Visit Employment (H-2) visa holders don't need permission to change employers and face no limits on how many times they can switch jobs (Ministry of Government Legislation's Easy-to-Understand Living Law Information, as of 2026). That's why you'll hear people say "H-2 lets you change jobs freely." It's only half true — what's free is permission and frequency, but reporting, allowed industries, and permanent residency requirements all remain in place.
Let's start with who this guide is for. As of February 12, 2026, overseas Korean status categories were unified under the Overseas Korean (F-4) visa, and H-2 visa issuance has been suspended. You also can't switch to H-2 from other status categories anymore (Ministry of Justice press release 2026-02-11 · Ministry of Justice Easy-to-Understand Overseas Korean Business Manual, February 2026, p. 7). This guide is for those who received H-2 before that date and are currently in Korea.
Important: This guide summarizes publicly available laws and government guidance and is not legal advice. Outcomes vary depending on company size, industry, and residence history, so please confirm your specific situation through the official channels below.
What happens to my H-2 now?
If you already hold H-2, you can stay until your authorized period of stay expires. Your period of stay is granted for up to three years when you first register as a foreigner (three years if you submit Korean language proficiency documents, one year otherwise), and if you obtain an "Employment Period Extension Certificate for Workers Whose Employment Period Has Expired" from the Ministry of Employment and Labor, it can be extended up to 4 years and 10 months from your entry date or status change permission date (Manual, p. 7).
Even if you have time left on your current status, you can apply to switch to F-4 through HiKorea's online service, and the status change fee is waived through December 31, 2027 (you still pay the residence card issuance fee). But there's no rush. F-4 comes with its own set of employment-restricted occupations (37 categories as of Ministry of Justice Notice No. 2026-65, effective February 12, 2026), so you need to check whether your current job falls under those restrictions before you make the switch — otherwise, you might end up doing things in the wrong order. The list is available at F-4 Overseas Korean Employment Restrictions.
No permission required, but reporting still is
This whole guide comes down to distinguishing what's gone and what remains. H-2 is exempt from Article 21 workplace change permission under the Immigration Act and from the reason-and-frequency limits in Article 25 of the Foreign Workers Employment Act. But Article 35 of the Immigration Act's alien registration change reporting requirement remains in effect (Enforcement Decree Article 44, Enforcement Rules Article 49-2(4)·(5), as of 2026).
| Status | Job change reason | Permission | Frequency | What you must do |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E-9 (Non-professional Employment) | Legal grounds required | Apply to employment center + workplace change permission | Max 3 times in principle | 1-month application / 3-month re-employment deadlines |
| H-2 (Visit Employment) | No restrictions | None | No limit | Employment commencement / workplace change report |
First, check which row you're in by looking at the status category on your Alien Registration Card. The '1 month / 3 months / 3 times' details in the adjacent column are E-9 rules and don't apply to H-2 (E-9 Workplace Change Procedures · Work Permission by Status Category).
The reporting clock runs twice
You report twice: when you first start working (employment commencement report), and when you change employers (workplace change report). Start with the starting point — for initial employment, it's 'the day employment commenced'; for job changes, it's 'the day you changed workplaces.' Not the day you left your previous job.
| Where it's written | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Ministry of Justice Manual (February 2026) · Ministry of Government Legislation Living Law Information | Within 15 days |
| Report form instructions · Government24 · Human Resources Development Service of Korea EPS guidance | Within 14 days |
Important: We couldn't definitively confirm which is the current regulation by checking the original statute text. Process it within the shorter 14-day period, and confirm the exact deadline with ☎1345 or your local immigration office. Even if the deadline has already passed, not reporting at all is worse than late reporting — late reporting and non-reporting may be treated differently, so explain your current situation honestly and get guidance.
Where and how do you report?
There are four methods (based on Manual p. 6) — ① Visit with advance reservation ② Select 'Employment commencement or workplace change report for H-2' under civil petitions at HiKorea (hikorea.go.kr) ③ Complete the report form and fax it to 1577-1346 (no area code needed) ④ Report through an agency registered with the office, branch, or sub-office. There's no fee (according to Government24 guidance).
The most important line is separate. The Ministry of Justice Manual states it permits online reporting by friends or acquaintances to reduce office congestion. If reading Korean forms is difficult for you, this sentence is the key that unlocks the entire process.
The form is Enforcement Rules of the Immigration Act Annex Form No. 72, 'Report of Employment Commencement, etc. for Visit Employment Compatriots.' Check either 'initial employment' or 'change of workplace' in the reason for report section, and fill in the business registration number, business name, phone number, industry, position, and job duties for both the previous workplace and current workplace (for initial employment, only the current workplace). For domestic service industries without a business registration number, write '888-88-88888' as the form instructs.
