Visas and work rights
E-9, F-2, F-4, F-6, EPS, work rights, Korean resumes, job platforms, sponsorship. Which visa fits, what it lets you do, and how to find a job under it.
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Start here. The 5 guides our readers open the most in this pillar.
VisasE-9 Visa in Korea: The EPS Worker's Practical Guide
Your full guide to Korea's E-9 non-professional employment visa. The EPS process, your rights, wage protection, changing jobs, and claiming your pension refund on exit.
Read guideVisasF-6 Marriage Migrant Visa: Your Rights as the Foreign Spouse
Your practical guide to Korea's F-6 marriage migrant visa. Eligibility, rights, what happens in divorce, and how to protect yourself if the marriage goes wrong.
Read guideVisasF-4 Overseas Korean Visa: The Gyopo's Return Guide
Your practical guide to the Korean F-4 visa for overseas Koreans. Eligibility, military service, taxes, banking, and the path to F-5 permanent residency.
Read guideWorkWhich Korean Job Platforms Actually Work for Foreigners: An Honest Comparison (2026)
Most 'Korea job sites' lists start with Saramin and JobKorea without mentioning they are Korean-only. This guide tells you which platforms actually serve foreign job seekers, and which ones to skip.
Read guideWorkKorea's Employment Permit System (EPS): How It Works, Who It Admits, and What Happens After (2026)
Korea's Employment Permit System (고용허가제) recruits workers from 17 countries into manufacturing, agriculture, fisheries, construction, and services. This guide covers the full application pipeline, the EPS-TOPIK exam, your rights after arrival, the Sincere Worker re-entry program, and the only legal path to staying longer.
Read guideTools for this pillar
Visa types and changes
Every Korean visa code for foreign residents: which one fits, what it lets you do, and how the rules change.
Every Korean visa, compared
Side-by-side comparison of E-7, E-9, F-2, F-3, F-4, F-6, and more. Duration, work rights, sponsor, salary minimum, family sponsorship.
BrowseVisasE-7 Visa Korea: The 2026 Guide for Skilled Foreign Workers
Complete guide to Korea's E-7 employer-sponsored work visa: occupation codes, 2026 salary minimums, employer eligibility, application routes, job-change rules, dependent visas, and the path to F-5 permanent residency.
Read guideVisasE-9 Visa in Korea: The EPS Worker's Practical Guide
Your full guide to Korea's E-9 non-professional employment visa. The EPS process, your rights, wage protection, changing jobs, and claiming your pension refund on exit.
Read guideVisasKorea's E-7-M (K-CORE) Visa: The Manufacturing Track from Junior College to Residence (2026)
Korea's new E-7-M (K-CORE) visa lets foreign graduates of 16 designated junior colleges work in manufacturing and qualify for long-term residence in 5 years. Full eligibility criteria, school list, application steps, and F-2 pathway.
Read guideVisasE-2 Visa in Korea: The Conversation Instructor's Guide (2026)
Your full guide to Korea's E-2 conversation instructor visa: who qualifies, the apostille checklist by country, the post-arrival medical exam, switching employers, and the path to F-2.
Read guideVisasF-2 Korean Resident Visa: How to Upgrade From Your Work Visa
Your practical guide to Korea's F-2 resident visa: the points system, eligibility, rights, and the path to F-5 permanent residency.
Read guideVisasF-4 Overseas Korean Visa: The Gyopo's Return Guide
Your practical guide to the Korean F-4 visa for overseas Koreans. Eligibility, military service, taxes, banking, and the path to F-5 permanent residency.
Read guideVisasF-6 Marriage Migrant Visa: Your Rights as the Foreign Spouse
Your practical guide to Korea's F-6 marriage migrant visa. Eligibility, rights, what happens in divorce, and how to protect yourself if the marriage goes wrong.
Read guideVisasF-5 Permanent Residence in Korea: The 2026 Guide to 영주권
Your full guide to Korea's F-5 permanent residence visa: the 5-year general route, marriage migrant track, K-STAR fast track for STEM grads, the Top-Tier track, KIIP and income requirements, and the difference between F-5 and Korean citizenship.
