H Series Working Holiday and Working Visit Visas at a Glance

The H series includes 'employment' in its name, but it is not a general work visa like the E series. The only status you can newly apply for now is H-1 관광취업 (Working Holiday), where young people from agreement countries travel in Korea and work only enough to cover travel expenses. H-2 방문취업 (Working Visit) was a system for overseas Koreans with foreign nationality. Its new issuance was suspended starting February 12, 2026, and it now remains only as rules for existing holders. This document organizes the conditions by country, work and study rules for H-1, and what existing H-2 holders need to know, all in one place.

1. Before You Start

Things to Know First

This document is not legal advice and does not guarantee that a visa will be issued. In particular, for H-1, age, quotas (annual issuance caps), Period of Stay, weekly working hours, and study periods all differ. They depend on each country's agreement and on reciprocity, which is the principle that two countries match conditions at the same level. Therefore, before applying, you must check the announcements from the Korean embassy or consulate general in charge of your nationality.

You can check the common standards in the latest HiKorea Guide Manual for Visa and Stay Applications by Status of Stay. This document was written based on the August 7, 2026 edition of the manual. Right before submitting your documents, make sure to check once more with the Immigration Contact Center at 1345 or the Korean diplomatic mission in charge.

1-Minute Summary

H-1 is a Working Holiday status for staying in Korea mainly for tourism and working for a short period to supplement travel expenses.
H-1 is not a general work visa. Eligible nationalities, ages, and quotas are set, and most countries have limits of 25 hours per week and country-specific total employment periods.
You cannot work in professional jobs from E-1 to E-7, entertainment (adult nightlife), gambling-related activities, businesses that harm public morals, or private tutoring on an H-1 visa.
Regular university and graduate degree programs (D-2 Study Abroad) are not permitted study under H-1. You must also follow the country-specific study period limits for language schools and short-term training.
In principle, H-1 applicants must not bring accompanying dependents, and must prove a round-trip flight ticket or its funds and at least 3,000,000 KRW for initial 3 months of living costs.
For H-2, new visa issuance was suspended starting February 12, 2026, and it was integrated into the Overseas Korean (F-4) status. Source: Ministry of Justice Announcement on F-4 Integration Implementation
Existing H-2 holders can stay and work under existing rules during their permitted period, or change to F-4 before expiration.

Structure of the H Series in 2026

Status	New applications now	Main purpose	Nature of employment
H-1 Working Holiday	Available	Tourism and travel expense support for young people from agreement countries	Short-term employment with limits on hours, period, and job types
H-2 Working Visit	Suspended from 2026-02-12	Visits and simple labor employment for overseas Koreans from China and the CIS in the past	Transitional measures apply only to existing holders

Although H-1 and H-2 include 'employment' in their names, their target groups and systems are completely different. H-1 is a program for young people from Working Holiday agreement countries, and H-2 is a past system for overseas Koreans with foreign nationality. Here, transitional measures refer to temporary rules applied to people who already held the status before the system changed.

2. H-1 Eligibility and Application

Who Is the H-1 Working Holiday Status For?

This status is for citizens of countries that have signed a Working Holiday agreement or memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Republic of Korea, who enter Korea mainly for tourism and work only enough to supplement travel expenses.

It is suitable for:

Young people who want to travel in Korea while experiencing permitted short-term jobs such as cafes, restaurants, accommodation, and retail
People who want to attend language schools or short-term training for a certain period
People whose main purpose is cultural and life experience, rather than long-term professional career employment or regular degrees

It is not suitable for these purposes:

People whose main purpose is regular professional employment at a Korean company
People who want to enroll in university degree programs
People who want to bring a spouse and children for long-term family settlement
People who want to work in entertainment (adult nightlife) establishments, private tutoring, or licensed professional jobs

Eligible Countries and 2026 Quotas

The annual issuance caps by country listed in the August 7, 2026 edition of the Ministry of Justice manual are as follows. Quotas can be exhausted and application submission methods at Korean diplomatic missions can change, so the mission notice on the day you apply takes priority.

Country or region	Quota	Country or region	Quota
Australia	Unlimited	Canada	12,000
New Zealand	3,000	Japan	10,000
The United States	2,000	France	2,000
Germany	Unlimited	Ireland	800
Sweden	Unlimited	Denmark	Unlimited
Hong Kong	1,000	Taiwan	800
Czechia	300	Italy	500
The United Kingdom	5,000	Austria	300
Hungary	100	Israel	200
The Netherlands	200	Portugal	200
Belgium	200	Chile	100
Poland	200	Spain	1,000
Argentina	200	Andorra	50

For nationality, it is not enough to just look at the country that issued the passport. You must be a citizen recognized by the agreement. Holders of refugee travel documents, stateless persons, and permanent residents who are not citizens of that country cannot apply for that country's H-1 visa.

