Tourism Employment (H-1) Visa — Eligibility, Work and Study Restrictions, Period of Stay, and Alien Registration

Who it is for

• You must be a national of a country that has concluded a tourism-employment agreement or memorandum of understanding with Korea. Refugees, stateless persons, and permanent residents recognized by a participating country are not nationals of that country and are therefore not eligible to apply.
• As a general rule, you must be at least 18 and no older than 30 at the time of application. Applicants from Taiwan, Portugal, Ireland, and Argentina may apply up to age 34; those from the United Kingdom and Canada may apply up to age 35. No age limit applies to applicants from the United States.
• You must hold a valid passport issued by a participating country. As a general rule, your passport must have at least six months of validity remaining when you apply. Under the agreement, Chile applies a minimum remaining validity of three months.
• You must not have a serious criminal record. Issuance may be denied if your criminal record certificate confirms a finalized fine of KRW 3 million or more.
• You must be in good health and must have medical insurance or similar coverage of at least KRW 40 million while staying in Korea. Whether insurance must be submitted and the required coverage amount may vary on the basis of reciprocity.
• You must provide proof of a round-trip ticket and initial living expenses. If you do not have a round-trip ticket, you may provide documents showing that you have deposited an equivalent amount. You must demonstrate living expenses of at least KRW 3 million for a three-month period.
• You must not be accompanied by dependents or other family members, and as a general rule, you must not have previously participated in a tourism-employment program. However, applicants with prior participation may still be granted a visa under reciprocity rules in some cases, including for Ireland, Sweden, and the United States.

What you can do

• Tourism must be the primary purpose. Devoting yourself exclusively to work from immediately after entry, or focusing exclusively on work and study, reporting, political activities, or similar activities, is inconsistent with the purpose of the agreement.
• You may work for a short period to help cover your travel expenses. You may work regardless of the type of employment, including fixed-term or part-time work.
• As a general rule, you may work up to 25 hours per week. The limit is up to 40 hours per week for Canada. Follow the country-specific limits in the manual for the work period and total working hours.
• You may not work in occupations at establishments providing adult entertainment, professions requiring specific qualifications, E-7 Specific Activities occupations, industries involving gambling or activities related to public morals, and certain other fields. Private tutoring is also restricted.
• You may study, including by attending an academy or taking language courses, within the period permitted for your country. Regular academic courses corresponding to D-2 status, and studies combined with work assisting in foreign-language education, are not permitted.
• You may work without separate permission to change or add a workplace. However, occupations requiring qualifications or licenses and E-7 occupations are restricted. A separate change-of-status permit may be required to change to a professional or other status.

Period of stay

The maximum period of stay granted at one time is the period of stay permitted under the agreement. The country-specific limits listed in the manual are one year for Hong Kong and Japan, 1 year and 6 months for the United States, two years for Canada and the United Kingdom, and one year for all other countries. You may extend your stay for up to one year from the date of entry; extensions are possible for up to 1 year and 6 months for the United States and up to two years for the United Kingdom and Canada.

Applications & documents

Frequently asked questions

Watch out for

• If you do not have a round-trip ticket, you may submit documents showing that you have deposited an equivalent amount. You must demonstrate living expenses of at least KRW 3 million for a three-month period.
• Check the restricted occupations and the work-hour and work-period limits for your country. Except for Canada, the general maximum is 25 working hours per week.
• You must register as an alien if you intend to stay for more than 90 days.
• You must enter Korea while your passport and visa are valid. The manual advises renewing or reissuing your passport before it expires.

Source

Compiled by AI from the Ministry of Justice "Visa Issuance Guide Manual" and "Residence Guide Manual" (HiKorea notice, in Korean). hikorea.go.kr