For children who have lived in Korea for a long time (foreign children with undocumented or unstable immigration status), the Ministry of Justice grants special residence status to both the children and their parents, so the children can attend school without disruption. This document answers common questions in a Q&A format, covering everything from a parent’s accompanying stay to a child completing high school and university and then finding employment.

Process Overview

  1. 1. Apply for Education-Based Residence Status

    If your child is currently enrolled in school, apply for D-4 (training/study). If your child has already graduated from high school, apply for G-1 (temporary residence).

  2. 2. High School Enrollment and Graduation

    Parents extend their residence period in one-year increments until the child graduates from high school.

  3. 3. Choose a Path After High School Graduation

    If going to university, apply for D-2 (student visa). If not, apply for D-10 (job-seeking) or E-7-Y (employment) status.

  4. 4. Job-Seeking Period (D-10)

    After graduation, you can prepare for employment for up to two years on a D-10 job-seeking visa.

  5. 5. Employment and Transition to E-7 Visa

    Once employed, you can change to a designated activities visa (E-7 or E-7-Y) for long-term residence and settlement.

Part 1: The Parent’s Residence

Q1. How long can parents stay in Korea?

Rather than thinking of it as a fixed upper limit of a certain number of years, it is easiest to understand it this way: parents can live in Korea together with their child until the child graduates from high school and reaches adulthood.

An initial residence period of one year is granted, which can then be extended in one-year increments. However, because the immigration authority reviews several conditions when determining the period, the length may differ if those conditions are not fully met.

  • If there are unfavorable circumstances, extensions may be granted in six-month increments only.
  • If the situation does not improve after six months, further extensions may not be possible.

If you change your place of residence, you must file a change of foreigner residence address notification. Please verify the latest information with 1345 or your local Korea Immigration Service office before applying.

Part 2: The Child’s Residence - After High School Graduation

Q2. If my child wants to go to university after graduating from high school, how do they change their visa?

They will need to apply to change their status to a student visa (D-2). If the child meets the requirements for university admission, a D-2 visa can be issued.

If the child does not meet the requirements for university admission, they will be granted temporary residence status (G-1) for one year after high school graduation.

Q2-1. What happens if my child graduates from high school but does not go to university?

Following the Ministry of Justice announcement in March 2025, a new pathway to employment and settlement has been opened for children who do not go on to university. To support foreign youth who have grown up in Korea, the government now allows high school graduates to stay on a job-seeking/training (D-10) or employment (E-7-Y) status, provided they are aged 18 to 24 at the time of application, have resided in Korea for at least seven years before turning 18, and have graduated from elementary, middle, and high school in Korea.

Q3. How do I apply for a D-2 student visa?

Applications and renewals are generally timed to coincide with the start of each semester, so the key periods are around the end of March or the end of September. You must renew before your visa expires.

There are two ways to apply:

For guidance on completing the integrated application form, please refer to How to Complete and Submit the Integrated Application/Notification Form for Foreign Resident Services. Please verify the latest information with 1345 or your local Korea Immigration Service office before applying.

Q4. How long can someone stay on a D-2 visa?

The maximum permitted stay depends on the degree program.

Degree ProgramMaximum Stay
Associate degree (2- to 3-year program)3 years
Bachelor’s degree (4-year program)4 years
Master’s or doctoral degree5 years

If a student does not graduate within the allotted time, an additional extension of one to four years may be possible if the circumstances are recognized as valid. Reasons such as insufficient credits, failing a graduation exam, or not completing a thesis may qualify, and each case is reviewed individually. As figures and deadlines are subject to change, please verify the latest information with 1345 or your local Korea Immigration Service office before applying.

Q5. Will taking a leave of absence from university cause problems with my visa?

Yes, you need to be careful. If you take a leave of absence, your D-2 student visa will be cancelled. Even if there is remaining time on your visa, you must leave Korea within one month of starting the leave of absence.

If you do not leave within this period, you will become an overstayer and may be fined. When departing, you must return your Alien Registration Card at the airport before leaving. For more details on residence obligations and penalty fees related to visas, please also refer to Residence Obligations and Penalty Fees for Visa Holders: Reporting Extensions, Address Changes, and Passport Changes.

Part 3: The Child’s Residence - After University Graduation

Q6. What visa should be used during the job-seeking period after graduating from university?

If you hold a D-2 (student) or D-4 (language training) visa, you can apply to change to a job-seeking visa (D-10) starting three months before your visa expires. Please verify the latest information with 1345 or your local Korea Immigration Service office before applying.

Q7. How do I apply for a job-seeking visa (D-10)?

Make an advance appointment through HiKorea (하이코리아), then prepare your documents and visit a Korea Immigration Service office.

If you are changing your status to D-10 for the first time after graduating on a D-2 student visa, the points-based system does not apply. However, the following document is required:

  • Job-seeking activity plan: Submit a written plan describing your employment goals, desired industry, and reasons for seeking work.

Q8. What are the conditions for extending D-10 after the first six months?

When extending after the initial six months, the points-based system applies. Multiple criteria are evaluated and scored, and the result determines whether the extension is approved.

In addition, the following documents may be required depending on your individual job-seeking history:

  • Interview confirmation letter
  • Proof of job-seeking activities

However, if you meet the criteria for high Korean language proficiency, the points-based system does not apply even at the extension stage. As figures and deadlines are subject to change, please verify the latest information with 1345 or your local Korea Immigration Service office before applying.

Q9. How long can a D-10 visa be extended?

After the initial six-month job-seeking period, if you can demonstrate consistent job-seeking activities, you may extend your stay for up to two years in total. Additional documents such as interview confirmation letters and proof of job-seeking activities may be required at each renewal. Please verify the latest information with 1345 or your local Korea Immigration Service office before applying.

No. There is no obligation to seek employment in a field related to your major when applying for D-10. For professional positions in particular, the employer’s demonstrated need to hire is often considered more important than the applicant’s major.

While there is no issue from a visa regulation standpoint, individual companies may have their own hiring requirements, so be sure to check the recruitment conditions at each place you apply. For information about job-seeking visa scams, please also refer to Warning: Text Message Scams Claiming to Issue D-10 and E-7 Visas to Undocumented Residents.

Q11. How does the visa change after finding employment, and how long does it last?

After starting a job, you can apply for a designated activities visa (E-7). From 2025, the E-7-Y status has also been introduced for youth who grew up in Korea, making it possible to obtain employment residence status even without a bachelor’s degree, provided certain requirements are met. Following a review, visas are issued for a period of one to three years, with a maximum of three years at a time.

A review is required at every renewal, but continued extensions are possible as long as you keep meeting the conditions.

  • When to apply for renewal: Starting four months before your visa expires
  • How to apply: Make an advance appointment through HiKorea (하이코리아) and then visit in person

Figures and deadlines are subject to policy changes. Please be sure to verify the latest information with 1345 or your local Korea Immigration Service office before applying.