Documents
The Application Documents are divided into three groups.
Initial Application Documents - are all required up front in order to secure an official EPIK Zoom Interview which in turn will secure your Contract Offer.
Visa Application Documents - are all required in hard copy format with the Initial Application Documents immediately after you passed the EPIK Zoom Interview.
Salary Level Documents - determine your salary level.
Initial Application Documents
All EPIK candidates are required to undergo a compulsory medical health check on arrival in Korea during the orientation. please be 100% sure of your medical status before applying as failure to declare any chronic or communicable diseases such as diabetes, TB, HIV etc in the Application Form Medical Self Assessment can result in the cancellation of your contract. The medical health check also includes checks for narcotic drug use.
1
EPIK Application Form
The official online EPIK Application Form goes live the first day of every February and the first day of every August to begin receiving applications for the following EPIK Intake.
The URL for the online form is unique to each intake and is available from GoldKey Education on request.
If you are starting your application when the online form is still unavailable you can refer to this PDF file to start collating your information and have it ready so you can fill in the online form quickly when it becomes available. We advise you type all your text into a Word document to copy and paste into the online form.
When you do fill in the online EPIK Application Form remember to select Bay Language Institute under CLASSIFICATION and MOU.
3
Proof of English Schooling Letters
This letter is only required from candidates who attended school in South Africa or Quebec Province. The letter is required because some schools in these locations teach non-language subjects in Afrikaans or French. Applicants must submit a letter from the schools they attended covering Grade 7 through Grade 12.
The letters must include the candidates full legal name and birth date,
state the year and grade they arrived art the school and the year and grade they finished at the school.
It must state that all non language tuition was conducted in English.
The letter must be prepared by the schools admin office on a school letterhead and signed by either the School Principal or Deputy Principal with a hand signature.
You only need to submit a scanned/digital copy of the letter so the school can scan and email the letter to you
5
Colour Passport Scan
Please check your passport is valid for at least 12 months from the last day of your planned contract period.
Please check that your full legal name (as it appears in your passport) appears in full on all your application documents so it is clear that each application document is your document.
Scan the data page in colour, save the image file and email to applications@goldkeyeducation.com
If you are waiting for a passport email a scan of your ID along with the DHA receipt to show that you have submitted a passport application.
6
2
Two Reference Letters
You must submit a minimum of two original Reference Letters from two or more persons. The Reference Letters must be written by people you have worked for or studied under.
The letters must be written in English or in Korean. They must be written on the letterhead of the company you worked at or college/university you studied at.
Private letters from friends/coworkers/neighbors, or au-pair families are not accepted. Letters from your high school will only be accepted if you returned as a teacher, tutor or sports coach. Letters from churches/sports clubs will only be accepted if you were a formally appointed office bearer or coach. Being a regular club member is insufficient.
If a letterhead is unavailable then the authors business card must be submitted with a plain paper letter. The letters must be dated and cannot be older than 2 years on the month you arrive in Korea. The letters must include your full legal name as it appears in your passport. The letters must not be addressed to or refer to GoldKey Education. The referees must give the context in which they know you & describe your character, work ethic, English ability & general attributes. The referees must explain why they believe you will be an effective ESL teacher in Korea.
The referees must include their job title, contact telephone number and email address. The referees must sign their letters by hand with a pen. Letters from Korean schools can be written in Hangul and signed with the official (red)school stamp.
Download and share this PDF Reference Letters Guide and the YouTube video with your referees so they can correctly format their letters.
4
Colour Portrait Photograph
Arrange a good quality digital photograph with a good cellphone or digital camera.
Dress smartly in clothes appropriate for the classroom, collar, no bare shoulders or low necklines.
Do not wear excessive jewellery - men should wear a jacket & be clean shaven hair neatly styled.
Ensure that you are well lit (no shadows) and standing against a plain white or pale grey background.
The format of the photo must be head and shoulders only with an open space above and to the sides of your head.
Be sure to smile, it is important that your open & friendly personality be evident in the picture.
Face the camera directly with your shoulders square on to the camera - no “over the shoulder” poses.
The photo must be full color and not older than 6 months.
Save and email the image to applications@goldkeyeducation.com You will need four passport size color prints through the process..
Academic Record
You will need to email your full Academic Record (university transcripts) with your application to establish that your qualification meets the program requirements. Some colleges & universities make a digital copy of your transcripts available online for you to download otherwise you will need to scan a hard copy. Please email the image file or PDF file to applications@goldkeyeducation.com and order at least 2 sets of sealed transcripts for later submission.
Documents 1 to 6 are required to apply for and secure an official EPIK Zoom Interview to acquire a contract offer.
Visa Application Documents
Documents 7 to 9 are required in original hard copy format ready to send by courier immediately after your official EPIK Zoom Interview.
Without these documents Korean Education & Immigration cannot issue your contract and working visa.
As the Background Check, Degree Verification & the Apostilles are produced by SAPS, SAQA & DIRCO they therefore take a very long time to process.
