If you need to remain in Korea while seeking a professional job, the relevant status is generally D-10-1 (Job Seeker). It is intended for job seeking in fields that may lead to an E-1 through E-7 work status, not for unrestricted employment or for finding any type of part-time job.
A practical path is to confirm that your target role fits the professional pathway, prepare a documented job-search plan, apply for a change or extension before your current stay expires, and change to the appropriate work status once hired. A job offer alone does not authorize you to begin work under D-10-1.
Requirements can differ by prior status, education, career history, nationality, filing location, and the reviewing office. Confirm your exact document list, fee, and permitted stay period through the official channel immediately before filing.
Who may qualify for D-10-1?
D-10-1 is most relevant to international graduates and foreign professionals already in Korea who are preparing for employment in an eligible professional field. Typical situations include moving from D-2 after graduation, seeking a new qualifying employer after professional employment, or preparing for permitted professional-field internship activity.
The intended role must be connected to a professional employment pathway, generally E-1 through E-7. It is not designed as a bridge to E-8, E-9, or other non-professional employment routes. The Ministry of Justice’s foreign-resident guide describes D-10 as covering job seeking, start-up preparation, and specified high-tech internship activities; D-10-1 is the job-seeking route.
Points route and possible exemptions
An official consular D-10-1 checklist states that the standard points route generally requires a bachelor’s degree or higher, with a Korean associate degree included in the stated route, at least 20 points in the basic category, and at least 60 points out of 190 overall.
Some applicants may be exempt from the usual points review. For example, the checklist describes a route for people who obtained a Korean associate degree or higher within the preceding three years and meet the listed Korean-language or KIIP requirement. Do not assume an exemption applies based only on a degree, university ranking, or language score: check the current criteria and evidence requirements.
Application conditions and documents
The exact checklist differs for an overseas visa application, a change of status in Korea, and an extension of D-10-1. The following documents are commonly central to an application:
- Application form, passport, and a passport photograph if required
- Alien Registration Card for an in-country application
- Degree certificate and, where relevant, academic records
- Career or employment certificates supporting claimed experience or points
- TOPIK or KIIP evidence when relevant
- Proof of Korean address and financial ability, where required
- A detailed job-seeking plan
For applications submitted abroad, a Korean embassy or consulate may require apostille or legalization for education and career documents. The Korea Visa Portal notes that a diplomatic mission’s local instructions may take priority over the general Visa Navigator list.
Write a credible job-seeking plan
Your plan should connect your background to a realistic target occupation. Include the roles and industries you are targeting, the employers or employer types you will approach, planned application and interview activity, and skills or portfolio work you will complete. When extending D-10-1, also document the job-search activity completed during the previous period.
A plan saying only “I want to find a job in Korea” is weak. A stronger plan identifies, for example, data analyst or software developer roles, relevant employers, portfolio improvements, and how a data-science degree and prior experience support those targets.
Application procedure
- Choose the correct route. Applicants outside Korea generally apply through the Korean embassy or consulate with jurisdiction over their residence. People in Korea generally apply for a change of status or an extension, depending on their current status.
- Check the current filing instructions. Use the applicable official immigration channel and the competent office’s instructions. File before your authorized stay expires.
- Prepare consistent evidence. Names, dates, academic history, work history, points claims, address documents, and your job plan should not conflict with one another.
- Submit and provide originals if requested. Reviewing authorities may request supplementary documents. Keep originals available even when a filing process accepts uploaded scans.
- Change status before beginning qualifying employment. Once hired, obtain the status or permission matching the actual role, often an E-series professional status, before starting work.
Fees and processing time
There is no single reliable D-10-1 fee or processing-time figure for every case. Charges may differ depending on whether you apply overseas, change status in Korea, extend stay, or use an online service. Processing also varies with document verification, translations or apostilles, points assessment, and requests for additional evidence.
Confirm the current fee and expected processing guidance with the official filing channel immediately before applying. Do not rely on an older fee table, social-media post, or another applicant’s timeline.
