Mitra Korea고용센터 (Employment Center) job referrals: how to choose a company and what happens if you refuse
When you get a referral text message, first check the industry, workplace location, dormitory, and wages. There is no penalty for refusing, but your 3-month time limit does not stop.
Quick summary
- When your workplace change application is accepted, the 고용센터 (Employment Center) puts you on the job seeker list. Then it refers you to companies that are hiring, by text message or another way. You can find a new company only through a 고용센터 referral.
- When you get a referral text, do not answer right away. First check five things: industry, workplace location, dormitory, wages, and working hours.
- We could not find any rule in the law that gives you penalty points or takes away your number of changes because you refused a referral. But if you do not get a workplace change permit within 3 months from your application date, you must leave Korea. Each time you refuse, you lose time.
- Job interviews are short. Prepare the 5 Korean question cards below before you go.
- Mitra Korea does not introduce or refer companies. This guide only tells you how to choose. For the reasons, number of times, and deadlines for changing your workplace, see Workplace change guide.
Who is this for?
- E-9 workers who applied for a workplace change and received a 구직등록필증 (job seeker registration certificate). This can be because the employment contract ended, or because of the company's fault (unpaid wages, violence, business closed or stopped, etc.).
- People who got a referral text or phone call from the 고용센터 but are not sure if they should go to that company.
- People going to a job interview who do not know what to ask.
Steps
- Apply for a workplace change and register as a job seeker — Apply at the 고용센터 within 1 month from the day your employment contract ends. When your application is accepted, you are put on the job seeker list, and your 3 months start from that day. Register your phone number correctly. If it changes, tell them right away.
- Get referrals — The 고용센터 sends you information about companies that are hiring. Designated referral is not allowed (a company cannot pick a specific worker and take them directly). If a broker says "Pay me and I will connect you to a good company," say no and tell the 고용센터.
- Check the company information — Check the items in "What to check in the company information" below. If you do not understand something, ask the officer at the 고용센터.
- Interview — When the company contacts you, set a date. Take the question cards below and write down the answers.
- Employment contract and employment permit — If the company decides to hire you, it gets a 고용허가서 (employment permit) from the 고용센터, and you sign a 표준근로계약서 (standard employment contract). Before you sign, check that the contract has the same conditions you heard at the interview.
- Workplace change permit — Get the permit from the 출입국·외국인관서 (Immigration Office), or online through 하이코리아 (HiKorea) e-application. Start work only after you get it. The fee is 12만 원.
What to check in the company information
| Item | What to check | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Industry | Is it manufacturing, agriculture/livestock, fishing, or construction? What work will you actually do? | Agriculture/livestock and fishing have different rules for days off and working hours. In some cases you cannot change to a different industry |
| Workplace location | Address, nearest station or bus, whether there are other people from your country | For workers who entered Korea in September 2023 or later, a change requested by the worker is, as a rule, allowed only within the same region and industry. Ask the 고용센터 if you are allowed to go to that area |
| Dormitory | Type (apartment, container, inside the factory), number of people per room, monthly cost, how it is deducted from pay | The employer must tell you about the dormitory in advance (Foreign Workers Employment Act, Article 22-2). Deducting the cost from your pay needs your written agreement |
| Wages | Basic pay, hourly pay, bonus, items deducted from pay | In 2026, pay below the minimum wage of 10,320원 per hour or 2,156,880원 per month (209 hours) is illegal |
| Working hours | How many hours a day, how many days a week, how often there is overtime, night work, or weekend work | A lot of overtime means more money, but it can hurt your body. On the other hand, if there is too little work, your monthly pay will be low |
What to bring
- 외국인등록증 (Alien Registration Card), passport, 구직등록필증
- The phone number you use now (check that you receive text messages), and another way to contact you such as KakaoTalk
- 1–2 급여명세서 (pay slips) from your previous company (to compare wages)
- Interview question cards (below), a notebook and a pen
- Copies of any technical certificate or driver's license, if you have them
5 Korean question cards to use at the interview
You can just read them out loud. Write down the answers as numbers.
