Visit your local police department to request a criminal background check. You will need to show them your ID and tell them how long you have lived in that county. You will also need to pay a fee. If there is an option to expedite the process, choose it.
Make sure you receive your record in official letterhead and that it is signed by an officer.
When you receive your criminal record, notarize it. You must take your criminal record to a notary. You can find a notary in banks and UPS stores.
Find a State Authorization Authority where you can get an apostille (legalization) for your notarized record. You can look for an office near you at www.apostille.us. Mail your criminal background check record to obtain the apostille.
Make sure you that your document states the country of origination; name and title of the person that signs it; the place where it was certified and on what date; the number of the certificate and the number of the seal; and the signature of the issuer of the certification.
Send your criminal record to Korean immigration and another copy along with the rest of your documents to your employer.
Start early. There is an average turnaround time of two months, but there have been cases in which the record has been received after four to seven months. Starting this process as early as possible will guarantee that you will have the documents you need in time to start teaching the day your contract begins.
Get fingerprinted. You can get fingerprinted at your local police department or department of justice. You will pay a fee and a technician will roll your fingertips in a machine that will produce a computerized image of your fingerprints. She will then print out your fingerprints and hand them to you to send to the FBI.
Write a cover letter. Write a short letter explaining why you need your a criminal background check. Include personal details like your full name, complete address, phone number, email address, date of birth and social security number. You must sign the letter.
Include payment for the fee of $18. You must send this in the form of a money order, certified check or credit card number. Write your check or money order to the Treasury of the United States.
Mail to the address in West Virginia. If you would like to receive your criminal record sooner, include a self-addressed, stamped envelope. You can also send your request to the FBI by commercial courier, such as DHL, FedEx or UPS. You can include a prepaid airbill and envelope for a much faster turn around of around two or three weeks.
Notarize your criminal record when you receive it. You can find a notary in banks and UPS stores.
Get an apostille for your notarized criminal record. If you got your criminal background check you must get the apostille at the Department of State Authentications office. This is a seal added to the document that makes it a true and official copy that can be used in a different country. This takes about five business days to process. You must send a cover letter with your name, address, phone number, email address and name of country where the document will be used with the apostille fee of $8. Once you receive that, you will be able to send your criminal record to Korean immigration and another copy along with the rest of your documents to your employer.