Period of Stay and Visa Types by Country

Country or region	Visa type	Visa validity period and Period of Stay
Hong Kong	Multiple	Enter within 3 months after issuance, stay 1 year
Japan	Single	Valid for 1 year, stay 1 year
The United States	Multiple	1 year and 6 months
Canada and the United Kingdom	Multiple	2 years (24 months)
Other countries	Multiple	1 year

The visa validity period is the period within which you must enter the country, and the Period of Stay is the period you can stay after entering. The actual period you receive may differ depending on your date of entry, passport validity period, and issuance conditions of the diplomatic mission.

Age Requirements

General rule: aged 18 to 30 at the time of application
Taiwan, Portugal, Ireland, and Argentina: up to age 34
The United Kingdom and Canada: up to age 35
The United States: there is no age requirement. Instead, separate WEST program requirements apply.
Australia and Japan: the agreement text states ages 18 to 25, but through mutual agreement, people up to age 30 can apply.

In principle, age is calculated based on the visa application date, not the date of entry. Make sure to check the application deadline of the diplomatic mission and how dates of birth are calculated.

Additional Requirements by Country

Country or region	Additional requirement
New Zealand	Residing in New Zealand for at least 6 months at the time of application
Hong Kong	Ordinary resident of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Hong Kong passport or BNO passport can be accepted
Taiwan	Holding Taiwan household registration
The United States	Currently enrolled in a higher education program or graduated from university within the last 1 year. Korea-US WEST standards apply

In addition, the Korean diplomatic mission in charge may check legal residency periods, education background, interviews, and the issuing countries of documents.

Common Application Requirements

Applicants must generally meet the following requirements:

Hold a valid passport from an agreement country
Have at least 6 months of remaining passport validity. For Chile, at least 3 months may apply according to the agreement.
Meet the age requirement for your country
Have no serious criminal record and no serious legal violations during past stays in Korea
Be in good health with no issues for staying in Korea
Sign up for medical insurance that applies during your stay in Korea
Do not bring accompanying dependents
In principle, participate in the Working Holiday program for the first time
Have a round-trip flight ticket or sufficient funds to purchase one
Have at least 3,000,000 KRW in Korean currency for living costs for the initial 3 months
Have tourism as your main purpose, and not employment or regular study

For insurance, the standard is a policy that covers medical treatment and repatriation to your home country during your stay in Korea, with coverage of at least 40,000,000 KRW. Based on reciprocity, the diplomatic mission may decide document submission requirements and coverage amounts differently.

Application Locations and Procedures

H-1 is not eligible for a 사증발급인정서 (sajeung balgeup injeongseo, Confirmation of Visa Issuance, a visa confirmation issued in Korea in advance). The general process is as follows:

Check the age, quota, and application period for your nationality.
Check the H-1 announcements from the Korean embassy or consulate general in charge of the agreement country.
Fill out the application form and make your tourism, work, and study plans.
Prepare your passport, flight ticket or funds, bank balance, insurance, and criminal record, health, and education documents.
Apply directly to the diplomatic mission in charge, and attend an interview if required.
Enter Korea within the validity period of the issued visa.
If you stay for more than 90 days, complete foreigner registration within 90 days from the date of entry.

Under the agreement, Austrian citizens have a special exception allowing them to apply at certain Korean diplomatic missions in Japan and China, the consulates general in Shanghai and Hong Kong, and the Korean Mission in Taipei. You must check with that diplomatic mission to see if applications can actually be accepted.

Common Required Documents

Visa application form, standard photo, and valid passport
Round-trip flight ticket or proof of additional funds to purchase one
Certificate of bank balance with at least 3,000,000 KRW for 3 months of living costs
Criminal record certificate
Health certificate or health documents accepted by the diplomatic mission
Medical and repatriation insurance certificate covering your stay in Korea
Certificate of enrollment or certificate of your highest level of education
Working Holiday activity plan
Additional country-specific materials and documents required by the head of the diplomatic mission

Based on reciprocity, criminal records, health certificates, and insurance submissions may be waived, or their format may differ. Give priority to the current checklist of the diplomatic mission in charge, rather than reviews from people who visited in the past.

3. Working and Living on H-1

Where Can You Work on an H-1 Visa?

