New E2 regulations for UK citizens

Hi,

I'm aware that the info is out there. But most of it is contradictory or refers to first year American teachers. I've been in korea for 3 years now and my contract is up in June. I would like to extend with the same school until October. I have done this in the past (with a different school) and there was no issue. I just took the paperwork to immigration and it was done. But know with these new E2 regulations I don't know what I need for my specific situation. 


Do I need to submit and new Criminal background check? Apostilled degree e.t.c.?


Any info specific to UK citizens would be appreciated.


Many thanks

I'm from the U.K and this is

I'm from the U.K and this is exactly what I just did.

As a bit of background, I've been here 10 years and I've submitted about 4 criminal record checks and degrees with sealed transcripts, but come my signing of my contract last month non of that counted and it was back to square one!

Background check.

You need to go to Disclosure Scotland http://www.disclosurescotland.co.uk/

you can't apply online because you live in Korea. However, get the paper documents sent to your home address in England, get your parents to fill out your current and any past addresses in Korea and all the other details and send the docs back to Disclosure Scotland. I have no idea if any signature is needed, if so I guess my father did a good job of copying mine! It takes a mere 2 weeks or so for Disclosure Scotland to process your application and send back to your home address. Unlike Canada and the U.S we are not required to submit our fingerprints. I think total cost was about 20 pounds.

Next you need to make sure your parents have the original copy of your degree certificate (no transcripts required) and a photocopy, which they need to take to a Notary Public (most solicitors have a guy who can do this). The Notary Public will then authenticate the photocopy. Cost 30-60 pounds depending on the solicitor.

Next you need to send the Disclosure Scotland document and the notrarised copy of the degree certificate to the apostille office in London where they will give them an apostille stamp.

Here is the details of their website

http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/about-us/what-we-do/services-we-deliver/legal-s...

and costs

http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/about-us/what-we-do/services-we-deliver/legal-s...

The total cost for both docs for me was about 60 pounds. As you can see teaching in this country is going to cost you an arm and a leg.

Good luck.

Matt is correct except that

Matt is correct except that you can send a cover letter and disclosure scotland can notarise the background check.  This will cut out the need to go to a notary.  Simply send the notarised disclosure to the FCO.

Thanks for the information.

Thanks for the information. Is this the same for just extending period of sojourn at the same school? Or is this for when signing a completely new contract? 

It all seems pretty painful.


Thanks

not uk specific

i work for epik and the immigration policy letter they gave us was NOT nation specific.  in a nutshell, it said that if you had been here before a certain year (last year or the year before-but your three years covers it) you could resign one time with the same place and then after that everyone needed to get the female body inspector background check, regardless of whether one changed work places or not.  i realize you said uk specific, but like i said, what they told us was not nation specific.  have you called the immigration service phone number, 1345?  one call to them just might do the trick.  there is always www.immigration.go.kr.  in english, even.  good luck and please share what definitive answer you find

So I just spoke to a nice

So I just spoke to a nice lady at immigration and she 'confirms' that you DO NOT need a new police check, resubmit your degree with apostille or new transcripts if you are extending at the same school for the first time. So in my case I am intending to extend for a few months but you could extend a new full year at the same school without the extra hassle. But the second time you want to extend you need all the new docs. So if I extended for a few months and got my ARC card stamped with a new date. But then decided I wanted to stay longer again (it's happened before) I would have to submit the new docs. 


NOTE: This is relevant to people who are intending to extend at the SAME school for the first time.


I'm  not going to take what this lady said as gospel. But It's good enough for me until told otherwise.   


Hope this helps some people.

Elmo, your right the

Elmo, your right the immigration guidelines are not nation specific, but what each country requires in order to meet immigrations requirements varies significantly.

For example, as I mentioned, we don't need to get fingerprints done for the UK check, whereas North Americans do. Canada never signed up to the apostille treaty and therefore they have to get their stuff authorised in a different way.

Also just adding to further information that came out in subsequent replies, from what I understand immigration are being very flexible on the documents, since to get them in some countries can take several months. So even if you don't have the documents when your visa is due to be processed they issue it anyhow as long as you produce the necessary documents at a late date.