비자 비교 — 대한민국
Both and let you live and work in Korea without a professional job offer — but they are completely different programs for completely different people. H-1 is for young adults from treaty countries who want to experience Korea while funding their trip. H-2 is exclusively for ethnic Koreans from China and the CIS region who want to return to work in Korea long-term.
H-1이런 분께 적합합니다…
You are 18–30 (or 18–35 for select countries) and your nationality has a working holiday treaty with Korea
You want maximum job flexibility — able to work in any sector without restrictions
You want to experience Korea for up to 2 years with no professional job offer required
You are not of Korean ethnic heritage
H-2이런 분께 적합합니다…
Can Americans get a Working Holiday visa for Korea?
Yes. The US-Korea Working Holiday treaty allows Americans aged 18–30 to apply for an visa. The US has one of the larger annual quotas among H-1 partner countries. Apply at the Korean consulate — the visa is typically issued within 1–2 weeks.
Can I get H-2 if I am of Korean descent but a US citizen?
Not . H-2 is specifically for ethnic Koreans from China and 14 designated countries (former Soviet republics and a few others). US citizens of Korean descent typically qualify for (Overseas Korean) instead, which offers broader rights than H-2.
Can H-1 be extended beyond 1 year?
For most countries, is a once-per-lifetime single-year visa. However, nationals of Australia, Canada, Germany, Denmark, France, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, and the UK can extend to a second year. Check your specific bilateral treaty terms.
What happens when H-2 expires?
When your cumulative stay reaches 5 years, you must leave Korea and wait 1 year before re-entering on H-2. Alternatively, if you have accumulated 4+ years of E-9/H-2 work experience, you may be eligible to apply for E-7-4 (skilled worker) status before leaving.
비자 신청을 도와드릴 인증된 전문가
Mr. Visa Korea에는 운영팀이 검증한 공인 출입국행정사(행정사)가 등록되어 있습니다. 콜드콜 없이 바로 상담을 예약하세요.
인증된 프로필만 등록
직접 상담 예약 가능
어떤 비자가 나에게 맞는지 모르시겠나요?
검증된 행정사와 연결하여 맞춤 평가를 받으세요.
H-1 또는 H-2에 대해 구체적인 질문이 있으신가요?
K-VISA AI에 물어보세요 — 한국 비자 요건에 대한 즉각적인 답변.
Up to 1 year (extendable to 2 years for some nationalities — AU, CA, DE, DK, FR, IE, JP, NZ, UK)
| ✓ Up to 3 years per grant; total H-2 accumulated stay up to 5 years |
| Work rights | ✓ Any legal employment — but work should not dominate the visit (no employer restriction in practice) | Permitted manual and service sector occupations (manufacturing, construction, agriculture, fishery, food service, cleaning, caregiving). White-collar professional work is not permitted. |
| Language requirement | ✓ None for the visa itself | Must pass the overseas Korean Korean Proficiency Test (한국어시험) or the domestic EPS-TOPIK system to enter the H-2 pool |
| Employer restriction | None — can change jobs freely, no notification required | Can change employers within permitted occupations without prior approval — notification to immigration within 15 days |
| Repetition | Typically once per lifetime per treaty (some countries allow repeated use — check your specific treaty) | ✓ Can be renewed multiple times up to the 5-year total accumulation limit |
| Path to long-term residency |
Who can apply
H-1
Citizens of countries with a Working Holiday treaty with Korea (e.g. USA, Australia, UK, Canada, Germany, France, Japan, and others — 25+ countries)
H-2
Ethnic Koreans (조선족/고려인) from China and 14 CIS/other countries ONLY — not open to other nationalities
Age requirement
H-1
18–30 (18–35 for some countries like Canada, Australia, Germany)
H-2
18 and above — no upper age limit
Primary purpose
H-1
Experience Korean culture and travel, funded by temporary work — work is a means, not the goal
H-2
Work in Korea in permitted manual/service sectors
Authorised stay
H-1
Up to 1 year (extendable to 2 years for some nationalities — AU, CA, DE, DK, FR, IE, JP, NZ, UK)
H-2
Up to 3 years per grant; total H-2 accumulated stay up to 5 years
Work rights
H-1
Any legal employment — but work should not dominate the visit (no employer restriction in practice)
H-2
Permitted manual and service sector occupations (manufacturing, construction, agriculture, fishery, food service, cleaning, caregiving). White-collar professional work is not permitted.
Language requirement
H-1
None for the visa itself
H-2
Must pass the overseas Korean Korean Proficiency Test (한국어시험) or the domestic EPS-TOPIK system to enter the pool
Employer restriction
H-1
None — can change jobs freely, no notification required
H-2
Can change employers within permitted occupations without prior approval — notification to immigration within 15 days
Repetition
H-1
Typically once per lifetime per treaty (some countries allow repeated use — check your specific treaty)
H-2
Can be renewed multiple times up to the 5-year total accumulation limit
Path to long-term residency
H-1
experience and Korean acquired can support application. F-2-7 possible if K-Points qualify.
H-2
experience counts toward E-7-4 upgrade (4+ years) or F-2-99 long-term residency. (Overseas Korean) is a parallel option for eligible ethnic Koreans.
You are an ethnic Korean (조선족 or 고려인) from China or one of the 14 eligible CIS/other countries
You want a longer authorized stay (up to 5 years total)
You want to build experience toward E-7-4 skilled worker status or F-4 overseas Korean status
You are 30+ and no longer eligible for H-1
일반적인 경로:
H-1 holders who develop Korean language skills and work experience often convert to E-7 (skilled worker) at the end of their working holiday. H-2 holders who accumulate 4+ years of Korean work experience and meet the E-7-4 points requirement can upgrade to skilled worker status — the most common long-term path for ethnic Korean manual workers.
자격 확인 및 리뷰
Mr. Visa Korea에 등록된 모든 전문가는 한국에 등록된 공인 출입국행정사입니다.
전문가 보기작성자 James Chae — 엑스퍼트 사피엔스 공동창업자
플랫폼 전문 분야: 출입국 컨설팅 및 비자 서비스 · 검토됨 4월 2026