Your first month in Korea (What you spend your money on before payday) with Chungdahm

When you first begin looking into teaching in Korea, especially through Aclipse, they will reassure you that you really only need $1000-1500 until you get paid.

Is this realistic? NOPE.

I'm actually not super sure why they decided to budget with such low numbers. Especially since everyone starts training in Seoul where food is the biggest expense. 

What your $1000/1500 should be spent on according to CDI: 

Food: ~$200-250

Transport to the hotel: $25

Alien Registration card: $20

Photos for health check and ARC: $5 

Realtor fee for your flat: $250 

First month's rent: $800-1000 

Realistically: 

1) Food was my biggest cost alone. If you eat out a lot or simply buy coffees/take away drinks expect to go over your $200 budget quickly. It is possible to eat cheaply, but you're not gonna have time to really cook (and the hotel isn't super well furnished in the kitchen area), so get used to convenience store food quickly. I kept track of roughly how much I spent on food my first week alone was over $100. How is $200 supposed to last a whole month. My first month's food bill was over $400 and I think I did more than my fair share of eating from the convenience store. If you're not paying attention or you go drinking a lot it's pretty easy to drop tonnes of cash before you know it, especially with beers ranging around 5-9,000 won and mixed drinks running above 10,000 won. 

2) Realtor fees are definitely above $250, mine was $330. A friend did a simple title transfer (took over another teacher's apartment) and still had to pay like $150 for that when the realtor only had the sign some papers in an office. Expect to pay more than what you might be told. Budget probably like $400-500 and then be surprised when it's less. This is assuming your branch uses the same realtor and has a set deal with them. 

3) Rent is probably the only thing that's budgeted for properly. It does suck cause it means that you're expected to spend more of your own money on rent than the $600 stipend that you'll get. If you really don't want to deal with that then try to find a housing included contract but expect them to be in not so ideal locations (ie small cities and more rural). I said straight away that I want as close to $600 as possible and the closest they could get me was around $700. I got shown 4 apartments within my range and I chose one. Some people were not so lucky and ended up with more expensive places. Also expect these flats to be small and somewhat janky in some way or form. Luckily, mine was nice is most respects. 

4) Furniture expenses: 

Try to get as much of it as you can free or cheap. Ask around, look on FB. Use Gmarket if you need something more expensive as they will ship to your flat for cheap or free. A lot of it is cheaper than IKEA.

Things I bought new:

A korean sleeping pad (I decided on this a long time ago): $75, but I am going to upgrade to a nicer $200 one soon and keep this for guests. Ask around at your branch and see if you can borrow a bed before you order one (a real matress even) online from Gmarket or sleep on the ground for a day or two while it comes. 

A rug (probably didn't specifically need on right away) $40

A standing mirror $30 

A drying rack $20
misc kitchen stuff $30

Things I got cheap (mostly from a flea market near my flat):

Toaster oven for cooking/baking: $15

Pot/pan: $25

Bare minimum kitchen stuff: $25

Plates/bowls for 4: $20

Things I got free: 

Router for wifi (from a coworker)

Cabinet/shelf thing (found by my building's dumpster)
Couch (2 different couches actually, switched one for the nicer one, both found near the dumpster)

Giant desk I'm going to use as a table (also dumpster)
Some misc kitchen things (coworkers)

Unexpected things I needed to pay for: 

ATM fees - I was surprised by how many ATM withdrawls I had to do. Apparenlty many ATMs have low withdrawl amounts, plus so many surprise limits on my cards that my bank didn't tell me about. I ended up having to do a lot of ATM hoping before figuring out which ones worked best. I discovered that the Woori and HanaKEB Global ATMs had the highest limits, around $1,000USD. I paid about $10USD for a 500,000 won withdrawl. What is the worst thing about this is that it means you have to stratigically plan withdrawling enough to pay rent.


Final thoughts

Overall, I spent almost $2200 just getting set up. This is for my first month alone in Korea, it was another month before I got paid, so plan accordingly. It would be great if CDI would just say that you need to bring ~$3000 with you or have someone close (ie mum or dad) who's willing to lend you the money until you can pay them back after your first paycheque. 

Edit: April 20, 2017- name change to make it easier to understand what the topic is. 

Training Week at Chungdahm Part 2

So now that Day 1 is under your belt, what will happen on Days 2-4?

Basically the rest of the week will follow this model: 

-Mock teach! (while being filmed)
-Watch someone else mock teach. (also filmed, but you're not in the video specifically)
-Give feedback.
-Get feedback.
-Complete any online homework assigned for that day.

Depeding on the day there may also be a 1-ish hour seminar on something related to your future at CDI. For example, we had a seminar on how to use the different features of the tablets. We also had a seminar on how the housing contract works and what CDI's structure breakdown.

