What can and can't I do on a D-2 (study) visa?

Your main activity on a D-2 is study. You can work part-time only if you get part-time work permission before you start working.

What you can do

• Study: degree course study, research, thesis preparation
• Part-time work with permission: Simple labor jobs that students usually do. The fee is 20,000 KRW. Apply on HiKorea (hikorea.go.kr) or in person at the immigration office.
• Work you can do without permission: teaching assistant at your own school, library work-study student, the school's standard field practice semester program, research or internships related to your studies inside your own school
• Hours you can work: This depends on your course, year, Korean ability (TOPIK, etc.), and grades. During an undergraduate semester, it is usually 10 to 30 hours a week. If you do not meet the Korean language standard, your allowed hours are reduced. Check your allowed hours with your school's international office.
• Permission requirements: Your average grade for the last semester must be C (2.0) or higher. You also need confirmation from the university's international student officer.

What you can't do

• Working part-time without permission (illegal employment)
• Work in specialized fields (E-1 to E-7). Jobs like conversation instructor or professional interpreter/translator need a separate permit for activities outside your status of stay.
• Working as a researcher for a regular company or an industry-academic cooperation foundation. You can only do this work if you change your status of stay.
• Being dispatched to, or helping at, an outside research institute that is not your own university
• Private tutoring. It is very strictly restricted.
• Working more than the permitted hours or outside the permitted conditions

⚠️ What happens if you break the rules

If you work without permission, both the student and the employer can be punished. If you are caught a second time, you are in principle deported. In particular, illegal work at a construction site leads to a departure order even the first time you are caught. If you break the permit conditions, you get a warning. After that, you may be refused part-time work permission or even lose your student status.

If your workplace changes, file a report of change of part-time workplace. If you move, you must also report your change of residence within 15 days. If you have already worked without permission, try a Kevi administrative agent consultation (Visa Service in the app).

If you find a part-time job, first get a part-time work confirmation form from your school's international office before you start working. Check the exact details once more with HiKorea or 1345.