Tourist Visa
You can enter Korea on a tourist visa while looking for a job (please refer to the section “You want to go on reconnaissance”, for more information about this). While in most countries you do need a work visa before entering the country for work, this is not always the case in Korea. If you chose to enter on a D10 or a tourist visa and then are able to secure a job you have two options for obtaining a work visa.
The first option will work only if you have already received a working visa at a Korean consulate within the last 5 years in your home country. For example, you have worked in Korea before and have obtained a work visa, but are now back in the country on a tourist visa to search for a new job. Once you secure this job you can then do a “visa run” at the closest consulate outside of the country. Usually, this is in Japan, but some expats have reported going to Guam, Thailand, and Taiwan. This process usually takes around 3-4 business days. It is quick and pain free because you don’t have to do the official “visa interview”, as you will have already done this at your home consulate.
*IMPORTANT* If you chose to do a visa run, be sure to be on top of national holidays both in Korea and in the country that you are traveling to. Korean consulates in other countries are closed for Korean holidays as well as the national holidays within the country it is located. Some expats have reported being stranded in Japan, for example, for one week or more trying to get their visa sorted, as it was an exceptionally active week for national holidays in both countries.
Your second option upon securing a job within Korea on a D10 or tourist visa (if you have never had in interview at a Korean consulate in your home country) is to go home and schedule an interview. You can take all of the necessary paper work from your employer with you to the consulate, and should be able to return to Korea with one to two weeks, depending on your tolerance for jet-lag.
D10 Visa
For those who are considered experts in their field, whether professional or academic, and wish to come to Korea to find a job (this visa lasts only six months to enable the visa holder to find a job).
Required documents:
- Valid passport
- Recent passport photo, completed application form
If an experienced professional from one of the top 300 corporations in the world you will require:
- Career certificate
- A letter explaining the reason for job seeking
If you are a graduate from one of the top 200 universities in the world (from graduate school) you will require:
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- Original degree from the institution or certificate of expected degree
- Certificate of degree attainment issued by the institution
- Certificate of graduation (including the degree attainment fact)
- A letter explaining the reason for job seeking
- Visa processing fee
