The D-10 Korea Job-Seeker’s Visa is also known as the “Job Seeking Visa.” It is a temporary and short-term visa provided to experts or graduates who have completed their studies from universities or who have changed from another visa but now want to work in Korea. Because many graduates are unable to find work immediately after graduation, the D-10 might serve as a temporary solution until you find work.
This article will tell you about Korean job seeker visas or D-10 visas, their requirements, the way to apply, and their benefits and disadvantages.
Why get a D-10 Korea Job-Seeker’s Visa?
The D10 visa is most likely the most underutilized visa in South Korea. The “job-seekers visa” is intended to provide foreigners living in the nation more flexibility while looking for their next job. This visa holds validity for six months or two months if you have graduated from a domestic institution. Still, you may be able to extend it for longer if you can demonstrate to the immigration department that you are still in the midst of looking for work.
The D10 visa is ideal for a range of circumstances. However, unless you request a brief extension from immigration, you have 2 weeks tops to find and apply for your subsequent employment while being on most working visas. That’s a brief timeframe, and if you remain over it, you face a fine and deportation.
How long does it take?
That length of time may be insufficient for persons on E2 teaching visas to obtain a new teaching post. Many hagwons, for example, have erratic start dates, and you may wish to look for a post that begins during one of the typical school entry semesters in March or September. If your current hagwon contract, for example, expires in May, you’re out of luck. D10 visas are also useful for students who want to take some time after graduation to look for work.
The D10 is also handy in a third situation: if you need to leave South Korea for whatever reason but wish to return with a legal visa to find a job, the D10 is for you. For example, if you want to visit relatives or take some time off between employment, you can stay out of the nation for up to 90 days while on a D10. You may then re-enter and resume your job search when you return. However, if you are out of the nation for longer than 90 days, you must complete a fresh criminal background check.
D-10 Korea Job-Seeker’s Visa Conditions
The D10 visa application procedure was altered to a points-based system back in 2019. If you hold a Korean working visa and are already in the country, you will almost certainly satisfy the points criteria. If you have a D2 (study) visa, you will need to supplement your application with additional papers in order to gain extra points.
The fundamental application procedure consists of two primary documents:
- The D10 application
- Your job-seeking plan
Both forms are available online and may be printed, or they can be acquired at the immigration office; however, they must be filed in person at the immigration department, not online.
Personal information
The application will request personal information as well as the location where you want to remain throughout your visa time. If you have a home, you may be required to provide proof of residency. If you’re struggling and don’t have a permanent home to live in, there are other options for you, like:
- Officetels
- Hotels
- A friend’s house
- Hostels
It’s a good idea to obtain certified letters from the company owner or a photocopy of your friend’s lease as confirmation that you’re permitted to be there throughout the D10 period. Affix one recent color photo of yourself in the South Korean passport format of 35mm x 45mm to the D10 application form. If you don’t have any photographs with you, many immigration offices provide photo booths where you may take them on the spot.
The job-search plan is the second most important document. You are supposed to list how you intend to locate work in this section. List the sites in which you will be looking for job listings, any apprenticeships you will engage in that are intended to lead to employment, and any firms you aim to interview with. If you wish to apply for a D10 extension for a longer period of time, you must fill out this form again.
If a firm is willing to recruit you after your present visa expires, bring a letter from that employer detailing your desired hiring date.
Bring a physical copy of your passport along with a colored scan. Your passport must have at least six months of validity and a blank “visa” page. You will also require your current ARC.
Finally, the D10 application cost must be paid in cash.
What is the application process for Korean D-10 Job Seeker Visa?
If you have any ongoing fines, criminal records, or a history of working or residing in Korea unlawfully, your petition will be immediately refused. Otherwise, filing these documents at your local immigration department should be simple without the need for an appointment.
If you intend to leave shortly after your D10 application and are concerned that your D10 will not be processed in time, you should additionally get a color scan of both sides of your ARC, and request a “Certificate of Alien Registration.” This document says that you possess an ARC on file and that you will be allowed to use it to depart and reenter the country if your D10 visa is not returned to you in time for your trip. A Certificate of Alien Registration is merely a few thousand won.
The wait time for D10 completion varies depending on the immigration office. It may take as few as four business days, but it may take more time in bigger districts or if there is a problem with the information you supplied. Unlike other visa applications, you can’t track the status of your D10 application process online or by phone. Once your D10 certificate is ready to be collected, Immigration will notify you.
You are not allowed to work on a D10, but it can offer you the peace of mind you want to give yourself some wiggle room in your job hunt. With more time, you may be more selective in your future employment choices, and you will have greater freedom to go outside of Korea for a period of time if you so wish.
Required Documents for a Korean D-10 Visa Application
The following is a list of the paperwork needed to apply for the D-10 visa.
A passport-sized (3.5*4.5) photograph
A duplicate of
- a University Degree/Diploma (Required)
- a school transcript
- of your Passport (primary name page)
A Duplicate of the front & back of your ARC (Advanced Reader Copy)
Alteration of Sojourn Status Form (on the /Combined Immigration Office form)
Employment Application Form
The visa application fee which is $100,000 (in cash)
The processing fee with 30,000 dollars in cash.
The Benefits and Disadvantages of the D-10 Korean Visa
The D-10 Korea Job-Seeker’s Visa like any other visa, has benefits and disadvantages.
Benefits
- With their ARC, a D-10 visa holder can easily depart and reenter South Korea for the period of their D-10 visa.
- Issued for a typical 6-month term, allowing plenty of time to locate work.
- This visa allows you to undertake an internship. (Because whether or not it is a purchased visa is debatable, it is better to confirm by phoning the Korea Immigration Hotline at 1345).
- It can be renewed three times more. So, in all, you may have up to two years to look for work on the D-10.
Disadvantages
- You are not permitted to work on a D-10.
- Because the visa is only valid for 6 months, if you do not find work, you must repeat the entire process after each 6-month term.
Let’s Sum Up…
As mentioned, there is a high probability that the D-10 visa is the least utilized in Korea. The Korean job-seekers visa helps foreign nationals who are living in the nation to apply for jobs without having to worry about residency requirements.
In this article, we talked about the Korean D-10 visa, its benefits and disadvantages, conditions, and required documents.
If you like to learn more about other types of Korean visas, check out our list on the left sidebar.