Employment Visas |
To work legally in Korea, you must obtain the appropriate employment visa. The Korean government tightly controls the issuance of visas for employment. In some instances, teachers have been unable to obtain the appropriate visa.
You must obtain the work visa outside Korea. If you enter Korea as a tourist and are offered employment, you can then apply for a work visa at a Korean diplomatic or consular mission in a nearby country, such as Hong Kong or Japan, provided that a Confirmation of Visa Issuance number has been provided in advance by the prospective employer. Before traveling to the nearby country, be sure to confirm with the Korean mission there that they will process visa applications from Canadian citizens.
Depending on the job, and other factors, it can take between one week and two months to obtain the appropriate visa. However, visa applications submitted to Korean missions in Japan (Tokyo, Osaka, and Fukuoka) are usually processed within two working days. Be prepared to stay as long as required to obtain the visa.
As visa regulations, and the documents required, change quite frequently, you should contact the nearest Korean diplomatic or consular mission if you are outside Korea, or a Korean immigration office within Korea, for confirmation of regulations and fees.
On arrival in Korea, you must register at a Korean immigration office and obtain a residence permit and a re-entry permit within 90 days of entry. All foreigners are required to possess a valid re-entry permit in order to re-enter Korea. Korean immigration offices require the same documentation as is needed for obtaining the visa, so you should make a number of copies.
Most English instructors are granted an E-1 visa (professor at an educational institution higher than a junior college), an E-2 visa (conversation instructor) or an E-5 visa (professional employee with a public relations firm or corporation). An individual who is married to a Korean citizen can also acquire permanent residency rights as a spouse.
Despite what some employers may tell you, you are not required to hand over your Canadian passport to your employer for the duration of your stay. It is your passport and you should keep it in your possession.
| Consulate-General |
Address |
Phone/Fax |
Jurisdiction |
| Ottawa - Korean Embassy |
150 Boteler Street, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 5A6 |
T:(613) 244-5034 |
Only candidates who live in OTTAWA should process their visas here |
| Montreal - Korean Consulate |
1 Place Ville-Marie Suite 2015, Montreal, Quebec, H3B 2C4 |
T:(514) 845-2555
F:(514) 845-1999
|
Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI, and Newfoundland |
| Toronto - Korean Consulate |
555 Avenue Rd, Toronto, Ontario, M4V 2J7 |
T:(416) 920-3809
F:(416) 924-7305
|
Ontario (except Ottawa) and Manitoba |
| Vancouver- Korean Consulate |
Suite 1600, 1090 West Georgia Street, V6E 3V7 |
T: (604)681-9851 or
(604) 681-9852
F: (604)681-4864 |
British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan,
Yukon Territories,
North West Terrirories |
Canadian Embassy in Seoul, Korea:
The Canadian Embassy
Immigration Section
10th Floor, Kolon Building
45 Mukyo-Dong, Chung-Ku Seoul
Embassy Tel.: (82-2) 3455-6000 /
Immigration Tel.:(82-2) 3455-6005
Embassy Fax: (82-2) 755-0686 /
Immigration Fax: (82-2) 776-0974
Note: The Embassy of Canada is relocating to 16/1 Jeong-dong, Jung-gu. The Embassy will be closed from Friday July 20th – Monday July 23rd. We will open at our new location at 08h00 on Tuesday July 24th. Our new telephone number will be (82-2) 3783-6000. Our new fax number will be (82-2) 3783-6239.
Consular Hours
Monday - Friday: from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Other times by appointment
After Working Hour Services
If you need consular services outside the embassy work hours (08:00-11:45 and 12:45-16:30), please call the embassy general number (02)-3783-6000 and then it will be automatically connected to the 24 Hour Emergency Services Office in Ottawa (tel: 613-996-8885).
Emergency Consular Services
Canadian missions offer 24-hour assistance. During non-office hours, a telephone call you make to the embassy will automatically be transferred to a consular officer in Ottawa. In addition, you can make a collect call to DFAIT in Ottawa, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at (613) 996-8885. You may wish to use the Canada Direct (00722-015) service if it is available.
