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Who is eligible to work in Korea ?

 
If you want to work in Korea, you must have a visa allowing employment activities. And each visa allowing employment has also specific restrictions on the scope of your activities.
 

Even if you have a visa allowing employment, you should work only in the place of work reported to and designated by a local or district Immigration office

 
Work-related visas and the scope of activities
 

Visa

Scope of activities

C-4
(Temporary employment)

Short-term commercial activities such as ;

Commercial entertainment
Activities in commercial advertisement
Fashion shows
Lecture¤ýDiscourse
Research
Technological guidance

E-2
(Foreign Language Teaching)

Foreign languages teaching

Eligibility

Those who meet certain qualifications set by the Justice minister

Restrictions on where to teach

Foreign languages-teaching academies,
Educational bodies at a level higher than elementary school
Language-teaching institution attached to a broadcast company ,etc.

E-3
(Research)

Reseach activities in the areas of science or industrial high-technologies

Eligibility

Those who are invited by public or private entities, and are going to work in research institutions of those entities (Exclusive of E-1 visa holders)

E-4
(Technological Guidance)

Technological Guidance with the expert knowledge of science or industrial high-technologies

Eligibility

Those who are invited by public or private entities, and are going to work for those entities

E-5
(Profession)

Engagement in professions such as law, medicine, etc, within the areas of activities allowed by Korea's relevant laws

Eligibility

Those who qualify in law, medicine, etc both in their home country and in Korea

E-6
(Arts/ Entertainment)

Commercial Entertainment activities such as ;

Music performance
Fine Arts exhibition
Sports
Fashion show
Commercial advertisement

E-7
(Specially designated Activities)

Special Activities designated by the Justice minister

Eligibility

Those who have a contract with a public or private entity

E-8
(Employment after Industrial Training)

Employment after Industrial Training

Eligibility

Those who have been trained in training entities with a visa status for industrial training, without running away from the entities during the period of industrial training, and have met such requirements as passing a Skills Certification test for E-8 visa status

E-9
(Nonprofessional Employment)

Eligibility

Those who meet requirements for employment activities according to the Foreign Workers Work-Permit Act

E-10
(Labor Aboard)

Unskilled labor onboard ships of more than 5 tons

Eligibility

Those who wish to work as laboring seamen onboard the ships that are prescribed as ships for passengers & freights transportation in the Marine Transportation Act

H-1
(Working Holiday)

Trip, while working for accompanying expenditures

Note) Exclusive of the activities that run counter to the purport of the working holiday arrangements, or require certain qualifications by Korean laws

Eligibility

Those who are nationals of the countries that have made reciprocal agreements with Korea on working Holiday arrangements

 

IMMIGRATION BUREAU Copyright(C) Immigration , Ministry of Justice, Republic of Korea. 2005.