What Can I Actually Do With My Visa? — Work Permission by Residence Status and How to Check It (2026)

Article 23(1) of the Enforcement Decree of the Immigration Act lists only three groups as "statuses of stay permitting employment activities": Short-Term Employment (C-4), Professor (E-1) through Crew Employment (E-10), and Work and Visit (H-2) (as of 2026-08). When you consider how much more varied the statuses of foreigners working in Korea actually are, that list looks awfully short.

The reason is simple. This provision isn't a complete list of "who may work" — it only defines the scope of the "status of stay permitting employment activities" referred to in Article 18(1) of the Act. Permanent Residence (F-5), Marriage Migrant (F-6), Residence (F-2) and Overseas Korean (F-4) are each decided under different provisions, and statuses like Study Abroad (D-2) work by obtaining a separate permit.

So "can I work with my visa?" doesn't have a one-line answer. There are three doors, and what you need to do next depends entirely on which door you're standing in front of. On top of that, the overseas-Korean status system changed significantly effective 2026-02-12, so if you search in your own language you'll still find more articles written under the old public notice than the current one.

Work Permission Splits Into Three Doors

Korea's rules on foreign employment aren't packed into a single provision. Article 18 (employment activities), Article 20 (permit for activities beyond status of stay) and Article 21 (change of or addition to workplace) of the Immigration Act each ask a different question, and beneath them Article 23 of the Enforcement Decree plus Ministry of Justice public notices fill in the details.

The third door matters most. Passing the first two doesn't mean you can do any job at all — there really are statuses that allow employment yet have specific occupations singled out and blocked.

The First Door — Does My Status Include "Employment Activities"?

Article 18(1) of the Immigration Act states that "a foreigner who intends to work in the Republic of Korea shall obtain a status of stay permitting employment activities, as prescribed by Presidential Decree" (Act No. 20992, in force 2026-01-23). That Presidential Decree is Article 23(1) of the Enforcement Decree, and the statuses listed there are the C-4, E-1–E-10 and H-2 we just saw. The same paragraph limits "employment activities" here to "activities falling within the scope of the relevant status of stay."

Don't read it backwards. Not being on this list does not mean "you can't work." This provision defines the scope of the statuses referred to in Article 18(1); it isn't a provision that judges whether other statuses may engage in activities. In fact, as the next section shows, F-2, F-4, F-5 and F-6 are settled under entirely different provisions.

Another Branch of the First Door — People Not Subject to Employment Restrictions at All

Next to the first door there's one more branch: statuses that are not subject to employment-activity restrictions by the provision itself, rather than by obtaining a permit. These statuses therefore don't go through the second door (the Article 20 permit for activities beyond status of stay). That said, the governing provision differs by status, and even within F-2, the conclusion changes depending on the detailed sub-item.

Look at the third and fourth rows side by side. Both are Residence (F-2), but one is unrestricted while the other carries the condition "a person who continues to engage in activities in the field corresponding to their previous status of stay." In other words, the name "F-2" alone doesn't settle anything — you have to look at the detailed sub-code printed on your alien registration card.

This is the first wall that hits foreigners specifically. The sub-code of your own status decides the outcome, yet if you can't read the Korean text on the card, you can't even tell which box you're standing in. If you haven't received the card yet, start with how to get your alien registration card.

Determinations Turn on Classification Codes, Not Job Titles

There's something you must know before looking at any occupation list. When Ministry of Justice public notices specify restricted occupations, the unit they use isn't the job name we'd casually use — it's the five-digit code of the Korean Standard Classification of Occupations (KSCO).

Attachment 1 of the notice actually uses KSCO major group 9 (elementary workers) as its basis and assigns a code to every item: parcel delivery worker 92220, quick-service courier 92230, parking attendant (management) 99231, and so on. And inside the attachment it explicitly says to "check index terms for detailed job duties in the KSCO Korean Standard Classification of Occupations on the Statistical Classification Portal (kssc.kostat.go.kr)."

So even for the same job title, the determination changes depending on the type of workplace and the work you actually perform. The standard isn't the title on your business card or the headline of the job posting — it's which code that work falls under in the classification table.

Here again Korean becomes the wall. The notice attachments are Korean-language PDFs, and code matching has to be done with the Korean index terms on the Statistical Classification Portal. Items like "quick-service courier" are easy to miss entirely because you don't even know they exist.

