E-2 Visa General Documents and Timeline for Korea | Korea Visa Guide

When preparing your E-2 visa application, there are two sets of documents to keep in mind. The first set includes general documents that are required for the VIN application, which your school submits to the Korean Immigration Office. The second set includes documents specific to the consulate or embassy in your home country where you will apply for your visa. 

 

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General Timeline for an E-2 Visa

 

1. VIN Application
Once your school submits the VIN application, processing typically takes 15 business days (about 1–3 weeks), though this can vary depending on the region and time of year.

 

2. Visa Application
The processing time at Korean consulates and embassies varies by region and season, but it generally takes 5–15 business days.

If you want to know how to check the VIN and/or visa application progress, see our guide on how to navigate the Korea Visa Portal.

 

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Documents to Prepare for an E-2 Visa

 

1. General Documents (VIN Application)

• Notarized and Apostilled Bachelor’s Degree 
• Apostilled Criminal Background Check
• VIN Application Form
• E-2 Visa Health Statement
• 4 - 6 Passport Photos
• Copy of Passport
• Resume
• Employment Contract
  • Signed by both the teacher and the school

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2. Specific Documents (E-2 Visa Application)

 

• US Embassy & Consulates Guide
  • Anchorage 
  • Atlanta
  • Boston 
  • Chicago
  • Dallas
  • Honolulu
  • Houston
  • Los Angeles 
  • New York 
  • Philadelphia
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Washington D.C. 

 

• UK KVAC Guide

 

• Canada Embassy & Consulates Guide
  • Montreal 
  • Ottawa
  • Toronto
  • Vancouver

 

• South Africa Embassy Guide

 

• Australia Embassy & Consulates Guide
  • Brisbane
  • Canberra
  • Melbourne
  • Sydney

 

• Ireland Embassy Guide

 

• New Zealand Embassy & Consulate Guide
  • Auckland
  • Wellington

 

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3. Special Considerations

 

Marriage Certificate
A marriage certificate is required for an F-3 visa, which is provided to the spouse or underage children/dependents of the E-2 visa holder. You will need to get your marriage certificate notarized by the country of issuance and have it submitted during the VIN application, or submitted to the designated consulate for a separate F-3 visa application.

 

Name Change Document 
When you change your name legally after graduation, you will need to notarize the related document from the country of issuance. You will not need it for the VIN application, but you will need it for the Visa application at the Korean consulate of your jurisdiction. For more information, please consult the Korean consulate of your jurisdiction.

 

Naturalization Paper
If you were born in a third-party country but naturalized to the seven countries that is eligible for an E-2 Visa (Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, U.K., U.S.), you won’t be required to prepare a naturalization paper.