H-1 — working holiday

Who qualifies

Nationals of countries with a working holiday agreement with Korea — around two dozen, including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Sweden, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. The list changes as agreements are signed, so check with your local Korean embassy.

The standard conditions: aged 18 to 30 (some agreements extend to 35), no dependants travelling with you, sufficient funds, a return ticket or the means to buy one, and travel insurance. Some agreements set an annual quota, and for popular countries it fills early in the year.

It can only ever be granted once. There is no second working holiday.

Duration

Twelve months for most countries, eighteen for a few. Non-renewable and non-extendable — the end date is the end date.

What you can do

Most work is permitted, which is unusual for a Korean visa. You may change employers freely and take multiple jobs. The exclusions are entertainment-sector work and some regulated professions, and the agreement is framed around travel with incidental work rather than full-time employment for the whole period — though enforcement of that framing is light.

Common H-1 work: English teaching at academies that will take you without an E-2, hospitality, seasonal work, and increasingly remote work for an employer abroad.

The limitation that matters

H-1 time does not count towards the residence period for F-2-7 or F-5. Neither does it earn points. If your plan is to stay in Korea long term, a year on H-1 is a year that contributes nothing to that goal on paper.

That is not an argument against it — a working holiday is an excellent way to find out whether you want to live in Korea before committing to a decade of paperwork. It is an argument for being deliberate about what comes next.

Converting to something else

You cannot extend H-1, but you can change status from within Korea:

• E-7, if you find a sponsoring employer and hold the qualifications for the occupation code. The most valuable outcome of a working holiday.
• E-2, if you hold a qualifying degree and nationality and find a teaching position — note that you will need an apostilled national criminal record check, which takes months, so start it early.
• D-10, if you have a degree and want time to job-hunt properly.
• D-2 or D-4, if you enrol in a programme.

Start any of these at least three months before your H-1 expires. Change-of-status applications need appointments, and appointments in Seoul run weeks out.

Practicalities

• Register for a residence card within 90 days of arrival — H-1 holders are not exempt.
• National Health Insurance enrolment applies to you once you meet the residence condition. Budget for it.
• Employers should enrol you in employment and industrial accident insurance. Many small employers do not; that is their violation, not yours, and the Ministry of Employment and Labor helpline on 1350 handles it.
• You will be taxed on Korean earnings. If you leave mid-year, file before you go — see the leaving Korea checklist.