Application Process
Stage 1
Meet the Requirements
Following are the requirements you need to meet if you want to teach in Korea.
- Canadian Citizenship
- A valid passport valid for at least six months and one empty page for the visa.
- A four year Bachelor degree from an accredited university
- A clean criminal record. The criminal record check has to include a vulnerable sector search.
- Pass a physical exam and a blood test checking for communicable diseases and drugs upon arrival in Korea. 
If you do not meet the requirements, a visa will not be issued. Moreover, beyond those requirements you will also need a positive attitude and an open mind to deal with the different situations you will probably encounter while working in Korea. If you meet those two requirements you will most likely enjoy your year(s) in Hanguk (Korea).
Now, If you meet all the official requirements, and you are interested in teaching in Korea , email us the following:
A.
A. Cover letter (1 page explaining why you'd like to teach English in Korea, and what would make you successful at it)
B. Resume (2 pages maximum, include any work or volunteer experience with children).
C. Picture of yourself (the school requires a current picture in jpeg format)
E-mail the above documents to koreanquest@hotmail.com. We will review all your documents and contact you shortly.
Stage 2
Collecting your
documents
If you seem to meet the requirements at this stage, we will contact the school and set up an interview if necessary. If the school seems pleased with your qualifications they will make you a job offer and if you accept we will send you their employment contract to sign. At this point you can start collecting the required documents. The sooner you start collecting your documents the sooner you will start working in Korea. See our Document Checklist to make sure you do not miss anything.
1. Your University Degree.
The degree must be from a four year program from an accredited university. You must present the original degree. If you do not wish to send your original degree, you need to obtain two photocopies notarized by a notary public or lawyer. After it is notarized you need to take it or mail it to the Consulate for them to notarize it after the same procedures as the criminal record check above.
2. University Transcripts.
Call or email your university and request three sealed copies of your transcripts with a stamp over the seal. Two copies will be sent to the prospective school in Korea.
The third copy will go to the Consulate after you get your visa confirmation number.
3. The Criminal record check. It should include a vulnerable sector search.
The criminal background check now requires a VSSP (Vulnerable Sector Screening Program), in Canada, which can only be done by request from an employer.
Thus make sure to receive a letter before you pay for and submit a criminal background check. Moreover, make sure the envelope is sealed or the Korean consulate will not recognize it as official and will refuse to notarize it. You need to have your criminal record notarized by a notary public.
Then you need to send or take your criminal record to a Korean Consulate for them to notarize it as well.
In-person and mailing procedures:
If you take the documents in yourself, you must bring the notarized criminal record, your passport, and $2.20 cash or money order.
If you are mailing these documents, you must mail the notarized criminal record and a photocopy of your passport with Xpresspost from Canada Post.
You need to enclose an Xpresspost return envelope with pre- paid postage and your address. The Consulate notarization fee is $2.20. If you are mailing this fee you must send a money order (no personal checks or cash). 
4. Passport
Your passport must valid for at least six months, and a completely empty page for your visa to be placed on.
5. Photocopy of your passport.
You need to submit photocopies of the information page of your passport.
6. Signed Copy of the Contract
When you have accepted a position you will need to print out the contract, sign it, and make copies for yourself
7. Self-Assessed Health Statement form
The Health Statement form is a form you can download and complete in Canada which needs to be included in your package for the E2 visa. It is a form from the Korean government that asks about your drug history and whether you have any communicable diseases. We can email you this form upon request.
The medical exam is a requirement to teach in Korea. After you arrive in Korea you will need to undergo a blood test and physical exam. The blood tests check for HIV/AIDS as well as drugs. The medical exam is an examination you have to complete at an officially designated hospital or clinic within 90 days of your arrival in Korea and it is attached to your Alien Registration Card or ARC. In other words you cannot receive an ARC card without first completing the medical exam. Moreover if you do not pass the health exam your visa will be revoked.
8. Four Passport Sized Photographs
You will need four standard passport sized photos and the requirements are the same as if you needed a new passport. The pictures cannot be more than six months old.
