D-2 Student Visa Rules in Korea — School Changes, Grade Requirements & Work Rights

D-2 covers all degree-seeking study at Korean universities and colleges:

• D-2-1: Junior college (2-year program)

• D-2-2: Bachelor's degree (4-year university)

• D-2-3: Master's degree

• D-2-4: Doctoral degree

• D-2-5: Research student (연구생) — research without full enrollment in a degree program

• D-2-6: Exchange student (교환학생) — enrolled at a foreign university but attending a Korean partner university

• D-2-7: Industrial university student (산업대학교)

The subtype affects your stay duration and which activities are permitted. Exchange students (D-2-6) are typically issued for one semester at a time.

Unlike many countries, Korea's D-2 visa does not freely allow school transfers. The rules are:

• Changing to a higher level program (e.g. bachelor's → master's): Allowed with a new admission letter. Apply for a status change or reissuance.

• Changing to the same level (e.g. one bachelor's program to another): Generally requires immigration approval. You must inform immigration and obtain permission — simply re-enrolling at a new school is not sufficient.

• Downgrading (e.g. master's → bachelor's): NOT permitted. This would require returning to your home country and applying for a new D-2 visa.

• Transferring within the same university: Usually administrative, but notify immigration if your student ID number changes.

If you change schools without immigration approval, you risk being in illegal status.

Korea's immigration rules link your visa to your academic performance:

• Attendance: You must maintain minimum attendance as required by your university (usually 80%+). Excessive absences are reported to immigration.

• Grade requirements: Receiving a 'D' average or below in consecutive semesters can trigger a flag in the immigration system. Repeated academic failure may result in your extension being refused.

• Leave of absence (휴학): Taking a leave of absence is allowed but must be reported to immigration. You can remain in Korea on during a leave of absence for a limited period (usually 1 year total). Extended leaves may require changing to a different visa status.

• Graduation delay: If you are extending your studies beyond the normal program length, you must apply for a extension with proof of continued enrollment and academic progress.

students CAN work part-time in Korea, but only with specific authorization:

• During the semester: Maximum 20 hours per week with prior work authorization (사전취업허가)

• During official university vacation: Unlimited hours (no hourly cap) with the same work authorization

• Work authorization: Apply at the immigration office with your student ID, enrollment certificate, and ARC. Authorization is typically valid for the duration of your study.

Prohibited work for students:

• Adult entertainment or venues

• Certain service roles that could be considered exploitative

• Work for employers not named in your authorization (if the authorization specifies a particular employer)

Working beyond the 20-hour limit during the semester or working without authorization is an immigration violation and can result in visa revocation.

After graduation, holders have several paths:

• D-2 → D-10 (Job Seeker): The most common post-graduation step. Apply for after receiving your graduation confirmation. D-10 gives you up to 6 months to find a job.

• D-2 → E-7 (Specialist): If you already have a job offer, apply directly for in-country without needing as an intermediate step.

• D-2 → E-1 (Professor): If your degree is a PhD and you receive a university position.

Korean university graduates receive bonus K-Points for F-2-7 (points-based residency) — a bachelor's from a Korean university adds approximately 10–15 bonus points to your K-Point score.