Visa guide

The Settle Seoul visa guide.

Student work-hour limits, residence renewals and employer-sponsored work — with practical steps and official sources to confirm your own case.

Sources checked 11 October 2026

Download the PDF Forms & Documents Students F-visas E-7 work Renewals & appointments Other categories

This is editorial guidance, not legal advice or a work permit. Limits depend on your exact visa subtype, school, language evidence and immigration approval. Your written permission controls. Sources were checked on 11 October 2026; some official overview pages are older. Confirm the latest rules with HiKorea or 1345 before working or applying.

E-2 teachers · Reviewed 17 October 2026

Your first teaching year & renewal

Documents, school induction, shared responsibilities and four paths after your contract.

Download the complete E-2 guide

Students

D-2 and D-4: working while you study

D-2 study and D-4 training do not automatically allow employment. Obtain separate part-time permission before the first shift. The table below reproduces the government’s programme-based limits; it is not a personal eligibility decision.

D-2: check your subtype

The government table lists associate, bachelor’s and master’s/doctoral programmes. Eligible degree students can apply without the language-trainee six-month wait.
Exchange, research, visiting and thesis-only students should ask their school which rule applies; do not assume the bachelor’s table applies to every D-2 subtype.
Academic progress, attendance, the employer and the role still need to qualify.

D-4: six months first

For eligible language trainees, six months must have passed from entry or the change to the relevant status before applying.
The published language-training table is not a general work entitlement for every D-4 subtype.
A school signature and acceptable academic/attendance records are still needed.

One permission, actual conditions

Hours are the total allowed work, not a fresh allowance for every employer.
Check the approved workplace, duties, period and hours on your permission.
Private tutoring, platform delivery and other restricted work are not automatically allowed because they are part-time.

D-2 / D-4: published weekly work-hour limits

“Language met” means the required Korean-language evidence below is accepted. “Enhanced” is the government’s higher weekday category for qualifying accreditation, grades or proficiency; ask your school and immigration whether you qualify. [1]

D-2 / D-4: published weekly work-hour limits
Programme	Language not met: weekly cap	Language met: weekdays	Language met: weekends / vacations	Enhanced weekdays
D-4 eligible language training	10 hours	20 hours (combined weekly cap)	Included in the 20-hour weekly cap	25 hours
D-2 associate degree	10 hours	25 hours	No immigration hour cap in this table	30 hours
D-2 bachelor’s, years 1–2	10 hours	25 hours	No immigration hour cap in this table	30 hours
D-2 bachelor’s, years 3–4	10 hours	25 hours	No immigration hour cap in this table	30 hours
D-2 master’s / doctorate	15 weekday hours; table shows 10 for weekends / vacations	30 hours	No immigration hour cap in this table	35 hours

The low-language D-4/associate/bachelor’s rows combine weekdays and weekends/vacations as 10 hours. The graduate low-language row displays 15 weekday hours and 10 weekend/vacation hours separately: ask immigration how these apply to your schedule; do not add them together as an entitlement.
D-4 language trainees do not receive the D-2 weekend/vacation exemption. Confirm how the enhanced 25-hour permission applies across your week.
“No immigration hour cap” does not waive workplace permission, labour law, attendance or scholarship rules. Vacation means the institution’s recognised vacation, not a personal day off.
The permit may be narrower than the published maximum. Do not use this table to start work, add an employer or increase approved hours.

[1] Study in Korea — work permits and hour table

Accepted Korean-language evidence in the government table

The table lists TOPIK, the Social Integration Program (KIIP) and King Sejong Institute alternatives. Confirm your certificate’s acceptance and validity with your school. [1]

Accepted Korean-language evidence in the government table
Programme	TOPIK	KIIP completion / pre-evaluation	King Sejong Institute
Language training	Level 2	Level 2 / 41+	Intermediate 1
Associate; bachelor’s years 1–2	Level 3	Level 3 / 61+	Intermediate 1
Bachelor’s years 3–4; master’s / doctorate	Level 4	Level 4 / 81+	Intermediate 2

A language certificate alone is not work permission. Ask the school about any recognised exemption or extra condition for your particular programme.

