3.5 months...

Well, I've been here for about 3.5 months now. I'm settled. At first it was awful. I was jet-lagged and sick... homesick, and physically sick.

I'm good now, and have been posting to my new blog at http://mikeinkorea.wordpress.com

More delays, but got my visa.

I picked up my visa from Toronto on Friday, July 18. Finally.

However, my flight is further delayed because the school will be on vacation for a week. They don't want me to be in Seoul all alone, so my flight has been delayed until Friday, August 1st.

The extra delay in my flight is kind of a blessing in disguise. I wasn't really ready to leave last week, because I haven't packed nearly enough, among other things. This also allows a good friend of mine to see me after her big test. She's studying in Seoul to be a police officer.

I've included a picture of me with my visa. Sorry I had to censor it, but who knows what people can do with that kind of information.



My next blog post should be from Seoul, or written on the plane. Again, my blog is moving to http://mikeinkorea.wordpress.com/ , since I intended this blog to be informative about the process required to teach English in South Korea. My experience in Korea will be posted on http://mikeinkorea.wordpress.com/

And so, 안녕!

Delays

Well, the Korean Consulate in Toronto didn't have my visa ready. Just goes to show that you shouldn't believe that you're told if it sounds ridiculously good.

I was told that I would be leaving this Saturday, July 26th. I got a call while watching The Dark Knight (good movie by the way) that I would be leaving NEXT Friday. This is because the school will be on vacation next week, and they don't want me alone in a city of 26,000,000 people. This is understandable, and I feel it is a demonstration of how much the school actually cares about me. By all means, they could have just had me arrive alone and figure things out for myself.

The director and my recruiter will meet me at the airport on Saturday around 4pm Seoul time, which is 3am Canadian time. I hope my first impression on them isn't so bad. I will look like a train wreck coming off the plane after 17 hours of travel.

By the way, when I finally arrive in Korea, I will be posting at: http://mikeinkorea.wordpress.com/

The purpose of this blog is to inform those who are looking to teach in Korea, and are curious about the process one must go through to get a job and a visa.

Flight booked

My flight is booked, and leaves on Saturday, July 19th at 10:00am. I have to stop for a couple of hours in Chicago, and then it's 14 or so hours to Seoul.

I am nervous and excited. Yesterday I was so nervous and under-slept that I had body aches and nausea.

Consulate interview, departure date

I have finally submitted my visa application, and went to an interview with the Korean consulate in Toronto.

I went to submit my application on July 14th, and scheduled my interview for July 15th.

The interview was unreal. I walked in, and a little man at a desk asked me why I chose Korea, and whether or not I like children. That was pretty much it.

I told my recruiter about the interview, and that they said it would be 2-3 days until I get my visa. She is booking my flight for Saturday, July 19th.

So, today I will work for a bit, and spend most of the night packing.

Visa approved (so far), arranging interview

My recruiter emailed me tonight to inform me that my visa has so far been approved. She gave me a confirmation number and instructions on how to arrange an interview at the Korean consulate. It's kind of crazy that no matter where you're from, you need to visit the Korean consulate in Toronto for an interview.

It doesn't matter to me though, because I live about 1.5 hours from Toronto. But if I were from BC or Nova Scotia, I'd be pretty screwed.

Here's what is required for my interview:

1. One completed visa application form attached
2. One recent passport-type colour photo (3.5*4.5 size, white background)
3. Original and a photocopy of passport (remaining validity of at least 6 months)
4. Cdn $55.00 visa fee (Cash or Money Order Only)
5. Additional items required for this type of visa:
6. Visa issuance confirmation number (Clearly stated on the bottom of the visa application form
7. Sealed university transcript

I will be calling the Korean consulate tomorrow morning to arrange an interview.

I'll keep you posted.

Frustration and Excitement

Well, I have all my documents that I need to send for my visa. However, just as I was going to send all my documents, neatly gathered in a FedEx Pak, I called the Korean consulate just to be sure I'm doing the right thing in terms of all the documents I have and whatnot.

Apparently I wasn't.

The criminal background check, which I had to drive around with all day to get notarized, must also be notarized or "verified" by the Korean consulate before it can be sent to the school in Korea. After the school receives the documents, they take them to immigration.

A little bump in the road, yes, but also an excuse to go to Toronto for a day.

So my documents will be sent out via FedEx on Thursday, as early as possible.

My recruiter said if things continue to go as smoothly as they have, I should be in Korea on or around the 14th.

Still waiting...

The St. Catharines Police Station is utterly useless. 

I am STILL waiting for my criminal background check. It's been about 3 weeks. 

I graduated on June 12. It was a good day for me and my family. I am glad it's finally over. Now I can focus on my real life endeavors, which at this point don't really amount to much. I'm just waiting to get everything in line for Korea. 

Here's what I have left to receive:

- Transcripts from Brock

- Criminal background check 

I have to send the following to them (pasted directly from an email from my recruiter):

- Original university diploma, which will be returned after visa processing (or notarized copy from the Korean Consulate ONLY)

- 1 set official transcript (Must be sealed and stamped or have signature along the seal line)

- 4 passport size photos

- A photocopy of the front pages of your passport (pages with photo and signature)

- A copy of resume

- Signed contract

- Criminal background check notarized from Korean Consulate or Embassy

- Health statement signed

Looks like that will be one full envelope. I was worried if the standard FedEx "pak" would be too small for my diploma, but it fits perfectly.

Well, that's all for today.