You can work in permitted general service and on-site jobs as a contract worker, short-term worker, or part-time employee. Typically, you can look into jobs such as:

Dining room and kitchen assistance at general restaurants and cafes
Legal accommodation service work at hotels and guesthouses
Sales, inventory, and customer service at retail stores
Permitted short-term assistance work in rural and fishing areas
Work that does not require professional qualifications, such as general office and event assistance

This is not an automatically approved list. The actual work must not be in restricted job categories, it must be within the country-specific employment period and hour limits, and the business must be lawful.

Working Hours and Total Employment Limits by Country

Country or region	Allowed employment period	Weekly maximum	Total maximum hours
Israel	3 months	25 hours	300 hours
Australia, Italy, and Belgium	6 months	25 hours	625 hours
Denmark	9 months	25 hours	950 hours
Canada	Full H-1 Period of Stay	40 hours	2,080 hours
Other countries	Full H-1 Period of Stay	25 hours	1,300 hours

If you work in multiple places, you must calculate the limit by adding up all working hours. The standard is your total employment hours, not "25 hours per week at each company." Plan your schedule so that the premise of tourism being your main purpose is not compromised.

Prohibited and Restricted Work

You must not do the following work on an H-1 visa:

Professional work from E-1 to E-5, such as professors, researchers, technical instructors, doctors, lawyers, and pilots
E-6 Arts and Performances and entertainment (adult nightlife) work, such as singers, dancers, musicians, and hospitality hosts
Foreign language instructors and professional, semi-professional, and skilled occupations designated under E-7 Special Occupation
Work that harms good public morals, such as singing rooms with alcohol, adult entertainment bars, and adult establishments
Work related to gambling activities, such as casinos and betting
Private tutoring lessons
Activities restricted by the Ministry of Justice that go beyond the purpose of stay

Just because a foreign language is your native language does not mean you can teach at an academy on an H-1 visa. Paid foreign language instruction requires a separate status such as E-2. You must also first check whether modeling, performance, broadcasting, and sports activities fall under E-6.

How Long Can You Study?

Country or region	Allowed study period
Australia	4 months
Canada, Ireland, Denmark, Hong Kong, Austria, Israel, Belgium, and New Zealand	6 months
Other countries	Full H-1 Period of Stay

Permitted study includes taking classes at language schools and short-term training. The following are restricted:

Regular university and graduate degree programs corresponding to D-2 Study Abroad
Activities where you teach Koreans while pretending to learn a foreign language
Stays where regular study is effectively the main purpose rather than tourism

If your goal is a degree program, get an admission permit from the school first and then look into the D-2 Study Abroad status.

Foreigner Registration After Entering Korea

To stay for more than 90 days, you do foreigner registration within 90 days from your entry date at the immigration office in charge of where you live.

The usual documents to prepare are as follows.

Passport, photo, Integrated Application Form, and fee
Working Holiday activity plan
Employment documents such as a labor contract and business registration if you started working
Proof of where you live, such as a lease contract or confirmation of accommodation provided
Insurance and financial documents that the diplomatic mission or immigration office additionally requests

You report registered details such as moving, passport changes, and name or nationality changes within the set deadline. You can check on HiKorea whether visit reservations and the online application service are available.

Can You Change Jobs?

Unlike the E series, where a specific employer invites you, with H-1 you can change jobs without separate permission to change your workplace. This applies as long as you stay within the permitted job types and the time and period limits. However, you must follow these rules:

Check that the new job is not in a prohibited H-1 job category
Keep within country limits by adding up working hours from all jobs
Keep your labor contract, pay slips, and work records
Check whether you need to report foreigner registration details or workplace affiliations
Do not work beyond your Period of Stay

Extensions and Changing to Another Status

Because H-1 is a short-term cultural exchange program with a Period of Stay set by agreement, it is difficult to keep extending it simply because you want to work more.

For most countries, the range is 1 year from the entry date. The United States looks at 1 year and 6 months, and the United Kingdom and Canada look at 2 years.
Unless there are humanitarian reasons that make departure difficult, extensions beyond the agreement cap are restricted.
Changing from another Status of Stay to H-1 inside Korea is, in principle, not permitted.
To change from H-1 to a professional employment status, you must meet all education, work experience, job category, and employer requirements of that E status.
For citizens of the United Kingdom, France, Ireland, Denmark, Chile, Italy, Israel, and Belgium, changing to a professional status inside Korea may be restricted under the agreement. So you should look into applying at a Korean diplomatic mission after leaving the country.

You must not start working illegally first with the expectation that you can change your status. Check with 1345 and the immigration office in charge before signing an employment contract.

Can You Bring Your Family?

The application condition for H-1 is, in principle, not bringing accompanying dependents. A status to accompany an H-1 holder is not automatically granted to a spouse or children. If family members want to come together, each person must separately obtain a visa and Status of Stay that suits them.

