Can I change from C-4 short-term employment to another status?

In principle, changing from C-4 to another status is very limited. The head of the immigration office (출입국 사무소장) may approve a change at their discretion only in the cases below.

Requirement checklist (C-4-5, other than seasonal work)

• You entered Korea visa-free (B-1, B-2) or on a short-term visit (C-3).
• You are an athlete, musician, or dancer who entered for a team tryout or similar, or a participant in an international competition with prize money.
• You are a prominent person, such as a Nobel Prize winner, who plans to give lectures or similar. This must be objectively proven, for example as a university president or a person with a paper published in a world-class academic journal.
• You have an unavoidable reason, or your stay is needed for the national interest.

Good to know

• If approved, your period of stay is counted from your date of entry.
• You cannot change status for arts and entertainment (E-6-2) activities.
• The documents are an application form, your original passport, the fee, explanatory documents, and an activity plan.
• If you entered for seasonal work (C-4-1 to 4), the materials give no basis for a change. In this case, please get a consultation.

Other options

• C-4 allows a maximum of 90 days per stay, so there is little room for a change.
• To keep working in Korea, you usually first consider leaving Korea and entering again with a new visa for the right status (such as E-7).
• Changing or adding a workplace within the same C-4-5 is possible with a permission for change or addition of workplace. There is no limit on the number of additions.

Results can differ greatly depending on your personal situation. Please check with HiKorea (hikorea.go.kr) or 1345, or get a K-VISA AI administrative agent consultation (the app's visa service).