It sounds really simple, and you're probably wondering why everyone freaks out about it. It's pretty intense. You're probably a bit jetlagged and running on fumes from not being properly adjusted to the new eating times, etc. You're put in a small room and told to teach for what is most likely the first time and pretend that these adults are 12 year old kids. Maybe you're instantly good at it, or more likely you're reaaaaaalllyyy ok at it. Also, being filmed can make many people extra nervous. The filming serves a few purposes. The trainers and possibly your future boss can see if you're improving. You can review and look for things to work on (it's awful sounding, but you can see right away what you need to work on). Trainers also give short reports to the company on your teaching.

What are the trainers looking for: 
-Enthusiasm! Fake it till you make it, right?
-Are you trying to take in and incorportate their feedback?
-Are you somewhat ok at teaching?

It's generally pretty hard to fail, but it does happen. From talking to the trainers and other trainees experiences, generally, you will be given some kind of warning if this happens. They know you're not going to be perfect at teaching after less than 1 week, but just try your best. My biggest tip is to actually do practing teaching with your group in some way. Don't just study the material, actually do it.

The last day of training:
The rest of the week has passed and you're on to the last day. This day is basically the same, but also a little different. You'll still mock, you're still being filmed, but now there won't be any feedback. This is so that it's fair for everyone, no fixing something in your presentation that the trainer points out about another teacher. Generally you will be asked to mock mostly sections you're good at, and maybe one you're not so great at. The trainers aren't trying to trick you, they want to show you doing your best.

Once you're all finished, the trainer will go give their final 'report' on you. Either a yes or a no to the HR rep. (legally only HR can say you're hired or not at this point). It'll take about 10-15 minutes and then someone will come down to the room you're in and tell you the final result. After that you will generally (with some expections due to branch specific policy or requests, but it seems rare), go to the seminar room and sign your documents together. Someone will walk you through the paperwork, and answer any questions you will have.

Some things I learned:
-the housing deposit is for your first year only. So if you want to stay longer than 1 year you must save some money from your pay for next year.
-the 15 day holidays are your allotment for the next 2 years. If you plan to leave after 1 year, make sure you use them all up! If you plan to stay for more than 2 years, budget that in!
-Sick days are counted as holidays (branch depending, but probably the same for everyone). You will also need a doctor's note for this time.

After that you will be told to contact your branch Facaulty manager right away. They will generally tell you to come to the branch to go apartment hunting or for a tour, etc. Expect to go there right away so pack light for that day if you can. You might be out until quite late depending on your location. If you're going outside of the Seoul area (ie, can't get there by metro), you will be given instructions beforehand on where to bring your suitcase, etc. There will be transport arranged for you, probably a bus of some kind.

Training week at Chungdahm Part 1

So I'm sure you're like me and you searched high and low to get the low down on this training week. I searched high and low and found some useful and some unuseful things. This post will summarise arrival and day 1 of trainings. Look for the other parts to see the rest of the week.

Here is a short list of some of the things I found when researching training week:

The good:

A video giving advice and dispelling myths about Chungdahm by Corey Brown

Abroad or two's post

A tram to nowhere's post


The bad:
In my research I did find some posts and videos declaring CDL as the worst company in the world for various reasons. I also watched this video by someone who clearly didn't have a good experience with CDL. I'm not sure if its the same person but there was also a few posts like this one. Based on the wording of the stories, I feel like many of the CDL hating posts are from the same person. This is not to say that the company doesn't do shady stuff ever, but I think these posts can serve as a warning to take teaching abroad experiences with a grain of salt and to not be naive about anything.


What I came away with from my research was that training was intense, hard and sometimes emotional. I was not super sure what exactly I would be doing as I felt that there was very vague descriptions of what happened during the day. CDL does make it's teachers sign a confidentiality agreement, which I think lead to many people not feeling comfortable with disclosing information. Although to be honest, I think this agreement covers more specific things like sharing/stealing textbook information, students, and student's information than describing what happens in training. This is a typical thing at many schools and teaching companies, at least in my experience. Some places even impose large fines.

Here is a breakdown of the week, plus tips for training!

The hotel situation:

It seems like almost all trainees are put up in the Coatel. You can check into the hotel as early as the Saturday before your training. You must arrive by Sunday evening unless some extenuating circumstances arise (cancelled or delayed flights, trouble at customs, etc) but you must contact the company if something happens. Once you're at the hotel, you will be put into one of two types of rooms: a double/triple room or a suite. All of these rooms should have a fridge, a microwave, a seating area of some kind, some plates/glasses, etc. You will also have at least 1 toilet/shower area. Expect to have at least 1 roommate. If you are in the suite, expect 4-5 people. The general layout of the suite is that someone ends up sleeping on a cot in the living room. I personally ended up on the cot but it turned out to be the best place as I could stay up without bothering anyone. I suggest bringing a sleeping mask and earplugs regardless. The hotel is very basic, cleaning comes once a day to do a quick run through of the room, but don't expect them to do more than restock the towels, make the bed and remove the garbage. You might also want to get into the habit of stacking anything you want them to change near the door.

