Korea C-4 Short-term Employment — Seasonal Work and Short-term Assignments

Overview

C-4 (Short-term Employment) covers paid work of up to 90 days, split between seasonal work (C-4-1 to 4) and other short-term employment (C-4-5).

Seasonal work covers cultivation and harvesting of crops (including linked primary processing) and primary processing of marine products; C-4-5 covers one-off performances, advertising and fashion modelling, lectures, research, technical guidance and similar profit-oriented short-term work.

At a Glance

Scope of Activity

• Employment in crop cultivation and harvesting (including linked primary processing) and primary processing of marine products, as determined by the Minister of Justice in consultation with the competent ministries (C-4-1 to 4)
• Profit-oriented short-term employment such as one-off performances, advertising and fashion modelling, lectures, research and technical guidance (C-4-5)

Who Qualifies

• Persons recognised by the Minister of Justice to work in crop cultivation/harvesting and primary marine processing (C-4-1 to 4)
• Persons undertaking short-term paid work such as one-off performances, advertising and fashion modelling, lectures, research or technical guidance (C-4-5)

Required Documents

• Integrated Application Form and passport (fee waived for seasonal-work workplace changes)
• Confirmation of accommodation provided
• Copy of the standard labour contract
• Certificate of industrial accident insurance, or a farmers'/fishers' safety insurance certificate
• Health insurance certificate or evidence of application (where applicable)
• Employer confirmation for seasonal worker placement (issued by the local government)

Application Process

1. Check eligibility — confirm your current status, career, degree and contract type match the requirements.
2. Prepare documents — foreign public documents need a translator's certification plus an apostille (or consular confirmation for non-member states).
3. Book a visit — reserve a slot at your Immigration Office via HiKorea (www.hikorea.go.kr), or file online where e-Application is available.
4. File and pay — submit the Integrated Application Form (Form No. 34) and pay the screening fee.
5. Review — respond to any request for supplementary documents within the deadline.
6. Result — on approval, the period of stay and status are granted; reissue your ARC if required.

Key Points

• Seasonal work (C-4-1 to 4) does not allow adding a workplace, and a local government officer must accompany any workplace change.
• Grounds for changing seasonal workplace: (1) the employer breached conditions and failed to remedy them; (2) work cannot continue for reasons not attributable to the worker; (3) it is socially unreasonable to continue at the original employer's site. The former employer must file a change-of-employment report with Immigration and the local government.
• Authority to permit workplace change/addition for C-4-5 is delegated to the head of the local Immigration Office, and no ministerial employment recommendation is needed for a change (except in sectors within E-1 to E-7 where a recommendation is mandatory).
• Changing the venue of an E-6-1 performance at the agency's direction needs no separate permit or report, but E-6-2 activity requires the employer to file a change report.
• Documents issued in Korea must normally be dated within 3 months unless another validity period applies.
• Documents already on file in your alien registration record need not be resubmitted.
• Health certificates, drug test results and pre-employment medical reports must be submitted sealed by the issuing hospital (do not open).
• You must be in Korea when applying; leaving the country after filing may result in refusal.
• Screening fees are non-refundable once the application is accepted.
• The head of the Immigration Office may add or waive documents where necessary for review.

Frequently Asked Questions

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