The obstacle is the attached documents. All three are documents your company holds.
- Copy of Special Employment Eligibility Confirmation — A document your company obtained from the employment center.
- Copy of Standard Employment Contract — Make sure you get the worker's copy when you sign the contract.
- Copy of Business Registration Certificate — The form is structured so you can skip submission if you consent to joint use of administrative information.
Request these three items during your first week at the new job. The deadline keeps running even while your request is delayed.
📌 Important: Your employer also reports. The employer must report the commencement of work to the competent employment center within 14 days of the start date (Foreign Workers Employment Act Article 12(4) · Enforcement Rules Article 12-3, according to Ministry of Government Legislation guidance), and failure to do so can result in an administrative fine of up to 5 million KRW (same Act Article 32(1)(4)). Since October 13, 2014, the two reporting systems have been integrated, with the Ministry of Justice recognizing submissions transmitted by the Ministry of Employment and Labor, but the person who faces the administrative fine is you, the person with the reporting obligation. Confirm that your company actually submitted it, and if you can't confirm, report it yourself.
The companies you can move to are predetermined
This guide doesn't provide a list of which industries are allowed or prohibited. The determination criteria is based on Korean Standard Industrial Classification codes, not industry names, so if you look at a list and judge for yourself, it's easy to read it backwards.
Just understand the structure. The employment activity scope for H-2 is based on Article 23(1) of the Immigration Act Enforcement Decree and Attached Table 1-2, No. 29(b), and the designation method is reversed for each sector (Manual Appendix 3). Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining, manufacturing, and construction list the allowed industries, while service industries alone list the prohibited industries in reverse. If you believe the common summary that 'F-4 has a prohibition list, H-2 has an allowance list,' you'll read the direction completely backward when moving to the service industry.
Some sectors have conditions attached. Manufacturing is open across all industries, but limited to businesses with fewer than 300 regular workers or capital of 8 billion KRW or less (or root industry mid-sized companies whose headquarters, main office, or principal place of business is outside the Seoul metropolitan area). This means moving to a larger, more stable company might actually be what disqualifies you. Construction is also open across all industries, but businesses in power plant, steel mill, or petrochemical construction sites engaged in industrial or environmental facility construction are excluded.
Here's the confirmation sequence. Get the business type and items from the business registration certificate, not the job posting or company name, check codes below the subdivision level on the Statistics Classification Portal (kssc.kostat.go.kr), then get a final determination by taking the business registration certificate to ☎1345 or your local immigration office. The Manual also notes that even if an industry belongs to an excluded category at the mid-class or small-class level, there are cases where it's permitted as an exception.
If you skip reporting — administrative fines, plus one separate report
Failing to report, reporting falsely, or reporting after the deadline can result in an administrative fine of up to 1 million KRW (Immigration Act Article 100(2)(1), as of 2026). The form instructions also note that you may face disadvantages when extending your period of stay in the future. However, missing one report won't result in immediate deportation, so it's better to tell ☎1345 your current situation honestly rather than keep putting it off.
If you also moved residence, there's one more report. You must report your change of residence within 15 days of moving in, and violations are subject to a criminal fine of up to 1 million KRW (Immigration Act Article 98(2), as of 2026). Workplace change reports carry an administrative fine; residence change reports carry a criminal fine — they're different in nature. It's easy to think you've done everything with one visit to the immigration office because it's the same counter, but they're two separate things. Online application methods are available at HiKorea E-Application Guide.
The 4 years a job change can erase
There's something heavier than the administrative fine. Two future pathways depend on your reporting history and continuous employment.
First, if you want to continue working at the same workplace in an F-4-restricted field after switching to F-4, you need to obtain permission for activities outside your status category, and Manual p. 12 limits eligibility to 'compatriots who have a record of filing an employment commencement report while staying on Visit Employment (H-2).' Without a reporting record, this door won't open. If your current report is missing, ask ☎1345 and your local office about your current situation.
Second, one of the requirements for Overseas Korean Permanent Residence (F-5-14) is 'continuous employment for 4 years or more at the same workplace without changing workplaces' (Manual pp. 19–20). This applies to manufacturing, agriculture/livestock, fishing, caregiving, and domestic work, and comes with a second requirement: you must have obtained a technical or skill qualification, or have an annual income at the time of application equal to at least 70% of the Bank of Korea's per capita Gross National Income (GNI) for the previous year (only your own income counts). It's not 'work at one company for 4 years and get permanent residency.'
