Embassy of the Republic of Korea to Canada

Under the bilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Youth Mobility signed in Seoul on May 17, 2023, Korea offers the Working Holiday program, the E visa program and the high-tech internship D-10-3 visa program for Canadians as described below. 

Working Holiday in Korea

General Information

Canadians with a working holiday visa can live and work in Korea for a maximum of two years per one authorized participation and can participate twice in accordance with the abovementioned MOU. You may work up to 40 hours per week, or 2,080 hours per year, and study for up to six months during your stay in Korea. 

You can also take Korean language lessons free of charge. The free language courses are offered online at King Sejong Institute (https://www.iksi.or.kr) and in person at Seoul Global Center (http://global.seoul.go.kr).

For more information, please check the website of the Working Holiday Info Center or contact the Korean Embassy or one of the Consulates General in Toronto, Vancouver or Montreal.

Requirements

To be eligible for a working holiday visa, you must:

• Be between 18 and 35 years of age (inclusive) at the time of application. 

• Not be accompanied, under this visa, by any dependents at any point in time during your stay in Korea.

• Reside in Canada when you apply for this visa and when your visa is granted.

• Hold a Canadian passport that remains valid throughout your stay in Korea.

The following documents must be provided.

• Visa application form

• Valid passport and one passport photo (3.5 x 4.5 cm)*

* Photo must be taken within the last six months and have a date stamp at the back.

• Working Holiday plans

• Resume (CV)

• Proof of student status or a certificate from the most recent school attended

• Round trip flight schedules

• Bank statement with a certified bank stamp ($3,400 CAD minimum)

• Health insurance that will remain valid throughout your stay in Korea (minimum coverage KRW 40,000,000) and provides coverage for return to the applicant’s home country

• Application fee ($117 CAD)

• RCMP fingerprints criminal record check issued within the last six months

• Physical examination performed by a physician including chest x-ray, urinalysis, HIV and blood test, and issued within the last three months

☞ Please note that additional documents may be requested by the Korean Embassy or Consulates General to determine the eligibility of the applicant. 

Application Process

All working holiday visa applications must be submitted in your home country. You must be in the country of your nationality when you apply for this visa and when your visa is granted. Applications are accepted year-round and will be reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis.

Consult with the Embassy or the Consulate nearest to your residence for more information.

Young Professionals: E Category Visa 

General Information

Canadians who intend to work in Korea under a pre-arranged contract of employment in support of their career development can apply for an E category visa. Korea offers a total of seven E visa schemes for the Young Professionals category under the Korea-Canada Youth Mobility Program, as listed below.

• E-1 (Professor): Canadians who have a contract of employment to teach in two-year colleges or university-affiliated research institutions in Korea

• E-2 (Foreign Language Instructor): Canadians who have a contract of employment as a language instructor in private language institutes, public schools or corporate institutions

• E-3 (Research): Researchers who are invited by public or private institutions in Korea to conduct research in the fields of natural science, advanced technology, social science, humanities, arts and sports

• E-4(Technical Instructor): People who provide special expertise in the field of natural sciences or advanced technology that is not domestically available for public and private institutions in Korea

• E-5(Professional): Professionals who are certified in the fields of law, accounting, medicine, or other areas approved by Korean law and have a recommendation or an authorization from the relevant Korean authorities 

• E-6 (Arts and Performances): Artists, writers, athletes, models and other professionals in the arts and entertainment and sports industry 

• E-7 (Special Occupation): People who have contracts with public or private Korean organizations to work in areas specially designated by the Minister of Justice

Requirements

As the E category visa covers a wide range of professions, required documents may vary depending on the purpose of your trip and how long you would like to stay. Common requirements include a signed employment contract, invitation letter, academic certificate, certificate of the employer’s business registration, RCMP criminal record check, visa application form and a passport photo (3.5 x 4.5 cm). Applicants are highly recommended to contact the Embassy or one of the Consulates General in Toronto, Vancouver or Montreal to get information needed. 

Application Process

For most E visas, application process starts online at the Korea Visa Portal, www.visa.go.kr. You or your employer in Korea can submit your visa documentation at this website to receive a Confirmation of Visa Issuance. Then, you can bring this confirmation document to the Korean Embassy or the Consulate General nearest to your residence to get a visa. Only limited cases of E visa applications can be submitted directly to the Embassy or Consulates General.

High-tech Internship: D-10-3 Visa 

General Information

Registered Canadian students or recent graduates who have obtained an internship contract with businesses or institutions in the field of advanced technology in Korea can work and live in Korea with a D-10-3 visa. This internship visa allows Canadians to stay for up to two years. The employers must meet qualifications designated by the Minister of Justice. 

To be eligible for this high-tech internship visa, you must: 

• Be a registered student of high-tech studies in a Canadian university* or have graduated less than three years ago from the university.

* Top 200 universities according to the Times Higher Education THE World University Rankings and top 500 universities according to QS World University Rankings

• Be less than 30 years old for an undergraduate student/graduate and less than 35 years old for a graduate student at the time of application. 

• Have an employment contract with one of the businesses or institutions below:

• -listed companies equipped with a high-tech research facility or a research unit

• -business-affiliated research institutes or businesses equipped with a research and development unit in accordance with Paragraph 14.2 of the Act on Basic Research Promotion and Technology Development Support 

• -businesses designated as high-tech businesses in accordance with Article 9 of the Special Act on the Promotion of Special Research and Development Zones

• -businesses authorized by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups in accordance with Article 25 of the Act on Special Measures for the Promotion of Venture Businesses

• -National and public research institutions, specially designated research institutions and government funded research institutions in the field of science and technology

Requirements

To apply for a D-10-3 visa, the following documents must be provided.

• Confirmation of Visa Issuance (사증발급인정서) issued at Visa Portal

• Visa application form 

• Passport and a photocopy of passport

• Valid passport and one passport photo (3.5 x 4.5 cm)*

* Photo must be taken within the last six months and have a date stamp at the back.

• Visa fee $78 CAD

☞ Please note that additional documents may be requested by the Korean Embassy or Consulates General to determine the eligibility of the applicant. 

Application Process

Application process starts online at the Korea Visa Portal, www.visa.go.kr. You or your employer in Korea can submit your visa documentation at this website to receive a Confirmation of Visa Issuance. Then, you can bring this confirmation document to the Korean Embassy or one of the Consulates General to get a visa. 

Contact the Korean Embassy or the Consulate General nearest to your residence for more information.