If you want to come earlier there are many cheap hotel rooms, hostels or airbnbs to choose from. Many also offer breakfast or lunch with your stay and have great review and facilities.

DO NOT eat at the restaurants in the hotel because they are super expensive.


Day 1: Probably the least interesting of the days.

This day is basically an 'orientation' day. You will be given a rundown of Chungdahm, introduced to your fellow trainees, and trainers. You will be put into training groups, I think typically of about 3-4. You mostly spend your time listening to someone else speak.

This is also the first time you'll really get to see and have hands on experience with the tablets used for teaching. You must trade it for your passport or something of equivalent value (credit card). No running off with these tablets for you! Don't worry, you will get it back at the end of the week. The tablet contains the textbooks and programs you will use to teach. Although they are not super difficult to learn, each teaching function can be difficult to learn initially. Overall, I really liked the tablets. You will also be given another quick tutorial on the tablets functions.

Once in your training group, you will separate off into a classroom where you will get introduced further to your trainer and they will give you some assignments for tomorrow and their expectations/rules for training. They will also give you a mock of one of the pages from the textbook so you can see what you're expected to do.

Training is set up like this: each night you will prepare several pages from the assigned textbooks, it seems usually there are only 2 textbooks and you get 3-4 pages from each. Once you come to the day's training you will be randomly chosen to mock teach those pages to your group. This will be filmed for your viewing and for evaluation purposes. Then there will be a quick feedback from everyone about what they liked, didn't like and what you should work on. Your trainer might also show you what a certain page should look like when taught.

Medical exam: 

Depending on the week's schedule, you will also go to get your medical exam done on the first day. The exam is pretty quick, but quite extensive. Once you get to the medical centre, you will be signed in and asked to change out of your clothes into a kimono/scrubs type outfit. Ladies, don't forget to remove the bra! The outfit makes it easier to examine you.

You will then be lead around by nurses who will take you to each 'station'. You will be given the following exams:

- electrocardiogram
- colour blindness exam
- lung x-ray
- hearing test
- dental exam
- blood test (STD/STI, drug, white blood count, and general health screening)
- urine test (Drug testing purposes)
- height/weight
- blood pressure
- vision test

Although there are many exams, each step takes less than 1 minute. For example, the x-ray is probably under 30 seconds from when you enter the room to when you exit. The electrocardiogram is maybe a little longer because you must lie back and open your shirt (if you have a hairy chest, make sure to shave it or trim it a lot!) and the nurse will quickly wipe you down with alcohol before attaching readers to your ankles, wrists and chest around your heart from your sternum to your side under your arm. Make sure you drink some water before you leave the training centre and don't go pee before you do the unrine collection. They will not let you leave until you fill the two vials with urine. Trust me on this. I drank enough water to both make me cold (i was shivering) and feel a little sick.

Once the tests are done, your papers will be given a once over by a doctor, who may or may not ask some follow up questions (are you on any medication, any health complications or surgery, etc). After that you're free to change, and head home.

The first day you will also be provided transport to the training centre, and also to the medical exam, but you are on your own for getting back. They will give you a map and directions, however. I would recommend getting set up with a T-money card so you don't need to worry about constantly having cash on you for the tickets.


Tips for Day 1/arrival:

- Food will cost more than you expect. While it is possible to find food for quite cheap, the area around the hotel/training centre is quite expensive and expect to pay about 10,000 won per meal. There are some cheaper places, but you are very limited in what you can eat.

MEALRICE is a good spot near the hotel if you're looking for homemade Korean food. Some of the things are on the spicy end so be careful if you don't want a lot of spice. They make everything fresh, and usually while you wait. They also make many types of dumplings. The cheapest thing is about $3 and the most expensive is just under $9.

With Me convenience store 24H. There is one both at the hotel and in the lower floor of the training centre. They generally offer a small selection of sandwiches, rice balls, ramen and other meals. It's usaully quite cheap if you're on a budget and you can find a tasty meal of ramen with a raw egg for under $3-4.

It is possible to cook your meals, especially if you're in a suite but time and easy availability of shopping for food might not work out so well. If you really want to comitt to cooking your own food go shopping Saturday or Monday (the big places close sundays). Once you get settled into the training you will want to devote your time to study!

- Sleep while you can! Seriously, you will be spending a lot of time practicing for the next day and you will need to get rid of any jetlag quickly! Coffee can only do so much.

