Starting a new job in Korea, or switching employers, means more than signing a contract. Most foreign residents on work visas must also file an employment information report (취업정보 신고) with immigration within 15 days. Miss that window and an administrative fine applies, increasing the longer the delay lasts.
From the second half of 2026, all reporting must go through HiKorea (hikorea.go.kr). Paper filing at immigration offices is no longer accepted.
Who has to file?
The obligation applies to 17 visa categories. If you hold any of the following, you must report:
| Visa | Type |
|---|---|
| E-1 | Professor |
| E-2 | Conversation Instructor |
| E-3 | Research |
| E-4 | Technical Instruction |
| E-5 | Professional Occupation |
| E-6 | Arts and Entertainment |
| E-7 | Specific Activity |
| E-8 | Seasonal Work |
| E-9 | Non-Professional Employment |
| E-10 | Seafarer Employment |
| F-2 | Residence |
| F-4 | Overseas Korean |
| F-6 | Marriage Migrant |
| H-2 | Working Visit |
| D-7 | Intra-company Transfer |
| D-8 | Business Investment |
| D-9 | Trade Management |
F-5 permanent residents (영주) are exempt. No other exemptions apply based on available sources.
What do you report?
You report exactly three things.
Occupation type (직종). A government-defined job category code describing the kind of work you do.
Industry or business sector (업종). The category of business your employer operates in.
Annual pre-tax income bracket (연간소득 구간). You do not enter your exact salary. You select from a set of government-defined income bands. Small pay increases that keep you within the same band do not require a new report.
When do you have to file?
Two situations trigger the obligation.
When you first start work. You must file when you first register as a foreign resident (외국인등록) or when you first take up employment, whichever comes first.
When something changes. After the initial report, you must file a change report (취업정보 변경 신고) within 15 days of the date any of the three data points changes. The 15-day clock starts on the day the change occurs.
How to file on HiKorea
There are two routes. Both require an HiKorea account linked to your Alien Registration Card (외국인등록증, ARC).
Route 1: Standalone employment report
This is the most common method and takes about five minutes.
Step 1. Go to hikorea.go.kr and log in with your ARC number and password, or with a digital certificate.
Step 2. Click 'Electronic Civil Affairs (전자민원)' in the top navigation menu.
Step 3. Select 'Employment Information Report (취업정보 신고)' for your first report, or 'Employment Information Change Report (취업정보 변경 신고)' when updating an existing record.
Step 4. Verify that your name, ARC number, and visa status are correct on the pre-filled screen.
Step 5. Select your occupation type (직종), industry (업종), and income bracket (연간소득 구간) from the dropdown menus.
Step 6. Submit the form and save your application number. Check processing status online at any time.
Route 2: Combined with an immigration office appointment
If you have an upcoming immigration appointment, you can file the employment report at the same time.
Log in to HiKorea and click 'Visit Appointment (방문예약)'. For eligible visa holders, the employment information reporting screen appears automatically during the booking process. Enter your occupation, industry, and income bracket, then submit. The employment report is processed alongside or before your visit.
The double obligation: employment reporting and job-change permission are separate
This is the point most people miss.
If you change employers, you have two separate filings to complete.
First, you must handle the workplace-change requirement under Immigration Control Act (출입국관리법) Article 21. For most E-1 through E-7 holders, this is a post-change report filed within 15 days. For E-9 holders, it is a pre-approval process through the Employment Permit System (고용허가제). The E-9 visa guide and E-7 visa guide cover those procedures.
Second, you must file the employment information change report under the Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Control Act (출입국관리법 시행규칙 제47조·제49조의2) within 15 days. This is the report covered on this page.
Completing the Article 21 workplace-change filing does not satisfy the employment information report obligation. Both are required. Fines apply separately for each missed obligation.
What happens if you miss the deadline or file incorrect information?
