Changing Employers on a Korean Work Visa — Rules by Visa Type (E-2, E-7, E-9, H-2 & More)

Korean work visas fall into two groups:

1. Employer-bound visas — your visa is approved for a specific employer and job. Changing employers requires formal approval.
2. Free-to-work visas — you can work for any employer without individual approval, though notification may be required.

Most E-series work visas are employer-bound. F-series visas (F-2, F-4, F-5, F-6) and H-2 are generally free-to-work.

E-2 is tied to your specific sponsoring institution (school or hagwon). However, employer changes ARE allowed under these rules:

• Process: Submit a 'workplace change report' (근무처 변경신고) at immigration within 15 days of starting at the new employer • Requirements: New employment contract + new employer's business registration + updated health declaration • Key rule: You must NOT start working at the new institution before reporting to immigration — or at most, simultaneously file the report on your first day • School restrictions: Some public school contracts and EPIK contracts explicitly prohibit mid-contract employer changes without release from the school

The fee for workplace change notification is ₩120,000.

E-7 is also employer-bound, but workplace changes are routinely allowed:

• Process: Submit workplace change report (근무처 변경신고) within 15 days of starting with new employer • Requirements: New employment contract in E-7-eligible occupation + new employer documentation + ARC • Occupation must match: The new job must still fall under the same E-7 occupation code as your current visa. Changing to a completely different occupation typically requires a new E-7 application • Multiple employers: E-7 holders can add a second employer (추가 근무처) with immigration approval — useful for consultants or part-time academic roles

After the change, your E-7 validity period remains the same — the change of employer does not reset your stay duration.

E-9 is the most restrictive for employer changes. Workers are placed by the EPS system with a specific employer and sector:

• Standard rule: E-9 workers generally CANNOT freely change employers. Changes are allowed ONLY in specific circumstances:

• Employer closes down or cannot continue operations
• Worker experiences human rights violations (verified by MOEL)
• Employer violates the employment contract in a documented way
• After 3 years with one employer (and employer consent), a voluntary change is possible in limited cases

• Process for permitted changes: Apply through HRD Korea (한국산업인력공단). The employer change is managed by the EPS system, not directly at the immigration office

• Sector restriction: E-9 workers also cannot freely change sectors. A worker hired for agriculture cannot move to manufacturing without going through the EPS re-matching process

Working for an unapproved employer on E-9 is one of the most serious immigration violations for EPS workers and can result in deportation and a multi-year ban.

H-2 holders have the greatest employer flexibility among work visas:

• Change employers freely within permitted occupations — no pre-approval required • Notification required: Must notify immigration within 15 days of changing to a new employer • Occupation scope: H-2 is limited to certain occupation categories (manufacturing, construction, agriculture, fishery, food service, cleaning, caregiving). Changing jobs within these categories is unrestricted. • Prohibited work: H-2 cannot be used for white-collar professional work (E-series occupations). If an H-2 holder wants to work in a professional role, they must change to E-7 or another appropriate visa.

H-2's flexibility is one of its main advantages, particularly for 고려인 (Koryo-saram) workers who may move between employers seasonally.

• E-3 (Research): Change allowed with workplace change report. New employer must be a research institution or company with a qualified research facility. • E-4 (Technology transfer): Similar to E-3 — employer change allowed with notification, new employer must be approved for technology transfer activities. • E-5 (Professional services): Employer change allowed with notification — common for doctors, lawyers, CPAs moving between hospitals, firms. • E-6 (Arts and entertainment): Change allowed with notification — performer must update to new promoter or venue operator.