Change of Status of Sojourn
체류자격 변경허가 — Immigration procedure (not a visa) — changing from one sojourn (stay) status to a different one while remaining inside Korea, without leaving to get a new visa abroad. Legal basis: Immigration Control Act Art. 24 and Enforcement Decree Art. 30.
At a glance
A foreign national already staying in Korea who wants to stop the activities allowed under their current status and start activities that require a DIFFERENT status.
The change grants you the TARGET status, and the period of stay you receive follows that target status — it is not carried over from your old status.
Depends on the TARGET status, not on the change procedure itself.
Fee: 100,000 KRW for a standard change of status (per HiKorea/gov.kr). Target status of F-5 (permanent residence) costs 200,000 KRW. Applying via HiKorea online gives a 10% discount (about 90,000 KRW). Some targets are fee-exempt (e.g., D-8 enterprise-investment holders in certain cases). A broader immigration fee increase reportedly takes effect 2026-01-01 (some sources cite ~130,000 KRW for change of status) — this was NOT confirmed on an official Ministry of Justice / immigration.go.kr notice at time of writing, so treat it as (unverified) and re-check the official fee schedule. · Time: Roughly 3 weeks to 3 months (officially listed as indeterminate / unspecified (불특정)).
Where this fits in your journey
Before arrival
Get admitted, prepare documents, apply.
During study
ARC, extensions, permits while in Korea.
After graduation
Job-seeking and work visas.
Settlement
Long-term residence and PR.
Who needs this
- ✓A foreign national already staying in Korea who wants to stop the activities allowed under their current status and start activities that require a DIFFERENT status.
- ✓You must apply while your current status is still valid (before it expires) and while you are physically inside Korea — this is not done at an embassy abroad.
- ✓Common student cases: a language student (D-4) who has been admitted to a degree program (D-2); a graduating degree student (D-2) who wants to stay and look for a job (D-10); a job-seeker (D-10) who has received a job offer or set up a business and needs a work/investment status (E-7, D-8).
- ✓You generally must not have started the new activity before the change is approved.
Documents you'll need
- Documents VARY by the target status — always check the target-status checklist in the HiKorea guide manual or ask the immigration office. Common (all cases): application form (Form No. 34 / integrated application form, 통합신청서)
- passport
- Alien Registration Card (외국인등록증)
- one photo
- fee. Target-status specific examples — D-4->D-2: certificate of admission / enrollment from the university, tuition payment proof, financial/bank balance proof, previous-school transcript & attendance record. D-2->D-10: graduation certificate or expected-graduation certificate (졸업(예정)증명서), transcript, (for point-system cases) TOPIK certificate, resume/job-search plan. D-10->E-7: employment contract, company documents (business registration, financials), your degree & career proof. D-10-2->D-8-4 (tech startup): OASIS/startup program proof, business plan, intellectual-property or incorporation documents.
How to apply
- HiKorea online (e-application, 전자민원) or in-person at the competent immigration office (출입국·외국인관서) with advance reservation (방문예약).
- Must be granted before engaging in activities under the new status.
- HOW/WHERE: Apply online through HiKorea (www.hikorea.go.kr) e-application (전자민원) — log in, choose the change-of-status permit (체류자격 변경허가), fill the form, upload scanned documents, and pay the fee.
- Many change-of-status cases are now processed online (online-application scope has been expanding).
- Where an in-person step is still required, book an immigration office visit through HiKorea’s reservation system (reservation must usually be made at least 1 day before the visit; slots fill up, so book early).
- CRITICAL: submit the application BEFORE your current status expires.
- After graduation a D-2 is only valid for a limited window (about 30 days), so apply 2-4 weeks early.
- Applying through HiKorea gives a 10% fee discount.
Deadlines & renewal
The change grants you the TARGET status, and the period of stay you receive follows that target status — it is not carried over from your old status. Examples: D-2 is granted per program length; D-10 job-seeking is issued in terms (typically up to 6 months at a time, up to a longer total cap — see 2025 reform below); E-7 and D-8 follow their own periods.
After the change you hold the new status and extend it under that status’s rules.
Change of status (this procedure) is different from Extension of Sojourn Period (PROC-EOS / extension-of-stay permit, 체류기간 연장허가). Use CHANGE when you move to a different status (e.g., D-2 -> D-10); use EXTENSION when you keep the SAME status but need more time (e.g., D-2 -> D-2).
After a successful change, any further time on the new status is handled through the extension procedure for that status.
Requirements in detail
Depends on the TARGET status, not on the change procedure itself. Notably, D-2 -> D-10 (job-seeking): a bachelor’s-degree graduate from a Korean university within the last 3 years with TOPIK level 4 or higher can switch to D-10 without going through the full point-based screening; applicants with lower Korean can still qualify through the point system (e.g., TOPIK 3 adds points).
Other targets (E-7, D-8, D-2) have their own requirements. The change procedure itself has no TOPIK requirement.
For change to certain statuses (e.g. E-7), an employment recommendation (고용추천서) from the competent central ministry may be required.
(unverified)
Sub-types
D-4→D-2: language trainee moving to a degree program (admission/enrollment required). D-2→D-10: graduate to job-seeking status (D-10 assessed under a points criterion).
D-10→E-7: job-seeker to designated professional employment (requires employment contract; a competent-ministry employment recommendation (고용추천서) may be required for the target E-7 occupation).
2025–2026 policy updates
- D-10 (job-seeking) reform effective 2025-10-29/30 lowered transition barriers: maximum stay granted per approval raised from 6 months to up to 1 year; total allowable D-10 stay extended from 2 years to 3 years; internship rules eased (up to 1 year at the same company, cumulative cap removed); part-time work eased (with off-status activity permission, unlimited hours on weekends/holidays except simple-labor jobs, plus weekday work).
- Note: most easements target first-time D-10 applicants and are limited for those switching from an existing E-1~E-7 professional status.
- HiKorea online-application coverage for change-of-status has continued to expand (more cases processable without an office visit).
- A general immigration fee increase is reported for 2026-01-01 (unverified officially).
Common mistakes
- Applying AFTER the current status has already expired (you then fall out of legal status and cannot use the domestic change procedure — you may have to leave and re-apply abroad).
- Assuming every status can be changed inside Korea — some statuses cannot be changed domestically and require a new visa from an overseas mission.
- Waiting until the last day after graduation (a graduated D-2 only has a short remaining window).
- Starting the new activity (e.g., full-time work) before the change is approved.
- Not booking the immigration-office visit slot early enough.
- Bringing documents for the wrong (generic) checklist instead of the target status’s checklist.
Where this leads
Get visa updates by email
Join GoKorea Insider for clear updates on visas and key dates.
Join Insider — Free