How I feel when I achieve my goals, such as successfully applying for my visa
WHAT A DAY. But I am happy to report that I indeed did survive. 👏🏽 👏🏽 👏🏽 (Thank you for the applause 🙂 ) Because I am leaving on Sunday the 13th, my goal was to take care of all of my getting-over-to-South Korea matters taken care of before I go home for the holidays (and spend time with my family before jetting off overseas). And I did get everything mailed off!
Different consulates may require different things, but here were the things that I had to do to mail in my visa application (after receiving the confirmation number from my recruiter and employer):
• I had to fill out the visa application with my issuance number
• Fill out the Consul’s Checklist
• Facility Quarantine Agreement
• Doctor’s note stating that I haven’t had any COVID symptoms
• Passport-ready photo taken within 6 months
• $45 processing fee (in the form of a money order)
• Photocopy of passport information page, notarized
Filling out the visa application, checklist, and facility quarantine agreement were pretty easy peasy. I already had the extra passport photo from when I sent my others with my initial visa application that I sent to South Korea. The passport information page was pretty simple as all I had to do was scan and print the page and take it over to my favorite notary, #1 All Safe and Secure Live Scan Fingerprint (who also did my fingerprints, passport photos) to get it notarized and that literally took 5 minutes. The processing fee was a matter of me going to my bank and getting a money order. I did have to make two stops because the first branch of my bank I went to was temporarily closed but whatevs. The most arduous part of this process was in fact getting my doctor’s note.
As with everything in 2020, because of COVID, things were a little bit different. The consulate now requires applicants to see a physician for an in person exam and get a typed (or legibly handwritten) note stating that the applicant does not have COVID symptoms within 48 hours of applying. The issue that I ran into was that my primary care physician (PCP) is no longer scheduling any in person visits. Everything is now virtual. I 
called an urgent care to see if I could see a doctor to clear me saying I didn’t have any COVID symptoms and they said that that would have to be done through my PCP. *insert big sigh and eye roll here* I called another urgent care and they said they could accommodate my request (WOOHOO!). But having driven by this urgent care before, I know that they have long lines. So I got there at 7:45am, thinking that I can get there with enough time before they open at 8am. BUT LO AND BEHOLD, the line wrapped completely around the building and then down the street. 😱 I called another urgent care that said they only had 2 patients waiting (AWESOME!). I hightailed it out of that line and drove over to the other urgent care only to discover that they only see patients that are ill or injured and that I have to schedule something with my PCP (NOT AWESOME). I went to my car, ready to throw something I was so frustrated, called another urgent care who was able to honor my request (YAAAAAAY)! I got there, saw the physician, got my note, and that was that. This ended up taking about 3 or so hours, which in the grand scheme of things was not that bad. But if you have to move out of your place the next day and are nowhere near being packed up, the most minor of inconveniences can seem like the end of the world. After I left there, I drove by the urgent care I went to 3 hours prior only to find that the guy I was standing behind in line initially was STILL standing in line. But at least he had gotten closer to the entrance!
After spending all morning in doctors’ offices, I got my passport information page copy notarized, got my money order, and then went to FedEx to overnight my documents to a place I could literally drive to in 40 minutes. But oh well! It’s all over now! All I can do now is wait some more.
🎶 🎧 🎶 now listening to: Foster The People—I Would Do Anything For You
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