Work
Procedures for Obtaining a Work Visa
Visas eligible for working
short-term Employee (C-4), Professional (E-1~7), Non-professional (E-9), Crew Employee (E-10), Working Holiday (H-1), Work and Visit (H-2), Resident (F-2), Overseas Korean (F-4), Permanent Resident (F-5), Marriage-based immigration (F-6), etc.
1. Short - term Employee (C-4)
A Short-term Employee (C-4) visa is granted to persons who plan to visit and stay in Korea for less than 90 days for short-term employment purposes, such as temporary shows, advertising, modeling, lecturing, speaking, research, technology consulting, etc.
2. Professional (E-1~7)
-
Applicants shall be required to meet the qualifications of each visa.
-
Qualified doctors and nurses shall obtain approval from a Minister.
-
E-2 visa applicants shall submit a criminal record certificate, medical records, and certificate of degree. After entering Korea, when filling for alien registration, applicants shall submit a physical exam report, including drug test results, issued by a medical institution designated by the Minister of Justice.
3. Resident(F-2)
Foreigners who have invested over USD 500,000 and have been staying in Korea for over three years on an Investment
(D-8) visa, foreigners who have invested over USD 300,000 and employ two or more Korean nationals, real estate investment immigrants and their spouses and minor children, spouses of permanent residents, acknowledged refugees, etc., can have a job in the Republic of Korea.
4. Overseas Korean (F-4)
Foreigners with an Overseas Korean (F-4) visa may have any job except simple labor jobs and speculative acts for three years.
5. Permanent Resident (F-5)
Foreigners with a Permanent Resident (F-5) visa are not restricted in job seeking activities.
6. Working Holiday (H-1)
Foreigners with a Working Holiday (H-1) visa may engage in shot-term jobs. The period of stay depends on the terms and conditions of the relevant memorandum of understanding with their native country.
7. Work and Visit (H-2)
-
After entering Korea, foreigners with a Non-professional (E-9) visa shall complete employment education and buy return cost insurance and accident insurance before being assigned to a place of business.
-
They may sign or renew an employment contract under an agreement between the parties concerned within three years, the permitted period of work. They shall not be accompanied by their families during this period.
-
If an employer applies for reemployment of a foreigner with a Non-professional (E-9) visa at least 7 days prior to the expiration of the permitted period of work, the foreigner may keep working at the place of business for up to one year and 10 months without being required to depart Korea. (May be done on time only, by those whose employment contract period is at least one month.)
-
In principle, foreign workers shall work at the place of employment he/she first started working at right after entering Korea.
-
If falling under any of the following cases, a foreigner worker may change the place of employment.
-
If the employer intends to cancel an employment contract with good reason or does not want to renew the contract after its expiration;
-
If the foreign worker is deemed not to be able to keep working at the place of employment anymore due to reasons not attributable to him/her, such as business suspension or closure;
-
If the place of employment where the foreign worker is working loses its permit to employ foreign workers or is restricted from employing foreigners;
-
If the working conditions at the place of employment are not consistent with the terms and conditions of the employment contract, or if it is difficult to follow the contract due to the employer's unfair treatment, etc., such as violations of working conditions;
-
If the foreign worker intends to change the place of employment because he/she is deemed unsuitable to keep working for the same business or at the same place of business due to injury, etc., or is deemed able to work for another business or at another place of business, he/she shall apply for a job within one month from the date on which he/she quit the previous job and shall begin working at the new job within three months after the application date.
-
In principle, foreign workers can change the place of employment up to three times within the permitted period of work (a maximum of three years) after the date of initial entry. If the permitted period of work is extended by reemployment, they can change the place of employment up to two times within the extended period. If a foreign worker is deemed not to be able to keep working at the place of employment any longer due to business suspension, closure, or other reasons not attributable to him/her, it is not counted toward the limit of changing the place of employment.
