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Republic of Korea · skilled migration

Domestic graduate job search (D-10-1)

By · Last reviewed:

Guidance updated 15 November 2026. Full-review date shown above.

A separate in-country application for eligible Korean university graduates seeking qualifying professional work; up to three years cumulatively under the confirmed reform.

Eligible domestic university qualification, professional job-search plan and current points or specific waiver, separate status approvalDoes not lead to permanent residencyUp to one year per grant/renewal and up to three years cumulatively for the eligible domestic-graduate reform category. Overseas initial D-10-1 issuance and other applicant categories can have different periods.
Processing time
Use the receiving Korean mission or competent immigration office’s current procedure and appointment availability. Screening, document authentication and additional-document requests affect the decision time; there is no verified worldwide two-to-four-week guarantee. A visit reservation or completed e-Form is not a granted visa or stay permission.
Government fees
The standard consular single-entry visa fee for a stay over 90 days is USD 60 equivalent, subject to nationality reciprocity, exemptions and the mission’s local-currency schedule. Separate Korean procedures normally cost KRW 100,000 for status change, KRW 60,000 for extension and KRW 35,000 for a residence card. Eligible online status-change or extension procedures have a 20% procedure-fee reduction; check that the particular application is available online. Tuition, insurance, translations and any application service charges are separate.
Typical duration
Up to one year per grant/renewal and up to three years cumulatively for the eligible domestic-graduate reform category. Overseas initial D-10-1 issuance and other applicant categories can have different periods.
Required support
Eligible domestic university qualification, professional job-search plan and current points or specific waiver, separate status approval
Leads to permanent residency
No
Reviewed Ministry of Justice / Korea Immigration Service, Republic of Korea ↗

In short

A separate in-country application for eligible Korean university graduates seeking qualifying professional work; up to three years cumulatively under the confirmed reform. Guidance updated 15 November 2026. Costs, application stages and eligibility conditions are set out with their sources below.

Cite this: https://visaatlas.org/visas/south-korea/graduate-job-search-d-10-1#answer

What is the Domestic graduate job search (D-10-1) in Republic of Korea?

Domestic graduate job search (D-10-1) is an unsponsored South Korea route. Indicative government fees are The standard consular single-entry visa fee for a stay over 90 days is USD 60 equivalent, subject to nationality reciprocity, exemptions and the mission’s local-currency schedule. Separate Korean procedures normally cost KRW 100,000 for status change, KRW 60,000 for extension and KRW 35,000 for a residence card. Eligible online status-change or extension procedures have a 20% procedure-fee reduction; check that the particular application is available online. Tuition, insurance, translations and any application service charges are separate; indicative processing time is Use the receiving Korean mission or competent immigration office’s current procedure and appointment availability. Screening, document authentication and additional-document requests affect the decision time; there is no verified worldwide two-to-four-week guarantee. A visit reservation or completed e-Form is not a granted visa or stay permission; typical duration is Up to one year per grant/renewal and up to three years cumulatively for the eligible domestic-graduate reform category. Overseas initial D-10-1 issuance and other applicant categories can have different periods. This route does not lead to permanent residence.

Primary guidance checked with Ministry of Justice / Korea Immigration Service, Republic of Korea on 15 November 2026.

Overview

This guide covers eligible domestic university graduates changing to D-10-1 for qualifying professional job search and permitted internships. It is not a first-arrival job-search recommendation for everyone, unrestricted employment permission or the D-10-2 startup-preparation and D-10-3 advanced-intern categories. The reform effective 29 October 2025 increased eligible domestic graduates’ job-search stay from two to three years, with grants/renewals of up to one year. Eligibility, a current point test or an actual applicable waiver, permitted activities and renewal checks still matter.

Additional sources

Eligibility

Typical criteria

Common blockers

Typical evidence

  • ·Current application, passport/residence identification, qualifying degree and relevant academic or career evidence, and a specific job-search plan. Supply the points or actual waiver evidence and any professional qualifications relevant to the intended field.Ministry of Justice / Korea Immigration Service, Republic of Korea ↗
  • ·The receiving authority’s current proof of accommodation and financial support or verified financial waiver. For renewal, obtain the competent office’s current evidence request and be ready to document actual job-search progress and any internships; the statutory change-of-status list is not a complete universal renewal checklist.Republic of Korea Ministry of Foreign Affairs / Consulate in Kobe ↗
  • ·For a proposed professional internship, establish the actual duties, host and contract and the applicable immigration procedure before starting. Retain the information needed for any required report and subsequent status or renewal decision.Ministry of Justice / Korea Immigration Service, Republic of Korea ↗

Application pathway

  1. Check graduation, eligibility and the actual waiver

    Plan before the current study permission expires. Identify the degree, graduation date, current point test or specific first-graduate/language waiver. An initial waiver does not establish every later renewal waiver.

  2. File the separate domestic status-change application

    Prepare the qualification, job plan, funds or verified exemption, residence and current-office documents. Use the competent immigration procedure; an appointment is not an application and overseas consular initial-issuance instructions do not replace domestic filing requirements.