- DO NOT treat this week as a party week. If they see you coming unprepared and/or hung over, you may be in line to be failed. Many people come with no teaching experience and must make themselves into teachers in less than a week!

Continue reading in Part 2

Applying for a Korean Work Visa (Aclipse) Part 2

Aug 2016 edit: Changed to part 2 from part 1.5; added a new section.

So where I last left off was waiting....waiting for the offer to come in, waiting for my visa stuff, etc. I feel like that's the worst part of this whole process. Hurry up and wait. Get all these documents, and then wait till someone says "I want you to work for me!"

So let's get started shall we?

This post is a continuation of Part 1 which I recommend you go read if you haven't!

THE JOB OFFER
So the way they word the communication so far, you're basically being told: there will only be ONE job offer and you have to take it or NEVER COME TO KOREA EVAARRR!
However, it is possible to be a little selective with your choices. Obviously, they make you feel like this so you don't just reject a place cause it's not Seoul. I actually received a few offers but had to reject them for various reasons, mostly stuff which was out of my control. They way notice works in Prague is that you can't just give 2 weeks notice and leave, it can take a few months before you actually can end working. I also turned down a position because it was less hours (less $$) and it didn't include co-paid health insurance, which seemed a bit weird for me that it was like that. I sent a quick email out saying why i was rejecting it. I guess it helps to really be clear about what contract you want, not just the location. For example, I want housing included or I want the top level of pay, etc.

Luckily, there were more branches looking for teachers. I've been watching a lot of Eat your Kimchi so I had my heart set on Bucheon, but I knew it wasn't going to happen (my recruiter told me there weren't any positions available at the branch in Bucheon).

I read through the offer, checked all the paperwork, and sent back an acceptance email with a signed/scanned copy of the paperwork (official offer contract, another MOU, and the E2 visa form).

I was asked to set up a time to chat with someone from head office. After a bit of confusion, we managed to chat on the phone. It was surprisingly quick. He mostly congratulated me and then asked about if I was ready to go to the emabssy as soon as the visa issuance # arrived. I asked a few general questions about where I was going to be staying, but he wasn't able to give really specific answers because he was from head office. Overall it was less than 10 minutes. I was told it would be about a week or maybe 2 for the issiance #. Really it was closer to 3 weeks.


Now wait!
During my waiting time I have been practicing Korean a little, trying to prepare....hahaha! That's a lie, I didn't prepare at all. The only reason I'm halfway able to leave so suddenly is cause all my stuff basically fits into a suitcase anyways.

Talk to me in Korean is a great listening/learning resource. Or if you're more textbook style koreanfromzero.com has a free downloadable textbook you can print out and use. I've been using both so far and slowly getting into the Korean swing of things.

Visa Issance #
Once your # is ready, you will recieve an email with the information plus an info packet with some instructions to keep on hand in the future.

With this # you will head to your local Korean Embassy. However, what you'll need exaclty varies from embassy to embassy so call or email a head of time to find out exactly what you need. Read the paperwork carefully so you only need to make one trip. Don't, for example, forget to bring a passport sized photo (3.5mm x 4.5mm! Make sure you get the right size) and have to go twice. Some embassies require a sealed transcript, others might want to see your contract. What you generally need is:

-Passport (you will probably leave it with them, so don't plan any travel for a while).
-Photocopy of your passport photo page.
-Recent passport photo (3.5mm x 4.5mm). You will probably have to specify the size when you get it because Canadian standard is much larger.
-Visa fee (again double check this, it often fluxuates due to the exchange or changes in government). Bring exact change in cash or ask a head of time if they accept some other form of payment.
-Visa application form filled out as required (make sure you have the address of the hotel you'll be staying at, you might need it, you might not).
-Any extras as required by your specific embassy.

Once you hand it all in, you'll probably get a reciept of some kind and then told to wait a few days/week-ish/forever and they will call you or email you to come get it.

Wait again and book your ticket
I spoke with my recruiter and let her know I had sent in my visa application. She gave me the go ahead to book my ticket. Sadly I was basically a week and change out from the weekend when I was suppossed to arrive so I was really banking on having the visa stamp in my passport in time. My recruiter reassured me that it would most likely only take 2-3 days, but when I spoke with the embassy they said "we can't guarantee a specific date.. blah blah blah". I wanted to fly out on the friday before so I could have all saturday and sunday to recover/settle in. But with the tiny possibility that my visa might take longer (always plan like Mr. Murphy himself is standing over you softly cursing your every move), I booked a flexible ticket for the saturday before my training. This way I could move it if I didn't get my visa in time.

