Korea Update

I wanted to write a quick post just to update everyone on what's been going on with Korea over the past week or so.

After signing the contract for the English language academy, the next step in the process was for me to send all the necessary documentation to the school so that they could initiate the visa application process. These documents included my (original) university degree, a copy of my passport, and an official background check notarized by an Apostille. I Fedexed all my documents to the school via priority mail last Monday for the spectacular sum of $55; it still took them nearly a week to arrive in Korea.

Yesterday evening I received an email from the school informing me that they have received my documents, and that I should now purchase my plane ticket. I'm not completely clear on the next steps in the visa process. I think that the Korean government is supposed to issue me a visa number, and then I will have to contact the Korea consulate in San Fransisco. If they want to interview me in person, which is my fear, they would probably say so at that time. That would likely require purchasing another plane ticket, spur-of-the-moment, and would certainly add some chaos to our last weeks in the states.

Now that we know the exact date that we will be in Korea (March 8th -I've been bumped to a later training session), Katie and I will also need to initiate her visa application process. She will be applying for an extended tourist visa, but the English academy will not be handling it. I'm considering utilizing one of the many companies that supposedly expediate visa applications. It costs more to do it that way, but it might make the process smoother.