Stay period and internships: important cautions
A Ministry of Justice announcement describes a reform effective October 29, 2025 that increased the D-10 job-search period from six-month extensions with a two-year total to grants of up to one year and a maximum total of three years. The same announcement describes revised internship rules, including a maximum of one year at one company.
However, older government-facing information still shows the previous six-month and two-year framework. Do not assume that every D-10-1 holder will receive a one-year grant or the full three-year total. Confirm the period available in your individual case with the competent immigration office.
D-10-1 is not an open work permit
Do not begin paid work simply because you hold D-10-1. Korean immigration law limits employment activities to those allowed under the person’s status of stay. An internship may also require confirmation that the position, employer, professional field, duration, and any permission or reporting requirements fit your case.
- Do not start work before the required status change or permission is approved.
- Do not treat every position labeled “internship” as automatically permitted.
- Do not claim points without the required documentary proof.
- Do not reuse an old plan without showing recent job-search activity.
- Do not wait until the final days of stay to resolve missing transcripts, apostilles, or address documents.
D-10-1 compared with other statuses
D-2 student
D-2 is for full-time study at an eligible Korean institution. Study remains the main purpose, and employment is not automatically unrestricted.
D-10-1 job seeker
D-10-1 is for seeking a professional role that may lead to E-1 through E-7. It is not a general work visa.
E-1 through E-7 work statuses
These statuses are for approved employment in a qualifying role. The role and employer must meet the requirements of the relevant category.
D-8 and F-series statuses
D-8 is for qualifying investment or business activity rather than ordinary job seeking. F-series residence statuses have different eligibility bases, and work rights depend on the specific F category.
Frequently asked questions
Can I change from D-2 to D-10-1 after graduation?
Often, this is a common route for international graduates seeking professional employment in Korea. You must still meet the applicable requirements and provide a job-seeking plan and supporting documents.
Can I work full time on D-10-1?
No. D-10-1 is for job seeking, not unrestricted employment. Change to the appropriate work status before beginning the qualifying job.
Do I need TOPIK?
Not every applicant follows the same route, but Korean-language evidence can support a points claim and may be required for certain exemptions. Official D-10-1 guidance specifically recognizes TOPIK and KIIP in relevant circumstances.
Can I extend D-10-1 if I have not found a job?
An extension may be possible if you remain eligible and show a genuine, continuing job search. The available period and total stay must be confirmed for your individual route because public guidance has not always displayed the same duration framework.
What should I check before filing?
- Confirm that your target job fits the E-1 through E-7 professional pathway.
- Check whether you meet the points route or a documented exemption.
- Prepare education, career, language, address, and financial documents in the required format.
- Link your job-seeking plan to realistic roles and employers.
- Recheck the current documents, fees, and stay period before filing.
Official sources
- Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Chicago: D-10-1 Job Seeker Visa
- Ministry of Justice: Customized Stay Guide for Foreign Residents
- Ministry of Justice announcement on D-10 reforms
- Korea Visa Portal: Visa Navigator
- Korean Immigration Control Act, National Law Information Center
- Study in Korea: Residence Eligibility and Stay Duration
Related Korea visa guides
- Which Korea Visa Do I Need in 2026? Choose by Travel, Study, Work, Family, or Investment
- D-8-1 Korea Investor Visa: How Foreign Founders Can Start a Business in Korea
- E-9 Korea Visa Guide: EPS Eligibility, Application Steps, and Workplace Rules
- D-2 vs. D-4 Korean Student Visa: Which One Do You Need?
- How Foreigners Can Work in Korea: Visa Routes, Documents, and Job Preparation
Professional immigration help
If you need help checking your Korean visa eligibility or preparing an immigration application, Darum Administrative Office is a Ministry of Justice-registered immigration application agency.
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Information checked September 27, 2026. Requirements vary by application route and individual circumstances; verify the current checklist with the responsible immigration office before filing.