What happens if I work on an F-1 (Visiting/Cohabiting) visa without permission?

Working on an F-1 (Visiting/Cohabiting) visa without permission is illegal employment. You can even get a deportation order or a departure order. If you are already working, stop right away and find a legal way.

Possible penalties

• Deportation (강제퇴거): This is the heaviest penalty. You are removed from Korea even if you do not want to leave. It applies if you do activities that do not fit your status of stay, or do activities of another status without permission.
• Departure order (출국명령): You must leave Korea on your own by a set date.
• Departure recommendation (출국권고): You may get this if it is your first violation and the violation period is short, within 10 days. You must leave within 5 days. If you do not leave, it changes to a departure order.
• Notice of penalty (통고처분, fine): This is a penalty where you pay a fine instead of going through criminal procedures. Depending on how serious the violation is, you may only pay the fine and keep staying in Korea.
• Your entry to Korea may be restricted for a period of time even after you leave. The employer who hired you illegally is also punished.

What to do right now

1. Stop the unpermitted work today.
2. Write down how long you worked, where you worked, and how much money you received. The seriousness of the violation is considered when deciding the penalty.
3. If you need to work, check with Immigration before you work whether you can get permission for activities outside your status of stay (fee: 120,000 KRW). F-1 is a status that cannot be used for work in the first place, so permission is rarely given. You can check with your detailed status code on HiKorea (hikorea.go.kr).
4. Also find out whether you can change to a status that allows work, based on your family relationship or your education and career.

If you have already been caught or Immigration has contacted you, do not deal with it alone. First get a consultation with the K-VISA AI administrative agent (행정사) consultation (Visa Service in the app). If you received a deportation order, you can file an objection within 7 days of the day you received it.

Be sure to check the exact penalty standards once more with the Foreigner Comprehensive Information Center (외국인종합안내센터) (1345).