Get ready to leave
This is most likely the hardest step of everything. You now gotta fit your life into a suitcase, or maybe 2. Luckily I've had a bit of experience with this because I moved from Vancouver to Prague in 2014. I brought 1 large suitcase, and a carry on. I thought I should have brought some more things. I thought I had given away/gotten rid of too much stuff and I would be horribly lacking in Prague for basic essentials. Well, I actually over packed, if anything.

Bring the basics, and a few comfort things. I personally don't really like the clothing styles in Prague so I actually ended up not really even buying too many extra pieces of clothes. Friends of mine brought multiple suitcases filled with things they thought they might need: DVDs, books, etc. Most of them ended up getting rid of all of it because it just wasn't useful for them here. Why watch a film when you can go explore your new city?

Everything I didn't have I could buy easily and cheaply.

Plus, you're going to be living out of a suitcase for 1 week in a hotel. You don't want to have to lug extra suitcases around.

Your visa is READY!!
So probably you got a phone call or an email to go pick it up. One slightly ironic thing is that you should bring a second piece of ID with you. I know, they have your passport, but they still need to confirm your ID before they can give it to you.
What you will see: A full page sticker with your picture on it, your info and most importantly a date of entry and date of last entry.
This is not technically your visa, before you can get your final OK and finsih the registering process you actually must pass a medical exam. This visa is basically an entrance into Korea visa, but it's all you need for now. Hopefully your visa came quickly, and now you're a week or more away from your leaving date so you have lots of time to get ready and pack!

I hope this was helpful. I will be continueing to update with the rest of the process, and the things people forget to tell you along the way!

Sept 2016 A small update about money: Check out this soon to be coming post!

Pausing your Zivno! (Yes, you don't have to cancel it!)

One alternative option to cancelling your zivnostensky list is to pause it! It's exactly as it sounds. If your'e going to not be using your zivno for a while (a few months, a year, not quite sure), you can take a few papers down to the office and pause it.

You will need:

-Passport/ID (bring your visa booklet if you have one)
-Zivno information (for reference)
-Paper from the Social security office showing you have no debt.

Take all three with you to the Zivno office where you registered. They will go through their system and pause your zivno for whatever length you would like. If they do not ask, ask them to de-register you for the social security office, etc. This will put you off the hook for the monthly payments!


Theoretically you could do this for short periods, like 1-2 months, but you will have to re-register yourself for social security and taxes each time.

Once the process is finished they will send notification to your address to confirm it.

It is recommended to check back with the other offices (social security, etc) just in case there was a miscommunication along the way.

Applying for Korean Work Visa (Aclipse) Part 1

Hello!

As far as I can see it, you're here to learn about the application process for working with Chungdahm Learning through the recriuting company Aclipse! Ideally, you're from Vancouver, Canada as the process and costs might be different if you're not. If you're from somewhere other than Canada, this post won't be super useful for you.

As of this posting, my application is still being processed, so this is not a finalized posting. I will make another post as the process progresses. I just wanted to let anyone else out there know the info stuffed into my head.

Step 1: Apply to Chungdahm learning or CDL as they call themselves. I did so through Aclipse recruiting, which my friend recommended to me.

Your recruiter will contact you to confirm your application and to ask for some follow up information. Be prepared for the first of many copy+pasta emails.

This first email will include:
- Introduction to CDL
- Rundown of benefits and the basic contract information
- Links to an info packet with a bit more history and info about CDL.

Step 2: Finish the interview process. 
This interview has a few parts. The first part is a reading part. You will be sent a short passage and asked to answer some questions about it.

They will also send you a pdf with information about the recruiting and application process. Read the whole thing, it's also helpful to review it every once it a while so you can understand what's next. It can help answer any questions you might have as well.

Part 2 of the interview is the actual interview which was via skype for me, no video. You will schedule this with your recruiter, it must be during their working hours (Boston time).

You will be asked to make a short lesson to teach a 12yo intermediate level student. They give you a few lesson ideas you must use. The demo is 5mins so it's reaaaalllllyyy easy. It's basically to see if you're able to teach since many people apply without any experience. Don't sweat it or overthink it.

My advice: ask lots of questions, get the student speaking, use your questions to guide the lesson. Speak enthusiastically and slowly.
Example: Space travel/aliens -->What are the things you see at night in the sky? Stars. Where do people live? Earth. Do people live in the stars? No. Do you think people might live in the stars one day? Yes? Why?..... etc.

The rest of the interview is pretty standard:
- Why are you interested in CDL?
- What would you do if you had a disruptive student?
- What experience do you have teaching/what would make you a good teacher?
- What interests you about Korea?

Glassdoor.com has a lot of good information on the interview questions you will get.

The interviewer will also go over what you need for the visa and how to get it, and also confirm when you want to come. They will also answer your questions about the process and teaching abroad.