For F-4 Overseas Koreans, It's a "Prohibited List" Approach

Where E-9 or H-2 uses a permitted-list approach ("only within this scope"), Overseas Korean (F-4) is the exact opposite. Article 23(3) of the Enforcement Decree states that F-4 holders are not subject to activity restrictions "except for" the following three:

• Simple labor activities as designated by public notice of the Minister of Justice
• Acts contrary to good morals or other social order
• Cases where restriction is necessary for the public interest or to maintain domestic employment order

The statutory root is Article 10(5) of the Act on the Immigration and Legal Status of Overseas Koreans, which provides that a foreign national of Korean heritage holding overseas Korean status "may freely engage in employment and other economic activities within the scope of not undermining social order or economic stability."

The current notice is MOJ Public Notice No. 2026-65, issued and effective on February 12, 2026. Its bases are Article 18(1) of the Immigration Act, Article 23(3) of the Enforcement Decree, and Article 27-2 of the Enforcement Rules. The previous notice (MOJ Public Notice No. 2023-187, 2023-05-01) was repealed when this one took effect. If a search turns up guidance based on the old notice, that's not the current standard.

The structure is this: Attachment 1 lists 29 detailed occupations constituting simple labor, and Attachment 2 lists 8 other occupations requiring employment restriction, for a total of 37. Representative items in Attachment 1 include parcel delivery worker (92220), quick-service courier (92230) and parking attendant (99231).

The notice also contains a regional exception. It applies to cities/counties/districts designated by the Minister of Justice as targets of the region-specific visa program among the population-decline areas defined in Article 2(12) of the Special Act on Decentralization and Balanced Regional Development — but the morals-related restriction remains in place even under this exception. However, the current list of target cities/counties/districts isn't included in the body of the notice, and the relationship between the residence requirement and the workplace requirement can't be settled from the wording alone. Don't read it as "just move your residence to a rural area and you're set" — confirm with your local office whether this exception applies to you.

What Changed on February 12, 2026

The overseas-Korean status system was substantially reorganized as of that date. Here's a before-and-after view.

The drop from 47 to 37 restrictions is because 10 occupations came off the list. According to the Ministry of Justice press release (2026-02-11), those ten are: construction elementary worker, mining elementary worker, manual packer, manual label attacher, gas station attendant, store shelf stocker, parking guide, vending machine attendant, loading and unloading elementary worker, and other loading and unloading elementary workers. The Ministry stated it will review whether to expand further among the remaining 37 after gathering opinions from industry and relevant ministries.

Here's something to watch. Attachment 1 of the notice still lists "parking attendant (99231)" as a restricted occupation, while "parking guide" is among the ten above. Two similarly named items are treated differently. So don't look at these ten names and conclude "this job is fine now." Stating that they came off the restriction list is as far as this article can go; the determination for your own case belongs to ☎1345 and your local office.

If you hold H-2, you have two paths. You may simply remain until the maximum period of stay, or — even with time remaining — apply for a change to F-4 status through Hi Korea's e-Application. The e-Application procedure itself is covered in how to use Hi Korea e-Application, and the general status-change procedure in how to change your status of stay and required documents.

The complication comes when your current workplace is in a field that is restricted for F-4 holders. For this situation, the Ministry of Justice has stated that if an existing H-2 holder wishes to continue working at the same workplace, employment is permitted via a permit for activities beyond status of stay (attachment to the 2026-02-11 press release). Since the requirements vary case by case, though, the safer order is to ask your local office before applying for the status change.

The Second Door — The Only Route for Statuses That Don't Allow Employment: Permit for Activities Beyond Status of Stay

For statuses stopped at the first door, the lawful route is Article 20 of the Act. It provides that a foreigner who wishes to engage in activities corresponding to another status of stay in addition to activities under their own status must obtain a permit for activities beyond their status of stay from the Minister of Justice in advance, as prescribed by Presidential Decree. The part-time work permit for international students is a permit grounded in exactly this provision. Application documents, processing times, and the minimum wage and weekly holiday allowance that apply once you have the permit are covered separately in part-time work permits and pay for international students.

Fees as of 2026-08 are as follows.

• Permit for activities beyond status of stay: 120,000 KRW — per Article 72 of the Enforcement Rules of the Immigration Act.
• Holders of Study Abroad (D-2) and General Trainee (D-4) status get a reduced fee of 20,000 KRW. However, this reduction doesn't appear on Hi Korea's fee table and there are cases where it conflicts with school guidance, so it's best to confirm with your local office before applying.
• A permit to change or add a workplace is also 120,000 KRW.

