The number of foreign workers in Korea continues to increase. In particular, there is a growing proportion of specialized positions compared to the past emphasis on simple manual labor roles. "Specialized positions" here can be understood simply as hiring workers who have graduated from universities.
If your company lacks experience hiring specialized foreign workers or if you're uncertain whether foreign workers can meet your company's performance expectations, we highly recommend actively utilizing the foreign internship hiring system.
✅ Advantages of hiring foreign interns
• Evaluate work attitude, cultural adaptability, and communication skills before deciding on full-time employment.
• Assess practical job suitability during the internship period, which is difficult to gauge through resumes or interviews alone.
• Lower labor costs compared to regular employment while still utilizing excellent talent.
• Flexibly deploy interns for short-term projects or seasonal work.
• Work up to 8 hours per day, 40 hours per week.
• Simple reporting procedures.
✅ Visas eligible for intern hiring
• D-2 Visa
Foreign students enrolled in Korean junior colleges or universities can intern during vacation periods. The internship period is approximately two months, which is relatively short. After the internship, students may be formally employed after graduation.
• D-10-1 Visa
Visa Issued to foreigners who have graduated from junior colleges or higher education institutions in Korea or prestigious overseas universities while preparing to find employment. Most D-10 visa holders graduated from Korean universities, possess strong Korean language skills, and are familiar with Korean culture and daily life. Interns can transition to regular employees anytime during or after the internship.
✅ Eligible job categories
D-10-1 visa holders must transition to an E visa upon formal hiring after the internship. Therefore, it is essential to verify whether the job intended for intern hiring qualifies under the E visa category. Possible E visa types include Professor (E-1), Language Instructor (E-2), Researcher (E-3), Technical Guidance (E-4), Specialist Profession (E-5), Entertainment/Arts (E-6), and Special Activities (E-7). The most common visa is E-7, allowing employment in approximately 80 specialized job categories. Simple manual labor positions do not qualify for internships or E visa conversion.
🔗 Check E-7 Eligible Job Categories
✅ Hiring conditions for companies
• Meet the hiring qualifications for E visa workers
• Pay at least the minimum wage
🔗 Check E-7 Hiring Qualification
✅ Reporting foreign intern hires
The hiring must be reported within 15 days from the start of the internship. Foreign workers or companies can report directly at the local immigration office or fax to 1577-1346. Typically, companies handle this directly. Additional documents or notifications may be requested after reporting.
[Required documents]
① Integrated application form
② Internship contract
③ Employment insurance registration list
④ Copy of passport
⑤ Copy of alien registration card
⑥ Copy of business registration
⑦ Reason for employment document
✅ Related information