Background Check with Apostille
Known in South Africa as a Police Clearance Certificate this is the most troublesome document as it typically takes a long time to get this from your government. We urge you to apply for this as soon as you possibly can. Apply at your local Police Station or through your national government Background Check department (ie. the FBI) and monitor the progress of your application online. Once completed the certificate must be apostilled by your national government.
Carefully scan & mail to applications@goldkeyeducation.com without damaging the apostille seal. Keep the original safe for submission after your interview.
As this document is only valid for 6 months you are advised to submit your application to the police between 20 July & 31 October when applying for the Spring (Feb) EPIK Intake and between 20 January & 31 April when applying for the Fall (Aug) EPIK Intake.
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Two Sealed Academic Records
These must be two separate, sealed university envelopes each containing a complete record of your studies from the first year of study to the last year listing courses and grades. They must be sealed in the student records office with a university stamp, seal or stickers astride the envelope flap. Your full name must be written clearly on the front of each envelope as we cannot break the seal on unmarked envelopes to ascertain to whom they belong. These sealed envelopes must be sent by courier to the GoldKey office for submission to EPIK.
9
Degree Certificate with Apostille
This is a 3 step process.
Step 1
You need to get an original Verification Letter for your degree from SAQA along with a copy of your degree certificate stamped by SAQA. To achieve this download and fill in the SAQA Consent Form PDF.
Step 2
Scan & email the completed SAQA Consent Form along with a good quality scan of your degree certificate and a scan of your SA ID card or passport to verificationsletter@saqa.org.za
Title the email "Verification Letter – Quotation" SAQA will reply with an invoice for their service. Pay the invoice and email Proof of Payment back to SAQA.
Step 3
You need to physically send the original SAQA Verification Letter along with the SAQA stamped copy of your degree and a scan of your ID or passport to the DIRCO Legalisation Section in Pretoria. This can be organised by PostNet directly from the SAQA office or you can make an appointment and go in person to have the apostille process done while you wait.
Tell DIRCO you need an apostille for the Republic of Korea.
DIRCO - Legalisation Section
NE2A Ground Floor
OR Tambo Building
460 Soutspanberg Road
Rietondale PRETORIA 0002
Telephone: 012-351-1726
email: legalisation@dirco.gov.za
Salary Level Documents
Documents 10 to 12 will establish the Salary Level you are hired on. If you are relying on any of these document to secure a Level 2 Salary then you need to treat these documents as Compulsory Documents.
All documents must be sent by email with your initial application to applications@goldkeyeducation.com and the original documents must be taken with you when you travel to Korea.
10
TEFL/TESOL/CELTA Certificate
If you do not have a B.Ed or PGCE or a Teachers Certificate (SACE) or 1 academic year employment as a full time teacher then you will need to acquire a TEFL, TESOL or CELTA certification.
On your application you will need to indicate your intention to complete the training before you fly to Korea. Ensure you sign up for a course of a minimum 100 certified hours and that the course hours are clearly stated on the certificate you will be awarded or in official supporting documentation that accompanies the certificate.
If you have not completed the training by the time you have passed your formal interview and been offered a contract then you need to provide a Proof of Enrolment Letter from the TEFL/TESOL/CELTA school confirming that you have formally enrolled for the training. You have to submit a scanned copy of this letter then, later, a scanned copy of your certificate once it has been issued to applications@goldkeyeducation.com.
You have to take the original certificate with you to Korea to show on your arrival.
11
Teachers Certificate / PGCE
If you have a PGCE or a Teachers Licence or a certificate (ie. SACE Certificate) then you should email a scan of the certificate/diploma to applications@goldkeyeducation.com and take the original licence/certificate with when you travel to Korea.
If you do not have a B.Ed/PGCE/teachers licence/SACE certificate or have not worked as a Full Time Teacher for one academic year then you will need to complete a TEFL or TESOL or CELTA training.
12
Teachers Certificate / PGCE
Proof of teaching experience letters must be on an official school letterhead, dated, state your full name, that you were a full-time teacher for a full academic year. They must also state your post and what grades/subjects you taught. Letters must be issued and signed by your school's administrative office.
Proof of teaching experience letters must prove at least one full “academic year” of teaching experience to qualify a teacher for a higher pay level. For experience at private institutes (such as hagwons), you will want to be sure that the dates stated on the letter show that you have completed a one-year, 365-day contract. If your contract is currently in progress, you will have to first submit a provisional letter then finally a final letter once you have completed the academic year.
The original, hand signed Final Letter must be handed to EPIK on your arrival in Korea for them to adjust your salary level.
Additional Documents
New EPIK teachers who present a SARS Residency Certificate when they arrive in Korea will be exempted from paying income tax for their first two years of teaching in Korea provided both contracts are at Korean Public Schools and not private schools.
Residence Certificate
By handing an official Residence Certificate from your Revenue Service/ Tax Authority to your school when you arrive in Korea you will be exempted from double taxation on the income you earn in Korea. The Residence Certificate Letter should be requested from your respective tax authority shortly before you leave for Korea to ensure the letter is dated 1 month before departure. Please confirm with your tax office how long this letter takes to prepare and time your application for the document accordingly. This document will save you R9,000 - R10,000 in tax deductions.
