Korea H-1 Working Holiday — Country-by-Country Work Hours and Limits

Overview

H-1 (Working Holiday) requires that tourism be the main purpose. Devoting oneself to work or study, or engaging in journalism or political activity inconsistent with the agreement, is prohibited.

Work periods and weekly caps differ by country on a reciprocal basis: if the partner country changes the work period for Korean nationals, Korea mirrors it. The general rule is a cap of 25 hours per week.

At a Glance

Scope of Activity

• Stay with tourism as the main purpose
• Employment within the scope of the agreement (regardless of form — fixed-term, part-time, etc.)
• Study within the scope of the agreement

Who Qualifies

• Nationals of countries with a working holiday agreement who have been issued an H-1 visa
• Employment may take any form — fixed-term, part-time and so on

Required Documents

• Integrated Application Form (Form No. 34), passport and ARC, fee
• H-1 visa and agreement-related documents
• Proof of residence
• Employment contract where applicable

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

• Restricted occupations: entertainment-venue roles such as hostesses, dancers, singers, musicians and acrobats (E-6); licensed professions requiring specific qualifications (doctors, lawyers, professors, pilots, conversation instructors, etc.) and E-7 occupations; and gambling or businesses contrary to good morals.
• Study periods: Australia 4 months; Canada, Ireland, Denmark, Hong Kong, Austria, Israel, Belgium and New Zealand 6 months; other countries, the H-1 period of stay.
• H-1 holders may attend academies and language courses, but regular degree programmes constituting D-2 activity are restricted. Australia: no regular programmes other than Korean; Ireland: Korean courses up to 6 months; Denmark: education programmes up to 6 months; Canada: Korean language education within 3 months; Hong Kong: one short course up to 6 months.
• H-1 is excluded from the long-term statuses to which German nationals entering visa-free (B-1) may change.
• 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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