Step 3: Interview success!
At this point you will receive an email saying you're successful and asking you to fill out some forms needed to get the application process going.

You will need to send them:
- Application form and consent form (so they can use your image to send to future school locations).
- Signed and scanned E2 health statement (hopefully you're fairly healthy and no history of serious illnesses)
- A self-intro video that you make yourself. Look on youtube for some examples.
- Scan of your passport.
- CV/resume in word format
- jpeg of yourself looking like the business person you are.

You will have about a week to send all this back to them.

Step 4: Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) 
After sending back these things from above, you will have a short wait and then you will receive either a rejection or a memorandum of understanding, which is essentially a base contract between you and CDL saying "we want you offer you a job, but we need you to get your shit together first." It gives both you and the company an easy out if something should go wrong during the next few steps (ie. you're not able to go to Korea or get the visa for some reason).

This offer will outline your expected salary, next steps and important deadlines. It's mostly just fun to see that huge number in writing and then tell your friends and family. "Mum, I'm gonna make 2.5 million won!"

Very simple, sign it and scan it and send it back.

Step 5: Document Collection

This is one of the more 'difficult' parts, as you must actually put on pants for this part. I initially tried to do this all via mail as I am/was (depending on when you're reading this) in Prague. However, the criminal background check was going to cost me upwards of $300CAD to get because I wasn't in the USA or Canada. I recommend booking a few week holiday back home and getting it all done while you're there, unless you're lucky enough to be able to get fingerprints done cheaply and are ok spending at least $200 on getting the process initiated via a few certified companies. You will also need to have someone do all your running around for you as the notarization must be done by a Canadian notary in the Korean embassy's jurisdiction.

During my trip home, I spent probably no more than 5-6 hours over the course of 2 weeks getting all the paperwork together.

You need:
- 2 notarized copies of your degree ($40 cash) I used Kitty Lam, super quick and she's next to the embassy. However, you will need an appointment.

- Certification for the 2 notarized copies of your degree by the Korean embassy ($9.40 + 10c) You will need a photocopy of your passport. You can do this in the embassy.

- 2 Fingerprint based criminal record check ($85 x 2) I had to go back twice due to a misunderstanding and miscommunication/lack of knowledge by my recruiter. You need two originals as they will be submitted at different times or something. It might be cheaper/more expensive because you pay a separate fee ($60 for me) for the fingerprinting plus $25 for the check.

- Certification for the 2 criminal records by the embassy ($9.60) + photocopy again (10c).

- 1-2 unopened transcripts ($10-25 each). You will only need 1 for the degree certification. Your second one is for your degree confirmation for Aclipse. Check with your school if they issue specific letters, or else an official unopened transcript is fine.

- At least 9 passport photos I got 12 because of how they printed out (~$26)

- Signed E2 form physical copy.  Just send the one you previously scanned.

- Postage to Boston (~$6) plus another $3 for the nice cardboard envelopes so everything stays nice.

Overall I spent about $330 for everything. I had a few extra costs that maybe you won't have due needing to rush some things as I was only in Canada for a short time and needed to mail everything.

Double check you have everything you need, tick off those boxes in the document collection list and then seal it up and thennnnn..........

Step 6: Send it all to Boston.
Now you wait. You'll get an email once it's all received. Once it's received they will send it all off to do whatever magic CDL needs to do with it, and then release you into the 'pool' for managers to decide where you will go and which school needs you.

I suggest checking out eatyourkimchi for some great videos about living and working in Korea by two fellow Canadians! I've been watching them non-stop!


Part 2 is here!

Other posts you might like to read:

Training week Day 1

Do you love me? Are you playing your love games with me? (EU Partnership Visa Guide)

You're here in the Czech Republic and you're having fun. Maybe you're teaching, maybe you're just traveling and partying it up. It's amazing, and your blog never looked so good.

It's super clichéd, but you've met someone. Maybe it's something, maybe it's nothing. You don't care because you're just looking for someone fun to be with and why shouldn't it be a hot and spicy someone from the EU!

But what happens when your travels come to and end? Should you do this long distance? Do you go a little crazy and get married? What if you want to stay but you're visa situation is kinda iffy at best?

I met my partner oddly enough way before I even had plans to move to Europe. We met on a random chance through couchsurfing in Canada, and have been solidly dating since then. It's been over 3 years as of this writing.

When I first met him, we knew it would be complicated once his visa was up, but we just decided to play it by ear and see how it went. Well, 1 year came and went, and suddenly it was time to drop my SO off at the airport. Our plan was to give ourselves more time through the Youth Mobility Visa (see my other post about it), so I would arrive once I finished school and our timer would reset.

