Your E-2 visa issuance number isn't a visa yet
A visa issuance number means Korean immigration approved your E-2 paperwork, but you still don't have a visa. You take that number, your passport, and a consulate application (in person or sometimes by mail) to get the actual visa sticker.
Park English2026-10-113 min read
Every year we get a message that goes something like: "My school says my visa is approved, I booked my flight for next week, what do I bring?" And every year the answer is the same. Nothing, yet. You can't board with an approval number. You need the sticker in your passport, and that only comes from a Korean embassy or consulate in your country of citizenship.
Here's what actually happens after your school submits your documents to their local immigration office in Korea. Immigration reviews everything (your degree, your apostilled or consular-authenticated criminal record check, your sealed transcript, the works), and if it's clean, they issue what's officially called a Confirmation of Visa Issuance, sometimes still called by its old name, the visa issuance number (사증발급인정번호, sajeung balgeup injeong beonho). Your school gets this first. They forward it to you, usually by email or KakaoTalk, sometimes just as a screenshot of a number.
That number is proof Korean immigration signed off. It is not a visa. It's a note to the Korean consulate abroad saying "let this person's E-2 application through the fast lane." You still have to get that application in front of a consulate, either in person or, at some missions, by mail.
What the second half of the process actually looks like:
- Take the issuance number, your passport, a completed visa application form, a passport photo, and the application fee (check your specific consulate's fee notice) to a Korean embassy or consulate in your home country, or mail the package if your consulate allows it.
- Book an appointment through the 365 Overseas Korean Portal if your consulate requires one. But check first: applicants holding a Visa Issuance Confirmation, among others, can apply via mail at both the New York and Los Angeles consulates, which skips the appointment line entirely. A matter considered urgent can be dealt with without appointment, and since visa applications can be submitted via mail, mail submission is recommended. If you'd rather go in person, book the moment you have the number, not the week before your flight.
- Processing takes longer than people expect. LA's own notice states visa application processing time is more than 14 days (10 business days) from the submission date, and there is no expedite service except for official government visits or urgent family matters. New York publishes a similar timeline. Don't assume a quick turnaround just because you showed up in person.
- You get your passport back with the E-2 visa in it (some consulates now issue a printed visa grant notice rather than a sticker). Now you can travel.
A few things people get wrong on this step specifically:
| Assumption | Reality |
|---|---|
| "I can use the issuance number at any embassy" | Generally you apply in your country of citizenship; check with the specific consulate if you're living somewhere else |
| "The number lasts forever" | Issuance numbers have a three-month validity window; confirm the exact date on your document, since enforcement is strict |
| "My school handles this part too" | Your school's job usually ends once the number is issued. The consulate step is on you |
| "I have to go in person" | Not always. Several consulates, including New York and LA, let E-2 issuance-number holders apply by mail, which can be faster than waiting on an appointment slot |
We'll be honest: we don't have a single reliable number for how long appointments or mail processing take at every Korean consulate worldwide, because it changes by location and by season. A teacher applying from Toronto in June had a very different wait than one applying from Chicago in August. Call or check the specific consulate's own notice board. Don't trust a forum post from two years ago.
One more thing worth saying plainly: hold off on non-refundable flights until your visa is actually confirmed, and agree the date with your school and placement coordinator. A flexible ticket costs less than a change fee if processing runs long.