Foreign nationals staying in South Korea on a student visa must receive authorization from the Justice Ministry to engage in employment. This must be done before starting work, or it could be considered illegal employment, resulting in significant penalties for both the employer and the student.
It should be noted that students may change workplaces, but they must report the change in advance.
To obtain authorization, students must prepare identification and visa documents, proof of enrollment, academic or attendance records, a labor contract and documents proving Korean proficiency. Universities must also sign off on work permission requests.
Applications are submitted through the Hi Korea portal and processed by regional immigration offices. For more information, visit Hi Korea and navigate to "Petition Application" > "e-Application" > "Permission for Part Time Work of International Students."
Standard processing takes about ten days, although cases that require review can take longer.
Additional guidance is provided through the government’s Easy Law information site and through university international offices. Students may also contact the 1345 hotline, which offers multilingual counseling on immigration and visa matters.
