Apostille Korea handles the Chinese criminal record certificate behind H-2 visa changes The switch to a work-visit visa through domestic technical training has been simplified, but the criminal record certificate that must be issued in China remains an obstacle.

Apostille Korea said it provides a solution for obtaining the Chinese criminal record certificate required to change to a work-visit (H-2) visa. The document is issued only by the local police station registered in the applicant's hukou, and using it in Korea requires notarisation, certification by the foreign affairs office and consular legalisation at a Korean consulate.

A simplified route to the H-2 visa

Ethnic Korean Chinese nationals need an H-2 or F-4 visa to work in Korea, but the strict and complicated procedure used to cost a great deal of time and money. In 2014 the Ministry of Justice announced a policy to encourage settlement in Korean society, providing technical training to holders of a C-3-8 relative-visit visa aged 25 to 40 and then issuing a work-visit (H-2) visa. Under the policy, C-3-8 holders who complete the training in Korea can obtain an H-2 visa through a computerised random draw. Someone who enters on a C-3-8 visa and completes six weeks of technical training can change to an H-2 visa with an application form, one photograph, a passport, a Chinese identity card, a hukou booklet, a recommendation for the change of status, a lease contract, a training certificate, a health check report and the fee. As the procedure has been considerably simplified, the number of applicants has risen every year.

The remaining hurdle: the certificate issued in China

Administrative procedures inside Korea have improved, but many applicants struggle to obtain the Chinese criminal record certificate that the document requirements call for. Also known as a Chinese background check, it certifies criminal history in China and must be submitted for visas that allow work and residence in Korea. Unlike in Korea, it is issued only by the local police station registered in the applicant's hukou, so the applicant must first return to China and submit an application form and the hukou booklet. To use the certificate in Korea, it must be notarised, then certified by the foreign affairs office, and finally receive consular legalisation at a Korean consulate. Each institution involved in issuance, notarisation and certification has different procedures, timelines and rules, which makes handling the process alone difficult. If an application is rejected the submitted documents cannot be recovered and everything has to be prepared again, and the requirements also vary with the type of visa and the time of application.

Frequently asked questions

Source: 브릿지경제 · 2017-05-09