Korea's D-10 Job-Seeking Visa Explained for International Graduates

What the D-10 is

The D-10 is Korea's job-seeking visa. It gives an international graduate a period of legal stay to look for qualifying employment after finishing studies, before they have a job offer that would support a work visa.

Graduates of Korean universities commonly change their status from a student D-2 to a D-10 when they finish their degree and want to remain in Korea to search for a job. The D-10 is a bridge — it is not itself a work visa and does not, on its own, permit ordinary full-time employment.

This is general information, not immigration advice. Every threshold, duration and fee below is set by immigration and changes, so confirm the current rules on HiKorea and with the Korea Immigration Service.

The points-based eligibility concept

Eligibility for the D-10 job-seeking category is generally assessed on a points system that scores factors such as age, education and Korean-language ability, with minimum totals to qualify. The idea is to admit graduates who are realistically placed to find qualifying work.

Immigration has, in practice, treated recent graduates of Korean universities differently from other applicants, and the points criteria are revised from time to time. Because the exact factors, weights and pass marks change, do not rely on point totals quoted on unofficial sites — read the current scoring rules on HiKorea.

What you can do while on a D-10

The D-10 is oriented around job-seeking activity: searching and interviewing for qualifying professional roles. Certain related activities — such as internships or officially defined technical training with a prospective employer — may be permitted within the terms immigration sets.

What it does not do is authorise unrestricted employment. Any paid activity is subject to the conditions attached to the D-10, and the boundaries of what is allowed are defined by immigration rules that can change. Confirm exactly what is permitted before starting any internship or paid work.

Maximum stay and extensions

The D-10 is granted for a limited period, with the possibility of extension up to a maximum overall stay, both of which are defined by immigration and can differ depending on how you qualify (for example, recent graduates may be treated differently from higher-scoring or former work-visa applicants).

Because these durations are periodically adjusted, this guide does not state a fixed number of months. Check the current initial period, extension conditions and maximum total stay on HiKorea for your qualification route.

From D-10 to a work visa

The purpose of the D-10 is to secure a qualifying job offer and then move to the appropriate work visa. For professional roles, that is often the E-7 (foreign national of special ability / designated activities), applied for as a change of status once an eligible employer and position are confirmed.

The employer, the job, and your qualifications all have to meet the requirements of the target work visa; the D-10 does not by itself guarantee approval. The specific conditions for the E-7 or another work category, and the change-of-status process, are set by immigration — verify them for your exact situation.

• The D-10 does not guarantee a job, an internship, or a subsequent work visa.
• Moving to a work visa requires a qualifying employer/role plus a successful change-of-status application.
• Confirm the target work visa's conditions (e.g., E-7) on HiKorea before relying on any pathway.