What permission should an international student check before starting an off-campus internship?
I am a final-year student in Daejeon and have been offered a short internship by a company outside my university. I want to know whether the required process differs from ordinary part-time work and what I should confirm with the school and immigration office before signing.
Note: This is an editorial persona question created from common experiences of foreign residents in Korea.
1 Answer
Do not assume that an off-campus internship is covered by the same permission as ordinary student part-time work. Whether it can be approved, and which procedure applies, depends on your current status of stay, the internship’s connection to your studies, whether it is paid, the duties, hours, employer, and whether it is treated as practical training or outside activity. Before signing or starting, give the offer letter and a description of the duties, dates, hours, workplace, and pay to your university’s international office. Ask the school to confirm in writing whether it is curricular practical training or requires permission for activities outside your status of stay. Then confirm the required application and documents with Immigration through Hi Korea or 1345; a company’s offer or the school’s informal approval alone is not immigration permission. Use https://www.hikorea.go.kr for the current application route and https://www.studyinkorea.go.kr for the government’s international-student guidance. Because the correct route is visa-specific, do not begin work until the university and Immigration confirm that the necessary approval has been completed. Checked: 2026-08-21.