Well, if you think you'd like to stay, or maybe this is an established relationship that you'd like to keep going without having to get married and figure THAT whole thing out, there's another way.

The EU recognizes 'like family relationships' as valid and makes it fairly easy for you and your EU boyfriend/girlfriend/partner to stay together. From my experience and the experience of others (mostly heard about through friends of friends or via other online posts), it is a relatively easy to apply for visa.

What is it?
Essentially this visa is a catch-all residency-ish type visa that is imposed on each member country of the EU via EU law. However, for this reason the specifics and precedence of what you need to apply vary according to each member country's residency laws. This guide for obvious reasons will be focusing on what you need for anyone looking to stay in the Czech Republic. This guide can also apply to non-Czech EU citizens looking to stay in the Czech Republic with their non-EU partner. It's a pretty quick and somewhat painless process which can be done with or without the help of a visa company.

What do I need to qualify?
This is where it gets a bit tricky. The word of the law is any 'like family' relationship. What does that mean? It means you and your partner must be in a relationship and have the same standard 'behaviours' as a family would.

Main requirements:

-The most obvious of these requirements is that you MUST live together. Both you and your partner must be recognized on your lease or your landlord must be willing to submit a letter in Czech recognizing you (whichever one of you is non-EU) as a resident in the flat/house. Both of your names must also be on the buzzer/door bell and/or on the entrance to your home.
I did not have to do this letter, but it probably should be notarized. Your name must also be

- Visa application (Temporary residency for EU family members).
  You will need to put that your reason is family unification. Fill out the form as required. I suggest speaking with someone from IC Praha or Inbaze for help with the specifics if you are really unsure. This must be filled out in Czech.

There are also several other 'supporting documents' you will need:

-Letter of the history of your relationship. This should include specific dates and details of things you have done together. For example, if you both went to visit your partners parents last month, include that. Detail how you met, when you moved in together, etc.

- Photos. Photos of you two together. Photos of trips. Photos of holidays. The more the better, especially if you can document and give specifics of your relationship over time.

- Support letters from friends and family. These are pretty self explanatory. There wasn't a tonne of info given on what we should include, but we went with super formal letters stating who was writing, what their jobs were, where they knew us from, if they had gone on any trips or activities we had done together, and a signature with the date and place of signature. The most important thing to remember is that these must be in Czech, it doesn't have to be an official translation. We had family abroad send us via email their English letters, we translated it, sent it back and they snail mailed us both hard copies signed and dated. These did not have to be notarized.

- 1 passport photo of the non-EU person.

- Extra knick-knacks. Anything else that shows things you have done together or things you share together. Tickets from trips, etc. If you feel comfortable to do this, a joint account looks really good. You will need a letter from your bank on official bank letterhead stating that both of you share this account. From what other people shared via online postings, joint accounts are solid gold.

Helpful tips:

- Book an appointment when applying. It will save you a tonne of annoyance. However, expect it to be at least a month or more before you can get an appointment. If you're not able to go to an appointment then you will want to arrive early to the Prague 10 MOI office. I heard a few horror stories of people standing in line all day and being told to come back another day.

- The information you give them in your application is what they will use to question and verify your relationship on. So if you show them receipts for furniture you bought together, they will ask things like "When did you buy this? Where did you buy it from?", etc. When did you two first get together, when did you move into this apartment? The lawyer at IC Praha advised me that they won't ask anything outside of this information so don't put in lies.

- Keep several copies of the paper they give you showing that your visa is in process. Keep one of these copies on you once your previous visa ends. If you get asked for your passport by the police or foreign police show it to them. You probably won't be able to apply for a zivnostensky list with just this paper though cause it doesn't have an end date of any kind and they require it at the office.

What to expect from the process? 

Once you get all your documents together, and you take them into apply. Expect to answer several questions about your original application right on the spot. The employee will go through your documents and file and record what you have brought. They will also ask for some of the information in the things you bring so they can enter it into their own form in their system. We spent about 30 minutes doing this. It was all in Czech.

After they accept your application they have at least 60 days to make a decision. However, this visa is fairly easy to apply for and doesn't require people to travel outside of the country so there are many applications. It may take longer than 60 days, but if it does you can speak with the lawyers at IC Praha or Inbaze and they can do a short write up asking for more information and to speed up the process (or so I was told when I spoke with them).

As part of the application process there will be a home visit and there may be a interview. The home visit is essentially to double check that you live together and where you say you do. This may be something as simple as the foreign police knocking on your door, asking a few quick questions and then leaving or a more in depth visit where they go over all passport documents and double checking information as presented in your application. They will also ask to see the documents of everyone else who is home. This means if your roommate's visa is kinda sketchy, they might want to get that fixed quickly or else they could randomly get surprised by this visit. For example, my roommate's visa was in limbo after several complications and the officers wanted to see all the paperwork she had because it wasn't clear to them that her visa was in process or if she was there illegally. If it is not immediately clear to the officers what your status is, they will take you to immigration jail until they figure out your status. This almost happened to my roommate and it wasn't even her fault and she probably would have been fine if she just hadn't been home when we were visited. Luckily, we talked with the officers and got them to look at all her paperwork and they finally agreed she was in visa processing and not there illegally.

