Visas & work
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 (κ³ μ©νκ°μ ) 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.
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All visas & work guides
29 guides in this pillar.
WorkBest 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 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 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 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 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 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-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 guideWorkE-7 Occupation Codes: Which Job Titles Qualify for Sponsorship and How to Find Yours (2026)
Korea's E-7 visa covers 94 official occupation codes across four sub-categories. This guide maps every code, explains the 2026 salary thresholds, and tells you exactly how to figure out which code matches your role.
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 guideWorkE-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 guideWorkKorea's Employment Permit System (EPS): How It Works, Who It Admits, and What Happens After (2026)
Korea's Employment Permit System (κ³ μ©νκ°μ ) 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 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 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 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 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-5 Permanent Residence in Korea: The 2026 Guide to μμ£ΌκΆ
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 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 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 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, 4λ보ν enrollment, first paycheck, and what to do if something goes wrong, before Day 90.
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 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 guideWorkKorea Salary Guide for Foreign Workers: Is This Offer Fair? (2026)
Is this offer fair? Use this guide to check the 2026 visa salary floors, benchmark your role by sector and company tier, and calculate your real take-home pay before you sign.
Read guideWorkKorean Corporate Aptitude Tests (μΈμ μ±κ²μ¬): 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 Write a Korean Self-Introduction Letter (μκΈ°μκ°μ) as a Foreign Applicant (2026)
The μκΈ°μκ°μ 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 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 Read Your Korean Payslip (κΈμ¬λͺ μΈμ) (2026)
You got paid. Your bank shows one number. Your payslip shows a larger one. This guide explains every line on a Korean payslip, with 2026 deduction rates and a full worked example.
Read guideWorkHow to Write a Korean μ΄λ ₯μ (Resume) Employers Actually Want (2026)
Korean employers expect two documents, not one, and a format nothing like a Western CV. This guide covers the μ΄λ ₯μ, μκΈ°μκ°μ, photo rules, visa disclosure, and what to do differently as a foreign job seeker.
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 guideVisasTOPIK for F-2 and F-5 Visa Points: The Korean Point System Explained
How your TOPIK score becomes visa points for the F-2-7 residence visa and F-5 permanent residence, plus when KIIP is a better path.
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