Update 7..Arriving in 2 weeks?

I emailed my recruiter yesterday. Immigration is backed up so I should have my visa approved in about 2 weeks. Then I will be arriving shortly after that.

I will be able to depart from the airport an hour away from my house instead of driving 5 hours like I was originally told. That makes me feel a lot better.

I'm trying to start packing up my things.  I have a ton of clothes. I wouldn't take so many clothes, but its almost impossible to find clothes my size in Korea. I'm almost done, but I do have a problem. I have already filled 2 bags up to 45 pounds. I may have to add a 3rd bag. I'm considering checking out the space bags so I can fit things into 2 suitcases. My suitcases are so full because I like to have a wide variety of outfits.

Lately I've been very nervous about teaching preschool students since I dont have any experience. I found out that there will be some training so that makes me feel better. I think it will be exciting to teach preschool, but I wonder how much they will be able to understand. Preschoolers can barely speak their own language and I'm speaking to them only in English. That's got to be scary! They are probably thinking 'what the heck is she saying?' and I'm thinking 'why won't they do what I say?'. Its definitely going to be a fun experience. I really love little kids. The only thing that worries me is how to manage their behavior. Little kids have a lot of energy and a small attention span.

Music Video: Super Junior-M "Perfection"

Update 6: I have a job!

My recruiter set up an interview for Thursday around midnight. It was a school with kindergarten and elementary students. He never heard back from the school after the interview.

He called me last night to tell me about another option teaching kindergarten. He was going to call the school after he got off the phone with me and they would call me shortly after. I was really nervous about that school because I saw some not so positive reviews. He called me back shortly after and said they hired someone who was already in Korea.

He told me about another position about 2 hours outside of Seoul. I reluctantly accepted to have the interview, but quickly wrote him back to tell him that I really preferred to be in Seoul.

Then he emailed me back to say that he just got an phone call from a school in Bundang. Its a little outside of Seoul, but I'll still be able to access the subway system. That was the best option that he had for me within my preferences. He set up an interview for 11am(Korean time).

I had the interview at 9pm EST. The woman who I spoke with on the phone had good English skills. She said she had lived in the USA for 20 years. Another employee is a Korean American. One of the first things she said to me was "I'd like to invite you to come to Korea." It was like an instant job offer. She didn't really ask me much. Its a brand new hagwon and they don't have many students yet so classes will be pretty small to begin with. This will be a day job from 10-6pm. I'd be teaching 4 kindergarten classes in the morning(40 mins each). The kindergarten is more of a learning through activities. Then elementary in the afternoon. The elementary will have textbooks. They provide the airfare (I asked!) The salary is 100,000 won more than what I made at my last job because I have experience. She said she will send my contract on Monday and then the process of obtaining my Visa will begin. All my documents are already in Korea. I'm the first person they have hired so far.

This will be the 3rd job where I was one of the first foreign teachers. I think its less pressure because they can't compare me to the previous teacher and the students won't be comparing me or have to adjust to a new style of teaching.

If they put in for my visa on Monday then 10 days later would be the 24th. Then I'll rush my documents to Atlanta to the consulate. Then as soon as they are processed I have to pick them up and leave from the airport the same day in Atlanta. I'm guessing that I could be leaving as soon as the 25th maybe? I don't know all the details yet but I should be in Korea by the 1st of March and I start my job on the 2nd.

Now I'm searching Dave's ESL cafe looking for used products to furnish my apartment. So far I've found a rice cooker and a transformer. I hope to find a lot of household products.

Update 5

Getting to Korea the 2nd time has been a challenge. It seems that the signs are telling me that I shouldn't go back, but I am finding a way to get there. I'm already on plan C. Plan A didn't work. Plan B didn't work. Now I'm hoping that plan C will be the last.

While I was away there were new regulations put in place. The changes were brand new when I started getting all my documents together so there wasn't a lot of information to be found. I missed a critical step in the process-getting the signature and seal. I didn't know I needed it. That costed me a ton of money to get it corrected.

