You will need to have 4 passport sized color photos—2 for the school to submit to the immigration office in Korea, and 2 for you to submit to the Korean consulate or embassy when you receive the actual visa in your passport.

In addition to the passport sized photos, it is also standard for Korean employers to request photos of their employees, which is why LiveEnglish requests you e-mail us a recent photo of yourself in addition to your resume. We understand it’s different from the job application process back in your home country, but this is the norm in Korea.

Because a Korean employer will make his or her first impression of you based on your appearance, we suggest you send a photo of yourself in which you look presentable and professional (i.e., a shirt and tie, a nice blouse, etc.). Yes, we know it is superficial, and no, we don’t like it at all, but this is one aspect of Korean work culture that is unlikely to change in the near future.

While most employers are satisfied with just a close-up of your face, there may be some who would also like a full-body photo. While we don’t intend or anticipate asking you for a full-body photo, please have one handy just in case.