Sojourning of Foreign Nationals

• Depending on the length of stay, the sojourning of foreign nationals in Korea is divided into short-term stay, long-term stay, and permanent residence.
  • Short-term stay: Maximum 90 days of stay
  • Long-term stay: Minimum 91 days of stay
  • Permanent residence: No restrictions on the period of stay.
• All foreign nationals staying in Korea long-term, or permanent residents must register as an alien resident or report their domestic residence within 90 days of their date of entry into Korea.

Scope of Activities and Local Employment for Foreign Nationals

• A foreign national is permitted to stay in Korea within the scope of his/her status of stay and period of stay, and he/she is prohibited from engaging in political activities except as stipulated by law.
• If a foreign national intends to seek employment during his/her stay in Korea, he/she must acquire a status of stay that permits work, and must work only at his/her designated place of work.
• If a foreign national wishes to change his/her designated place of work, he/she must obtain permission or report to the competent immigration office in advance or within a certain period of time.
• The statuses of stay that permits a foreign national to work are as follows:

  Short-term Employee (C-4), Professor (E-1), Foreign Language Instructor (E-2), Researcher (E-3), Technical Instructor/Technician (E-4), Professional (E-5), Arts/Athlete (E-6), Foreign National of Special Ability (E-7), Non-professional (E-9), Maritime Crew (E-10), Resident (F-2), Overseas Korean (F-4), Permanent Resident (F-5), Marriage Migrant (F-6), Working Holiday (H-1), Work and Visit (H-2)

• A foreign national who do not have the status of stay that permits employment must not be hired, arranged for employment, or solicited for employment.
• Illegally hiring a foreign national, soliciting a foreign national for employment, or offering employment to a foreign national is a violation of the Immigration Act.
• When hiring a foreign national, the employer must check whether the foreign national possesses an alien registration card, and has the status of stay that permits him/her to work.
• Even if a foreign national has an alien registration card, his/her employment may be restricted. As such, please contact the competent immigration office prior to hiring a foreign national.

Overview of the Foreign Worker Counseling Centers

(As of September 2024)