Waiting...

Not much of an update today... I am still waiting for the police report to come through.

I also receive a big, important piece of paperwork on Thursday... My diploma. Oh yes. My diploma.

This whole graduating thing seems too good to be true. I'm gonna snatch my diploma from the president Mexican stand-off style. "That's right... hand it over real slow, or the kid gets it."

Big update

After having many interviews with different recruiters and schools, I've finally accepted a position with the school I wanted.

For the record, here is EXACTLY what you need to get your E2 visa to allow you to teach English in Korea. This visa requirement information is copied and pasted directly from an email from my recruiter. We are in the process of getting my visa information together.

Visa documents
- Original university Diploma, which will be returned after visa processing (or notarized copy from the Korean Consulate ONLY)
- 1 set University Official Transcript (Must be sealed and stamped or have signature along the seal line view example photos attached)
- 4 passport size Photos
- A Photocopy of the front pages of your passport (pages with photo & signature)
- A copy of Resume
- Signed Contract
- Health Statement attached(fill out the form and sign it)
- Criminal background check notarized from Korean consulate or Embassy.
*** THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. The criminal background check MUST BE NOTARIZED by first a lawyer, AND THEN the Korean consulate. That's right, you have to either make a trip or mail it to them so they can be sure it's real. THEN you send your stuff to the school in Korea, which sends it to immigration in Korea.

There it is folks. Anything anyone tells you different than this is BS. You don't need a drug screening test, an HIV/infectious diseases test, or anything else of the sort before you leave for Korea. The only health info you need is from the health statement that you fill out and sign.

Here is a copy of the E2 health statement that I will fill out for my visa application:




I will also be required to submit my university transcripts. They have to be sealed and stamped or have a signature along the seal line. My recruiter has included a picture of what it should look like:



So. That's it. She says I should be in Seoul in the middle of July. I am going to ask her if I can refer people to her, because she has been absolutely awesome.

The name of the company who has arranged all of this for me is SeoulESL.

I couldn't be happier with their service.

Interviews

I just got an email from a recruiter from SeoulESL. 

I have a phone interview with a school tomorrow night around 10pm. The job is pretty nice. It's located in Gangnam-gu. Pay starts at 2.1 million won per month. I won't mention any names, but it's with a fairly reputable school. 

I also have another interview on Monday night around the same time. I will keep updating this blog as the interviews progress.

A key thing that I didn't mention is that there is an awesome Facebook group called ESL Teachers in Korea that has helped me a lot with my search. There are many people in this group who are eager to answer questions about their experience in Korea. I heard great things about one of the schools I have an interview with from a member of this group.

Another thing I should mention... The more people you know in your host city, the better. I am lucky enough to have 4 years of experience as a conversation partner in Brock University's Intensive English Language Program (IELP). I've been able to meet many people from all over Asia, especially China and Korea. I have 4 or 5 contacts in Seoul, who are all aware of my plans to come there, and who are all willing to help me, just as I helped them when they were in Canada.

Well, that's all for now. I can say so far that I recommend SeoulESL as a good recruitment agency... so far... I won't know for sure how good they are until I arrive in Seoul and take a look at the school and my apartment. 

The fish are biting...

Well, I've been applying to different recruitment agencies, all found on Dave's ESL Cafe Korean Job Board. 

I got a call one night around 10:30pm from a recruiter. In broken English, she asked me how my Korean visa application is going. I was glad she asked, because she outlined the entire process for me. I had been getting conflicting messages online. 

Here's what you need:

- A copy of your diploma

- 2 copies of your university transcripts, sealed

- A criminal background check, specifically the Vulnerable Sector Screening. To get one of these, you will need a letter from a school requesting it. 

- The criminal background check needs to be notarized by a "notary public" or a lawyer

The idiot at the police station didn't seem to know what he was doing. He had me enter the employer requesting the criminal background check as the Korean consulate. The criminal background check needs to be notarized... This doesn't make sense to me. The police station is providing this check, why would they need a lawyer or a notary public?

A notary public is a doctor, dentist, or someone in a higher position in society. Notary publics differ by country. For more information on notary publics, see the wikipedia article here. 

So far I've been in contact with 3 recruiting agencies, one of which called me. She seemed nice and sincere, despite her broken English. She estimated I would be in Seoul in mid-July, which is perfect since it's just the time I was hoping for. 

First Post

Hello everyone,

I've decided to start this blog to catalog my experiences obtaining employment in the ESL field in Seoul, South Korea. 

So, let's start with a brief introduction.

My name is Mike. I am a 24 year old Canadian with a BA in Psychology, and a business diploma from Niagara College. I am very interested in culture, photography, and technology. I also have a love for the English language, and lucky for you, I love to write. 

I have just last week finished my TESL/TESOL certification through Oxford Seminars. If anyone is considering taking the course, I would highly recommend it. 

So, while I am waiting to graduate (June 12), I have been applying for jobs in Seoul. My main resource is:

http://www.eslcafe.com/jobs/korea

I am waiting on Oxford to email me some job postings, which is supposed to happen soon. 

Going to Korea, I have a few things that I must have in order to feel comfortable. These are:

- A decent apartment. I'm not looking for anything crazy. I just want a semi-spacious apartment with decent space to keep my things.

- A North American toilet. This is pretty essential. I am excited to try a traditional Korean toilet, but I don't want one in my apartment.

- An apartment within walking distance to my school.

- Close to a subway or bus.

More to come...