When Your Employer Says 'I Won't Re-employ You'

When does this apply to you?

• Your 3 years in Korea end in a few months, and the boss says "I won't re-employ you" or "I haven't thought about an extension."
• The boss only says "I will do it", and you do not know if they applied at the 고용센터.
• You are changing workplace, and your 3-year end date is close.
• The boss asks you to accept lower pay or higher dormitory fees as a condition for re-employment.

Steps

1. Write down two dates. ① Entry date + 3 years = end date of your employment period (check your 외국인등록증 (alien registration card) and 고용허가서 (employment permit)). ② The end date of your current 근로계약서 (employment contract). Check if the two dates are the same or different.
2. 3 months before your end date, ask the boss in writing. "Will you apply for my re-employment? When will you submit it to the 고용센터?" Send it by text message or KakaoTalk to keep a record.
3. If the answer is "no", go to the 고용센터 right away. Tell them the boss refused re-employment, and check the process to apply for a workplace change after your contract ends. Also ask if the boss has already filed a 고용변동신고 (report of change in employment).
4. Apply for a workplace change within 1 month from your contract end date. After you register as a job seeker, you must find a new company within 3 months. For job referrals and choosing a company, see the 고용센터 referral guide.
5. When you sign with a new company, make re-employment application a condition. There must be 1 month or more left before your 3-year end date for the new employer to apply for re-employment. It is good to write "will apply for extension of employment period" in the contract.
6. The new employer applies for re-employment at the 고용센터 → permit → you yourself apply for a permit to extend your period of stay at the 출입국·외국인관서 (Immigration Office) (하이코리아 (HiKorea)). The fee is 60,000 원. You can apply from 4 months before your end date until the end date itself.

Full 4 years 10 months

Period	Length	Who decides
First employment period	3 years from entry date	Set by law
Re-employment extension	1 year 10 months, only once	Employer applies + 고용센터 approves
Total	4 years 10 months	—

• Re-employment happens only once. If you got it at your first company, you cannot get it again even if you move to another company.
• During the re-employment period, you can change workplace up to 2 times (changes caused by the employer's fault are not counted).
• When you finish the 4 years 10 months, you must leave Korea. After that, your options are sincere worker re-entry, general re-entry, or changing to E-7-4.

What to prepare

• 외국인등록증, passport, current 근로계약서 (to check the contract end date)
• A copy of your 고용허가서, or your employment period end date checked on EPS (eps.go.kr)
• Text messages and chats with the boss (a record of whether they will re-employ you)
• For a workplace change application: 사업장변경신청서 (workplace change application form, available at the 고용센터), a contact number for job seeker registration
• For re-employment application at the new company (the employer prepares): 취업활동기간 연장신청서 (application for extension of employment period), the extended employment contract, 사업자등록증 (business registration certificate), copies of the worker's 외국인등록증 and passport

Be careful

• "I will do it" is not an application. The employer applies by visiting the 고용센터 or on eps.go.kr. Ask to see the application number or the receipt. There are real cases where workers lost the chance to extend because the employer made a mistake and missed the deadline.
• It is most risky when your contract end date and your 3-year end date are the same. If you apply for a change after the contract ends, by the time you sign with a new company there will be less than 1 month left before the end date, so re-employment is not possible. Then you cannot change workplace and can only leave Korea. This is why checking 3 months before the end date is important.
• There is one exception. If you changed workplace for a reason that is not your fault, such as business suspension or closure, and signed with a new employer, you can get a re-employment permit even if less than 1 month of contract is left before the end date. A simple contract end or refusal to renew is not part of this exception.
• A change because your contract ended counts toward your number of changes. If you already used all 3 changes during your first 3 years, it is hard to apply for a change. Check how many changes you have left at the 고용센터.
• You can refuse a demand to cut your pay as a condition for re-employment. A contract below the minimum wage (2026 hourly wage: 10,320 원) is invalid for that part. But if you refuse, the boss may not re-employ you, so call 1350 for advice first.
• Even if you get a re-employment permit, the permit to extend your period of stay is separate. You must apply for it yourself. If you do only one and stop worrying, your period of stay will run out.

Frequently asked questions

Q. Is it illegal for the boss to refuse re-employment? A. No. Re-employment is the employer's choice, and the law allows an extension only "if the employer asks for it". You cannot report the refusal itself. Instead, you respond by changing workplace after your contract ends.

Q. My contracts are 1 year each, so my contract ends before my 3 years end. A. Apply for a change within 1 month after the contract ends → look for a job for up to 3 months → sign with a new company. If at that time there is 1 month or more left before your 3-year end date, the new company can apply for re-employment. It is better to decide quickly and not use all of your job search period.

Q. The boss says "I will re-employ you, but the papers later." My end date is in 20 days. A. According to the 고용센터, the application period ends 7 days before the end date. Ask the boss today to go to the 고용센터 with you right away, or to apply on eps.go.kr. If this does not work, tell 1350 about your situation.

Q. Another company applied for my re-employment. Can I still become a sincere worker when my 4 years 10 months end? A. In principle, the sincere worker special rule is for people who worked without changing workplace. If you changed workplace for a reason that was not your fault, there are easier conditions. For details, see sincere worker re-entry.

Q. Can a re-employment application be rejected? A. Even if the employer applies, the permit may not be given, for example because of a past cancellation of the employment permit or because the employer is over the hiring limit. Both the employer and the worker can check the result at the 고용센터.

Where to get help

Organization	Phone	What they help with
고용노동부 (Ministry of Employment and Labor) Customer Counseling Center	1350	Re-employment application period, workplace change advice
Foreign Workers Counseling Center	1577-0071	Conflicts with the boss, advice on re-employment refusal (18 languages)
Immigration Contact Center	1345	Questions about extending your period of stay
Employment Permit System website	eps.go.kr	Check employment period and employment permit, online application for employers
하이코리아	hikorea.go.kr	Online application to extend your period of stay

Related articles: E-9 re-employment and extending your stay · Reasons and number of workplace changes · 고용센터 referrals and how to choose a company · Departure guarantee insurance