What is the H-2 work and visit visa
H-2 is the work-and-visit status for ethnic Koreans from China and CIS countries. You may visit family and work, but the industries and procedures are defined.
Who this covers
- Ethnic Koreans with nationality of China or former Soviet states who meet the requirements
- People who obtained the status through the work-and-visit procedure
What to know
- Permitted industries are limited. Working outside them counts as unauthorised activity.
- Pre-employment training and job-seeker registration may be required.
- Period of stay and extension conditions are on HiKorea.
- A change to F-4 (overseas Korean) is possible in some cases.
What you need
- Passport, Alien Registration Card
- Documents proving Korean ancestry (family relation, old family register)
- Labour contract
Where to go
- HiKorea www.hikorea.go.kr
- 1345 Immigration Contact Center · 1350 labour counselling
Questions people ask
Can I take any job? No. Working outside the permitted industries carries penalties. Check before you start.
Can I switch to F-4? Yes if you meet the requirements. Check the conditions on HiKorea.
Take care
Beware brokers offering to "produce" ancestry documents. Forged documents are grounds for cancelling your status.
Related
f4-visa-basics · visa-types-overview
Source
Ministry of Justice HiKorea www.hikorea.go.kr / As of 2026-08