Can my family from my home country work as a seasonal worker if they come to Korea on a tourist visa first?

<Question> I have a marriage immigrant F-6 visa. I would like to invite my cousin in Thailand as a seasonal worker. However, I saw in other communities that if you want to invite your family members in your home country as a seasonal worker, they can get a C-4 visa first, and then change it to an E-8 seasonal worker visa when they come to Korea. In addition, I heard that only Korean families who invite has to be farmers and farm rice fields can invite. Is it true? Can a non-farmer Korean not invite their native cousin?

<Answer> Recently, inquiries from marriage immigrants who want to invite their family members as seasonal workers are increasing. In Korea's seasonal worker system, which is currently in effect, marriage immigrants do not invite their family members from their home country, but local governments that want seasonal workers receive the recommendation of marriage immigrants and invite their families.

It doesn't matter what kind of job the Korean family of marriage immigrants had. Therefore, marriage immigrants who wish to invite their family members to Korea as seasonal workers must first call the local government that wants to hire seasonal workers and inquire about the procedure.

Some local governments do not invite married immigrants' families from their home countries, but hire foreigners who are currently in Korea as seasonal workers. For this reason, there are rumors that if you enter Korea first, you can change to a seasonal worker visa later, but this is not true.

If a foreigner wants to enter Korea first, the C-3 short-term visa is the fastest and most convenient visa. However, foreigners who entered Korea on a C-3 short-term visa cannot work as seasonal workers.

Among foreigners entering Korea, visas that can work as seasonal workers include F-3 accompanying, F-1 visiting and living together, H-2 non-employment contract visiting employment, D-2 D-4 study abroad, D-1 culture and arts, D-10 job search visa (F-5 and F-6 visas are of course possible)

Exceptionally, the C-3-1 short-term visa, which allows you to work seasonally, is only applicable to foreigners who voluntarily leave the country in accordance with the ‘Virtuous Cycle Illegal Foreigners Voluntary Departure System’ implemented by the Korean government in December 2019.

The C-4 visa you mentioned is a short-term seasonal work visa. Therefore, you must first obtain approval from the local government in Korea.

Papaya Story has confirmed by calling 63 local governments directly to see which local governments are currently hiring seasonal workers. Please check the following link for more details.

-Article Link : There are 10 cities where multicultural families can inquire about inviting seasonal workers

Legal Consultation for Foreign Residents ‘Papaya Story Living Legal Visa Support Center’ English 031-8001-0211 / Law Firm (Limited) Min ‘Immigration Legal Support Team’ 02-3477-5550, email beobil2002@lawmin.net