Title
Apostille Korea handles issuance and legalisation of Chinese criminal record certificates Ethnic Korean Chinese nationals who complete vocational training on a C-3-8 visa need a criminal record certificate issued by the police station of their hukou district in China to switch to an H-2 employment visa.
- Related countries
- 중국, 한국
Content
Apostille Korea said it handles the issuance and legalisation of the criminal record certificate that has to be obtained in China. Holders of a C-3-8 relative-visit visa who complete vocational training can convert to an H-2 employment visa through a computerised lottery, and the criminal record certificate is one of the documents required. The certificate is issued only by the police station covering the applicant's registered hukou district and must then pass through notarisation and legalisation.
- C-3-8 visa holders who complete vocational training can convert to an H-2 employment visa through a computerised lottery.
- The conversion application requires an application form, a lease contract and a criminal record certificate.
- A Chinese criminal record certificate is issued only by the police station of the applicant's hukou district and must be notarised, cleared by the foreign affairs office and then consular-legalised.
- Apostille Korea carries out this issuance and legalisation process on the ground in China.
Documents needed to convert from C-3-8 to H-2
An ethnic Korean Chinese national holding a C-3-8 relative-visit visa who completes vocational training can obtain an H-2 employment visa through a computerised lottery. The scheme has been in place since the middle of 2014 and has grown in use because it is more predictable than applying for an H-2 visa directly. At the application stage, an application form, a lease contract and a criminal record certificate are submitted. Of these, the criminal record certificate takes the longest to prepare, because it is issued only in China. Requirements and procedures can also change depending on the visa category and the timing of the application. Securing the document in advance is the safer way to keep to the application schedule.
Where and how the criminal record certificate is issued
The Chinese criminal record certificate, also referred to as a Chinese background check, confirms whether the holder has a criminal record in China. Most countries require it when a Chinese national applies for a visa for employment or residence. Unlike in Korea, it cannot be obtained anywhere in the country; only the police station covering the applicant's registered hukou district issues it. To use it in Korea, the document must be notarised, cleared by the local foreign affairs office and then consular-legalised at the Korean consulate. If the application is rejected because a requirement was misunderstood, the submitted documents cannot be recovered and the whole process has to start again. Apostille Korea handles the procedure in China so that the steps are completed in one pass.
Frequently asked questions
Can a Chinese criminal record certificate be issued in Korea?
No. It is issued only by the police station of the applicant's registered hukou district. Doing it in person means travelling to China, while an agency service can complete it without a local visit.
Can the certificate be submitted in Korea just as it is issued?
No. It has to be notarised, cleared by the local foreign affairs office and then consular-legalised at the Korean consulate before it is accepted in Korea.
What happens if the documents are rejected?
If the application is turned down because a requirement was misunderstood, the submitted documents cannot be recovered. The entire process, from issuance to legalisation, has to be repeated from the beginning.
Source: QUEEN · 2017-08-04