Article by:
Holly Hanger
Switching from an E-2 to a D-10 Visa in Korea
Whether you’ve been teaching in Korea for a while and just want a break from teaching, you want to find a non-teaching job, or you are looking for the perfect teaching job, you may be considering switching from an E-2 visa to a D-10 visa. This visa is perfect if you were in the TaLK program and you are finishing up your last semester of college as well, so don’t hesitate to apply if you’re wanting to stay in Korea but can’t legally teach for a semester. This will allow you to get all of your ducks in a row without the added stress of hopping countries.
What is a D-10?
A D-10 visa, also known as a job searcher’s visa, is a visa that allows you to reside in Korea without being employed for six months at a time. With 6 months, you have plenty of time to find, apply, and interview for new jobs. If, for whatever reason, you are unable to find a job within those 6 months, you may renew the visa again. You may renew it up to 3 times, so there is a total of 2 years that you can stay in Korea on a D-10 visa. If you are unable to find a job within two years, then you will be forced to leave Korea.
Stipulations/Restrictions of a D-10
On a D-10 visa, you face many of the same restrictions as to when you have an E-2 visa. The first and foremost restriction is that you CANNOT accept any money from any job within Korea. You may volunteer at a local shelter or do other types of non-paid charity work, but you may not be employed in Korea at all. There is a legal grey area, however. It is not explicitly stated anywhere that you cannot hold an online position in your home country. The main concern is that you do not hold a job within the Korean economy without a valid working visa. As long as you are not accepting money from Korea, you should be fine. Of course, you will have to pay taxes to your home country and abide by the laws thereof, but it isn’t technically illegal to do so.
While searching for a new job, you may leave Korea for no more than 90 days on a D-10 visa. For instance, if you want to leave Korea and visit another country for a month, then come back and find a job, you may do so. You can leave multiple times as well, so if you have time before the new contract starts and you want to leave again, you may do so. In the current pandemic, this may be restricted by travel bans and quarantine requirements, but it is still legal.
How to Apply
When switching from an E-2 visa to a D-10 visa, it is much easier than just applying for a D-10 visa. There is less paperwork and far fewer criteria that you have to meet. The first criteria that you must meet is that you must apply for the D-10 visa after your school contract ends and before your ARC (Alien Registration Card) expires. Failure to do so will result in you leaving the country. Once you apply for the D-10, it is legal for you to remain in Korea until your request is accepted or rejected, even if your ARC expires. If your request is denied, you will have to leave the country.
The list of paperwork is relatively short when switching from an E-2 to a D-10, but this changes drastically if you are switching from a different visa or applying for a D-10 without a previous visa. You will need:
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Passport
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ARC (Alien Registration Card)
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Two (2) passport pictures
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Proof of Residency (A housing contract with your name on it is preferred, but if you are staying with someone else and your name is NOT on the contract, there is a separate form that you must fill out. Inquire at immigration for this form and they’ll give it to you. If you are staying with someone else, you will also need a photocopy of their ARC. You may use the computer at immigration to print this. Immigration does accept printed pictures of the ARC as long as they are clear, so snapping a picture on your cell phone and printing those pictures is possible.)
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130,000 KRW (There are two separate fees.)
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Seeking for Employment form (available at immigration or online. This will include you writing what your plan is for seeking employment. You will want to put that you will be submitting applications in person or online, making online profiles on Korean job sites such as Saramin, JobKorea, or JobPlanet.)
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Change of Sojourn Status form (available at immigration or online. If your address is changing, you will need to mark “change of visa” AND “change of address” on this form. If you fail to do so, they may overlook the need for your address to be changed, and you will be required to pay for the address to be changed. It’s easier and cheaper to do it at once.)
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Bank account statement stating you have 3,000,000 (three million) KRW (They often don’t ask for this, but you can prepare it to be safe.)
Once you go to immigration with this paperwork filled out, it’s a relatively short process. They will take your forms, scan your information, and have you pay two separate fees. One is for the application itself, and one is for your new ARC. They will not give you back your ARC, so your passport will be your only valid and accepted form of identification in Korea. They will ask you to come back in 30 days to inquire about your visa status. They refuse to divulge any information about the status of your current or desired visa over the phone or by email, so you must go in person. If you do not go in person, you won’t receive any information nor will you receive your visa or ARC card back, and will technically be residing in Korea illegally.
When you go back to immigration, you will inquire about the status of your visa. Be sure to bring your Passport, as that will then be the only way they will divulge any information to you. If you are granted the D-10 visa, then you may go on your merry way and begin your hunt for a new job or whatever else you have planned. If you are denied this visa, you will be given a set amount of time to legally leave the country. If you fail to leave the country by the appointed day and time given, you may be fined, deported, and/or banned from re-entering Korea.