Read guideVisasKorea's F-3 Dependent Visa: How to Bring Your Family (2026)
Since April 2025, change-of-status to F-3 from inside Korea is no longer permitted. Here is how to bring your family under the new rules, the financial thresholds, and what existing F-3 holders must do at renewal.
Read guideVisasD-2 Student Visa in Korea: The 2026 Guide for Foreign Degree-Seeking Students
Your full guide to Korea's D-2 student visa: which universities can sponsor you, financial proof requirements, the post-arrival document chain, part-time work rules by TOPIK level, the 2025 F-3 dependent changes, and the paths from D-2 to D-10, E-7, K-STAR, and F-2.
Read guideVisasD-10 Job-Seeker Visa in Korea: The 2026 Guide After the October Reform
Your full guide to Korea's D-10 job-seeker visa: the four sub-codes (D-10-1, D-10-2, D-10-3, D-10-T), the post-October 2025 stay extensions to 3 years, the points system, the OASIS startup track, the Top-Tier pipeline, and bringing your family on F-3.
Read guideVisasKorea Digital Nomad Visa (F-1-D): The 2026 Workation Visa Guide
Korea's F-1-D Workation (digital nomad) visa explained: who qualifies, the floating 2x GNI income threshold, the insurance requirement that rejects most applications, the 2-year stay limit, NHIS at month 6, taxes for remote workers, and what comes after year 2.
Read guideWorkE-7 Occupation Codes: Which Job Titles Qualify for Sponsorship and How to Find Yours (2026)
Korea's E-7 visa covers the official occupation codes the Ministry of Justice publishes (around 87, with more added by recent administrative notices), across four sub-categories. This guide maps the codes, explains the 2026 salary thresholds, and tells you exactly how to figure out which code matches your role.
Read guideWorkD-2 to E-7: The Visa Conversion Roadmap Foreign Graduates Actually Need (2026)
From D-2 student visa to E-7 work visa: the two-track decision tree, D-10 rules after the 2025 reform, salary thresholds, employer documents, and what to do if E-7 sponsorship fails.
Read guideVisasKorea's 2026 Visa Overhaul: What's Changing for Foreign Workers
Korea's Ministry of Justice rolled out sweeping 2026 immigration reforms. New visas for technical and agricultural workers, a Top-Tier expansion, mandatory online reporting. Here is what changed, what is still a proposal, and what to do now.
Read guideScholarships and studying in Korea
Fully-funded Korean government and university scholarships for international students, plus how to choose between them.
Study hub: visa, TOPIK, and scholarships
The D-2 student visa, TOPIK, GKS and university scholarships, and language schools, in one place.
BrowseVisasGlobal Korea Scholarship (GKS): The Complete Guide for International Students (2026)
Everything you need to know about the Global Korea Scholarship (GKS, formerly KGSP): what it covers, who qualifies, how to choose between the Embassy Track and University Track, and when to apply.
Read guideVisasKorean University Scholarships for International Students: Side-by-Side Comparison (2027 Spring Intake)
A side-by-side comparison of institutional scholarships at 11 top Korean universities for international students. Covers tuition coverage, monthly stipends, deadlines, and how each school compares to the GKS government scholarship.
Read guideWorker rights and protections
What the law protects: contracts, wage claims, workplace injury, and the lines hagwons and labor brokers cross.
WorkE-9 Worker Rights in Korea: What the Law Says You Are Owed (2026)
E-9 visa holders have the same statutory rights as Korean workers. This guide covers minimum wage, wage theft claims, workplace change rules, industrial accident insurance, and what to do when your employer violates your contract.
Read guideWorkWhich Visa Lets You Work Freely in Korea? F-4, F-5, and F-6 Explained (2026)
F-4, F-5, and F-6 visa holders can work in Korea without employer sponsorship, but the rules differ. This guide explains who qualifies, what jobs are off-limits for F-4, and when converting to F-5 is worth it.
