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日本語With D-10 (Job Seeker) status in the general job seeking category you can look for work and take a short internship that pays a training allowance before formal employment, and nothing more, while the start-up preparation and high-tech intern categories allow only the activities set for each sub-type. D-10 is not one of the work statuses listed in Article 23(1) of the Enforcement Decree of the Immigration Act, so part-time work needs prior permission for activities outside your status, and only D-10-1 (General Job Seeking) holders who meet the requirements can get it. Once a company hires you formally, you must get a change of status to E-7 (Special Occupation) or another work status before you start working.
What can you do on D-10?
Annex Table 1-2 of the Enforcement Decree defines D-10 as the status for people who seek training or jobs in the fields covered by E-1 (Professor) through E-7 (excluding workers at performance venues designated by the Minister of Justice under E-6 (Arts and Entertainment)), and for people preparing to found a company under item (c) of D-8 (Corporate Investment), in each case where the Minister of Justice recognizes them. The Ministry of Justice manual on stay applications by status describes the scope of each sub-type as follows.
| Sub-type | Permitted activities | Internships |
|---|---|---|
| D-10-1 (General Job Seeking), D-10-T (Top-Tier Talent) | You can seek jobs at Korean companies, organizations and similar bodies | A short internship paid with a training allowance before formal employment is within the scope |
| D-10-2 (Technology Start-up Preparation) | You can join start-up immigration programs, prepare patent filings, and prepare to set up a start-up company | Internships are restricted |
| D-10-3 (High-Tech Intern) | You can work as an intern in a high-tech field under an internship contract with a company or institution that meets the Minister of Justice’s requirements | The high-tech internship under that contract is the core activity |
How do you judge whether you can work in each case?
| Case | Allowed? | Conditions | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Job seeking such as interviews and recruiting events | Yes | You can do this within the D-10 scope without separate permission | Decree Annex Table 1-2, item 13 Job Seeker (D-10) |
| Internship in an E-1 to E-7 field on D-10-1 | Yes, with conditions | You must report the start of the internship within 15 days, and one company may host you for up to 1 year at a time | Act Art. 35, Rule Art. 49-2(3), manual |
| Part-time work on D-10-1 | Yes, with conditions | Only D-10-1 holders who meet the requirements may work after receiving permission for activities outside their status | Act Art. 20, manual section on activities outside status |
| Part-time work on D-10-2 or D-10-3 | Not eligible under the manual | They are excluded from the special part-time work permission | Manual section on activities outside status |
| Starting a formal job after being hired | Not before the change is approved | You must first get a change of status to E-7 or the status that matches the job | Act Art. 24(1) |
Who can get permission for part-time work?
Under the manual, the special part-time work permission is open to D-10-1 holders who meet all of the following. D-10-2 and D-10-3 are excluded.
- You earned an associate degree or higher from a Korean university that is eligible for D-2 (Student) visas, and fewer than 3 years have passed since the degree date (graduation date)
- You completed level 4 or higher of the Korea Immigration and Integration Program (KIIP), or hold TOPIK level 4 or higher
- You have never stayed in Korea with any status from E-1 to E-7
The permitted fields are those open to part-time work by international students. The manual limits part-time work in manufacturing to people who completed KIIP level 4 or higher and excludes TOPIK holders, so a TOPIK score cannot meet the requirement for manufacturing. It states that agriculture has no language requirement. Under the permission you may work up to 25 hours on weekdays, with no limit on weekends and public holidays, and up to 30 hours on weekdays if you completed KIIP level 5 or higher. Even if you meet the requirements, you cannot get permission if your application is restricted because you violated the Immigration Act or related guidelines.
Under Article 20 of the Immigration Act you must get this permission in advance. The manual handles D-10 part-time work as permission for activities outside status, and the fee is KRW 120,000. The documents listed in the manual are:
- Application form (common documents: application form, photo, passport copy, fee, copy of ID)
- Degree certificate
- Employment contract and the workplace’s business registration certificate
- Proof of Korean ability (such as a TOPIK score report)
- Job Seeker (D-10) part-time work confirmation form
What must you report when an internship starts?
If a registered D-10-1 holder starts an internship in an E-1 to E-7 field during the job search, or changes the host organization, Article 35 of the Act and Article 49-2(3) of the Enforcement Rule require a report to the immigration office for the place of stay within 15 days of the event. The manual says internships are not allowed, or reports are rejected, in these cases.
