E-2 English Teaching Visa for Americans
The E-2 conversation-instructor visa is how most Americans teach English in Korea — the United States is one of the seven designated English-speaking countries, and Americans are the largest group of E-2 teachers. The steps match the main E-2 guide; this page covers only what is specific to US applicants. Always confirm your exact list with 1345 or your Korean consulate in the US.
What differs for the United States applicants
Criminal record — the FBI check needs a federal apostille
Korea requires a national-level criminal record check, which for Americans means the FBI Identity History Summary — state or local police checks are not accepted. Because it is a federal document, the apostille must come from the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., not from a state authority. Request the FBI report online (an FBI-approved channeler can cut that step to days), then send it for the federal apostille. The check must be issued within 6 months of your visa application.
Diploma — apostilled at the state level
Your bachelor's diploma follows the opposite chain: make a notarized copy of the diploma, then have it apostilled by the Secretary of State of the state where it was notarized — the U.S. Department of State does not apostille state documents. Mixing the two chains up (diploma to Washington, FBI check to your state office) is a common cause of rejected paperwork and lost weeks.
Timeline — start 8–10 weeks ahead
The FBI report plus the mail-in federal apostille is the slowest part of the whole E-2 process, and recruiters commonly advise starting about 8–10 weeks before your consulate appointment. Don't start too early either — the 6-month validity window on the criminal check has to still be open when you apply.
No TB test before the visa — health check after arrival
The United States is not on Korea's designated TB-screening list, so no TB certificate is needed for the visa itself — only the signed health statement. The actual employment health check (tuberculosis plus drug screening) happens after arrival at a designated hospital in Korea, before your Residence Card; your school will point you to one.
Where Americans apply
After your employer obtains the visa issuance confirmation number from immigration in Korea, you apply at the Korean mission with jurisdiction over your state — the Embassy in Washington, D.C. or the Consulates General in New York, Boston, Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, or Honolulu (Hagåtña for Guam). A short interview is common — check your consulate's appointment process.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an FBI check or a state background check for the E-2 visa?
The FBI Identity History Summary — Korea requires a national-level check, so state or local police checks are not accepted. It must carry a federal apostille from the U.S. Department of State and be issued within 6 months of your application.
How do I get my diploma apostilled for the E-2 visa?
Make a notarized copy of your bachelor's diploma, then have it apostilled by the Secretary of State of the state where it was notarized. Unlike the FBI check, the diploma is a state-level document — the U.S. Department of State won't apostille it.
Is a TB test required for American E-2 applicants?
Not before the visa — the US is not on Korea's designated TB-screening list. You do a full health check (TB + drug screening) at a designated hospital after arriving in Korea, before your Residence Card.
Where do I apply for the E-2 visa in the US?
At the Korean mission for your state, after your employer gets your visa issuance confirmation number: the Embassy in Washington, D.C., or the Consulates General in New York, Boston, Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, or Honolulu (Hagåtña for Guam).
Ready to start? Follow the full guide
This page covers only what's specific to the United States. The complete E-2 guide has every step and document, with a checklist you can stamp as you go.
Open the full E-2 guide →Not sure which visa? Find my visa →
This is a guide — confirm before you act
Get into Korea is an independent guide, not a government body and not legal or administrative advice. Requirements change often and depend on your nationality and situation, so details here may be outdated or not apply to you. We take no responsibility for any decision made from this page — always verify your exact case with the official sources below before you apply or pay any fee.
Official sources — verify here