Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in San Francisco

1. Eligibility 

 - You can apply for E-2-2 Visa (Teaching English in Public Schools) if you have received a Notice of Appointment from EPIK. 

2. Required documents 

 ① Visa application form (attached 1) 

 ※ All visa applicants must use the Visa Application Form updated on Feb 7th, 2022(attached to this post). We will return the applications without processing them if the visa applicant uses the old visa application forms.

  ※ You must fill it out without leaving any section blank and put your name and signature on the last page. 

   ▶ 1.1 Full name in English : Your name must be same on your passport. 

   ▶ 1.7 National Identity No. : SSN

   ▶ 2.2 Status of Stay : Visa type (E-2-2) 

   ▶ 4.5 Emergency Contact Information : a person in the U.S.  

   ▶ 9 Details of Invitation : please fill it out with the information of the Office of Education. (You can leave 9.1 b) section blank.)

   ▶ 10.1 Estimated travel costs(in US dollars) : Amount that you plan to spend during your stay in Korea (If you are applying for a long-term visa, the total amount that you will spend for the first 3 months)

  ▶ 10.2 c) Type of Support : List or explain the things that you will spend the amount that you state in section 10.1 (e.g. living expenses, round-trip flight, travel expenses, etc.)

 ② 1 photo taken within 6 months (35mm x 45mm or 2inch x 2inch)  

 ③ Original (physical, actual) passport and 1 copy of the passport (The passport must have more than 6 months of validity)

    ※ Passport copy : Photocopy the page that has your photo and personal information. You do not need to get notarization for copies of your passport and green card(U.S. visa). 

 ④ 1 copy of U.S. green card or long-term visa (if the visa applicant is not U.S. passport holder)   

    ※ A valid I-797 copy can be acceptable as a U.S. long-term visa.

 ⑤ Visa processing fee ($45 for Americans) by money order or cash only (Pay to : Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in SF)

   * For the visa processing fee for other nationalities, please click here. 

 ⑥ Original contract (Copies are not acceptable.)

     ※ For the original contract, the visa applicant must sign on each page at the bottom and for the last page, he/she must put the date of signature, full name that is the exact same as on the passport, and signature.  

 ⑦ Original Notice of Appointment (Copies are not acceptable.)

 ⑧ E-2 Consul's checklist (attached 2) 

 ⑨ Self-addressed return envelope with a prepaid-label or stamp which has tracking (In case you want to get your passport and visa back by mail)

 ※ Beginning December 1st, 2022, the Korean Consulate in San Francisco will only accept packages from USPS. This applies to not only visa submissions but also for a self-addressed return envelope (No other couriers such as FedEx, UPS, etc.) 

 ※ Please note that there can be additional documents required by the Consulate after the Consulate reviews your visa application documents. 

 ※ Please note that our office cannot process your visa and will return your passport and documents without notifying you if there are missing documents and/or missing information in your documents. This can also happen if you applied in-person after making an appointment to drop off your documents. Please check thoroughly before submitting.

3. How to submit the visa application 

 - By mail (mail all the required documents,  with Tracking, in envelope to 3500 Clay St., San Francisco, CA 94118) 

 ※ The Consulate is not responsible for a lost or damaged mail.  

 ※ Beginning December 1st, 2022, the Korean Consulate in San Francisco will only accept packages from USPS. This applies to not only visa submissions but also for a self-addressed return envelope (No other couriers such as FedEx, UPS, etc.) We will return the application without processing it if it sent by any other courier. There will be a grace period (acceptance of FedEx, UPS, etc.) until December 31, 2022.

 ※ We recommend all the visa applicants to use tracking for postage/prepaid-labels such as USPS priority, USPS priority express as the package will contain your important documents such as your original passport. 

 - In-person (You must make an appointment on the online portal prior to your visit. Please click here for how to make an appointment.) 

 ※ If it is hard to get an appointment, it is faster to mail your visa application documents instead of waiting for an available appointment.  

 ※ Submitting your visa application by a third party or a family member is not allowed. 

 ※ Do not submit an application if your planned arrival in Korea is more than 3 months away.  

 ※ The Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in San Francisco serves Northern California, Colorado, Utah and Wyoming. Our office only accepts visa applications of the residents in our jurisdiction.  

4. Processing time 

 - Approximately 2 weeks from the submission date 

 ※  Please note that we do not provide any updates regarding your visa processing status. Please do not call or email asking the update.

 ※ Due to an extremely high volume of visa applications we are currently experiencing a 2 week processing time for all visa requests. We do not provide any expedited services and operate on a first come first served basis. Thus, please plan accordingly for your travel plans and submit your visa application considering the aforementioned visa processing time.  

 ※ If you prefer to pick up your passport and visa instead of getting them by mail, you must bring your valid photo ID such as driver's license, green card, etc. when you visit our office. We do not give back your passport and visa to a third person if you are not the visa applicant. You do not need to make an appointment for the pick-up.

5. Observation 

 - The visa issuance will be determined after reviewing your visa application documents. 

 - There is NO expedited service for visa issuance. Please do not ask for it and plan your visa application accordingly. 

 - Please note that not following the proper procedure to apply for a visa can automatically result in denial of visa. Furthermore, any verbal abuse or unlawful behavior and actions are grounds for denial of visa issuance and may prevent future visa applications. 

 

 - All visa applicants are responsible to prepare their visa application and any document they submit. The Korean Consulate in San Francisco does not provide any pre-reviewing service for visa application. If any information or documents submitted along with the visa application are verified as false statements or falsified, they will cause denial of visa issuance and may prevent future visa applications.

 - Visa stickers are no longer issued in your passport. The visa grant notice (letter-sized paper that is issued to you with the return of your passport) is your visa that you must bring for entry to Korea.  

- If the visa applicant is verified as a dual citizen of Korea, as the visa applicant holds Korean nationality as well, he/she is not eligible to apply for any Korean visa. The Consulate requires additional documents to verify the dual citizenship status of the visa applicant if necessary.