  3. Search and undertake only permitted activities

    Use D-10 for its qualifying professional search and permitted internships. The confirmed graduate reform removed the aggregate internship cap but limits internships with a single company to one year. It does not authorise unrestricted employment or dispense with the applicable internship approval/reporting procedure.

  4. Renew on the continuing qualifying basis

    The domestic-graduate framework allows up to one year per grant/renewal, up to three years cumulatively, subject to approval. Keep job-search and internship records, current identification/residence and any evidence requested by the office; file before actual expiry.

  5. Change to the correct work permission before ordinary employment

    A job offer must satisfy the relevant employment-status occupation, qualification, employer and salary rules. D-10 time does not automatically satisfy the professional-residence limb of F-2 or establish permanent residence. On 7 October 2026 MOJ announced staged student-visa reforms. The roadmap places language-linked D-10 redesign in the first half of 2027 and broader student-work changes across later stages. It also announces changes to financial proof and new study/skills pathways. An announcement or target date alone does not establish that every office is accepting the new arrangement: obtain the operative notice for your category. This guide retains the independently confirmed current permissions.

After approval: prepare for your next step

For Domestic graduate job search (D-10-1), use the actual decision and the issuing authority’s instructions to establish what has been granted. A successful application, permission to enter, permission to work and a residence document are not interchangeable.

  1. 1. Check the decision. Confirm the name, passport, status granted, start date and any next action. Resolve an error with the authority before relying on the document for travel or employment.
  2. 2. Establish the travel step. Read any entry window, activation, collection or in-country registration instruction. For an extension or change of status, do not assume leaving the country is required or safe while a further step remains pending.
  3. 3. Confirm what you may do. Check whether employment, self-employment, remote work or study is permitted under the status granted. Do not infer unrestricted work rights from the absence of an employer sponsor.
  4. 4. Organise the household. Check each accompanying person’s permission separately, then arrange healthcare, accommodation, access to money and the relevant local registrations. A tax number or bank account does not by itself prove a right to work.
  5. 5. Keep the ongoing conditions visible. Record the actual expiry, renewal process, permitted absences and any duty to report changes. An initial grant does not automatically establish permanent residence or citizenship.
Official Domestic graduate job search (D-10-1) instructionsBuild my moving plan for this routeMoving to South Korea

Official application links

Where to actually go next

Government links only

These are the official pages to use for this route. Open them before preparing documents: the forms, fees, appointment systems, and sponsor steps can change without warning.

  1. Official guidanceApplicant
    Read the operative graduate and internship reform ↗

    Use the domestic-graduate scope, effective date, one-year grant and three-year cumulative distinction.

    Ministry of Justice / Korea Immigration Service, Republic of Korea · verified

  2. Official guidanceApplicant
    Check eligibility and documentary branches ↗

    Read the distinct points and waiver branches; confirm the domestic procedure with the competent office.

    Republic of Korea Ministry of Foreign Affairs / Consulate in Kobe · verified

  3. Official guidanceApplicant
    Check the October 2026 implementation roadmap ↗

    Distinguish the confirmed current graduate framework from planned language-linked changes.

    Ministry of Justice / Korea Immigration Service, Republic of Korea · verified

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Frequently asked questions

Is this permission granted automatically at graduation?+

No. You need an eligible qualification, the applicable points or specific waiver and a separate approved status application before relying on D-10.

Is the job-search limit one year in total?+

For eligible domestic university graduates, the reform effective 29 October 2025 allows up to three years cumulatively, with grants/renewals of up to one year. The actual decision can be shorter, and other D-10 categories or overseas initial visas have their own conditions.

Are internships limited to three months per employer?+

That is not the confirmed graduate-reform rule. It removed the aggregate internship cap and raised the single-company limit to one year. The internship must still fit the permitted professional activity and applicable immigration procedure.

Can I use D-10 for any job?+

No. Job search and permitted internships are distinct from ordinary employment, which needs the appropriate work status. Do not assume a casual or unrelated job is authorised.

Does every graduate get a points waiver forever?+

No. First-graduate and qualification-plus-language branches have distinct conditions and timing. Verify the actual waiver for the current application and renewal; do not carry an initial waiver forward automatically.

Did October 2026 reduce everyone’s maximum to two years?+

The announced language-linked redesign has a first-half-2027 roadmap target. The current confirmed domestic-graduate framework is up to three years. Check any later operative instruction before applying.

Need tailored advice?

We do not provide legal advice. For an application that depends on your exact circumstances, consult a regulator-listed immigration advisor.

Find a regulated advisor in South Korea

How we verified this

We check every figure on this page against the primary government source, record the date it was last checked, and re-check it on a regular schedule. Rules change, so always confirm time-sensitive details with the official source before you rely on them. Visa Atlas is an information-only publication and does not give legal advice.

Primary source: Ministry of Justice / Korea Immigration Service, Republic of Korea

Last checked: 15 November 2026

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