[1] Study in Korea — work permits and hour table

Apply for a student part-time work permit

Ask your international office to check your visa subtype, attendance/grades, language evidence and proposed occupation before accepting shifts. Agree the start date subject to permission.
Obtain a written employment contract showing the duties, workplace, pay and hours, plus the employer’s business-registration certificate.
Complete the part-time employment confirmation form and get the school’s authorised signature. Prepare passport, residence card, application form, transcript/attendance record and language evidence as requested.
Use HiKorea’s relevant e-Application if eligible; otherwise reserve a visit at the office responsible for your address. Submit the school-confirmed pack and any additional documents requested.
Save the submission receipt, monitor requests for corrections and wait for approval. A receipt, school signature or appointment is not permission to work.
Read the approval’s employer, hours and end date. Before changing workplace or continuing beyond that date, ask whether you need a new permission or amendment. A stay extension does not by itself renew work permission.

Renew D-2 / D-4 residence permission

Use the expiry of your permitted stay, not the original entry visa’s validity. The general extension window opens four months before that date; ask the school when it can issue your next-term documents. [3][4]
Request the school’s current checklist. Usually prepare proof of continuing enrolment/training, academic progress or attendance, and financial support; a thesis-only extension needs its own evidence. Do not assume a scholarship letter replaces every financial document.
Prepare Form 34, passport, residence card and proof of your current address; add the school documents and any subtype-specific evidence immigration asks for. [2][3]
Submit through the eligible HiKorea service or attend a reserved visit. Online filing must be no later than the day before expiry and within portal business hours; do not leave it to the last available day. [3][4]
Keep the accepted filing receipt and answer document requests. Read the decision and new expiry date; separately check the validity of any work permission. Ask immigration before travel while the case is pending.

No confirmed appointment before your deadline? Contact 1345 and your responsible immigration office immediately. Booking a future slot does not extend your stay or authorise work.

F-visas

Residence statuses that open up work

The F family covers residence based on family, heritage, points or long settlement. Many allow broader work than job-tied visas, but each has its own conditions.

F-2 Resident

Work rights depend on the residence subtype and its conditions; it is not one universal permit.
For a points-based or other conditional route, renewal requires fresh evidence that the route’s requirements remain met.
Ask for the current subtype checklist before relying on a points score, income figure or job change.

F-4 Overseas Korean

Broad employment is permitted, but restricted occupations and other legal limits remain.
Check the current Ministry of Justice restricted-occupation notice for the actual job, not just its English title.
The overseas-Korean domestic residence reporting/card process is distinct from ordinary foreign-resident registration.

F-5 Permanent Resident

No immigration restriction on employment/profit-making activities under this status.
No extension of the permanent period of stay is required.
The physical Permanent Resident Card must be reissued before its 10-year validity expires; this is not a new permanent-residency application.

F-6 Marriage Migrant

Employment is not restricted by the immigration status; professional licences and labour law still apply.
Your permission to stay still has an expiry date and must be extended.
If family circumstances change, ask about the appropriate F-6 subtype and evidence rather than assuming the usual spouse checklist fits.

F-1 / F-3 Family

These are not general employment statuses.
A specific exception/permission or change of status may be needed before work; confirm the actual subtype and proposed duties.
Do not borrow the F-2, F-4, F-5 or F-6 work rules merely because the code starts with F.

