Short-Term Employment
- Holders · 2024-12
- 2,848
- Arrivals · 2026-06
- 3,098 +5.9% YoY
- Subtypes
- 5
- Top nationality
- China 1,195
The C-4 (Short-Term Employment) visa covers: 단기취업. 2,848 foreign nationals held it as of the latest MOJ cross-tab (2024-12-31; all sojourners, including short-term), with China the largest group (1,195). Application and extension fees are listed with legal citations on the official fee table.
From the MOJ manual · as of 2026-07-31Who qualifies & how
Eligibility. Short-term paid activities of 90 days or less (C-4-5): temporary performances, advertising/fashion modeling, paid lectures, short research or technical guidance, contract-based dispatched work (equipment installation/repair, shipbuilding and plant inspection), advanced-technology work (IT, e-business, BT, NT, new materials, transport machinery, digital electronics, environment/energy, technology management) with a ministry employment recommendation, and English-camp conversation instruction meeting E-2-level qualifications. Seasonal-work C-4-1~4 issuance was discontinued from 2025 (moved to E-8); simple labor is not covered.
Work rights. Only the specific short-term paid activity applied for; camps must operate at the registered facility location.
Duration. Up to 90 days per stay.
Pathways. Change from short-term (B/C) statuses to long-term statuses is restricted in principle, with limited listed exceptions (e.g., into D-2 for admitted students).
ChecklistRequired documents
- Visa application form, passport, 1 standard photo, fee
- Employment contract; ministry (or agency) employment recommendation for the advanced-technology route; employer establishment documents
- Dispatched technicians: service/purchase/order contract copy and dispatch or business-trip order
- English-camp instructors: apostilled/legalized degree document, apostilled criminal-record certificate, contract, facility registration (lifelong-education facility), camp schedule and timetable
Fees: change of status ₩100,000. The full table with legal citations is on /fees.
Unpaid lectures and meetings fall under C-3 short-term visit instead.
Official taxonomySubtypes (5)
| Code | Name (한국어) | Covers |
|---|---|---|
| C-4-1 | 농업단기(C-4-1) | 단기계절근로(MOU농업) |
| C-4-2 | 농업단기(C-4-2) | 단기계절근로(개인추천농업) |
| C-4-3 | 어업단기(C-4-3) | 단기계절근로(MOU어업) |
| C-4-4 | 어업단기(C-4-4) | 단기계절근로(개인추천어업) |
| C-4-5 | 기타단기취업(C-4-5) | 기타단기취업(계절근로제외) |
Who holds itC-4 holders by nationality
| Nationality | Registered holders | Share |
|---|---|---|
| China 중국 | 1,195 | 42.0% |
| Vietnam 베트남 | 334 | 11.7% |
| Japan 일본 | 249 | 8.7% |
| Philippines 필리핀 | 131 | 4.6% |
| Indonesia 인도네시아 | 100 | 3.5% |
| Russia 러시아(연방) | 98 | 3.4% |
| India 인도 | 75 | 2.6% |
| Taiwan 타이완 | 43 | 1.5% |
| United States 미국 | 42 | 1.5% |
| Sri Lanka 스리랑카 | 41 | 1.4% |
TrendMonthly arrivals on the C-4
In 2026-06, 3,098 people entered Korea on a C-4 visa, up 5.9% from a year earlier.
| Month | Arrivals | Relative volume |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-07 | 3,036 | |
| 2025-08 | 2,355 | |
| 2025-09 | 3,495 | |
| 2025-10 | 3,989 | |
| 2025-11 | 3,138 | |
| 2025-12 | 2,100 | |
| 2026-01 | 2,006 | |
| 2026-02 | 1,855 | |
| 2026-03 | 2,953 | |
| 2026-04 | 2,285 | |
| 2026-05 | 3,268 | |
| 2026-06 | 3,098 |
Verified against source · 2026-08-17