Strange new requirement from the Board of Education

[Zzyzx]

Howdy, folks. I've got a mystery that needs solving and nary a Great Dane to be found.

While in the process of getting a job, a recruiter has informed me that the "Education Board" now require duplicates of your CBC and diploma with Apostille.

Searching for "new requirements" hasn't gotten me anything but a history lesson.

Supposedly this is a brand new requirement and I won't need to submit these documents until a month after I've arrived.

Is this fact or fiction?

[mycena]

Fact. You can submit another set of originals if you have them, or you can obtain certified copies from the immigration office that will issue your ARC.

[kadams3]

Daegu EPIK demanded the originals of both, and then refused to return them to teachers when their contracts finished. A buddy of mine almost couldn't get his visa transferred to a new school (after EPIK didn't renew him) because the immigration office wanted them, and the education office refused to give them up. Finally, after hours of arguing, they gave him copies of the originals to give to immigration.

The boards of education in this country are ridiculous.

[Zzyzx]

Fact. You can submit another set of originals if you have them, or you can obtain certified copies from the immigration office that will issue your ARC.

You're saying that this requirement is real?

I should have stated this in the OP: This is for a hagwon job. I was under the impression that the Education Board didn't regulate hagwons.

[mycena]

The Ministry of Education regulates both hagwons and public schools as both have to follow certain standards and register their employees. The new regulations therefore apply to both. I work at a hagwon and had to go to immi last week to get copies of my documents for submission to the MoE. Luckily, it was a very quick and painless process.

[Zzyzx]

Strangely, my recruiter insists that copies are unacceptable and it must be original. He's also bent out of shape about my nationality, because American CBCs take a rather long time to be processed.

Does the immigration office have any form of notary or certification marking that would satisfy the Education Board?

[mycena]

Does the immigration office have any form of notary or certification marking that would satisfy the Education Board?

Once you arrive in Korea, you will need to go to the immi office that is handling your ARC and ask for a copy of your CBC/apostille and diploma/apostille. They will print off copies from their computer and stamp it saying that is an immi approved copy. Mine was free, but I've heard of them charging 300 won per copy.

[Zzyzx]

That's very good to hear, my friend. Deep down inside I knew my recruiter was full of it (deep down inside, they always are).

Muchos gracias