F-status renewal: what changes and what stays

For time-limited permission, use the general four-month filing window below. Evidence depends on the exact residence route. There is no single renewal duration or universal income threshold for the F family. [3][4]

F-status renewal: what changes and what stays
Status	Prepare / confirm for your route	Timing
F-1 / F-3	Continuing family/dependency basis, sponsor’s status and support, relationship and residence evidence as requested	Apply before the permitted stay expires
F-2	Current residence basis; points, income/tax, employment or family evidence where the subtype requires it	Apply before the permitted stay expires
F-4	Current overseas-Korean status and domestic residence-reporting checklist; confirm job restrictions separately	Extend before the authorised stay expires
F-6	Current marriage/family basis, relationship and spouse/child documents appropriate to the subtype	Apply before the permitted stay expires
F-5	Passport, existing Permanent Resident Card and current reissuance checklist	Reissue the card before its 10-year validity expires; no stay extension

These are preparation prompts, not exhaustive statutory document lists. Ask 1345 for your exact subtype and circumstances, including divorce, bereavement, care of a child or an absent sponsor.

Renew an F-status stay — or reissue an F-5 card

Read your exact F subtype and stay expiry. For F-5, read the card’s validity instead: permanent status is not a time-limited stay.
Call 1345 or use the current HiKorea manual to confirm the application category and route-specific checklist. F-4 domestic residence reporting and F-5 card reissuance are not interchangeable with an ordinary extension.
For an extension, prepare Form 34, passport, residence card and proof of address, then the family, income, points or other supporting evidence requested for your subtype. Bring originals and copies where requested. [3]
Check whether that service accepts your case online. If not, reserve the responsible office, bring the full pack and pay the fee confirmed for that service. Do not assume an online service for another F subtype applies.
Keep the receipt, supply requested corrections and check the new stay/card expiry after the decision. If your residence basis changes, seek advice about reporting or changing status promptly; an extension is not a substitute for a required status change.

F-visas do not all have the same work rights. A job advert saying “F-visa welcome” is not a legal eligibility decision.

E-7 work

E-7: employer-sponsored designated work

E-7 covers designated occupations, not every English-speaking office job. Match the exact subtype and occupation code, qualifications, employer eligibility and salary rule before preparing an application.

E-7-1 Professional

For designated professional/managerial occupations, subject to the relevant qualification and employer criteria.
A suitable title or an English-language job advert alone does not establish eligibility.

E-7-2 / E-7-3

Semi-professional and general skilled occupations have their own designated activities and conditions.
Do not apply the E-7-1 occupation checklist automatically.

E-7-4 Skilled worker

A separate skilled-worker route with its own eligibility/selection rules.
It is not a general entry route for any newcomer offered a skilled job.

2026 general E-7 annual salary floors

Ministry of Justice Notice 2025-406 applies from 1 February to 31 December 2026. Occupations with separately prescribed salary criteria follow those criteria instead. [5]

2026 general E-7 annual salary floors
Subtype	General minimum annual salary
E-7-1	KRW 31,120,000
E-7-2	KRW 25,890,000
E-7-3	KRW 25,890,000
E-7-4	KRW 26,000,000

These are immigration screening floors, not a promise of approval or a replacement for minimum-wage rules. Confirm which pay components count and whether your occupation has an exception.
Do not reuse this table for a 2027 application or a special E-7 route; check the notice effective on the application date.

[5] Ministry of Justice — 2026 E-7 salary notice (Korean)

Apply for E-7 or change from D-2 / D-10

Ask the employer to identify the exact E-7 subtype and approved occupation code for the real duties. Confirm the education/experience route and any employer ratios, size, recommendations or occupation-specific conditions.
Agree a contract stating duties, workplace, period, salary and hours, conditional on immigration approval. Check the current salary notice and any occupation-specific exception.
Collect applicant evidence: passport, Form 34, residence card if already registered, qualifications/degrees and experience certificates as required. Confirm translation, authentication and original-document requirements before paying for them.
The employer prepares the contract, business/corporate registration and any financial, staffing, employment-necessity or recommendation evidence required for that occupation. This is not a universal final checklist. [1]
If applying from abroad, confirm the visa-issuance-confirmation/consular process with the employer and the Visa Portal. If legally resident in Korea, ask whether an in-country change is permitted for your current status; eligible D-2/D-10 cases still have to meet E-7 conditions. [1][7]
File the correct application and retain the receipt. Do not start E-7 duties until permission is granted; a pending change does not expand the activities allowed under your existing status.
After approval, check the permitted employer, activities and stay expiry. If newly entering for a stay over 90 days, complete foreign-resident registration within 90 days of entry. [2]

