The points system, and who is exempt
As graduation approaches, many international students ask the same question: whether they really need to reach 60 points to obtain a D-10 visa. The standard D-10-1 Job Seeker Visa is assessed on a points system that totals age, education, and Korean-language ability, and an applicant ordinarily needs at least 60 points.
For those who have just graduated from a university in Korea, however, that calculation does not apply. A graduate filing for the first time within a year of graduation is exempt from the points system, and is assessed on graduation alone. The sections below set out the conditions and what the exemption means in practice.
Conditions for the new-graduate exemption
Under the current immigration guidelines, the exemption applies where all of the following are met.
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Eligibility | Graduated from a regular university in Korea (associate degree or higher) |
| First application | Applying for the D-10 status for the first time |
| Timing | Within one year of graduation |
| Current status | Currently holding a D-2 student visa |
What the exemption changes in practice
The exemption does more than remove a calculation. A standard D-10 applicant must show proof of living expenses — a bank balance of roughly 4–5 million KRW. A new graduate filing under the exemption is not required to prove financial means, and so does not need to set aside a frozen balance in order to apply. For a graduate who has just finished a degree, this is often the more meaningful part of the relief.
Documents
Because the points assessment is skipped, the document set is comparatively short. We prepare the filing on your behalf; the underlying documents are as follows.
Common documents
- Application form (Form 34)
- Passport
- Recent photograph
- Alien Registration Card
- Application fee (100,000 KRW)
For graduates
- A brief job-seeking plan setting out how you intend to look for work (we provide guidance on this)
- A diploma or degree certificate is usually unnecessary, as the immigration office can verify graduation through its own system
- Proof of residence — a lease agreement or a certificate of residence
As noted above, no bank-balance certificate is required for this category.
Internships
Internships are permitted on a D-10 visa, subject to one principal limit: no more than one year, cumulatively, at any single company. There is no cap on the total internship time across different companies over the course of your D-10 period, and no minimum duration at any one company. In other words, you may intern at one company after another, provided you do not exceed a year at the same employer.
By way of illustration, working a year at Company A and then a year at Company B is acceptable, as is splitting time across three companies; what is not acceptable is fourteen months at a single company, whether served continuously or by returning to the same employer later.
An internship must be reported to the immigration office within 15 days of starting; failing to report can create difficulties at a later stage. The report is filed with a change-of-registration form together with the internship contract, the company's business registration, and its employment-insurance certificate.
Part-time work
It is sometimes assumed that a D-10 holder may work part-time freely. That is not the case. Part-time work is permitted only where all of the conditions below are satisfied.
- Less than three years have passed since graduation
- Korean proficiency of TOPIK Level 4 or above, or Social Integration Program (KIIP) Level 4 or above (intermediate evaluation passed)
- No previous history of an E-1 to E-7 visa (including teaching visas such as E-2 and professional visas such as E-5 or E-7)
On this basis up to 25 hours a week is allowed; with TOPIK Level 5 or KIIP Level 5 the limit rises to 30 hours, the other conditions still applying. The permitted occupations mirror those open to D-2 students, and the same restricted sectors apply — among them manufacturing, construction, and English-language children's cafés. Where the conditions are not met, part-time work is not permitted.
Stay periods
The period granted, and the maximum total stay, depend on the category under which the D-10 is held.
| Category | Per issuance | Maximum total |
|---|---|---|
| Points-exempt (new graduate, within 1 year) | 1 year | 3 years |
| 80 points or more | 1 year | 3 years |
| 60–79 points | 6 months | 1 year |
| Former E-1 to E-7 holders | 6 months | 1 year |
| Caregiver-training completers | 6 months | 3 years |
| Foreign embassy / consulate interns | 6 months | 3 years |
Extension
The exemption applies to the first application. At the point of extension, the points system does apply, and at least 60 points are required. With 60–79 points each extension runs for six months, to a one-year total; with 80 points or more each extension runs for a year, to a three-year total. It is worth aiming for 80 points where a longer stay is intended.
An extension is supported by a Korean-language certificate (TOPIK or KIIP), bank statements as proof of means, and evidence of genuine job-seeking — internship records, interview records, and applications made — together with any certificates or training completed. Preparation should begin at least a month before the visa expires.
Other exemption cases
The new-graduate case is the most common, but the points system is also waived in the following situations.
High Korean proficiency
- TOPIK Level 4 or KIIP Level 4 and above, within three years of graduation
- One year per issuance, up to three years in total
Promising talent (D-10-T)
- A master's degree or higher from a university ranked in the Times Higher Education or QS World University Rankings top 200, within three years of graduation
- One year per issuance, up to three years in total
Experienced professionals (former E-1 to E-7 holders)
- Prior experience in an E-1 to E-7 professional category
- Six months per issuance, up to one year in total
Filing without an immigration-office visit
During graduation season the immigration office is heavily booked, and securing a visit can take weeks. Lawyeon Visa & Immigration Center files D-10 applications online on your behalf, so that the visit is not necessary.
Frequently asked questions
Points to watch
- Apply before your D-2 visa expires, not after.
- Report any internship within 15 days of starting it.
- Remember there is no cap on total internship time — only the one-year limit at a single company.
- Do not work part-time unless every condition is met (TOPIK 4, under three years since graduation, no prior E visa).
- Begin extension preparation early, and keep records of every application, interview, and course — they are needed for the 60-point assessment.
- Note that 60–79 points allows a one-year total only; a three-year stay requires 80 points or more.