Visa Guide

A skilled-worker visa for foreigners who have built up on-the-job skills in Korea under non-professional or working-visit statuses (E-9, E-10, H-2) and pass a points-based evaluation to transition. It is a step up from basic-skill work toward more stable employment and longer stay. Unlike the professional track (E-7-1), it recognizes hands-on field experience.

A non-professional employment visa for fields like manufacturing, agriculture/livestock, fisheries, construction, and some services, arranged through the government Employment Permit System (EPS). The process runs under agreements with sending-country governments rather than individual arrangements. It is one of the most common foreign work statuses on Korean industrial sites.

An employment visa for working in specific professional, technical, or skilled fields designated by the Ministry of Justice under a contract with a Korean organization. It is not one visa but several sub-types — professionals (E-7-1), semi-professionals (E-7-2), general skilled (E-7-3), and skilled workers (E-7-4) — each with different target groups and occupations. It appears both for those hired from abroad and those moving into work after studying in Korea.

A student visa for those in a degree program, from junior college to graduate school. Its core is belonging to a school for study/research, which distinguishes it from D-4 (general training) for language-institute Korean courses. Because students often stay long and move into employment and settlement after graduating, it is a high-potential pathway.

A visa for non-degree training such as language courses, rather than a degree program. The most typical case is a Korean-language program at a university language institute. It differs from D-2 (degree study) and is often used as an "entry step" — learning Korean first, then moving into a degree program.

A long-term residence visa with several sub-types. Among them, F-2-7 is a "residence points system" type that evaluates education, income, Korean ability, and more on a points basis. It offers relatively broad freedom to work and is an important stepping stone toward permanent residence (F-5).

A visa for overseas Koreans of foreign nationality — former Korean nationals or their direct descendants. Activity is freer than ordinary work visas, but some jobs such as simple manual labor are restricted. It is easy to confuse with the working-visit (H-2) status for ethnic Koreans from China/CIS, which has a different target group and activity scope.

A visa that allows both visiting and working for ethnic Koreans from China and CIS countries (Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, etc.). You can work within designated permitted industries. Even though both target ethnic Koreans, it has a different target group and activity scope from overseas-Korean (F-4), so the two are easy to confuse.

A visa that lets you reside in Korea permanently with no stay-period limit. It offers the broadest freedom to work, and greatly reduces hassles like stay extensions or re-entry permits. It is not granted from the start — it is closer to a "destination" of long-term settlement, applied for by long-term residents who have lived on another status and met the requirements.

A visa for foreign spouses of Korean nationals (marriage migrant). It offers relatively broad freedom to work, making it a good status for settling in Korea while working. With certain requirements it can lead to permanent residence (F-5) or naturalization, making it a solid starting point for long-term settlement.

A visa that lets you stay legally in Korea while looking for a job or preparing to start a business. It acts as a "bridge" so that graduated students or those meeting certain requirements can carry out job-seeking before moving straight into a work visa. It is widely used as an interim step linking study and employment.

A visa for foreigners who invest above a certain level to establish a foreign-invested company (corporation) in Korea and work in its management, production, or technical roles as essential personnel. Its hallmark is being based on "corporate investment" under the Foreign Investment Promotion Act, rather than a personal business. It is commonly used by those seriously starting a company or corporate business in Korea.

A visa for foreigners doing trade/import-export or running a company or for-profit business in Korea. Unlike D-8 (corporate investment), which is based on foreign-invested-company (corporate) investment, it often covers individual-business trade/management or activities like installing/supervising export equipment. Because requirements and judgment differ by business form, it matters to first confirm which visa fits.

A visa for temporary work during farming/fishing seasons when extra hands are needed, such as planting or harvest. It is mainly run by local governments connecting and managing workers, covering agriculture/fishing work in a designated area. As a short-term "seasonal" status rather than long-term employment, it is clearly different in nature from E-9 (Employment Permit System) or other work visas.