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D-10 job-seeker visa in Korea: eligibility, how long you can stay, documents and where the points fit
Numbers checked against the official source on 2026-10-19
The D-10 job-seeker status (D-10-1) is for people who want to find work in a field that fits the professional work visas E-1 to E-7, including short internships paid a training allowance before formal hiring. For a student in Korea, the government's Study in Korea site, quoting HiKorea, says it is granted 6 months at a time and can be extended up to 2 years in total. Proof of living costs is KRW 900,000 a month for 6 months (about KRW 5.4 million), waived when a D-2 student changes to D-10 for the first time. This page has no D-10 points table; confirm the points rules with immigration (1345).
Sources: Korea Visa Portal (Ministry of Justice) description of D-10-1, captured in the browser; Study in Korea (National Institute for International Education, Ministry of Education) pages "Residence Eligibility and Stay Duration" and "Employment System for Foreigners", the first marked as quoting HiKorea; neither prints a date. Read on 2026-10-19. The legal stay cap is in Annex 1 of the Immigration Act Enforcement Rule and is not shown here; confirm it with immigration (1345). Confirm with immigration (1345).
What D-10-1 is for
The Korea Visa Portal describes D-10-1 (job-seeking) as for a person who wants to train or look for work in fields covered by E-1 (professor), E-2 (conversation instructor), E-3 (research), E-4 (technical instruction), E-5 (professional), E-6 (arts and entertainment) and E-7 (specially designated activities). It says this covers job-hunting at domestic companies and organisations and also a short internship, paid a training allowance, before formal employment. E-6-2 (entertainment venues) is excluded: only pure arts and sports are allowed. The Study in Korea page adds that simple labour or manual-work internships are not allowed, and that once a job is confirmed you must change to the status that fits that job.
Who can change to D-10 (students)
The Study in Korea employment page lists who may apply to change to the job-seeker status:
- International students who got (or are about to get) an associate degree at a Korean junior college;
- International students who got (or are about to get) a bachelor's degree or higher at a Korean university, or finished a course at an academic research institute;
- People who hold (or are about to hold) a bachelor's degree or higher from Korea or abroad and want to prepare a start-up based on intellectual property or comparable technology.
Restricted group: a person who, within the last year, resigned on their own during an employment contract (no fault of the employer) and then received permission to change to D-10. The page says the reason is to protect blameless employers and prevent abuse of the system.
It also says a person with D-10 or D-2 status who is lawfully staying can apply to change to E-1 to E-7 once a job is confirmed, if the work fits that status and the employer contract is signed.
Length of stay
- Per grant and total: "6 months at a time, up to 2 years", per the Study in Korea page citing HiKorea.
- Internships: within those 2 years, internship work is allowed within 1 year in total, and within 6 months per company.
- Where to apply: the employment page says to apply to the immigration office covering your residence as soon as your status changes (or is about to change).
Documents checklist
The page lists the following for a change to D-10. For a job-seeker changing from D-2 it separately lists an application form (Form No. 34), passport and alien registration card, fee, an education or transcript certificate (not needed if immigration can see it in its system), a job-search plan, and a copy of a national technical qualification (if applicable). Tick what you have; the list is a memory aid only, and immigration decides what it needs.
About the points
You may see "points" mentioned for Korean visas. The only points table on the Study in Korea employment page belongs to a different route: the points-based residence status F-2-7 for people with a master's degree or higher from a Korean university who already have a confirmed job. That table totals 120 points with a pass mark of 80. This page does not offer a score calculator; confirm the D-10 points rules with immigration (1345). If a points system applies to D-10 for you, ask immigration (1345).
Where the pages differ
| Item | Visa Portal (Ministry of Justice) | Study in Korea (quoting HiKorea) | What we show |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who is covered | Anyone job-seeking or interning toward E-1 to E-7 work | Describes students changing from D-2; also lists start-up preparers | Both shown; the second is narrower because it is a student-focused page. |
| Length of stay | Not stated on the official page | 6 months at a time, up to 2 years | The Study in Korea figure, labelled with its source. The statutory cap is in an annex of the Enforcement Rule. |
| Points | No points table | A 120-point table, but for F-2-7 | No D-10 calculator. |
Related: student part-time work (D-2, D-4), alien registration and immigration fees. This page summarises public texts and is not legal advice.
Checked 2026-10-19.
Official sources
- Korea Visa Portal (Ministry of Justice) — visas by purpose of entry, D-10-1 (job-seeking) — D-10-1 scope: E-1 to E-7 fields, short internships; E-6-2 excluded (detail panel loaded by the page; browser-captured, no date printed) (checked 2026-10-19)
- Study in Korea (NIIED) — Residence Eligibility and Stay Duration: job-seeker visa — 6 months at a time up to 2 years; internship limits; document list; stay-cost proof; says source is Hi Korea; no date printed (checked 2026-10-19)
- Study in Korea (NIIED) — Employment System for Foreigners — who may change to D-10, restricted group, documents, F-2-7 points total 120 and pass mark 80; no date printed (checked 2026-10-19)
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