Read guideWorkHagwon Contract Red Flags: A 30-Point Review Checklist for Foreign Teachers (2026)
Before you sign an E-2 teaching contract in Korea, check these 30 points. Covers pay, hours, leave, severance, visa clauses, and the four provisions that are always illegal.
Read guideWorkE-8 Seasonal Worker Scam Prevention: The Pre-Departure Checklist (2026)
If someone is offering you agricultural work in Korea on an E-8 visa, this guide shows you how to tell if the offer is real before you pay anyone anything. Includes the pre-departure checklist, red flags, and contact numbers to save to your phone.
Read guideWorkUnemployment Benefit (실업급여) in Korea for Foreign Residents
If you lose your job in Korea, employment insurance (고용보험) may pay 60% of your daily wage for 120 to 270 days. This guide explains the 2026 cap and floor, the foreign-worker enrollment rules, and when to ask an employment center before your stay period becomes a problem.
Read guideWorkUnpaid Wage Guarantee Payment (대지급금) in Korea for Foreign Workers
If an employer in Korea cannot pay wages, the wage-claim guarantee system may pay part of the arrears on the employer's behalf. This guide explains 도산대지급금, 간이대지급금, limits, deadlines, and where foreign workers can file wage claims.
Read guideWorkWorkplace Injury Compensation (산재보험) in Korea for Foreign Workers
If you are injured at work in Korea, Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance can cover treatment and wage replacement when the injury or illness is work-related. Foreign workers can claim in principle, and undocumented workers are treated as eligible by Seoul's official guidance.
Read guideWorkKorea Salary Guide for Foreign Workers: Floors, Deductions, and Offer Checks (2026)
Check the official 2026 salary floors, social-insurance deductions, severance wording, and offer math before you sign a Korean employment contract.
Read guideJob search and the Korean workplace
Where foreign residents actually find work, what Korean hiring expects, and how to read your first payslip.
WorkCompanies Hiring Foreign Residents in Korea: An Honest Guide (2026)
Which Korean employers actually hire foreign residents, which tracks you can realistically enter without Korean fluency, and honest picks by situation, from chaebol R&D to startup equity.
Read guideWorkBest Job Sites in Korea for Foreign Residents (2026): Honest Picks
Wirecutter-style ranking of the job sites that actually work for foreign residents in Korea, by use case: foreigner-friendly boards, major Korean boards, tech and startup roles, part-time and student work. Includes how to read Korean-only listings and avoid the common scam patterns.
Read guideWorkWhich Korean Job Platforms Actually Work for Foreigners: An Honest Comparison (2026)
Most 'Korea job sites' lists start with Saramin and JobKorea without mentioning they are Korean-only. This guide tells you which platforms actually serve foreign job seekers, and which ones to skip.
Read guideWorkHow to Find a Non-Teaching Job in Korea as a Foreigner (2026)
The D-10 job seeker visa exists. Korean companies are hiring. This guide maps every starting visa to the right next move, names the platforms that actually work, and gives you a 4-to-6-week action plan.
Read guideWorkHow to Write a Korean 이력서 (Resume) Employers Actually Want (2026)
Korean employers expect two documents, not one, and a format nothing like a Western CV. This guide covers the 이력서, 자기소개서, photo rules, visa disclosure, and what to do differently as a foreign job seeker.
Read guideWorkHow to Write a Korean Self-Introduction Letter (자기소개서) as a Foreign Applicant (2026)
The 자기소개서 is not a cover letter. It is a structured set of prompted essays in formal Korean. This guide shows foreign applicants exactly how to write each section, what chaebols now require, and where to get help.
Read guideWorkKorean Corporate Aptitude Tests (인적성검사): What Foreign Job Seekers Actually Face (2026)
Every major Korean chaebol uses a proprietary aptitude test as a hiring gate. This guide explains each test's format, why they are a hard wall for most foreign applicants, and which tracks bypass them entirely.
