I think one of the biggest obstacles I've encountered was completing all proper documentation to submit for a visa. Try to give yourself as much time as possible and account for any possible mistakes, lost paper work and/or issues that may arise. Below you'll find a list of documents I needed to complete/find for Korea.
Passport - If you don't have it already, sign up for one ASAP. Fill out the form on their website and you can submit it through mail, or your local post office. Check here for locations. It can take up to 6 weeks so try to do this before anything else. If your departure date is a lot sooner than 6 weeks, you can set up an appointment to visit the Federeal Building in Los Angeles and have it expedited. I got mine in 2 days after visiting and paid a total of $160. In order to expedite the process, they'll need proof of departure. They ask for an airplane ticket but I just took my teaching contract with the dates I needed it for and it worked just fine. If you have an expired passport (mine was more than 10 years old) bring it as well. It makes the process a lot faster. If you live in LA it's a lot easier since they offer will call when it's ready which will save you a couple of extra days.
State wide criminal background check - The background check was probably the biggest nightmare of it all. Korea is very particular about not accepting electronic print outs of of a background check. Any background check pulled from the internet will NOT work. You need a state wide criminal background check that's done by the Department of Justice. In California it's called a livescan. They take your finger prints on an electronic press and submit it to the Department of Justice for you. Fill out this form before you go. Make sure you read the instructions so it's filled out correctly. Check here for locations of where to get a livescan in your area. Check what kind of payment they accept. The one I went to only accepted cash and I want to say it cost around $50? But I think that might include my passport photos also. You're paying for the actual background check and fingerprint rolling fees as well. The background check should be mailed to you in about 7-10 days. If you need passport photos, chances are the livescan places offer that service as well.
Apostile seal - After you get your background check in the mail an Apostile seal is needed. The Secretary of State notarizes the signature on your bc and seals it. It becomes a universal language for all countries aka legit. Normally, you have to send it to Sacramento but if you're in San Diego or Los Angeles, you can visit the Regional Offices and get it done that day. Try not to wait till the last minute for this. The day I went their computers were down and it ended up taking a week to get it in the mail. The offices are in Downtown Los Angeles and it costs $26. They do NOT accept cash. If you decided to drive there, head south a couple of blocks for cheaper parking. You can always take the metro and make a day out of it.
Los Angeles Regional Office
300 South Spring Street, Room 12513
Los Angeles, CA 90013
(213) 897-3062
Hours are Monday - Friday 8am-5pm
Official College Transcript - Request 2 from your college. You'll need one to send to your school and one for your visa application. Make sure the seal of the envelope is signed on the the flap and marked official.
Once you send all of your paperwork to the school, they submit your packet to sponsor you for your Visa. An appointment is then made at the Korean Consulate to receive your Visa. We will be having our interview in about two weeks.
