STEP 1 - SENDING VISA DOCUMENTS TO KOREA
As soon as you accept a contract with a school, the 1st step of the visa process will start. The first thing you will be asked to do is gather a set of important documents that are required to lodge an application for an E2 confirmation (visa) number at the Korean consulate. The documents need to be sent exactly as requested or they will not be accepted by the immigration office. Our visa representative will email full instructions to you as well, along with the shipping address and any additional requirements for your particular school. The instructions below are meant as a general guideline.
STEP 2 - E2 VISA APPLICATION AT THE KOREAN CONSULATE
When your Step 1 documents arrive at the school, they'll be checked and if everything is accurate, they'll be submitted to the local immigration office. Normal processing time is between 5-10 business days, but during peak times, it can be longer.
As you wait for your E2 number to be issued, you can prepare your visa application documents for the consulate, so once your E2 number is issued, you'll be able to submit your application in person or by mail. A general outline of requested documents can be found below, but we advise you to contact your local consulate in advance, as requirements can vary.
When your E2 number is ready, it will be sent to you by email (no physical documents will be sent to you by the school, unless you're an EPIK teacher).
CONSULATES BY JURISDICTION
Visa document verification and visa applications can only be processed by the consulate in your jurisdiction. Below is a list of the contact information for each consulate, including the areas they cover. It is possible to complete your visa outside your jurisdiction, as long as you apply in person. This also applies to other countries. Your must be completed before you can fly to Korea as there are not Korean consulates or embassies in Korea.
Note that consulates only accept visa application in the morning hours (approx. 9:00 am - 12:00 pm) and passports can be picked up in the afternoon (approx. 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm).
Visa applications take the same amount of time to process whether they are submitted in person or by mail. We advise that you apply in person whenever possible, to ensure that your documents are accepted. Visa processing times can be anywhere from 2-7 business days, depending on the consulate and a rush service is not available.
Ottawa
Residents of Ottawa and Canadians living abroad.
Address : 150 Boteler Street, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (K1N 5A6)
Tel : (613) 244-5010
Hours of Operation : Monday – Friday 09:00am-12:00pm, 1:00pm-5:00pm
Processing Time: 5 business days
Toronto
Residents of Manitoba and Ontario (excluding Ottawa).
Address : 555 Avenue Road, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (M4V 2J7)
Tel : (416) 920-3809
Hours of Operation : Monday – Friday 09:00am-12:00pm, 1:00pm-4:30pm
Processing Time: 10 business days
Montreal
Residents of Quebec, Newfoundland, New Brunswick, PEI, and Nova Scotia.
Address : 1250 René Lévesque Blvd. West, Suite 3600, Montreal, Quebec, Canada (H3B 4W8)
Tel : (514) 845-2555
Hours of Operation : Monday – Friday 09:00am-12:00pm, 1:00pm-5:00pm
Processing Time: 5-10 business days
Vancouver
Residents of Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Yukon, and the Northwest Territories
Address : #1600 - 1090 West Georgia St., Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (V63 3V7)
Tel : (604) 681-9581
Hours of Operation : Monday – Friday 09:00am-12:00pm, 1:00pm-4:30pm
Processing Time: 7-10 business days
STEP 3 - Alien Registration (in Korea)
When you arrive in Korea, you will have 90 days to pass your medical exam and to apply for your Alien Registration Card (ARC). You will not be allowed to leave Korea to travel until you have the ARC, because most E2 visas are issued with a single entry. You will also not be able to set up a bank account or any utilities in your name until you have the ARC, so it's beneficial to get the medical exam done as soon as you arrive. Most schools will provide assistance with these steps and some will pay for the expenses associated with the medical exam and the ARC.