Renew E-7 and handle a new workplace

Begin organising the employer’s evidence ahead of the general four-month renewal window. Check the stay expiry and the remaining contract period; renewal duration is decided for the case, not automatically a fixed number of years.
Prepare Form 34, passport, residence card and address evidence plus the current contract and the employer/qualification/pay or tax evidence requested for the occupation. Confirm the salary standard in force for the application.
Submit an eligible online extension by the day before expiry at the latest, or attend the reserved office visit by the expiry date. Keep the accepted receipt and respond to requests. [3]
Before changing employer, adding a workplace or materially changing duties, ask immigration whether prior permission or post-change reporting applies to your exact category. Do not assume a blanket “report within 15 days” rule allows every E-7 holder to begin elsewhere.
Obtain the required permission or meet the applicable reporting conditions and deadline. Check that the new employer and actual duties qualify. A stay extension does not automatically approve a workplace change.

A salary above the floor does not make an unlisted occupation eligible. Get the occupation code and full employer/applicant requirements confirmed.

Renewals & appointments

The dates that matter — and how to file

These general extension deadlines apply to time-limited stay permission, including D-2, D-4, E-7 and relevant F statuses. F-5 permanent residence is the card-reissuance exception. [3][4]

Four months before expiry

The general extension application window opens four months before the expiry of your permitted stay.
Preparation can start earlier; this is not a promise that every subtype can be renewed online.

The filing deadline

In-person extension: submit by the stay-expiry date.
Online extension: file no later than the day before expiry. The published e-Application hours are weekdays 07:00–22:00, excluding weekends and public holidays.
Use an earlier working day if the last day is not available. An appointment reservation is not a submitted application.

Other reporting clocks

Foreign-resident registration: within 90 days of entry if staying over 90 days.
Report a change of residence within 15 days of moving. [2]
F-5: reissue the physical card before its 10-year validity expires. [3]

Book, attend and follow up a HiKorea appointment

Confirm the service and documents for your exact subtype using HiKorea or 1345. Identify the office responsible for your registered address; the nearest office may not be the correct one.
Choose Visit Reservation on HiKorea, identify yourself using the available passport/registration option and select the competent office, service, date and time. Save the reservation confirmation.
Check passport validity and prepare the requested originals, copies, Form 34 and address/subtype evidence. Confirm the fee and payment method rather than using an old fee list.
Attend at the reserved time, show the reservation and follow the office’s queue instructions. Submit the complete application; ask for the receipt and how additional-document requests will arrive.
Track the application result and respond by any stated correction deadline. Keep the filing receipt and final decision; confirm the new expiry and any work conditions separately.
If no appointment is available before expiry or an online submission fails, contact 1345 and the competent office immediately for instructions. Do not simply book after expiry and assume your stay is extended.

Deadlines above are filing deadlines, not guaranteed processing times. A booked slot, a draft form and a saved upload do not count as an accepted application.

Other categories

Work, job-seeking and short-term statuses

These are the other statuses newcomers most often meet. Work rights are tied to the status, not the job title.

E-2 Foreign language instructor

For native-speaker teachers at schools, academies and universities.
Tied to your sponsoring employer; side work needs permission.
Degree, criminal record check and health checks usually apply. See the magazine feature on health checks when starting work.

D-10 Job seeker

For searching for work, often after graduating in Korea.
Paid work is restricted; internships may need permission.

H-1 Working holiday

For nationals of partner countries within the age range.
Mainly travel, with limited work allowed; some sectors are excluded.

Changing status

Apply before your current status expires.
Most changes happen inside Korea at immigration; some need a new visa abroad.
Never start a new job until the new status is approved.

Official sources

Confirm your case here

Step-by-step help: From visa to residence card · Jobs · Ask Seoul