SERVICES
What we actually do.
Most recruiting sites are vague on purpose. Here's a straight answer, on both sides — what teachers get, what schools get, what's included in our fee, and what we won't pretend to handle.
From "is this a scam?" to wheels-down in Incheon.
If you've never taught abroad, the process feels opaque. We walk with you through every stage, in plain English, with real timelines.
THE PROCESS
01 Short application
Resume, preferences on age group, location, and contract length. No long essays.
02 Candidate call
20–30 minutes. We get a real sense of you — not just your CV — and talk through schools that might fit.
03 School interviews
We introduce you to 1–3 vetted schools. You interview. You decide. No pressure to take the first offer.
04 Paperwork & E-2 visa
Apostille, background check, document translation, consulate appointment. We provide a step-by-step checklist with deadlines.
05 Landing support
Airport pickup arranged, apartment walkthrough, SIM card and banking help. First-week, not "figure it out."
WHAT IT COSTS YOU
— Nothing.
Teachers never pay OP Seoul. Schools pay our placement fee. This is the industry standard and any recruiter asking you for money should be avoided.
WHAT WE DON’T DO
We don't guarantee a specific city or school. We won't hide red flags about a contract we've seen before. We can't speed up the consulate — they move at their own pace. And we won't match you to a school that feels like a bad fit just to close a placement.
Fewer no-shows, less paperwork, a teacher who stays.
Schools lose weeks on bad-fit hires. We pre-screen for qualifications, cultural readiness, and actual intent to complete a contract — not just a warm body for the semester.
THE PROCESS
01 Intake call
Your school, your students, schedule, curriculum style, what didn't work with past hires. 30 minutes.
02 Shortlist, not a flood
We send 2–4 candidates with full profiles, recorded intros, and our honest take on fit. Not a spreadsheet of fifty resumes.
03 Interviews & offer
We coordinate schedules across time zones, brief the candidate on your school, and help structure the offer.
04 Document handling
Visa sponsorship paperwork, contract review, background checks, apostille coordination. Your HR doesn't touch it.
05 First 90 days
We check in with both sides at week 2, week 6, and month 3. Early problems are catchable. Late ones aren't.
WHAT IT COSTS YOU
— Flat placement fee, paid on start date.
No retainer, no upfront charges. If the teacher doesn't start, you don't pay. For standard hagwon and English kindergarten placements, fees are approximately $1,000–1,500 USD depending on role and teacher experience. International schools and specialized roles are quoted separately.
— 30-day replacement guarantee.
If the placement doesn't work out in the first 30 days for any reason, we find a replacement at no additional cost.
WHAT WE DON’T DO
We don't place non-native speakers under the E-2 framework, regardless of qualifications — that's a legal line. We won't send a candidate who isn't committed to a full contract just to fill a seat. And we'll tell you if a salary offer is below market before you lose weeks to an empty pipeline.
The three ways schools usually hire — and how we stack up.
WHY NOT DO IT YOURSELF?
Time to a signed contract
Candidates screened for visa eligibility
Apostille & E-2 paperwork handled
Replacement if it doesn’t work out
Who pays
Working with OP Seoul
~11 days avg.
Every candidate, before you see them
Yes, on sides
30 days, no extra cost
School only, on start date
Posting to a job board
4-8 weeks, often longer
No - you screen manually
No
Start over
You + time cost
Hiring directly from overseas
Unpredictable
You research the rules
No
Start over
You + time cost
E-2 VISA SUPPORT
The paperwork, demystified.
WEEKS 1–2
Documents gathered
Degree transcripts, sealed; criminal background check from your home country; passport photos. We send you the exact checklist for your country.
WEEKS 2–4
Apostille & translation
Apostille certification of your degree and background check. Where applicable, we coordinate translations accepted by Korean Immigration.
* Timelines vary by country and time of year. US and Canadian teachers are typically fastest; UK and South African teachers take slightly longer due to apostille logistics. We tell you real timelines upfront, not marketing ones.
The E-2 is the visa category for native English teachers in Korea. Most people dread it because nobody explains it. Here's a realistic timeline — not a best case.
WEEKS 3–5
Visa issuance number
Your school's Korean immigration office issues a confirmation number. You use this at the Korean consulate in your country.
WEEKS 5–7
Consulate & departure
Consulate appointment, visa sticker issued, flight booked. Average teacher lands in Korea 6–8 weeks after contract signing.
Still have questions?
We're a small team and we reply to our own email. No form to fill out.
recruiting@opseoul.com
+82 10 4458 4563