If you are invited to an interview you will need to bring a Czech translator, and this translator cannot be your partner. This is because they will be questioning you about your relationship separately. I haven't actually heard of anyone who has had this happen to them, so make sure you really beef up your application with supporting documents so that this doesn't happen to you. My SO said he probably wouldn't be able to answer any of their questions because his memory is horrible. We joke that it's a miracle that he remembers my name.

How to check your application status:

So this is where it gets a bit tricky. No one will let you know when your visa is accepted, but you will probably receive a letter if you're denied. I don't have experience with that as my visa was accepted, but you can apply for an appeal, I would suggest contacting a visa agency in this case.

But, let's assume it's all well. Once your visa is approved it will appear on this MOI website in a downloadable excel document. You will use your application # (you will get it once you apply for the visa) to search the excel document. It will not have anything but the application #, and the document is updated weekly and some of the #'s will be deleted periodically (not sure how often this is). Keep an eye on this document. My visa was approved and we didn't notice for a long time!

My visa was approved! What do I do now?

YAAAAAAYYYY! Now you go back to the Prague 10 MOI office. If you're lucky you'll be able to book an appointment quickly, but probably you'll be going there and attempting to get your visa on your own. We arrived 40 mins early and there were still many people in front of us. Luckily, we were seen very quickly.

You will receive a new passport type document. It's cool and blue. They will process it all there and stamp it. You can carry this around as your ID now since it's not too hard to replace and unlike your passport, it only costs 100 CZK to replace!

With this visa you are allowed to live and work in the Czech Republic for up to 5 years. After 2 years you can apply to a permanent residency visa which is faster than the normal 5 years for everyone else. You can travel in and out of the country as you wish now. If you want to renew this visa you must apply several months in advance before it ends though. You will still need your normal passport when traveling outside of the country though. Keep both with you in this case.

In 2 months you will have to go back and they will give you a birth number, so you're basically like a real Czech person!

Anything else you need to know and you don't have the answer yet?

IC Praha  - I made several appointments with IC Praha and found them very helpful. They are not very quick via email so don't even bother. Just book an appointment.

Inbaze - The MOI office in Prague 3 has a Inbaze employee on site to offer drop-in help and translation services free of charge. The employee was very helpful! You can also go to their actual offices for an official appointment.

CZ visa and immigration - I never paid for their services, but they were really helpful via email consultation! They were even willing to meet up free of cost and look at my documents.


Traveling with your new visa. What should I expect? 
I travelled home recently, and had to put my visa into practice. Upon leaving the Czech R. it was fairly easy. I showed my passport and my visa to the customs officers and was waved through fairly easily.

Once arriving in my home country, it was also fairly easy. Apparently, you are to use your new visa as your declared country of living if that comes up on your entry forms. This is especially true if they want to know why you've been out of the country for so long. (last stamp in my passport was from over 2 years ago!)

Leaving Canada and re-entering the EU was also fairly easy. Upon arriving back in the Czech R. I once again showed my visa and passport. There was a bit longer of an inspection of my papers. I believe they scanned and searched for my visa to double check it before sending me off home.

Although I was really nervous about it, it was really easy.

There is no limit on the amount of time you can be away from the Czech Republic once you get  the visa, however, if you want to renew it  you must be back with plenty of time to do so (I think now it's moved from 45 days to 60 days before the ending date). You can also apply for a permanent residency visa after 2 years apposed to the normal 5 years. I have also heard mixed rumors and stories about whether or not you need to take a language test if you wish to apply for citizenship beyond that.


June, 2016 edit: Going back to get your birth number!
As per usual, I aimed to arrive at least 40 mins early and there were already 10 people in the line. By the time the doors opened there were at least 30 people in line. Granted, many of these people were in groups, but still! Better early than late. I've heard some horror stories of people arriving in the late morning, only to wait basically all day before being turned away due to closing. Heck, I've even spend more than my fair share of time queuing up only to be turned away for one reason or another.

As luck would have it, I got what I think was one of the only English speakers in the office. She was very lovely and helpful. All I had to do was sign a paper, give her my visa booklet and wait about 5 minutes. She printed off a smallish blue and red paper (about 4-5cm bigger than a passport) with a printed birth number on it. She also wrote the birth number into my visa on a blank space.

Now my visa was officially complete.