Questions & Answers

Information about Criminal Background Check

Authenticated Criminal Background Check

These checks can take a long time to complete (depends on your police department- 5 minutes to 8 weeks), so please go to your local police station and order one as soon as you can.
Korean immigration will accept a record check that is less than 6 months, so best get it done as soon as possible.
Please follow the steps below to ensure that it is done properly and will be accepted by the immigration office in Korea.
If you have any charge greater than a traffic offence (including DUI’s) on your record, you may not be able to obtain a visa to teach from Korean immigration.
Web search result of Criminal Record Check and Local police clearance is not acceptable, Criminal Record Check must be at state or higher level.
 

Criminal Record Check for US citizen
US Citizens must now provide an FBI level check in order to obtain a visa to teach in Korea. Since the FBI check takes up to 12 weeks, applicants should apply for and obtain the FBI-level check as early as possible in the process.
FBI Check Application: http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/criminal-history-summary-checks/submitting-a-criminal-history-summary-request-to-the-fbi
IMPORTANT: When sending in the application for FBI check, make sure to include a separate note stating: "Please provide an FBI seal and signature from a Division Officer for the purpose of obtaining a Federal Apostille."
(You will need to make sure this is done as the FBI check needs this signature on it in order for you to be able to get an Apostille, which is the next step. It must be requested specifically and can just be written on a piece of paper and included in the application.)
FBI Check Apostille from U.S. Department of State: http://www.state.gov/m/a/auth/
 

Criminal Record Check for Australian Citizen
Please complete the following steps in order:
First, order an Australian Federal Police Clearance

• Go to the Australian Federal Police website for detail information, http://www.afp.gov.au/business/national_police_checks.html  and download the Australian National Police check application from submit the forms to: Australian Federal Police, the address indicated in the web site. This will generally take about 15 working days from the date it was received by Criminal Records

• This record check can be a local, city, or state clearance letter or report.

IF the police department cannot notarize the record check themselves, have the results notarized by a local Notary Service.

• Must be in the same state as the police department.
• The Notary Public should be able to put a notary public seal on your record check.

Second, take or send the notarized record check results to the Authentications Office of your Secretary of State for an Apostille authentication.
The Apostille will authenticate your record check for international use; it MUST have a notary public stamp/seal on it FIRST.
Call the Authentications office in Secretary of State to ensure that you send/bring everything needed (some require an application form).

• If you send it out, include a return envelope with postage and address.
• Include the small fee (varies from free to $20) for the notarization.
• Indicate that the document is bound for South Korea.

This authentication can be done quickly in person in most states. Some states take up to 2 to 4 weeks to process requests by mail and rarely give updates as to when it will be completed.
You will receive an Apostille certificate that accompanies your record check. This process is not very common and many police departments are not familiar with it, so if you have ANY questions about this, please contact us!
The envelope must be sealed and signed or stamped by the school across the flap and must not be opened by the applicant.
 

Criminal Record Check for Canadian Citizen
Please complete the following steps in order:
First, order a Vulnerable Sector Police Record Check from your local police department

• This can be a local or provincial search.
• Ensure that you request a vulnerable sector search as you will be working with children. (A vulnerable Sector Search is like a ‘Sex Offender’ check in the US). Sometimes reports do not specify that this check was made in addition to the normal check, but it must be clearly indicated for the consulate to accept it.
• Private company reports are not permitted (with the exception for those in Ontario only).

Only if the police department cannot notarize the record check themselves, have the results notarized by a local Notary Public.

• The Notary Public should be able put a notary public seal on your record check.
• Pick up the results yourself or have them sent back to you.

Second, send the notarized record check to the Korean Consulate (either in Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa or Montreal - ATTN: Notarization dept) for a consular notarization.
You can find the details of the consulates here:

• Call your consulate to ensure you have the correct items they need for notarization.
• Send by Xpresspost only to Korean Consulates in Canada [& include a pre-paid return Xpresspost (only) envelope pre-addressed.]
• Include the fee ($2.20) for the notarization- money order only if not in person.
• The Korean consulate will only authenticate documents with a local notary seal on it first.
• You will likely need a copy of your passport as identification.

 

Criminal Record Check for UK Citizen
Please complete the following steps in order:
Information from:
http://www.crb.homeoffice.gov.uk
First, order a Police Record Check with a Subject Access Form.
More information on the Apostille process follow this link:
http://www.fco.gov.uk/en