8. Work and Visit (H-2)
-
First of all, foreign workers with a Work and Visit (H-2) visa shall complete employment education at an educational institution designated by the Ministry of Employment and Labor. After applying for a job through an employment center, they may request the center to find a job, or look for a job on their own.
-
However, they can only work at places of employment designated by the Minister of Employment and Labor. They shall report the start of work or change of workplace to the Immigration Office within 14 days after starting work.
-
No matter whether or not foreign workers complete employment education, they shall file for alien registration with the Immigration Office having jurisdiction over the place of stay within 90 days after the date of entry into Korea.
-
Overseas Koreans with a Work and Visit (H-2) visa who intend to have a job in the construction industry shall obtain a "certificate of qualifications for a job in the construction industry" by applying for employment registration and completing employment education.
Visas Requiring a Work Permit
Foreigners with any of the following visas shall be required to obtain a work permit as well as a status of stay in order to legally work in the Republic of Korea. Call ☎1345 or visit the Hi Korea website (www.hikorea.go.kr) for further information.
1. Part-time jobs of foreigners with a Study(D-2) or
Language Trainee(D-4-1, D-4-7) visa
■Principle: Limited to part-time work (simple labor jobs, etc.) generally done by students
Target
Permitted number
of work hours
Allowed
and
prohibited
fields
Change in
workplace
Those who
cannot
work
Documents
required
-
Foreigners with a Study or Language Trainee visa who have been confirmed by a college official in charge of international students or an academic advisor (Students studying a language: Not applicable for minors, at least six years shall elapse after the date of change in qualifications/the date of entry.
-
Language training course: Within 10~20 hours a week
-
Undergraduate course: Within 10~20 hours a week
-
Postgraduate course: Within 15~30 hours a week
※ For further information, refer to <Permitted number of work hours by level of Korean proficiency and degree courses> on Sojoum Guide for Foreigners issued by Ministry of Justice.
-
Allowed fields
-Interpreters, translators, assistants at a restaurant business, general office assistants, etc.
-Store clerks, restaurant employees, event staff at English villages and camps, etc.
-Tour guide assistants, duty free shop assistants, etc.
-
Prohibited fields
-All manufacturing and construction businesses
-High-tech research centers, businesses related to deceptive acts, entertainment establishments, etc.
If the employer and workplace changes within the permitted period
(The student, or a college official in charge of international students, shall report a change in workplace, etc., within 15 days by visiting the Immigration Office holding jurisdiction or filling a report online.)
-
Those whose most recent attendance rate was 70% or below
-
Those whose GPA (credits obtained) was a C (2.0) or below
-
For those taking a language training course, anyone with an average attendance rate for all semesters of 90% or below
-
Those who do not meet the requirements for a part-time work permit and those who failed to report a change in workplace after changing jobs
-
Passport, alien registration certificate, application form, and fees (exempted)
-
A reference for a part-time job, and a transcript or attendance certificate (issued by school)
2. Family Visitor or Dependent Family (F-1) and Accompanying Spouse/Child (F-3)
Those who meet certain requirements, such as qualifications for a work permit, etc., among foreigners with a Family Visitor or Dependent Family (F-1) or Accompanying Spouse/Child (F-3) visa may have a job after obtaining a work permit corresponding to the Professor (E-1) or Foreign National of Special Ability (E-7) visa.
4 Types of Insurance
-
The Four Types of Insurance (Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance, National Health Insurance, Employment Insurance, and National Pension) shall be applied to foreign workers as well
-
All workers shall take out the National Pension, National Health Insurance, and Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance. Some foreign workers shall take out the Employment Insurance, depending on the type of visa, and some may elect to do so if desired.
-
Visit the Social Insurance Information System website (www.4insure.or.kr) and sign up to obtain further information.
-
Employers and foreign workers shall take out departure gurarantee insurance, return cost insurance, guarantee insurance, and accident insurance.
Source: Seoul Life Guide (Seoul Metropolitan Government)