Emergency evacuation plan Canadian Embassy Seoul, Korea
http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/korea/eep-en.asp
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VISA |
Required documents to obtain E2 Visa
All applicants will be required to submit the following:
(If you are accepted by the employer, you have to send the required
documentations to us or employer by air-courier service.)
To obtain a visa (before entering), you must submit the following items to the relevant Korean government office with your passport and a completed visa application form:
1 . 4 recent passport-sized color photos
2. A copy of your passport (photo I.D page)
3. The original signed contract
4. Your recent resume
5. Sealed transcripts of academic record from university (Must be sealed and stamped along the seal line)
6. Original Diploma or notarized (from your local Korean Consulate) cop
To get a stamped copy of your university degree, take your documents to the nearest
Korean Consulate. They will make a copy of your document and put a stamp on it that
says it is an official copy of the original. There is a small fee for notarization. So you
should call the Consulate to check the exact price before going there. You will be able to
pick up your documents the next morning.
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Visa process
1. Visa Process in Korea
When we receive the required documentations from you, we will then process your
E2 work visa. The director of the school will submit them to the immigration office. Once this process is completed, a visa Issuance number will be sent
to you by email from us. This usually takes between 7 to 10 days.
2. Obtain your visa from the Korean Consulate in your country
You will need to get a visa stamp on your passport from the nearest Korean consulate.
It is recommended that you make a phone call to the consulate before going there.
It is possible to use an air courier service in case that the Korean Consulate is too
far from your home.
3. Get on the plane
After you get your airline ticket from our local agency, you are ready to go to Korea.
When you arrive at the airport, our staff will be waiting for you, and will take you to your school.
You must go to the immigration office in order to obtain a residence permit within 90 days of your arrival in Korea.
* As visa regulations and the documents required change quite frequently, you should contact the nearest Korean diplomatic or consular mission if you are outside Korea, or a Korean immigration office within Korea, for confirmation of regulations and fees.
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Additional VISA information |
- Once the E2 or teaching visa for Korea is issued, you will have 90 days to enter the country.
- The E2 visa is valid for one year from the date of entry.
- A single entry E2 visa will not allow you to leave and return to Korea. So if you are planning on traveling to other countries during your stay overseas, make sure you get a multiple entry E2 visa.
- Multiple entry E2 visa should be paid for, along with your Alien Registration Card after you arrive in Korea.
- There is a $65.00 CAD fee for E2 Visa (to be paid by Money Order payable to Korean Consulate - no personal cheques). This fee needs to be submitted along with your E2 visa application form
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Visa travel to Fukuoka |
Canadians who find jobs while they are already in Korea generally travel to Fukuoka, Japan to get a working visa.
The Korean Consulate General in Fukuoka city is located at
1-1-3 Jigyohama, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka 810, on Yokatopia-dori Avenue about 500 meters south of the Fukuoka Dome. The telephone number is 092-771-0461; the fax is 092-771-0464.
According to Korean Consulate General officials, if all the necessary documents have been submitted, visa applications to work or teach in Korea require at a minimum 2 days to process, and may take longer in some instances. We advise visa seekers to bring sufficient funds (in yen or dollars) to accommodate a stay of several days. Korean currency is often not accepted for accommodation exchange at local hotels or banks.
The Korean Consulate General in Fukuoka is closed on weekends, Japanese holidays and some Korean holidays (March 1, July 17, August 15, and October 3). The Embassy has no authority to intervene in any ROK immigration decision.
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International medical Insurance |
Travel health insurance is designed to financially protect you if you have experienced an unexpected sickness or injury. If you have become injured or if you feel unhealthy in some way, seeking medical consultation and/or reatment should be covered expenses under any travel health insurance policy.
Depending on your country of residence/ and or citizenship, different policy options are available to you. |
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