Previously, foreigners staying with a job-seeking visa (D-10) were restricted from employment activities other than internships. However, now, foreigners who meet the requirements and change from a student visa (D-2-1~4, D-2-7) to a job-seeking visa (D-10) can work part-time according to the special case of part-time job permission.
1. Eligible persons
- Those who meet the following requirements after changing from a student visa (D-2-14, D-2-7) to a job-seeking visa (D-10)
① Those who have obtained an associate degree or higher from a domestic university and have not exceeded 3 years from the date of degree acquisition
② Those who have a valid TOPIK (Test of Proficiency in Korean) level 4 or higher score, Social Integration Program intermediate evaluation pass certificate, or preliminary evaluation score sheet (81 points or higher)
③ Those who have never stayed with a professional visa (E-1~ E-7)
④ Those without any violations of the Immigration Control Act and other laws (excluding fines)
2. Scope of employment
Possible fields for foreign student part-time job activities (limited to manufacturing, construction, English kids cafes, etc.)
3. Allowed hours
① Up to 20 hours per week during the stay (unlimited on weekends)
② Those with TOPIK level 5 or higher, Social Integration Program graduates, or those with a comprehensive evaluation score of 60 points or higher are allowed up to 30 hours per week (unlimited on weekends)
4. Activities outside the residence qualification are only possible with permission
Required documents: application form, common documents, degree certificate, employment contract, business registration certificate, TOPIK score sheet, etc.
Key changes to the Job-Seeking Visa (D-10)
If you change your residence qualification to a job-seeking visa (D-10), those who have obtained a domestic bachelor's degree or higher and are seeking employment with an E-1 to E-7 visa can change their residence qualification if their basic items are 20 points or higher and their total score is 60 points or higher based on the job-seeking qualification score table out of a total of 190 points.
However, those who fall under the following categories can change their residence qualification to a job-seeking visa (D-10) even if their score is insufficient, as they are classified as special exemption cases from the job-seeking scoring system
1. Those who have obtained an associate degree or higher from a domestic university within 3 years from the date of degree acquisition and have a valid TOPIK (Test of Proficiency in Korean) level 4 or higher score, Social Integration Program stage 4 intermediate evaluation pass, or preliminary evaluation stage 5 allocation (those who have passed 3 years are subject to the general scoring system)
2. Those who have an E-1 to E-7 residence qualification and whose employment contract has expired or whose employment activities have ended for other legitimate reasons
Other changes
1. violations of the Immigration Control Act within the last 1 year for the point-based job-seeking activity (D-10-1) and technology entrepreneurship (D-10-2) limited targets
- Changed to violations of the Immigration Control Act within the last 3 years (omitted)
2. Among the targets for issuance of technology entrepreneurship (D-10-2), changes from bachelor's degree (domestic associate degree) or higher - Changed to domestic associate degree (overseas bachelor's degree)
Foreigners with residence qualifications such as student visas and refugee visas must obtain permission for activities outside their residence qualifications to work part-time jobs.
Both foreigners who engage in employment activities without permission and employers who employ foreigners without permission are subject to punishment for violating the Immigration Control Act.
Fines and other penalties will be imposed if caught, so obtaining permission is essential.