Can an E-1 professor stay in Korea after the contract with the university ends?

Yes, there are ways to stay. But the Professor (E-1) status is based on working at a university. So when your contract ends, you must move to another school or change to another status to keep staying.

Ways to keep staying

• Move to another university (report of change of workplace): If you meet the requirements to work at the new university, you do not need permission in advance. Just report to the local immigration office within 15 days after you move.
• Consent form from your original university: You do not need to submit it if you worked until the contract end date. If the school suspended or closed its business, or did not pay your wages, you can submit proof of that or a written statement of the reason instead.
• Documents from the new workplace: Submit the basic documents (report form, passport, registration card) together with the employment contract and the new university's business registration certificate.
• Change to another status: If you have no place to move to right away, you usually change to Job Seeking (D-10) and look for a job. If you are moving to a research institute, you can also change to Research (E-3). The fee for a change of status is 100,000 KRW.

⚠️ Points to note

• Do not do nothing and just stay after the contract ends. Even if you have time left on your stay period, your basis for staying may become weaker. If the school reports the change in employment, immigration may shorten your stay period. This is handled differently for each person, so be sure to check.
• If you were dismissed because of your own fault, or you quit in the middle of the contract and did not get your original university's consent, you cannot move by report alone. In this case, you must get separate permission for a change of workplace.
• If you miss the reporting deadline, you may have to pay a fine.
• If your stay period has already ended or is about to end, get a consultation from the K-VISA AI administrative agent (Visa Service in the app).

Before your contract ends, decide your next plan (changing jobs, D-10, or leaving Korea). Check the exact details again at HiKorea (hikorea.go.kr) or 1345.