The most important thing is timing. The provision says "in advance." You can only work after the permit is granted — "my application is pending" is not a shield. Starting work while holding only a receipt for your application can be treated the same as working without a permit.

There are also fields — like delivery agency work — that are carved out as restricted regardless of whether you have a permit. That branch is covered separately, with status-by-status outcomes and legal bases, in even with a part-time work permit you can't do delivery agency work. Checking whether the job you want is in a restricted field comes first.

When You Change Jobs — The Rule Is Prior Permission

Even with a status that allows employment, changing workplaces is a separate matter. Article 21(1) of the Act requires prior permission from the Minister of Justice to change or add a workplace, though foreigners prescribed by Presidential Decree, such as professional workers, may substitute a report filed within 15 days.

Whether you're in the permission group or the reporting group depends on your status. Don't assume which one you are — check before you move. Workplace changes for E-9 (Non-Professional Employment) have their own procedures and deadlines, covered separately in E-9 workplace change procedures, and the EPS system as a whole is in the Employment Permit System procedure. For Specific Activities (E-7), even within the same status the outcome splits between prior permission and after-the-fact reporting depending on the occupation code; that structure is covered in how to check E-7 visa occupation codes.

The employer's side isn't free either. Paragraph 2 of the same Article prohibits the very act of employing, or brokering the employment of, a foreigner who hasn't obtained the change/addition permit. That means "my boss said it was fine" is not a shield — and at the same time, the boss who said it becomes a party to the same case.

What You're Exposed To If You Break the Rules — Deportation Weighs More Than the Sentence

Even things that look like the same "unauthorized employment" lead to very different outcomes depending on which provision was violated.

Between the first and second rows, imprisonment differs by 3x and the criminal fine by 3x. Yet Korean-language guidance often lumps both together as "unauthorized employment." If you pin down which provision number your case falls under, you'll get far more precise answers when you seek advice.

That said, those numbers are the statutory maximums. Read them as "this is how far it can go," not "this is the punishment you'll get." In practice, the prosecutor's disposition and the immigration administrative disposition proceed separately, and the outcome varies with whether it's a first offense, the circumstances, and your stay history.

The heavy part isn't the fine column — it's the far-right column. Article 46(1)8 lists persons who violated Article 17(1)–(2), Article 18, Article 20, or Articles 23 through 25, and subparagraph 9 lists persons who changed or added a workplace without permission in violation of the main text of Article 21(1) as well as persons who employed or brokered the employment of a foreigner in violation of Article 21(2), as subject to deportation.

This is the biggest asymmetry that hits foreigners specifically. What ends with a fine for a Korean becomes a matter of your entire residence for a foreigner. One misjudgment can collapse your studies, your EPS re-entry, and your status-change plans all at once. In fact, according to a Ministry of Justice press release (2026-07-07), of the 734 unauthorized delivery riders caught in crackdowns from January to May 2026, more than half held Study Abroad (D-2) status. It's the classic trap of assuming it's fine because everyone around you is doing it.

If you're already working without a permit, remember one fact: the longer it goes on, the higher the summary fine (notice disposition) bracket climbs. Rather than deciding on your own to ride it out, explain your situation exactly as it is to ☎1345 and ask how to resolve it — that ends up costing you less.

Even If the Employment Was Unlawful, You're Still Owed for the Work

Many people who go unpaid give up, thinking "I worked illegally, so if I report it only I get in trouble." On this point the case law is clear.

Supreme Court Decision 94Nu12067, rendered September 15, 1995, held that even where a foreigner without work-eligible status concluded an employment contract in violation of the employment restrictions under immigration law and regulations, "that alone cannot render the employment contract automatically void." It further held that if the person had been providing labor in a relationship of subordination and receiving wages at the time of the injury, they qualify as a worker under the Labor Standards Act and are therefore eligible for medical care benefits under the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Act.

In short, the legality of the employment and the entitlement to wages and accident compensation are separate questions. But this is in no way a justification for unauthorized employment. The sanctions described above still stand, and checking before you start is always cheaper than reclaiming your rights after you get hurt.

Where to go if you weren't paid or got injured is laid out counter by counter in labor and residence complaints — where to get help.