Wages, Labor Contracts, and Labor Rights

H-1 workers are also protected by Korean labor laws while working legally.

The minimum wage for 2026 is 10,320 KRW per hour, or 2,156,880 KRW based on 209 hours per month. Because H-1 has working hour limits, your actual monthly salary will vary depending on your working hours. Source: Minimum Wage Commission
Make sure you receive a contract that states the workplace, duties, hourly wage, working hours, break times and holidays, pay dates, and deductions for housing and meals.
Even if you receive your wages in cash, keep your work records and pay slips.
For unpaid wages, verbal or physical abuse, and unfair dismissal, consult the Ministry of Employment and Labor at 1350 or the police at 112.
The application of industrial accident compensation insurance and other coverage looks at both employee status and workplace criteria, not nationality.
The application of taxes and social insurance such as health insurance and national pension varies depending on the type of employment and social security agreements between countries.

4. H-2 Work and Visit

Current Status of H-2 Working Visit

Suspension of New Issuance

New H-2 visa issuance has been suspended starting February 12, 2026. This is because the Status of Stay for overseas Koreans with foreign nationality was integrated into F-4, regardless of origin regions such as China or CIS. Anyone looking to apply newly must review the Overseas Korean (F-4) requirements instead of H-2.

The Ministry of Justice announced that 6 months after the integration took effect, 54% of Working Visit overseas Koreans changed to F-4. Source: 2026-08-11 Ministry of Justice Progress Status

Transitional Measures Applied to Existing H-2 Holders

You can maintain your H-2 status during your existing H-2 Period of Stay.
You can change to F-4 before your Period of Stay ends.
The process of newly changing to H-2 from another status is no longer operated.
Registration, extension, employment, and workplace reporting for H-2 must follow the existing regulations.

Period of Stay and Registration for Existing H-2 Holders

When doing foreigner registration, existing H-2 holders generally prepare their passport, photo, Integrated Application Form, fee, proof of residence, proof of completing the Early Adaptation Program, and a health certificate from a hospital designated by the Ministry of Justice.

If you prove Korean language proficiency, you can usually receive a Period of Stay within a 3-year range.
If your proof of Korean proficiency is insufficient, a shorter period like 1 year may be granted.
If you are eligible for the Ministry of Employment and Labor's "Confirmation of Employment Activity Period Extension for Persons Whose Employment Period Has Expired," you can add up to 1 year and 10 months more. That lets you look into a total employment activity period of up to 4 years and 10 months.

The actual period varies depending on passport validity, previous approval date, employment period confirmation, and violation history.

Where Can Existing H-2 Holders Work?

Existing H-2 holders can work in permitted simple labor industries.

Agriculture, livestock, and forestry
Fisheries
Mining
Manufacturing
Construction
Permitted service industries

For agriculture, forestry, fisheries, manufacturing, and construction, you check the announced list of permitted industries. For service industries, the method used is to take out the prohibited industries. Detailed industry classification codes and actual job duties are important, so do not make decisions based only on the company's explanation.

Procedures Before Employment

Complete foreigner registration.
Complete employment training from HRD Korea and submit a jobseeker application.
Find a workplace in a permitted industry through employment center placement or direct job seeking.
Check whether the employer made efforts to hire Korean workers first and obtained a 특례고용가능확인서 (teungnye goyong ganeung hwaginseo, Special Case Employment Permit Confirmation, a document where the employment center confirms that employing overseas Koreans is permitted).
Sign a labor contract.
Report to immigration within 15 days from your employment start date or workplace change date.

Check permitted methods for reporting, such as the HiKorea online application service or fax at 1577-1346. If you do not report, a fine may be issued.

When changing workplaces within permitted industries, H-2 generally uses a report of a workplace change rather than advance permission to change your workplace like the E series. You must check both the employment center procedures and immigration reporting.

When Changing from Existing H-2 to F-4

General Change

You prove that you are an overseas Korean with foreign nationality, meet the latest F-4 requirements such as criminal record, Korean language, and residence, and apply for a change of Status of Stay. Do not prepare right before your H-2 expires, but proceed in advance considering the time it takes to issue documents.

To Continue Existing Simple Labor

Under F-4, simple labor is restricted in principle. Some people change status but want to continue the same work at a workplace they legally reported under an existing H-2. They can separately apply for 체류자격외활동허가 (chelyu jagyeok oe hwaldong heoga, permission for activity outside your Status of Stay, which is permission to do work outside the activities you were already allowed to do). They can apply together with the change to F-4, or after it.

