Sunday, August 31, 2008

The Waiting Game

I’m not really into games. Board games, card games, video games... (ok, that last one’s a lie, but the sentence sounded better with three types of game, and it was all I could come up with...) and I especially hate waiting. I’m impatient. So when you add games with waiting, you end up with one anxious, frustrated Jacquie.

Getting a work visa for Korea takes forever. Not that I have a lot experience in the visa department (see last post) but I’ve been waiting for over a month. Order transcripts and record checks, and wait. Make appointments with lawyers, and wait. Go to the embassy, and wait. Send off your documents, and, well you get the point.

My advice: if you’re planning on getting one of these visas, give yourself about two months. Here’s a quick list of what you need...

a) A criminal record check with vulnerable sector (takes about two weeks to get)
b) 2 copies of all university transcripts (sealed)

Once you have those, you have to get the record check notarized by a lawyer. Take the original and the notarized copy to the embassy, along with photo i.d. and a photocopy of the i.d. The notarized copy will be stamped by someone at the consulate. Then you have to send the following to your school in Korea:

a) The notarized/ stamped copy of your record check
b) Your original undergraduate diploma (or a notarized and stamped copy)
c) 2 passport photos
d) 1 transcript
e) A photocopy of the identity page of your passport

Once they receive this stuff, they’ll go and get your visa issuance number. This also takes forever. What comes next? I have absolutely no idea, seeing as this is where I have been for the past three weeks.

No comments: