Pre-check
What your situation actually requires
Choose your nationality and the university you are applying to. You will see the documents you need and how many hours you may work. No sign-up.
Start with your nationality. Even if you have not chosen a university, we will find ones that fit.
How a university’s rating changes the screening
| Rating | Universities | How the visa is screened |
|---|---|---|
| Premium certified | 39 | Admission letter alone. Financial evidence waived regardless of nationality |
| Certified | 181 | Admission letter alone, but the 21 designated and 5 focus countries submit financial evidence |
| General / consulting | Not published | Management capacity, academic record and finances reviewed together |
| Visa-restricted | 16 | Issuance restricted in principle. Master’s, doctoral, research and exchange excluded |
Part-time work hours (in force since July 2023)
| Programme | Korean requirement | Below | Met | Preferential | Weekends / holidays |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Associate / Bachelor yr 1–2 | TOPIK 3 | 10 hrs | 25 hrs | 30 hrs | No limit |
| Bachelor yr 3–4 | TOPIK 4 | 10 hrs | 25 hrs | 30 hrs | No limit |
| Master / Doctorate | TOPIK 4 | 15 hrs | 30 hrs | 35 hrs | No limit |
Preferential means one of: enrolled at a certified university, top grades last term, or strong Korean. KIIP (stage 3 / 61 points, stage 4 / 81 points) and King Sejong Institute (intermediate 1 / 2) can stand in for TOPIK.
English-track applicants need TOEFL 530 (CBT 197, iBT 71) · IELTS 5.5 · CEFR B2 · TEPS 601 or above, regardless of year. Note this visa threshold sits above the admission threshold universities apply (TOEFL iBT 59) — an easy thing to miss.
For language courses (D-4) the ministry manual gives no row in its hours table. We cannot settle that figure for you; confirm it with your university’s international office and the immigration office.
Work that is not permitted
- 건설업(적발되면 횟수와 관계없이 1차에 출국명령이다)
- 선원취업(E-10) 업종
- 택배기사·배달대행 라이더·대리기사·보험설계사·학습지 교사·방문판매원 등 특수형태근로
- 파견·도급·알선 관계의 취업(법무부장관이 정한 지역 대학의 산학연계 인턴 알선은 예외)
- 원거리 근무
- 개인과외교습(장소와 대상의 특수성을 고려해 엄격히 제한된다)
- 미성년 학생을 대상으로 하는 외국어 교육시설의 회화지도
- 선량한 풍속이나 사회질서에 반하는 업종
- 과거 불법고용으로 사증발급이 제한된 업체와 고용주의 사업장
Work people wrongly assume is barred
- 제조업 — 한국어능력 4급 이상이면 허용됩니다(예전에는 원칙적으로 불허였습니다)
- 영어키즈카페·영어캠프의 안전보조원·놀이보조원
- 시간제 또는 전일제 계절근로
- 전문분야(E-1~E-7, E-6-2 제외)의 보조적인 활동
- 일-학습연계 유학생의 전문분야 인턴 활동
- 방학 기간 중 학위과정 유학생의 전문분야 인턴 활동
Common questions
I am Mongolian. Do I need financial evidence for a certified university?
Yes. Mongolia is one of the 21 designated countries, so financial evidence is required even at a certified university. At the 39 premium certified universities the published table carries no nationality condition, so it appears to be waived.
How many hours a week may I work?
On a degree programme, 25 hours on weekdays if you meet the Korean requirement, or 30 hours if you are at a certified university or have top grades or strong Korean. For master’s and doctoral students it is 30 and 35. Below the requirement it drops to 10 weekday hours (15 for postgraduates). Weekends and holidays carry no hour limit on degree programmes.
Is a visa-restricted university impossible?
For undergraduate study, issuance is restricted in principle. Master’s, doctoral, research and exchange programmes are not covered by the restriction. A university can also hold different ratings for its degree programmes and its language course, so check the programme first.
My university is not on the certification list. Is that a problem?
Absence from the list does not mean the university is sanctioned. The lists of general and consulting universities are simply not published, so the two cannot be told apart. You will be reviewed on both grades and finances, so prepare on the assumption that financial evidence is needed.
Can I work as a delivery rider?
No. Delivery riders count as specially contracted workers and fall outside part-time work permission, as do courier drivers, substitute drivers, insurance agents, tutoring teachers and door-to-door sellers. Working without permission draws a fine notice, and repeat cases lead to deportation.
Sources and dates
- University ratings — Ministry of Education and Ministry of Justice, announced 2026-02-12, applying 2026-03 to 2030-02
- Part-time work and stay — Ministry of Justice residence manual, as at 2026-01-30
- Finances and language — Ministry of Education standard procedures, revised 2025-03-14
This pre-check combines published guidelines and announcements as general information. It is not legal advice on your case. Whether a visa is issued is decided by the Korean mission and the immigration office on the individual file. If you need help preparing documents, ask us.