- "기본급은 한 달에 얼마입니까? 시급으로 얼마입니까?" (How much is the basic pay per month? How much per hour?) — Ask both the monthly pay and the hourly pay. Compare it with the minimum wage of 10,320원.
- "하루에 몇 시간 일합니까? 일주일에 몇 일 쉽니까?" (How many hours a day do I work? How many days a week do I rest?) — Then ask if there is overtime every day and if there is weekend work.
- "기숙사는 어디에 있습니까? 한 방에 몇 명입니까? 한 달에 얼마를 냅니까?" (Where is the dormitory? How many people are in one room? How much do I pay per month?) — Ask the amount and how it is deducted. If possible, ask for photos or to visit.
- "제가 할 일은 정확히 무엇입니까? 위험한 기계나 화학물질이 있습니까?" (What exactly is my job? Are there dangerous machines or chemicals?) — Also ask about safety training and whether they give protective equipment.
- "월급은 매달 며칠에 통장으로 줍니까? 급여명세서를 줍니까?" (On what day each month is the salary paid into my bank account? Do you give pay slips?) — It is safer to avoid companies that pay in cash or have no fixed pay day.
At the end, ask one more time: "계약서에 지금 말한 내용이 그대로 들어갑니까?" (Will everything you just said be written in the contract?)
Be careful
- You can refuse, but the clock keeps running. We could not find any rule in the law that limits the number of refusals or takes away points when you refuse a referral without a valid reason. But if you do not get a change permit within 3 months, you must leave Korea. If the conditions are not very bad, it is better for you to go to the interview.
- If you miss an interview call, it may be treated as a refusal. Answer calls from unknown numbers too, and check your text messages every day.
- If the contract is different from what you were told, do not sign it. After you sign, it is hard to win by saying "I heard something different at the interview."
- No brokers. A person who asks for an introduction fee or says "I will choose a company for you" is acting illegally. If you find a company in any way other than a 고용센터 referral, you will not get a change permit.
- Region and industry limits. Since the July 2023 changes, when the worker requests a change, referrals are, as a rule, made within the same region and industry. If you want to go to a different area, ask the 고용센터 first if it is possible.
- Your workplace change history is kept in the 고용센터 computer system. Since 2023, employers can also get more information about your change reasons and history. The history itself is not a disadvantage. But if you move many times in a short time, companies may not want to hire you.
Frequently asked questions
Q. The company I was referred to was too far, so I said I would not go. Will this hurt me? A. We could not find any rule that gives penalty points just for refusing. But your 3-month job search time keeps running. While you wait for the next referral, count how many days you have left.
Q. The 고용센터 does not send me any referrals. A. Your phone number may be registered wrongly. Go to the 고용센터 in person and check your number and the industry and area you want. If there are few hiring companies in that industry or area, you can also make your conditions a little wider.
Q. At the interview they said, "Just come and work first, and we will write the contract later." A. This is dangerous. If you work without a 고용허가서, a 근로계약서 (employment contract), and a workplace change permit, it is illegal work. Ask them to write the contract first.
Q. Can Mitra Korea introduce me to a good company? A. No. Only the 고용센터 can introduce and refer companies. We only give information. A person who promises to introduce you to a company is a broker.
Q. My 3 months are almost over, and I still do not have a company. A. If you could not look for a job because of a work injury, illness, pregnancy or childbirth, etc., you can apply to extend that period. If this is your case, submit the documents to the 고용센터 right away. Otherwise, you must decide within the deadline.
Where to get help
| Organization | Phone | What they help with |
|---|---|---|
| 고용노동부 (Ministry of Employment and Labor) Customer Center | 1350 | Questions about referrals, job search period, employment permits |
| Migrant Worker Counseling Center | 1577-0071 | Counseling for workplace change problems, 18 languages |
| Immigration Contact Center | 1345 | Questions about workplace change permits and stay, 20 languages |
| Employment Permit System website | eps.go.kr | Workplace change procedure guide, check referral status |
| 하이코리아 | hikorea.go.kr | Online application for workplace change permit |
Related articles: Workplace change – reasons, steps, number of times · Job seeker registration certificate and deadlines · Dormitory rules and deductions · How to check your employment contract