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    After Graduation: D-10, E-7 or F-2

    After graduation, three roads stay open

    Once your degree is finished, the study (D-2) status has served its purpose. From there the routes to staying in Korea split into job-seeking (D-10), specific activity (E-7) and residence (F-2). What really separates them is not the name but whether you are allowed to earn money. Article 23(1) of the Enforcement Decree of the Immigration Act limits work-permitted statuses to short-term employment (C-4), professor (E-1) through crew employment (E-10), and work-and-visit (H-2). Neither D-2 nor D-10 appears on that list.

    Job-seeking (D-10) — the status you hold while you look

    D-10 is for people doing training or job-hunting in order to take up work in a field covered by E-1 through E-7. If you studied at a Korean university on D-2, earned an associate degree or higher, and are switching to D-10 for the first time, the points system is waived and you are granted one year. From the first extension onward, the points system does apply.

    To pass, you need at least 20 points in the basic items and 60 points overall, out of 190. Two items usually decide a graduate's score.

    • Study in Korea — within three years of graduation this is worth 30 points regardless of degree level. After three years it drops to 5 points for an associate degree, 10 for a bachelor's, 15 for a master's and 20 for a doctorate. Three years after graduation is the real cut-off.
    • Korean language — TOPIK level 5 or KIIP stage 5 is 20 points, level 4 is 15, level 3 is 10 and level 2 is 5.

    If you hold an associate degree or higher from an accredited Korean university, fewer than three years have passed, and you have TOPIK level 4 or above or have passed the KIIP stage 4 mid-term evaluation, the points system is waived at extension time too.

    The total time you can spend on D-10 is capped at three years. How much you get per grant depends on who you are: graduates of a Korean university within the past three years, and anyone scoring 80 or more, receive one year at a time, while a score between 60 and 80 gives six months at a time within a one-year total.

    You cannot take a job on D-10. You can, however, intern in an E-1 to E-7 field (up to one year at any one company, with the start or a change reported within 15 days), and if you meet the requirements you can obtain a separate part-time work permit for up to 25 hours on weekdays. TOPIK level 5 or above raises that to 30 hours, and weekends and public holidays have no hourly limit. Manufacturing and construction are among the restricted sectors.

    Specific activity (E-7) — the status you move to once the job is settled

    E-7 covers work in an occupation specifically designated by the Minister of Justice, carried out under a contract already signed with a Korean organisation. The order is the reverse of what people expect: the hire has to be confirmed first. Each grant runs up to three years and can be extended. The category splits into professional, semi-professional, general skilled and skilled workers.

    E-7 ties you to a designated workplace. You may not work anywhere else, and changing or adding an employer needs prior permission. Professionals are the exception: they may instead report the change within 15 days.

    Residence (F-2) points system — where the work restrictions fall away

    F-2 under item (i), commonly called F-2-7, carries no restriction on employment. Each grant runs up to five years. The criteria are set by a Ministry of Justice notice in force since 24 October 2025.

    • Pass mark — 80 points or more in total, out of a maximum of 170.
    • Weighting — age 25, education 25, basic competency in Korean 20 and annual income 60, plus up to 40 bonus points and up to 70 in deductions.
    • Study-in-Korea track — open to those who earned a master's degree or higher in a regular programme at a Korean university and have confirmed employment in an E-1 to E-7 or D-5 to D-9 occupation within five years of the degree date.

    Annual income carries the most weight. KRW 30–40 million is worth 30 points and KRW 40–50 million is worth 40, while being unemployed or earning below the minimum wage scores zero. Age peaks at 25 points for 25–29 year-olds, and Korean tops out at 20 points for TOPIK level 5 or above.

    The three at a glance

    • D-10 — no employment. Internships and part-time work need separate permission. Three years in total. Graduates skip the points system on the first switch.
    • E-7 — employment allowed, but only at the designated workplace. Up to three years per grant.
    • F-2 — no employment restriction. Up to five years per grant. Requires 80 points.

    Deadlines and fees

    • A change of status must be approved in advance (Immigration Act, Article 24). It is not something you report after the fact.
    • An extension must be granted before your current period expires (Article 25 of the same Act).
    • Fees: change of status KRW 100,000, extension KRW 60,000, permission for activities outside your status KRW 120,000 (KRW 20,000 for part-time work by D-2 and D-4 holders), and change or addition of workplace KRW 120,000.

    Score tables, pass marks and eligible occupations change regularly through notices and internal guidelines. This article reflects the position as of September 2026. Always confirm the requirements that apply to you with HiKorea, your local immigration office, and your university's international office.

    Sources

    Information on this page is current as of September 2026.