Mai graduated from a Seoul university in February with a degree in business. Her D-2 student visa was about to end, and she had interviews lined up but no offer yet.
She didn't want to fly home and start over. "Is there a visa just for looking for a job?"
Yes: the D-10 job-seeker visa (구직 비자). It lets graduates and qualified professionals stay in Korea while they search, and once you’re hired in an eligible role you change status to an E-7 work visa without leaving the country.
The path at a glance
The D-10 job-seeker visa
- Who: graduates of Korean universities (usually eligible directly), and foreign professionals who meet a points threshold based on degree, age, Korean ability and work experience.
- How long: granted in blocks of up to 6 months, and can be extended while you keep job hunting, up to a total limit.
- What you can do: search, interview, and take short internships with permission. You can’t take regular paid employment until you change to a work visa.
- Apply: before your D-2 expires, through HiKorea or at your immigration office. Bring your diploma or certificate of expected graduation and a job-search plan.
The E-7 work visa
E-7 is the visa for “designated professional activities,” a list of specific occupations, from engineers and IT developers to marketers, interpreters and researchers. To change to E-7 you generally need:
- A job offer in an occupation on the E-7 list, matching your degree or experience.
- Qualifications: typically a related master’s degree, or a bachelor’s plus relevant experience. Graduates of Korean universities often get relaxed requirements.
- A salary at or above the minimum immigration sets for E-7, which is tied to a share of Korea’s per-capita national income and updated each year.
- Employer documents: business registration, the contract, and proof the company can hire foreign staff.
A business graduate hired as an "overseas sales assistant" at a salary below the E-7 floor, in a role that doesn't match a listed occupation code.
The same graduate hired as an international trade specialist, a listed occupation, with a salary above the floor and a job description that matches the degree.
Before accepting an offer, ask HR which E-7 occupation code they'll apply under and confirm the salary clears the current E-7 minimum. Then put the offer into the salary calculator to see your real monthly pay.
Timing tips
- Apply for D-10 while you’re still on D-2, ideally a month or two before it ends.
- Start the E-7 change as soon as you sign. You can usually stay while the application is processed.
- Keep your ARC address up to date, since immigration writes to it.
Rules and thresholds change often, so check the latest HiKorea manual or call 1345 before you apply.
Sources: Immigration Act Enforcement Decree, Table 1-2 (D-10, E-7 status); Ministry of Justice visa guide for foreign professionals.
Try it with your own numbersKorea Salary Take-Home CalculatorEnter your annual salary to see what lands in your bank account each month, with every deduction explained.Written from the laws and official notices in force on the date above. Rules change and every case is different, so check with the office named in the article before an important decision. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.