Typical documents include:

Application form for F-4 status change and activity outside Status of Stay
Passport, 외국인등록증 (oegugin deungnokjeung, Residence Card, also called the Alien Registration Card or ARC), photo, and fee
Proof of existing H-2 employment start and workplace reporting
Current labor contract
Workplace materials such as a business registration certificate
Materials related to residence, overseas Korean relationship, criminal record, and Korean language

The permitted period cannot exceed the F-4 Period of Stay and the labor contract period. This permission does not automatically expand to other companies or other simple tasks, so check before changing.

5. Safety and Wrap-Up

These Statements Are Warning Signs

Do not believe the following statements:

"Even in 2026, if you pay money, we will make a new H-2 invitation letter for you."
"Since H-1 lets you work freely, you can work more than 40 hours a week."
"You can work as an English instructor, model, or performer on a Working Holiday."
"If you change to F-4, H-2 simple labor automatically continues."
"The company takes care of registration and employment reporting, so you do not need to check yourself."
"The employer must keep your original passport and Residence Card."
"Send government fees to a personal account or in virtual assets."

Check the employer's business registration, labor contract, actual workplace, accommodation deductions, and pay dates yourself. Give priority to guidance from official Korean diplomatic missions, HiKorea, and employment centers over brokers who promise approvals or jobs.

Checklist for Before Departure and After Entry

Before Applying for H-1

Is my nationality eligible under an agreement and is quota remaining?
Do I meet the age as of the application date and additional country-specific requirements?
Is tourism my main purpose, and regular employment or study not the main purpose?
Do I have a round-trip ticket or funds to purchase one, and initial living costs of 3,000,000 KRW or more?
Have I purchased insurance that covers medical treatment and repatriation to my home country?
Have I checked the latest document formats for criminal record, health, and academic background at the diplomatic mission in charge?

After Entering Korea

If staying for more than 90 days, have I made a foreigner registration reservation within 90 days?
Is the work I am currently doing not in a prohibited job category?
When I add up the hours from all my jobs, do they stay within the country-specific limit?
Am I keeping a written labor contract and pay slips?
Have I handled reportable changes such as moving or passport changes within the deadline?
Have I finalized my plan for departure or status change before my Period of Stay ends?

Existing H-2 Holders

When do my H-2 Period of Stay and employment period respectively end?
Have the employment training, jobseeker application, and employer's special case employment procedures been completed?
Have I reported employment start or changes within 15 days?
Do I need permission to continue existing simple work after changing to F-4?

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you work full-time in Korea on H-1?

Most countries have a limit of 25 hours per week and a country-specific total employment period. Only Canada has a 40-hour weekly limit under the manual. The primary purpose of H-1 must be tourism.

Can you teach at an English academy on H-1?

No. Foreign language instruction requires a separate professional employment status such as E-2. Private tutoring is also prohibited.

Can you attend university on a Working Holiday?

Language institutes and short-term study are possible within country-specific time limits, but regular degree programs corresponding to D-2 Study Abroad are restricted.

Can you bring your spouse and children?

There is no accompanying family status under H-1. Each family member must obtain a visa and Status of Stay that suits them.

Can you apply for a new H-2 now?

No, you cannot. New issuance has been suspended starting February 12, 2026. If you are an overseas Korean with foreign nationality, review the F-4 requirements.

Can you continue your previous work if you change from existing H-2 to F-4?

No, not automatically. To continue simple work at a workplace legally reported under existing H-2, you must apply for a separate special case for permission for activity outside your Status of Stay.

In Closing

Two things are important in the H series. For H-1, it is applying country-specific rules to your situation, and for H-2, it is knowing that it is not a newly applied status but a transitional measure for existing holders. For Working Holiday, application dates and required documents at each diplomatic mission can change due to reciprocity. Right before applying, check again with the diplomatic mission in charge, 1345, and the latest HiKorea manual.

Official Sources

This document was written based on the following official materials:

Guide Manual for Visa and Stay Applications by Status of Stay (2026-08-07 edition) · Ministry of Justice, HiKorea
Integration of the Overseas Korean Status of Stay (F-4) (2026-02-11) · Ministry of Justice
54% of Working Visit Overseas Koreans Changed to Overseas Korean Status (2026-08-11) · Ministry of Justice
Immigration Act · Korean Law Information Center
Enforcement Decree of the Immigration Act · Korean Law Information Center
Korea Visa Portal · Ministry of Justice
HiKorea · Ministry of Justice
Employment Permit System Official Website · Employment Permit System (EPS)
Status of the Minimum Wage for 2026 · Minimum Wage Commission

Policies and schedules can change. Always confirm with the official sources before applying or departing.