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The sample of the korean visa

① Visa number: serial №, appropriated upon issue.
② Residence status: type of the status of residence permit for foreigner, regulating activity categories to be engaged in.
③ Duration of stay: term to reside in the territory of Korea, date from the moment of entrance to the country.
④ Visa type: mark about single value or recurrence of visa (S: single, M: multiple).
⑤ Issue date: date of grant.
⑥ Expiry date: term, during which is necessary to arrive in country. Visa with the expired period of validity is considered void.
⑦ Issued at: information on a place where the visa has been issued.

Types of work visas

The most commonly used employment visas include:

The Short Term Employment Visa (C-4)
The Corporate Resident/ Company Assignment (Intra-company Transfer) (D-7)
The Foreign Investment Visa (D-8)
The Trade Management Visa (D-9)
The Professional Job Visa (E-5)
The Specific Job Visa (E-7)

The above listed visas must be obtained at the Korean Embassy or Consulate with jurisdiction over the applicant's place of legal residence. The work permit application is initially filed by the sponsoring employer in South Korea with the Ministry of Justice and the Entry Inspection Division of Immigration Office. The Ministry of Justice then confers with the representing agency, where appropriate, and determines whether the visa should be authorized.

Upon approval, the Ministry of Justice issues a Certificate of Confirmation of Visa Issuance (CCVI) that must be submitted by the applicant to a Korean Embassy or Consulate abroad.

Temporary employment (C-4)

Sojourn period of not longer than 90 days.Temporary activities relating to entertainment, ad, fashion model, lecture, research, technology coaching.

Specialized professions (E-1~E-7)

Specialized professions, as stipulated by the Immigration Office, are as follows:

Professor (E-1) : Sojourn period of not longer than 2 years
Foreign Language Teaching (E-2) : Sojourn period of not longer than a year
Research (E-3) : Sojourn period of not longer than 2 years
Profession (E-5) : Sojourn period of not longer than 2 years
Arts/Entertainment (E-6) : Sojourn period of not longer than 6 moths
Specially Designated Activities (E-7) : Sojourn period of not longer than 2 years

Training Employment (E-8)

Foreign nationals can apply for an E-8 visa after successfully completing a year of training and proper education. Once the training is complete, the trainee (D-3 holder) may apply to have his/her visa changed to an E-8 visa and become eligible for 2 years of employment in Korea.

Residency (F-2)

The spouse of a person who has obtained the status of sojourn or refugee may work freely in Korea.

Overseas Koreans (F-4)

This status is granted to one who used to have Korean nationality, but now has a foreign nationality, or to one whose parent or grandparent used to have Korean nationality, but who now has a foreign nationality. The holder is allowed to work, except for simple labor or speculation, for up to 2 years in Korea.

Permanent Residency (F-5)

Those with permanent residency status will not be restricted in their scope of employment activity in South Korea.

Non-professional Employment (E-9)

.Holders of this visa should sign an employment contract, undergo employment education prior to commencement of employment, and subscribe to an insurance covering airfare for return home and work-related injury. Holders of this visa may work in Korea for up to 3 years. As for re-employment, holders may be re-employed once (up to 2 years) under the new reemployment system. If the current employer applies for the re-employment of such a person during a relevant period (i.e. 30 days through 90 days before the expiry of the approved period of stay), the person may continue to work without leaving the country.

Working Visitor (H-2)

Foreign nationals looking for employment opportunities in Korea with an H-2 visa must complete an education/training course at institution designated by the Ministry of Labor. After notifying the Immigration Office of their status as an employment seeker, they can then contact the employment support center. H-2 visa holders can only work at places with a special employment possibility certified designation given by the Minister of the Ministry of Labor. Furthermore, upon finding employment, an H-2 holder must notify the Immigration Office of this change within 14 days of commencing said employment.

Study-abroad (D-2)

Holders of this visa are allowed to engage in part-time work that does not go beyond the primary purpose of the visa (study).

Visiting or joining family (F-1)

Holders of this visa may work by obtaining approval for an activity that goes beyond the status of sojourn if working is recognized as necessary to raise a child born between Korean parents or to support Korean parents or family or to earn a living for oneself or family.

Basic requirements to qualify

The employee needs to present the following:

2 passport-style photographs
Copy of passport ID page
Resume/ CV
Copy of academic credentials
Original assignment letter/ contract
Proposed job description

From the transferee's family (if applicable):

2 passport-style photographs
Copy of the marriage certificate of the spouse
Copy of birth certificates of the children
Copy of passport ID pages

From the sponsoring company in South Korea:

Letter of invitation
Copy of company’s Report or Registration certificate under the Foreign Investment Promotion Act
Copy of Corporate Registration (Certificate of Incorporation)
Copy of Certificate of Tax Payment for the previous year
Copy of financial statements for the last fiscal year
Information regarding company’s current foreign employees

Non-Professional (E-9)

A company, that has less than 300 permanent employees (standard: employment insurance) or a small-and-medium company, whose total capital is 600 million KRW or below, are eligible to hire foreign workers.
Selected countries (15 states): Thailand, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Indonesia, Mongol, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Cambodia, China, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, Kirgistan, East Timor.