Read guideWorkHow to Read Your Korean Payslip (급여명세서) (2026)
A plain-language guide to Korean payslip lines: 지급, 공제, 4대보험, income tax, meal allowance, net pay, and the official 2026 rates foreign workers should check.
Read guideWorkYour First 90 Days at a Korean Company: Contracts, Probation, and What to Watch For (2026)
You signed Friday. You start Monday. Here is what Korean law says about your contract, probation rights, 4대보험 enrollment, first paycheck, and what to do if something goes wrong, before Day 90.
Read guideWorkKorea's Employment Permit System (EPS): How It Works, Who It Admits, and What Happens After (2026)
Korea's Employment Permit System (고용허가제) recruits workers from 17 countries into manufacturing, agriculture, fisheries, construction, and services. This guide covers the full application pipeline, the EPS-TOPIK exam, your rights after arrival, the Sincere Worker re-entry program, and the only legal path to staying longer.
Read guideAI training contract work
Honest reviews of the major USD-paying AI training platforms foreign residents in Korea use.
WorkIs DataAnnotation Legit? An Honest Review for Foreign Residents in Korea (2026)
DataAnnotation has a strong third-party review reputation alongside one of the most active 'is it a scam' Reddit threads in the AI training space. This guide explains why both are true, what the work actually pays, and how Korean visa and tax rules apply to USD remote contract income.
Read guideWorkIs Outlier AI Legit? An Honest Review for Foreign Residents in Korea (2026)
An honest review of Outlier AI, the Scale-AI-operated contributor marketplace, for people in Korea: what the work pays across language, coding, and STEM tracks, why its reputation is so divided, the rate gap with Alignerr for language work, and how Korean visa and tax rules apply when your earnings arrive in USD.
Read guideWorkIs Alignerr Legit? An Honest Review for Foreign Residents in Korea (2026)
Alignerr has 4.6/5 on Trustpilot and 2.2/5 on Glassdoor. Both are real. Here is what the divergence means, what the work actually is, who pays well, and how Korean visa and tax rules apply to USD remote contract income.
Read guideWorkMercor Review: AI-Interview Talent Network for Foreign Residents in Korea (2026)
Mercor is a venture-backed AI training platform with strong contributor reviews. This guide covers what the AI video interview actually asks, the pay ranges across coding, research, finance, and medical tracks, and how Korean visa and tax rules apply to USD remote contract income.
Read guideMore guides in this pillar
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VisasThe F-3 Dependent Visa: Bringing Your Family to Korea (2026)
How to bring your spouse and children to Korea on an F-3 accompanying dependent visa. Eligibility, the 2025 rule changes, income thresholds, work rights, and step-by-step application.
Read guideVisasKorea's Startup, Investor, and Trade Visas: D-8, D-9, and the OASIS Track (2026)
Which Korea business visa fits your situation: the D-8 corporate investment visa, the D-9 trade management visa, or the D-8-4 technology startup track via OASIS? Capital thresholds, sub-types, conversion paths, and the step-by-step OASIS route to permanent residency.
Read guideWorkTeaching English in Korea: EPIK, Hagwon, and University Jobs (2026)
How to teach English in Korea on an E-2 visa. Honest comparison of EPIK public schools, hagwons, and universities: eligibility, salaries, benefits, contracts, and what to watch out for.
Read guideVisasKorea's Working Holiday Visa (H-1): Who Qualifies, What You Can Do, and What Comes Next
Everything you need to know about Korea's H-1 working holiday visa (관광취업): which countries qualify, age limits, the WEST program for US citizens, work restrictions, the Canada 2024 upgrade, and what happens when your visa expires.
Read guideBrowse another pillar
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ARC, bank account, SIM card, transportation, delivery apps, community. The first weeks and the everyday rhythm of life in Korea.
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Resident-framed travel, food, festivals, seasons, and neighborhoods. Where to go, what to eat, and what to plan around when Korea is home base.
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Year-end tax, severance, pension refunds, credit, child benefits, remittance. The financial side of living in Korea.
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