- D-10-2 holders, and people who changed to D-10-1 after working on E-1 to E-7, cannot do internships.
- A report is rejected if your internships at the same company add up to 1 year or more during your job seeker status.
- A company is barred from new interns if, in the last year, the number of foreign interns it used without hiring them is 10% or more of its regular workers (20% for companies with fewer than 10 workers). This does not apply if the company hired someone through an internship.
The report documents are the application for change of alien registration details, the training (internship) contract, the host’s registration documents such as a business registration certificate copy, and the host’s employment insurance enrollment list.
How long can you stay on D-10?
Under the manual, the maximum period granted at one time is 1 year, and up to 6 months at a time for people such as those scoring 60 to under 80 points on the points system or those with E-1 to E-7 work experience. The overall cap is up to 3 years, and 1 year for people scoring 60 to under 80 points and those with E-1 to E-7 work experience. If you graduate from a Korean university on D-2 and change to D-10-1 for the first time, the points system does not apply and you receive 1 year, and the manual says the points system applies when that person extends. Whether you fall under another exemption must be checked again when you apply for the extension.
What are the E-7 change steps once you are hired?
Article 24(1) of the Immigration Act requires prior permission for a change of status before you engage in activities that belong to a different status. The manual says a registered foreign national lawfully staying on D-10 who wants to change to E-7 must work in a field covered by E-7 or a similar status and meet its requirements, and must sign an employment contract with the head of the hiring organization. The manual says holders of a Korean associate or bachelor’s degree may also take jobs that require a bachelor’s degree plus 1 year of experience, and do not need to submit an employment recommendation (except for occupations where a recommendation is mandatory). Wage requirements and occupation-specific requirements must be checked separately for each occupation in the E-7 guidelines.
Steps
- Check your sub-type: Use your residence card and permit history to confirm whether you hold D-10-1, D-10-2, D-10-3 or D-10-T, and when your stay expires.
- Report the internship start: A D-10-1 holder who starts an internship in an E-1 to E-7 field submits the application for change of alien registration details and the internship contract to the immigration office for the place of stay within 15 days of the start date.
- Apply for part-time work permission: An eligible D-10-1 holder applies for permission for activities outside status before starting work, and after approval works within 25 weekday hours (30 hours with KIIP level 5 or higher).
- Sign the employment contract: Once hired, confirm that the job falls within E-7 or the matching status, and sign the contract with the head of the organization.
- Apply for the change of status: Before starting work, submit the application form (Annex Form No. 34), passport and residence card, photo, fee, employment contract, the company’s establishment documents, career certificate and tax payment certificates, and receive the change permit.
This article was checked as of November 5, 2026 against the Immigration Act, its Enforcement Decree and Enforcement Rule on the National Law Information Center, and the original Ministry of Justice manual on stay applications by status (November 2, 2026) posted on HiKorea. The manual is revised when guidelines change, so check the latest version right before you apply.
Frequently asked questions
Can I keep using the part-time work permit I had on D-2 (Student)?
Not as it is. The manual grants D-10 part-time work separately to people who meet the D-10-1 special requirements, so after changing to D-10 you need to meet those requirements and get a new permission.
If I receive a training allowance as an intern, do I also need part-time work permission?
If the internship is in an E-1 to E-7 field and you are not in a restricted group, it goes ahead through the internship start report. The manual includes short internships paid with a training allowance before formal employment in the D-10-1 scope and requires a report within 15 days of the start.
If the company where I interned hires me, is a report enough?
No, you need a change of status. Formal employment is outside the D-10 scope, so under Article 24(1) of the Immigration Act you must get a change to E-7 or another status before you start working.
Does a D-10-3 (High-Tech Intern) internship of over 1 year help with an E-7 change?
If you meet the conditions, the education and experience requirements are waived. The manual says that if, within the last 3 years, you interned on D-10-3 at a Korean company or similar for 1 year or more, take a formal job in that field, and earn at least the previous year’s gross national income (GNI) per capita, the education and experience requirements for an E-7 change are waived.
How New World Job checks
When New World Job (Hwang Yunsang Job Placement Agency) receives a job seeker on D-10, it checks the sub-type and the expiry date, and confirms that the job is in a field that allows a change to E-7 or a similar status before making an introduction. After the introduction it also advises that work must not start before the change of status is approved.
If you need to apply for permission for activities outside status or for an E-7 change, Hwang Yunsang Administrative Agent Office can file the application for you under a separate contract. Whether you use that service has no effect on the introduction.