📌 Important: That doesn't mean you should stay at a bad company. The same Manual states that if you change workplaces to the same industry within 3 months due to unavoidable circumstances such as wage arrears or business suspension/closure, it will be recognized as continuous employment. However, all three conditions — 3 months, same industry, unavoidable circumstances — must be met, so don't broaden this to mean 'it's okay to move.' Work-related injury or illness leave periods are also recognized within a 1-year range. Confirm whether your case qualifies by calling ☎1345.
Don't make judgments alone — where to ask
There are at least five points where you shouldn't make the determination yourself: ① Whether the industry of the company you want to move to is permitted ② If it's manufacturing, whether it falls under the size conditions ③ Whether switching to F-4 now is advantageous ④ Whether your current workplace is a restricted occupation after switching to F-4 ⑤ Whether your 4-year count for permanent residency is maintained. All of these vary by individual.
| Where | Number/Address | What for |
|---|---|---|
| Ministry of Justice Alien Contact Center | ☎1345 (multilingual) | Stay, reporting deadlines, industry determination |
| Ministry of Employment and Labor Customer Service Center | ☎1350 | Job placement, special employment eligibility confirmation, wages |
| Human Resources Development Service of Korea | ☎1577-0071 | Compatriot employment education application and consultation |
| HiKorea | hikorea.go.kr | Online report submission, visit reservation |
| Local immigration office (branch, sub-office) | Visit | Final confirmation with documents |
| Ministry of Justice-designated compatriot residence support centers | 23 locations nationwide | Consultation for compatriots |
For issues not covered in this guide, like wage arrears or unfair dismissal, contact points are organized at Where to Get Help with Foreign Worker Labor Issues.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1. Do I need immigration office permission to change employers? H-2 doesn't require workplace change permission and has no frequency limits (Ministry of Government Legislation Living Law Information, as of 2026). However, Article 35 of the Immigration Act's alien registration change reporting requirement remains, so you must file a workplace change report. 'No permission required' and 'you don't have to do anything' are different statements.
Q2. Is the reporting deadline 14 days or 15 days? Government documents conflict with each other. The Ministry of Justice Manual (February 2026) and the Ministry of Government Legislation say within 15 days; the report form instructions, Government24, and Human Resources Development Service of Korea EPS guidance say within 14 days. We couldn't confirm it from the original statute text, so process it within the shorter 14-day period and confirm the exact deadline with ☎1345 or your local immigration office. The starting point is the day you changed workplaces, not your resignation date.
Q3. My company says they reported — do I still need to? Since October 13, 2014, the Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Employment and Labor reporting systems have been integrated, with the Ministry of Justice recognizing employment commencement reports transmitted by the Ministry of Employment and Labor (Manual p. 6). However, the person with the reporting obligation is the worker, so the administrative fine also comes to you (Immigration Act Article 100(2)(1), up to 1 million KRW). Confirm that your company actually submitted it, and if you can't confirm, file the report yourself.
Q4. How do I check whether the company I want to move to is in a permitted industry? You can't tell from the company name or job posting. The determination unit is the Korean Standard Industrial Classification code, so you need to obtain the business type and items from the business registration certificate, and for levels below the subdivision, check the Statistics Classification Portal (kssc.kostat.go.kr). Manufacturing has conditions like fewer than 300 regular workers or capital of 8 billion KRW or less, and there are permitted exceptions, so get a final determination by taking the business registration certificate to ☎1345 or your local immigration office for accuracy.
Q5. If I change jobs, does the 4-year count for permanent residence (F-5) start over from the beginning? One of the requirements for permanent residence (F-5-14) is continuous employment for 4 years or more at the same workplace without changing workplaces, so a job change can affect this count (Manual pp. 19–20). However, the Manual specifically states that if you move to the same industry within 3 months due to unavoidable circumstances such as wage arrears or business suspension/closure, it will be recognized as continuous employment. Since all three conditions must be met for this exception, confirm whether your case qualifies by calling ☎1345.
Reference: This guide summarizes publicly available laws and government guidance and is not legal advice. The statutes, deadlines, forms, and industry conditions in the main text are based on the Ministry of Justice Easy-to-Understand Overseas Korean Business Manual (February 2026), Ministry of Justice press release (2026-02-11), Immigration Act Enforcement Rules Annex Form No. 72, Ministry of Government Legislation Easy-to-Understand Living Law Information, and Government24, as of 2026-08. Some items, such as reporting deadlines, have conflicting values across government documents, and regulations are also amended, so please reconfirm with ☎1345 (stay and reporting), ☎1350 (job placement and wages), or ☎1577-0071 (compatriot employment education) before taking action. LACHA is a private transportation and payment service unaffiliated with the above agencies and does not handle employment or residence procedures.
