E-2 Visa Phase 1: FBI Background Check

The requirements for foreign English teachers in SoKo changed this year so I have to get a federal criminal background check in order to get my E-2 Visa. It used to be that foreigners could simply have their local governments check off on their clean background, but I guess this left a lot of loop holes for people who were committing crimes in one state, moving to another, and then heading to SoKo with a "clean" criminal record despite their actual crime history. Since teaching English in SoKo is gaining popularity, I can only imagine that the Korean government wants to ensure they aren't letting in any foreigners who could be a problem. 

Luckily, I have a pretty lucid memory that does not include any crimes so I'm pretty confident that my check will come up clean. But the Koreans don't know that and I gotta pay some fees to prove it to them. 

So I headed to my local police station to get fingerprinted. I brought my FBI background check application form, my payment form, my ID, and five filled out fingerprinting cards plus an example I found online, just in case the fingerprinter didn't know how it was done. 

I didn't ask, but I'm pretty sure the office where they do fingerprinting is actually a closet that has been converted into an office due to budget cuts. It is ridiculously small.

Nonetheless, I was in and out with three completed fingerprint cards in a manila envelope. I wasn't aware that this would cost money, but it did. Heads up to those following in my steps: it's a $56 charge for three fingerprint cards. 

I'm not sure if it's always been this way, or if part of the fees go towards the lets-move-back-into-a-normal-office-one-day fund. 

Have you ever thought about your fingerprints? It's cliche, but they are remarkable. It was really neat to see all the fine, natural grooves and patterns that have formed the fabric of my identity, on paper anyways. It was even more interesting seeing how those lines are interrupted by the occasional jagged cut mark. Life. Little marks left from that time you cut the fruit into your hand and the knife slipped on the pit. Ya know, whatever. 

Anyways, with my fingerprints in tow, it was as simple as sending a cover letter, three cards of my fingerprints, an application form, and a credit card payment form ($18) to the FBI record request office. I paid $8 total for priority mail with delivery confirmation. 

In the meantime, I'm still awaiting the arrival of my passport ($130-something) and, now, the arrival of my FBI background document. 

Once I get the document, I have to send it off to the US Department of State for a federal apostille. 

The next immediate monster I need to tackle is getting my college degree apostilled. There is very little information about how to actually do this and what is required, so I'm hoping to post a comprehensive step-by-step once I get the process figured out myself. 

Welcome!

After flirting with the idea for a little over three years, I've finally buckled down and bought my ticket to move to South Korea. I'll be joining my best friend, who currently teaches English through the EPIK program, along with the mass exodus of other Humanities majors who have fled to Korea following promises of financial stability and paid world travel. Admittedly, it is the best deal in the globe for recent grads trying to figure out their next move in life without sacrificing inspiration or the travel bug. 

Like the others, I too will be leaving many things behind in order to embark on this journey. It is a natural law that life suddenly fills up your plate just as you are trying to wipe it clean. But I'm grateful to have my plate filled with supportive and loving people who, while I will miss them, will gladly share in my experiences while I'm out there in the world, making them all the more meaningful. 

This blog will be the forum for my experience in Korea, from start to finish. With the objectives of advising other recent grads considering a similar path and keeping my loved ones in the loop, I'll be chronicling the entirety of my journey, starting with the paper-pushing process of applying for an E-2 work Visa and ending somewhere in South Korea, sometime six months or six years from now.

Here goes the leap.