Missing the 15-day window triggers an administrative fine (과태료) under the Immigration Control Act. The fine increases the longer the report is overdue. The Ministry of Justice's announcement of this system does not publish a fixed fine schedule, so we do not list specific amounts here. For the current fine that applies to your situation, call immigration at 1345 or check with your local immigration office before filing late.
Filing false information, such as the wrong occupation code or income bracket, can also result in an administrative fine. Confirm the current amount with immigration (1345).
The fine is a civil penalty, not a criminal charge. However, repeat violations or large delays can affect future visa applications and renewals.
About the pilot period and the paper filing cutoff
The Ministry of Justice (법무부) launched the expanded online employment information reporting system on January 2, 2026. From that date, both paper filing at immigration offices and online filing via HiKorea were accepted.
During the pilot period from January through June 2026, the two methods ran in parallel. The official MOJ announcement of December 2025 states that online-only filing begins in "the second half of 2026 (하반기)." Several secondary sources cite July 1, 2026 as the specific start date, but the MOJ's own Korean-language materials use the broader "second half of 2026" phrasing.
From that cutoff, paper submissions are rejected. A rejected paper submission does not extend your 15-day deadline.
Questions? Call 1345
The Korea Immigration Information Center (외국인종합안내센터) is available at 1345. Agents speak Korean, English, Chinese, Vietnamese, and other languages.
Frequently asked questions
Who has to file an employment information report in Korea?
Holders of these 17 visa types must report: E-1 (Professor), E-2 (Conversation Instructor), E-3 (Research), E-4 (Technical Instruction), E-5 (Professional Occupation), E-6 (Arts and Entertainment), E-7 (Specific Activity), E-8 (Seasonal Work), E-9 (Non-Professional Employment), E-10 (Seafarer), F-2 (Residence), F-4 (Overseas Korean), F-6 (Marriage Migrant), H-2 (Working Visit), D-7 (Intra-company Transfer), D-8 (Business Investment), and D-9 (Trade Management). F-5 permanent residents are excluded.
What exactly do I have to report?
Three things: your occupation type (직종), your industry or business sector (업종), and your annual pre-tax income bracket (연간소득 구간). Income is not reported as an exact figure. You select from a set of government-defined income bands. Small fluctuations within the same band do not trigger a new report.
When is the deadline to file?
You must file within 15 days of the date you start work, or within 15 days of the date any of the three data points changes. The clock starts on the day the change occurs, not the day you become aware of it.
Can I still file on paper at an immigration office?
No. From the second half of 2026 onward, online submission via HiKorea is the only accepted method. During the pilot period from January through June 2026, both paper and online filing were accepted. The MOJ's own announcement uses "the second half of 2026" as the go-live language.
What is the fine for missing the 15-day window?
Missing the 15-day window triggers an administrative fine (과태료) under the Immigration Control Act. The fine increases the longer the report is overdue. Filing false information, such as the wrong occupation code or income bracket, can also result in an administrative fine. For the current fine that applies to your situation, call immigration at 1345 or check with your local immigration office before filing late.
If I change jobs, do I need to file this report on top of the workplace-change permission?
Yes. Changing employers triggers two separate obligations for most work visa holders. First, you must handle the workplace-change permission or report under Immigration Control Act Article 21 (or the Foreign Worker Employment Act for E-9 holders). Second, you must file an employment information change report within 15 days under the Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Control Act (출입국관리법 시행규칙 제47조·제49조의2). Completing one does not satisfy the other. Missing either can result in fines.
Is there a way to file the employment report at the same time as an immigration office visit?
Yes. When booking an immigration office appointment through HiKorea's 'Visit Appointment (방문예약)' system, the employment information reporting screen appears automatically during the booking process for eligible visa holders. You can enter your occupation, industry, and income bracket there, and the report is processed alongside or before your visit.
What if I have questions or run into a problem on HiKorea?
Call the Korea Immigration Information Center (외국인종합안내센터) at 1345. The line is available in Korean, English, Chinese, Vietnamese, and other languages.