Background Checks - Criminal Record Checks for Teaching in Korea
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- All teachers (from all nationalities) should submit Criminal Record Checks (CRC) that contains the following criteria: letterhead, contact information of the police department or government office that issued the check, the search results and a police/government logo, or stamp, or raised seal. Failing to secure a check with these criterions may result in visa delays or the request to submit a new CRC.
- CRC's issued through third party providers are not acceptable with Korean Immigration. Meaning: you can NOT use a private company to obtain the background check; it MUST come directly from a police department or government office/bureau. Additionally, checks that were ordered online & come as ‘print outs’ are NOT accepted by the Korean authorities.
- The CRC must have been issued within the last 180 days - CRC’s older than 6 months will not be accepted by the Korean authorities.
- IMPORTANT: Before sending your CRC to Korea for processing it MUST be authenticated with an Apostille seal certificate (note: Canadian teachers need to secure a consulate verification stamp as an alternative to the Apostille Seal). Refer to our Apostille pages for authentication procedures (USA Apostille or International Apostille).
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| American CRC Requirements for Teaching in Korea ▼ |
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- Type of Check: As of 2011 all Americans need to submit nationwide CRC’s from the FBI - no exceptions. Note: State level CRC’s are no longer accepted. Visit the FBI homepage to locate your local FBI office.
- Timeline: FBI checks can take up to 2 months to process; therefore, those who are serious about the opportunity are advised to order their FBI check in advance.
- Authenticating FBI checks: All Americans teachers need to have their FBI checks authenticated with an Apostille seal (no exceptions - Korean Immigration does not accept checks that are not authenticated).
- UPDATE 2011 Criminal Background Check (FBI checks required - CRC): All American’s MUST have their national level FBI Check authenticated with an Apostille Seal Certificate. There are no exceptions to this requirement and failing to authenticate your FBI check will result in a denied work visa with Korean Immigration or the public school provider that offered you a contract.
CRUCIAL: YOU MUST request that the FBI authenticate your criminal background at time of submitting your fingerprints to them; the FBI will NOT authenticate your check unless you specifically request it at the time of order.
IMPORTANT: Some Secretary of State offices will apostille FBI level criminal background checks but most will not, and more importantly, we foresee that in time ALL Americans will have to have their FBI criminal background check apostilled by the US Department of State. To avoid your application being rejected by immigration or the public school program that offered you a contract, it's advised to get your FBI criminal background check apostilled using the US Department of State. - please read the next crucial step.
CRUCIAL: DO NOT mail your FBI criminal background check directly to the US Department of State. You will be waiting a very long time to get it back and it could make the difference between making your contract starting date or not. Your Gone2Korea representative will recommend the proper course of action to get your FBI CRC apostilled.
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| Australian CRC Requirements for Teaching in Korea ▼ |
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- Australian checks are usually referred to as Police Checks or a Police Certificates.
- Australian teachers must submit Federal Level Police Checks; meaning, the check must constitute a nationwide search. Applicants can download the Australian National Police Check Application Form directly from the Australian Federal Police website: http://www.afp.gov.au.
- Note: All Australians need to have their checks authenticated with an Apostille Seal. Refer to the International Apostille page for details.
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| British CRC Requirements for Teaching in Korea ▼ |
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- British teachers MUST submit a Subject Access Report (SAR) or, a Basic Discloser. You can usually locate and secure either of these checks from the designated police headquarters in your area or the Data Protection Office. Note: Subject Access Reports take 40 days to process and Basic Disclosers can take 2-3 weeks (or more) to process.
- Do NOT use the Criminal Records Bureau to secure your check (http://www.crb.gov.uk/ is not accepted)
- Note: All Brits need to have their check authenticated with an Apostille Seal. Refer to the International Apostille page of our site for details.
- Useful sources: www.askthe.police.uk ----- http://www.met.police.uk/)
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| Canadian CRC Requirements for Teaching in Korea ▼ |
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- Canadian teachers MUST secure National level FINGER-PRINT based checks from the RCMP. Providing citywide or provincial level checks will not be accepted by the Korean Immigration Office, likewise, name and DOB based checks are no longer accepted.
- Please be advised: All Canadians must have their nationwide background check verified by the Korean consulate with a Consulate Verification Stamp - no exceptions. In order to request the verification stamp. NOTE: Canadians do NOT require the Apostille authentication.
- Where can I obtain a nationwide criminal background check?: There are 2 ways to secure finger-print based checks from the RCMP: 1.) Electronic finger-print submission 2.) Paper finger-print submission by registered mail. Gone2Korea strongly advises all Canadian teachers to secure their check using the electronic finger-print submission option. Why should I use the electronic finger-print submission option? Because the electronic method only takes the RCMP 3 - 12 days to process; submitting the paper version option through registered mail takes 12 weeks!
- How do I submit an electronic finger-print card to the RCMP?: There are two ways to submit an electronic finger-print card to the RCMP.
1.) RECOMMENDED: Through a private scanned finger printing service such as Commissionaires. Make sure that you have confirmed the processing time for your criminal background check. If it is issued earlier than 6 months prior to your contract start there will be issues. This is especially important to remember when aiming for a public sector teaching job.
2.) Through your local police station. If you decide to use the police then make sure they have the resources available to submit your finger-print card electronically.
- CRUCIAL: Please remember that name and DOB based checks are no longer accepted by the Korean authorities.
- RCMP homepage http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/
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| Irish CRC Requirements for Teaching in Korea ▼ |
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- Background Checks in Ireland are usually referred to as: Police Checks, Police Clearance Letters or Certificates of Character.
- Best Method: You can secure Police Check Certificates (that are accepted by Korean Immigration) by contacting the Garda Police Station in your jurisdiction and requesting a Police Check Certificate of Character.
- Note: All Irish need to have their check authenticated with an Apostille Seal. Refer to the International Apostille page for details.
- Garda Police homepage (http://www.garda.ie/)
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| New Zealand CRC Requirements for Teaching in Korea ▼ |
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- CRC's are usually referred to as Police Clearance Reports in New Zealand. The Ministry of Justice does not issue Police Clearance Reports over the phone. In most cases, New Zealand teachers will need to download the proper form from their website (http://www.justice.govt.nz/privacy/) and submit a written copy which has been signed and dated with an ink signature.
- New Zealand teachers must submit Federal Level Police Clearances; meaning, the check must constitute a nationwide search.
- Note: All New Zealanders need to have their check authenticated with an Apostille Seal. Refer to the International Apostille page for details.
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| South African CRC Requirements for Teaching in Korea ▼ |
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- The South African Department of Foreign Affairs currently issues Police Clearance Certificates that are accepted by the Korean Immigration office: http://www.dfa.gov.za/consular/policeclear.htm.
- South African teachers must have their checks authenticated with an Apostille Seal. Refer to the International Apostille page for details.
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| Please make sure to follow the specific requirements for your nationality to avoid the possibility of a rejected application for visa |