This week I sent in all my documents to Pagoda. I also asked them about my flight. Then I found out some bad news. I asked if they could make sure I had an aisle seat when they booked my flight. Then I found out:

And flight thing, you have to purchase one way air ticket there, then when you come here, we will pay here for your ticket. This is the our company rule. So please understand this issue.

I think this issue should have been discussed with me before I applied. If I would have known I wouldn't have applied. The contract states:

The employer will provide payment to the employee of a one way ticket to Seoul from any city designated by the employee.

 
So I read that as 'we provide a ticket.' Where does it say that I am responsible for booking that ticket and being reimbursed? To be clearer I would have written it this way: The employee is responsible for booking a one way ticket to Seoul. The ticket will be reimbursed upon arrival.

I told him that I couldn't afford the ticket. So he talked to his boss. His boss said that it wouldn't be fair to the other native teachers. (I could have kept it quiet and not told anyone)..Anyway-They let me go.

I immediately contacted my recruiter and got a fast response. My recruiter called me the next day. He told me he didn't have positions like what I wanted. I would like to teach elementary students at a hagwon in Seoul. He said he had some positions in kindergarten and public school.

He forwarded my resume to a kindergarten job. He's waiting to hear from them.

So I'm waiting........

I could possibly be in Korea within the next 2 weeks. Its really getting close.

update 4

I now have my apostille on my FBI background check. All of my documents will be in Korea the first week in February.

All these new regulations ended up being really expensive, but I had to get it done.

I should be in Korea in about 30 days!! I can't wait to be back!

Stricter drug screening planned for native English teachers

read the article here: Stricter drug screening for English teachers

Foreigners who are suspected of drug use will have to undergo two tests before gaining employment as an English teacher on an E-2 Visa. The new policies will go into effect on February 1.

The foreigner will have to take a drug test with a drug diagnosis reagent authorized by the Korea Food and Drug Administration. If the first test is positive they will have to take a 2nd test using a mass spectrometer.

They will test for methamphetamine, cocaine, opium and marijuana. If the second test is positive, a visa will be denied.

A Justice Ministry official said, “A number of English instructors took drugs while teaching, and we wanted to prevent this in advance.”

update 3

I got my FBI check back in a week instead of the estimated 2-3 weeks.

Now I am going to use a courier service in Washington DC to get the apostille for me. They should return my documents by Jan 31st.

Then I will send my documents to South Korea and they should arrive on February 5th.

Now my frustration is over.

38 days left till my job officially starts....so actually its less than 38 days until I arrive in South Korea. I don't know the exact date yet. I'll update later.

Tips for new teachers getting an E-2 visa in South Korea

These tips come from my own personal experience and all the mistakes I made. I have taught in South Korea before, but since I left for a year I have to come back and start the process all over as a new teacher. (While I was gone new regulations began so the process was different!)

These are processes for USA applicants applying to a private school (hagwon).

Start the process early. All these documents take a long time.

I started the document process in October for a job that starts in March. I could have the process finished earlier if I didn't make so many mistakes.

• Start the FBI background check early! It can take up to 12 weeks(They will NOT expedite). Mine took 8 weeks.
• DO NOT FORGET TO REQUEST THE SEAL AND SIGNATURE FOR THE PURPOSE OF OBTAINING AN APOSTILLE. Include a note with your application to the FBI.You will not get an apostille without the seal and signature. (I didn't do this and its caused me a lot of stress! I had to send it back to the FBI for the seal and signature which will take 2-3 weeks)
• The apostille for the FBI check has to be done at the US Dept of State. The process takes 15+ days. If you live close enough to go to the office in person that would be the fastest option.
• Send your original diploma to the Secretary of State to get an apostille. (Once I sent in the original I got it back within a week. This may vary from state to state. Check with your state for proper procedures)
• Make sure you get plenty of ID size (2x2) pictures taken(I'd say 8 might be sufficient)(I got 6 at CVS for $10.00). You will need pictures for lots of things-ARC, medical check, picture ID at school. (I had to send in 4 with my application). 

UPDATE: Do not send your original diploma. I never got mine back!!!

 talk to local lawyer and see if they will put a notary on the photocopy of your diploma, or your university can provide you notary stamp along with the diploma photocopy. Then the apostille office should authenticate (apostille) the notary.