Title
Apostille Korea Handles China's No-Criminal-Record Certificate for Korean Chinese Applicants The Chinese certificate needed to switch to an H-2 work visa runs from an application at the local police station in the household registration district through a notary office, the foreign affairs office and Korean consular confirmation.
- Related countries
- 중국, 한국
Content
Apostille Korea said it provides an agency service for Korean Chinese applicants who must obtain and authenticate a no-criminal-record certificate inside China. The document must be submitted by anyone seeking to stay outside China for work or residence. Its demanding procedure has left many applicants stuck at the issuing stage.
- Since mid-2014 the Ministry of Justice has run a scheme converting C-3-8 visas into H-2 work visas through technical training and a computerised draw.
- The scheme was created to ease the difficulty of obtaining China's no-criminal-record certificate, one of the documents required for an H-2 application.
- The certificate is issued when the applicant submits an application form and household register at the police station covering their household registration district.
- To be used in Korea it must pass notarisation at a notary office, authentication at the foreign affairs office and consular confirmation at a Korean consulate.
From C-3-8 to H-2: how the scheme came about
As visits by Korean Chinese for employment purposes increased year after year, the Ministry of Justice introduced a scheme to improve the existing system and encourage settlement in Korean society. It provides technical training to holders of the C-3-8 visa, also known as the ethnic Korean visit visa, and converts the status to an H-2 visa through a computerised draw; the scheme has been in force since the middle of 2014. Behind it lay a specific problem: among the documents required for an H-2 application, China's criminal record certificate, the no-criminal-record certificate, was difficult to obtain locally. Under the scheme, a C-3-8 holder who is selected in the draw and completes the technical training can change status to an H-2 visa by submitting the no-criminal-record certificate along with an application form, a lease contract and other papers. Securing that one certificate therefore remains the pivot of the whole conversion.
The chain from the police station to consular confirmation
The no-criminal-record certificate, also called China's personal background report, is a civil document attesting to an applicant's criminal record within China. It must be submitted by anyone intending to stay outside China for employment or residence. Issuance requires the applicant to submit an application form and household register at the police station covering their household registration district. To use the resulting document in Korea, it must be notarised at a notary office, authenticated at the foreign affairs office and then confirmed by a Korean consulate. If a rejection notice arrives at any stage, the submitted papers cannot be recovered and the whole set has to be prepared again from the start. Without accurate information and preparation, time and cost accumulate repeatedly. Apostille Korea carries out these steps locally in China on the applicant's behalf.
Frequently asked questions
Can I work in Korea on a C-3-8 visa?
A scheme allows conversion to an H-2 work visa after technical training. Applicants selected in the draw who complete the training can change status by submitting the no-criminal-record certificate, an application form and a lease contract among other papers.
Where is the no-criminal-record certificate issued?
The applicant submits an application form and household register at the police station covering their household registration district. It is a procedure that has to be carried out inside China.
Can the certificate be used in Korea as soon as it is issued?
No. It must be notarised at a notary office and authenticated at the foreign affairs office, and then receive consular confirmation from a Korean consulate.
Source: 문화뉴스 · 2017-06-20