What This Article Doesn't Answer — The Order of Checking and What to Bring

"Does my case fall under this?" is something this article can't answer. The same facts split depending on nationality, the detailed sub-code of your status, permit history, workplace type and the work you actually perform. And there's no way to verify that a coworker's story sits in the same box as yours. Set your checking order like this.

1. ☎1345 Immigration Contact Center — connects you in multiple languages. Confirm the structure and required documents here first.
2. Hi Korea (hikorea.go.kr) — apply via e-Application or book a visit to your local office.
3. Your local immigration office — this is where the final determination is made.

When you go to ask, be sure to bring these three things. Without them, even the counter will only tell you "you'll need to check."

• Your alien registration card or domestic residence report card — including the side showing the detailed sub-code.
• Your employment contract or the proposed terms — the workplace type and employment form need to be visible.
• A description of the work you'll actually do — not your title, but concretely what you do in a day.

The third one matters most. As we saw, the criterion is a classification code rather than a job name, so "what do you actually do?" decides the answer far more than "what's your title?"

☎1345 connects you in multiple languages, but the final determination happens at your local office counter. And offices and employment centers are only open on weekdays during the day. Since anyone who's working has to take a whole day off to go check, mapping out that day's route in advance cuts your round-trip time considerably. LACHA is a transport and payment super app for foreigners that you can use right away without identity verification. You can book a taxi to the office and KTX or intercity buses for longer trips in one place, and you can get started with just your passport — no Korean bank account or phone number needed. Considering you may well have to go back a second time for extra documents, locking in your transport ahead of time helps.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1. My status of stay isn't on the Article 23(1) list. Does that mean I can't work? Don't read it that way. Article 23(1) of the Enforcement Decree defines the scope of the "status of stay permitting employment activities" referred to in Article 18(1) of the Act; whether other statuses may engage in activities is a separate determination. Permanent Residence (F-5) is settled under Act Article 10-3(1), Marriage Migrant (F-6) and some items of Residence (F-2) under Enforcement Decree Article 23(2), and Overseas Korean (F-4) under Article 23(3). If none of those apply, the Article 20 permit for activities beyond status of stay is the remaining route. To find out which box you're in, bring the code on your card and check with ☎1345.

Q2. I'm on F-4 — if a job isn't on the list of 37 restrictions, can I do it? You can't conclude that. The 37 items aren't "only these are banned" — they're the scope of restriction set by MOJ Public Notice No. 2026-65, and the unit of determination is a five-digit Korean Standard Classification of Occupations code, not a job name. Even for the same job title, the outcome changes with the workplace type and the work actually performed. In fact, "parking attendant (99231)" remains on the restricted list while "parking guide" came off it in the 2026-02-12 amendment — a hair's difference in name, a different treatment. Describe the job you want in concrete terms and ask ☎1345 or your local office.

Q3. I hold H-2. What happens to me now? As of February 12, 2026, new Work and Visit (H-2) visas are no longer issued and the system has been unified under Overseas Korean (F-4). If you already hold H-2, you may remain in Korea until the maximum period of stay, and even before expiry you can apply to change to F-4 through Hi Korea e-Application. The status change permit fee is waived through December 31, 2027; the residence report card issuance fee is paid separately. If your current workplace is in a field restricted for F-4 holders, a route via a permit for activities beyond status of stay has been announced for continuing at the same workplace — so check with your local office before applying for the change.

Q4. Can I start working while my permit application is pending? No. Article 20 of the Act requires the permit "in advance." Even with an application receipt, working before the permit is granted can be treated as working without a permit, and if you worked while lacking the status altogether, a violation of Article 18(1) can lead to up to 3 years' imprisonment or a criminal fine of up to 30 million KRW under Article 94 (statutory penalty range, as of 2026-08). Heavier still is the fact that it makes you subject to deportation under Article 46(1)8.

Q5. I worked without the right status and didn't get paid. Won't I just hurt myself by reporting it? The legality of the employment and the entitlement to wages and accident compensation are separate questions. Supreme Court Decision 94Nu12067, rendered September 15, 1995, held that an employment contract concluded without work-eligible status is not automatically void on that ground alone, and that a person who worked in a relationship of subordination and received wages qualifies as a worker under the Labor Standards Act and is eligible for industrial accident insurance medical care benefits. That said, this doesn't justify unauthorized employment. For consultation channels and procedures see labor and residence complaints — where to get help, and check the risk in your own case together with ☎1345.