For teachers and recruiters
Your background check is due earlier than almost every guide says.
Most E-2 guides tell you to bring the apostilled criminal record check to the Korean consulate with your visa application. That is the wrong end of the process, and believing it is how teachers miss an intake.
The Seattle consulate's published E-2 list contains no criminal record check at all. By then Korean Immigration has already issued your visa issuance number, and the apostilled check is part of what produced it. The document is due at the start, in Korea.
Verified 2026-08-10
Two documents, two different offices
Korea wants your degree apostilled as well as your background check. They do not go to the same place, and that surprises nearly everyone.
| Document | Apostilled by | Price |
|---|---|---|
| FBI background check | U.S. Department of State, Washington | $299 |
| Degree or transcript | The state that issued it | $149 |
Government fees are inside those prices. Send your degree to your state Secretary of State and it works. Send your FBI check there and it comes back unprocessed, about a month later.
The clock that costs people their intake
The six-month window runs from the day the FBI issued your report. Not the day the apostille was attached. Seattle says that in those words.
So the apostille does not refresh anything. It spends the window. About two weeks of that is the Department of State itself, and no service on earth can compress it.
Work backwards from the date your school needs the document in Korea, not from your consulate appointment. Tell us that date and we will tell you whether it works before you pay us anything.
For recruiters and TEFL schools
If you place American teachers, this step stalls your intakes and it is not your job to fix. Two ways to work with us. Send the teacher to us and earn a commission, or buy at wholesale and set your own price.
There is also a trade we would rather have than either. If you track consulate and ministry sheets for your destinations, send us what you read. We will publish it quoted, dated and credited to you, the same way we publish everything else.
Questions
Do I give the apostilled background check to the Korean consulate?
Usually not. The Seattle consulate’s published E-2 list contains no criminal record check at all. By the time you reach the consulate, Korean Immigration has already issued your visa issuance number, and the apostilled check is part of what produced it. The document is due at the start of the process, in Korea, not at the end of it in the United States. Ask your school or recruiter which stage they are at before you order anything.
Does the six-month clock start when the apostille is attached?
No. It runs from the day the FBI issued the report. Seattle states that in those words. A slow apostille eats your window rather than resetting it, which is why teachers miss intakes.
My degree needs an apostille too. Is that the same process?
No, and this catches people. Your FBI check is federal and goes to the U.S. Department of State in Washington. Your degree is a state document, usually notarised first, and goes to the state it was issued in. Two documents, two offices. We do both. The degree is $149.
Can you order my FBI report for me?
No, and nobody can. Federal rules release an Identity History Summary only to you. You order it through an approved channeler, which usually takes a day or two, then pass it to us for the apostille. Order it before you leave the US: federal regulation stops you viewing the result from abroad.
I already left the US. What now?
This is the hardest case and we will be straight with you. You cannot view your report from outside the country, so somebody in the US has to receive it for you. Tell us where you are and what your deadline is before you buy anything from us.
Is there a rush option?
Not at the federal level. The Office of Authentications has no appointment system. We can put you at the front of our next Washington run and return it overnight, which saves days, not weeks. Anyone promising same day is describing something that does not exist.
Which countries need this?
South Korea, China, Japan, Vietnam and the UAE all want an apostilled criminal record check for a teaching work visa. Spain’s government programmes often do not require a national check at all, though they may still ask. Check the rule for your destination before you order.