Changing Workplace – Reasons, Steps, and Number of Times

When does this apply?

The law gives three reasons for changing workplace (Act on the Employment of Foreign Workers, Article 25, Paragraph 1).

1. The employer, for a valid reason, wants to end the employment contract early, or refuses to renew it after it ends
2. A reason that is not the worker's fault – the business stops work for a time, the business closes, the employment permit is cancelled, the employer is banned from hiring, the employer breaks the housing conditions, the employer breaks working conditions or treats the worker unfairly, etc.
3. Because of an injury or similar problem, the worker cannot keep working at the current workplace, but is found able to work at another workplace

Unpaid wages, violence, sexual harassment or sexual violence, making you do work different from your employment contract, paying less than the minimum wage, and giving you housing in a plastic greenhouse are common examples of reason 2 (the employer's fault). Which reasons are accepted is set by a notice of the 고용노동부 (Ministry of Employment and Labor). To know for sure if your situation counts, check with the 고용센터 or call 1350.

If you change for reason 2, it does not count toward your number of changes. If you collect evidence (pay slips, bank records, photos, recordings, medical records, etc.), it is easier to get your reason accepted.

Steps

1. Apply for a workplace change at the 고용센터 – Apply at the 고용센터 in charge of the address of the workplace where you worked. You must do this within 1 month from the day your employment contract ended. Submit the workplace change application form (Form No. 13 or Form No. 13-2) and show your passport or 외국인등록증 (Alien Registration Card).
2. Register as a job seeker – When your application is accepted, your name goes on the job seeker list. The 3 months start from this point.
3. Get job referrals (introductions) – The 고용센터 introduces you to workplaces that are hiring, by text message or other ways. Register your phone number correctly so you do not miss any contact. If your number changes, tell them right away.
4. Sign an employment contract with the new employer – The new employer gets an employment permit and writes a standard employment contract (표준근로계약서) with you. Always check the pay, working hours, housing, and the work you will do in the contract.
5. Apply for a workplace change permit – Apply at the 출입국·외국인관서 (Immigration Office). You must get the permit before you start. You can also apply online through 하이코리아 (HiKorea, the government immigration website) e-services. The fee is 12만 원.
6. Start working at the new company – Start work only after the permit is given.

What to bring

고용센터 (workplace change application)

• Workplace change application form (Form No. 13 or Form No. 13-2)
• Passport or 외국인등록증
• Confirmation of the reason for workplace change (if needed)
• Evidence, if you say the change is the employer's fault

출입국·외국인관서 (workplace change permit)

• Application form for workplace change permit (Form No. 34)
• Passport, 외국인등록증
• The new workplace's employment permit and 근로계약서 (employment contract)
• Business registration certificate, or the company's full certificate of registered matters (for a corporation)
• Letter of guarantee (신원보증서, a document where someone promises to be responsible for you)
• Fee of 12만 원

Things to be careful about

• If you miss the 1-month or 3-month deadline, you may be made to leave Korea. Apply within 1 month from the day your contract ended, and get the workplace change permit within 3 months from the day you applied. If you could not apply because of a work injury, illness, pregnancy, or giving birth, the time is counted again from the day that reason ended.
• Do not work at another company without a permit. If you work without a workplace change permit, you can be deported (forced to leave Korea), or get up to 1 year in prison or a fine of up to 1천만 원.
• There may be limits on region and industry. Following a government announcement in July 2023, E-9 workers who newly entered Korea from September of that year can change workplace only within a certain region and industry. The 고용노동부 gave examples of regions such as the Seoul metropolitan area, the Chungcheong region, the Jeolla·Jeju region, etc. In some industries, such as shipbuilding, you can move only within the same industry. In June 2026, the 고용노동부 said it plans to improve the workplace change system. If the rules change, follow the 고용센터's guidance. To know how far you can go for a new company, check with the 고용센터 or 1350. The list of regions and more details are in Which job center do I apply to?.
• Get advice before you sign a resignation letter. If it is recorded that you quit by yourself, the employer's fault may not be accepted, and it may count against your number of changes.
• If you do not answer referral contacts, it may be bad for you. 3 months is shorter than you think.
• From June 2026, when you change to or extend a skilled worker visa (E-7-4), if you changed company for a reason that was not your fault, such as the business stopping work or closing, violence, or unpaid wages, the time you worked at your previous company is also added to your length of service. You must prove this reason with documents. This count is used for the 'recommendation from a company where you worked 1 year or more' requirement and the 'working 3 years or more at your current company' bonus points.

Frequently asked questions

Q. If I change because I was not paid, will it reduce my number of changes? A. Unpaid wages are a reason that is the employer's fault. If it is accepted, it does not count toward your number of changes. Prepare evidence and explain to the 고용센터.

Q. If I cannot find a company within 3 months, must I leave right away? A. If you do not get a workplace change permit within 3 months from the day you applied, you may be made to leave Korea. If you do not have much time left, get advice from the 고용센터 early.

Q. If the company will not stamp (approve) my paper, can I not change? A. For reasons that are the employer's fault, you can apply without the employer's agreement. You need the employer's agreement only when you change for a general reason.

Q. If I apply for a workplace change, must I stop working right away? A. The basic rule is to apply after your employment contract ends. It depends on your situation, so check with the 고용센터 first.

Q. My housing is very bad. Is this also a reason? A. If the employer gave you housing in a plastic greenhouse or in an illegal temporary building, this is directly a reason that is not your fault (고용노동부 notice, Article 5, Item 5). Other cases where the housing does not meet dormitory standards are different. It becomes a reason if the 고용센터 orders the employer to fix it and the employer does not fix it within the given time (notice, Article 5-2). It is the same if the company did not give you housing information, or if the housing information you got when you signed the contract is different from the real housing. Take photos, record the location, and get advice from the 고용센터. More details are in If your housing is cold or inside a plastic greenhouse.

Where to get help

• 고용노동부 Customer Counseling Center 1350 (workplace change, unpaid wages)
• Immigration Contact Center (외국인종합안내센터) 1345 (many languages, questions about stay and workplace change)
• 고용센터 (workplace change application and referrals): the 고용센터 in charge of the address of the workplace where you worked. You can also apply by logging in to the EPS website (www.eps.go.kr). To find which 고용센터, see Which job center do I apply to?.
• Your local 출입국·외국인관서, 하이코리아 www.hikorea.go.kr
• In an emergency, call 112 (police) or 119 (ambulance)