9. Resume
You will need to have a copy of your resume.
Stage 3
Sending your documents
By the time you have completed collection all of these documents you would have probably obtained a job offer from our partner schools in Korea. Therefore, you need to send the following to the address of your employer in Korea that we provided. Use DHL, UPS, or FedEx to send the documents because they can be tracked easily. If your documents are delayed or lost you could lose a lot of time and money. Make sure you include the school's phone number on the package and that the address is accurate. The documents you need to send are the following:
- Contract signed by yourself,
- Original degree (or notarized copy with the notarial certificate),
- Two sealed university transcripts,
- Photocopy of the information page of your passport,
- Notarized criminal record check with a vulnerable sector search,
- Completed Self-Assessment Health Statement form,
- Three passport sized photographs, and
- Copy of your resume.
Stage 4
Applying for your visa at a Korean Consulate
After the school receives your documents they will obtain and send us your visa confirmation number which we will then forward to you. Along with that number, you will then need to take or mail the following to the Korean Consulate in Vancouver:
- Visa application form with your confirmation number on the top,
- Your sealed transcripts,
- Your passport,
- Visa application fee ($55). The Consulate only accepts cash or money order, no personal checks.
- A passport sized photograph,
- Photocopy of original degree,
- Criminal record check (photocopy of original), and
- A second health statement form (make sure your answers are the same as the one you sent).
Once the consulate has received your documents they will then set up a face-to-face interview with you. This interview is important and should not be taken lightly. Some consulates are willing to make other arrangements for people that live far away from Vancouver, but you should be prepared to travel to Vancouver. Once you have completed your interview you will probably receive your visa and will be ready to travel to Korea!
Stage 5
Preparing for your trip
You should inform your banks, credit cards, BC MSP and other agencies of your address change. Since your first paycheck comes at the end of your first month of teaching, you'll want to bring enough money to see you through, however you will find that most foreign coworkers are always willing to lend a buck or two to help you make it until payday. Also you can sometimes rely on credit cards but you may have to make a special application to be able to use them abroad. By far the most reliable are traveler's checks as they can be cashed at any bank for a small fee (be aware that stores do not accept them). You may also want to bring a small amount of cash (Korean Won) just in case.
Furthermore, consider getting some travel insurance. When you arrive in Korea your employer will file the papers to get you Korean medical insurance. This process usually takes between two and four weeks, so it's best to get travel insurance for the meantime. If you have special medication to take consider getting enough for a year in case it is not available in Korea. But also keep in mind that most prescription medication is available in South Korea. http://eng.changwon.go.kr/home/home.jsp http://www.tripwolf.com/en/guide/show/380995/South-Korea/Changwon http://obriens-bar.com/changwon/
You may also like to check out the following links with information on Changwon:
Stage 6
Flight and Settlement in Korea
A week before leaving we will send you a paid plane ticket from Vancouver to Korea, possibly Pusan if you are going to Changwon. Travel from the airport to your apartment will also be taken care of. Before departure we'll let you know who will pick you up at the airport. You should also check with your airline about baggage limits as fees for extra luggage can be expensive.
After a few days of arrival, someone from your school will take you to get your alien registration card. This document is your Korean identification and should be carried with you at all times. The card will be necessary to get medical insurance and sign up for a bank account. Someone from your school will explain these processes.
It is also a good idea to register with the Canadian Consulate in Pusan (this can be done over the internet). In case of emergency in Korea, your embassy will be able to locate you. They are an excellent source of information for local laws, regulations, and travel advisories.
Our schools’ teachers also receive an orientation and training on the classes they will be teaching. You may have to observe other teacher's classes. It is very recommended for you to observe classes before teaching them as it will give you an idea of the students' level and some ideas on how to run your classroom. It may be challenging at first sooner or later everybody gets the hang of it, regardless of age, or background. Simply take it a day at a time and it will all fall in place eventually. Then the exciting part begins!
