Documents, Work permits..etc.. Please help.

makgeoli wrote:

1. My degree. Do I need to get it notarized and apostilled like I did in Korea? I've read somethings about authentication, is this the same thing?

Yes same deal, get it notarised in your country and bring both with you.

makgeoli wrote:

2. University transcripts?

more of a US thing, but if you have them bring them.

makgeoli wrote:

3. Criminal background check?

Yes make sure it's recent, if your coming from Ireland get it there, if possible bring one from Korea too.

makgeoli wrote:

4. Tefl cert. It's a poxy online cert which I know is useless, but it can't do any harm to bring it along, can it?

Bring it, add it the above to get notarised, no it's not great but adds weight to your degree(more important) and you have experience.

makgeoli wrote:

5. Certificate of employment which documents my 2 years experience in Korean?

Get references from schools there (I am assuming you were teaching there.)

makgeoli wrote:

Also, I know the WP issue is very grey but is it possible (likely) to obtain a WP with uni degree but no Tefl cert (only a useless online one)?

All depends on who you end up working for but yes it's possible. I wouldn't worry too much about that at this stage.

makgeoli wrote:

Any advice on other do's/don'ts regarding documents etc will be greatly appreciated.

Don't sweat it too much, bring the originals and notarised copies and should be good to go

I am going to be moving to Vietnam in a few weeks, and I have some follow-up questions:

1. My degree.
-Do I need the degree that you would hang on the wall, or the transcripts showing which courses were completed? Can I get it notarized in VN, or do we have to do it in the US? If in the US, who would do that?

3. Criminal background check?
-Can I just print my background check off of the website, or do I need a copy with a raised-face seal? Can I get the background check from the county, or do I need to get an FBI background check?

5. Certificate of employment
-If I will be applying for engineering or business positions (non-teaching), do I need this, or will my resume and contact information for my previous employers suffice?

Do NOTHING about a criminal record UNTIL you file for a Work Permit. The Vietnamese Immigration give them a limited period of validity.

Enter the country on a 3-month tourist visa, find a job, then get a visa change when you process your Work Permit application.

Any documents from other countries have to be certified by the consulate of that country in VietNam. Then they have to be translated by the Official Notary Public.

Jaitch wrote:

Do NOTHING about a criminal record UNTIL you file for a Work Permit. The Vietnamese Immigration give them a limited period of validity.

Isn't it 6 months?  Getting a police clearance (from California at least) requires submitting fingerprints to the DOJ, getting the clearance letter notarized, then authenticated by the State, and finally translated by the VN consulate in San Francisco.  It's much easier to take care of all that from the US, with all the back-and-forth.

DanFromSF wrote:

Jaitch wrote:

Do NOTHING about a criminal record UNTIL you file for a Work Permit. The Vietnamese Immigration give them a limited period of validity.

Isn't it 6 months?  Getting a police clearance (from California at least) requires submitting fingerprints to the DOJ, getting the clearance letter notarized, then authenticated by the State, and finally translated by the VN consulate in San Francisco.  It's much easier to take care of all that from the US, with all the back-and-forth.

Agree with Jaitch,do it in country. The experience Dan had is different from country to country. For mine I went to my embassy,filled out a form with the Federal police officer there and within a week had a background check letter. Took it to get translated and all done within two weeks.

Well, I got mine in the US, just in case.  I figured it couldn't hurt, and might be sufficient if I needed it.   It was a bit of a PITA, but I can live with that.