The Process

If you ever plan to teach in South Korea, I sure hope you enjoy paperwork. No, seriously, it will make everything so much easier.

I cannot speak for other programs, but the program I am working with, Korea SDA, happens to be part job and part mission work, so I had to go through a very lengthy application process.  First, I filled out an interest form with a recruiter (I also had the option to do this online).  Then I was contacted for a phone interview with a representative from the language school in Korea.  When all the preliminary requirements were completed, I received instructions detailing what steps to take next.  This is where it all got very stressful and confusing.  I had to simultaneously begin three separate application processes:  one was the SDA Language school application, another was through Adventist Volunteer Services to receive General Conference approval, and yet another was with the Korean Consulate to obtain an E-2 teacher’s visa. Each of these applications included its own sub-application and mini mountain of paperwork.  There is no use trying to describe all of what I had to do, so I will just make an organized list below for your viewing pleasure:

Korea SDA Language School:

            Appendix Form

            Teaching Contract

            Health Statement

Adventist Volunteer Services:

            Online application

            Health Certificate

~signed by a medical doctor or registered nurse

            Beneficiary Form

            Release of Liability Form

            Reference forms (3)

            Preparation for Mission Online Course

~completion of twelve lessons covering twenty-eight chapters of Passport to Mission, eight reflection papers, an area study, and discussion board posts

                       

E-2 Visa Application:

            Visa Issuance Number

Application Form

Official Transcripts

            Updated Resume

            Notarized Copy of College Diploma (with attached apostille seal)

Notarized Official FBI background check (with attached apostille seal)

                        ~submission of application, fingerprints, and processing fee

            Copy of passport signature and photo page

            Passport-sized photo

            Visa Processing Fee

The ironic thing is that the Korean Consulate has just this year introduced an expedited application process for U.S. citizens going to South Korea, so this is actually the “short list."  It's funny, the list as a whole doesn't look like much when its all laid out like that, but it represents something that has occupied much of the last six months of my life.  Whew!

If you do happen to be interested in teaching in South Korea, you can visit SDA Language School website, or research some of the other available teaching programs such as EPIK or GEPIK.