please call your regional embassy to confirm this fee before sending it.

Note: Items 4-7 are required by some consulates but not by others. Different consulates, even within the same country, have different accepted procedures. Therefore, please contact your local consulate before sending anything to confirm which items they expect.

✳ Once the consulate receives these documents, it will take anywhere from 3-5 business days to process your visa depending on the consulate and their workload. When you call the consulate, please ask them how long it will take to process and then let us know so that we can confirm your travel arrangements.

✳ Before you receive your visa in your passport, the consulate will want to have a short interview with you. This interview will normally take place about an hour before you are set to receive the visa. Most of the interview will be background questions to confirm the information you submitted. (Note: This interview is for first time E-2 visa applicants only. If you have previous experience in Korea, you do not need this interview.)

✳ Contrary to what you may hear from some recruiting agencies, this interview is not simply a formality. I have been advised by the Korean consulate to instruct applicants to please dress appropriately for the interview and be prepared to answer questions about their expected jobs as well as their background information.

✳ If you live far from the consulate, you should contact them to determine possible alternatives to a face-to-face interview. This interview policy is being implemented differently depending on each consulate. Some consulates may allow phone/webcam interviews or CD recordings for those candidates who live far from the consulate and cannot attend a face-to-face interview (as of this writing, the Korean consulate in Vancouver allows CD recordings for those far from the consulate).

Note: This process may seem a bit intimidating at first but remember that we are here to answer any questions you have. We recommend that you use our checklist for Korea to ensure that you have covered all the steps properly. Also, please keep us informed on how you are progressing so that we can make your travel arrangements. These arrangements will be made once the date for receiving your E-2 visa is confirmed by the Korean consulate.

Please click here for contact information about the Korean consulate in your region.

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