E-8 Seasonal Employment Visa Korea — Who Can Apply, Three Pathways & What to Expect

Before October 2025, short-term seasonal agricultural and fishery workers could enter Korea under C-4 (short-stay employment) subtypes C-4-1 (agriculture/forestry), C-4-2 (livestock/fishing), C-4-3 (food processing), and C-4-4 (other seasonal). These allowed up to 90 days of seasonal work under a simplified process.

From October 2025, these C-4 seasonal subtypes have been abolished. All seasonal agricultural and fishery labour in Korea now requires the E-8 visa regardless of the intended stay length. Employers who previously used the C-4 seasonal route must now work through the E-8 local government programme.

E-8 is not individually applied for — a Korean local government must initiate your invitation through one of three channels:

Pathway 1 — Local government MOU (지자체 MOU 채결)

A Korean local government (city, county, or township — 시·군·구) signs a Memorandum of Understanding with a specific foreign municipality or government agency. Workers are selected through this bilateral agreement, typically by the foreign local authority, and invited in batches by the Korean local government. This is the largest pathway and covers most E-8 issuances.

Pathway 2 — Marriage migrant referral (결혼이민자 추천)

Foreign nationals residing in Korea as F-6 (marriage migrants) or F-5 holders can invite blood relatives (up to the 3rd degree of relation, such as siblings, cousins, nieces, nephews) to Korea as seasonal workers. The marriage migrant contacts the local government where the farm or fishing operation is located; the local government then processes the invitation if the employer has capacity.

Pathway 3 — D-2/D-4 student's parent invitation

Parents of international students enrolled at Korean universities (D-2) or language schools (D-4) can be invited as seasonal workers by a local government in the region where the student is enrolled. This pathway was introduced to give student families a legal channel to visit while contributing economically.

holders may only work in:

• Agriculture (농업): Crop cultivation and harvesting, greenhouse operations, fruit picking, and directly linked primary processing

• Fishery (어업): Coastal and deep-sea fishing, aquaculture (양식), and primary fish processing

• Livestock (축산업): Poultry, pig, and cattle farming operations (explicitly included as of 2024)

All work must be at the specific farm, fishing vessel, or livestock operation designated by the local government. holders cannot change worksites without local government approval.

• Maximum stay: Up to 5 months per entry (the seasonal cycle)

• Extension: Not generally extendable — aligned with the agricultural or fishing season

• Re-entry: Eligible workers can be re-invited in subsequent seasons through the same pathway

• Work location: Fixed to the designated employer — cannot move to a different farm or fishing operation without the inviting local government's approval

• Labour contract standard (from January 2026): The employing farm or fishing operation must use a contract template approved by the Ministry of Employment and Labour, specifying wages (minimum wage or above), hours, rest days, accommodation terms, and safety obligations

• Construction work — even during busy seasons, construction requires or other work visas

• Factory or manufacturing work — requires EPS

• Service industry seasonal work (tourism, hospitality, etc.) — not covered by

• Working for multiple employers — you are assigned to one specific operation

• White-collar work of any kind

If you or a family member in Korea wants to access seasonal work outside these categories, the relevant pathway is EPS through HRD Korea, not .