The things that will probably serve you best in Korea are an open mind, patience, and a sense of humor. However, these alone are not enough to land a job any more. In order to qualify for an employment visa for the purposes of teaching English (E-2 Visa), the following are required. For APC's and your future employer's purposes, you must have all of these documents in your possession at the time of application, or give a precise date as to when you will have them.

1. A full undergraduate degree from a recognized university in an English-speaking country. No English-language teaching certificates of any kind will be accepted in lieu of the degree, alone or in combination with non-degree post-secondary study. Note that many providers of such certificates will conceal this from you (or simply lie) in order to get your tuition. You must have the actual diploma at least 30 days before any job start. You will need to have your degree notarized by a notary public, and for Canadian applicants, to have your notarized degree certified by Korean diplomatic offices before you send it to your school in Korea.

2. Official transcripts showing all study that counted towards the degree. Korean immigration requires that they be sealed in a university envelope, with a university stamp or seal across the back of the envelope. If you are Canadian, you'll need two sets — one when you send your original degree to Korean embassies or consulates to be certified (this certified original diploma should be sent to Korea for your school to apply for a visa on your behalf), and another when you have the visa put in your passport at a Korean diplomatic office. Korean consulates and embassies outside of Canada do not generally require the second set of transcripts at the time of visa issuance.

3. A passport from one of the following countries: Canada, The U.S., The U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, or South Africa. Your passport should be valid for at least 12 months from date you plan to start working in Korea.

The above documents are what is required, along with your signed employment contract, for the employment visa. We do not offer any jobs of any kind that do not require an employment visa. There are no exceptions to these requirements.

Note about Contract Duration: All contracts are for 12 consecutive months. It is unlikely that you will return home during the 12 months due to the expense and the difficulty in taking holidays when schools are running. It is unrealistic to expect to return in the middle of a school term for a friend's wedding, for example. You must be fully committed to spending 12 months in Korea at the time of application.

Note about Taking Dependents: In most cases, taking dependents to Korea is not practical. Most Korean language schools simply don't have the budget to offer accommodation or benefits to non-employees. It is generally not possible to take your spouse unless s/he is employable at the same school. Private English-language schooling for children is very expensive and not covered by employers. If you are looking at taking dependents to another country as an English teacher, the Middle East is really the only region that consistently offers benefit packages to families. Proper teaching qualifications will be necessary, as may a London interview with an agency specializing in Middle Eastern placements.

Recent changes in Korean immigration policies require that E-2 visa applicants have most of their documents notarized by a notary public. For Canadian applicants, their documents must be certified by a Korean embassy or consulate before sending them to the school in Korea. These new regulations also require the applicant to have the following additional documents:

1. A notarized criminal/background/police record check or certificate from your local police. For the citizens of The U.S., The U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, or South Africa, you will need to get an Apostille certificate attached to your notarized criminal or police record certificate. Contact your notary public on how to have this done. For citizens of Canada, you will need to request for a Vulnerable Sector Search to be included in your police record before getting it notarized. If required, the school in Korea can issue a confirmation of employment letter if you need this to apply for this certificate.

2. A completed and signed self-assessed health statement.

3. All new applicants (applicants with no previous teaching experience in Korea) might be required to attend an interview at the nearest Korean diplomatic office.

When you accept a job offer from a school in Korea, these documents are sent to the school along with the signed contract, certified and verified undergraduate diploma, a photocopy of the front page your passport, and official transcripts. The school will then apply for your visa at the local immigration office in Korea.

As the regulations are currently changing, and seem to vary from place to place, please contact your nearest Korean diplomatic office for instructions on how to have your documents certified and verified.