About this status of stay
General Training (D-4) is the status of stay for foreign nationals who take Korean language training (D-4-1) or foreign language training (D-4-7) at a university-affiliated language institute, or who receive education or training at other educational institutions, companies or organizations set by the Ministry of Justice (Enforcement Decree of the Immigration Act [출입국관리법 시행령], Appended Table 1-2). People who receive pay above their living costs from the training institution do not fall under this status.
This guide focuses on Korean language students (D-4-1), the largest group.
How a legal problem affects your stay
For language students, attendance and part-time work permission decide whether you can stay. Your school tracks your attendance and reports it to the immigration office, and those records are used directly in reviews for extending your stay and for entering a university as a Student (D-2).
If your attendance is low or you stop your training
Your school must report to the immigration office within 15 days if a student stops training or cannot be located, and it also tracks and reports attendance and course completion (Immigration Act [출입국관리법] Article 19-4; Enforcement Decree Article 24-8). When extending your stay, you must show with documents such as an attendance certificate that you are training normally, and if you stop for personal reasons, extension is restricted (Ministry of Justice guidance manual [법무부 체류민원 자격별 안내 매뉴얼]).
If you are caught working without permission
This counts as working without permission for activities outside your status of stay and can be punished (Immigration Act Article 20 and Article 94(12)). The same handling standards as for university students apply: if it is your first time and the violation is minor, you pay an immigration fine and are allowed to stay, but the standard for illegal work in construction is a departure order, and for being caught a second time it is deportation (Ministry of Justice guidance manual).
If you receive a criminal penalty
If you are sentenced to imprisonment (with or without labor), the ground for deportation can become an issue (Immigration Act Article 46(1)(13)). A fine also counts against you in reviews for extending your stay and changing to Student (D-2) status.
Common problems with this visa
Part-time work permission
Language students can apply for part-time work permission only after 6 months have passed since they received language training status (or since the date of entry, if they entered with a visa). Permission is restricted if your average attendance over all completed semesters is below 90%, the permission period is up to 6 months within your period of stay, and you can work at only 1 workplace (Ministry of Justice guidance manual).
If you want to change language schools
As a rule, to change schools, a language student must leave Korea, get a visa for the new school and come back. The guidance says you can change schools inside Korea only as an exception: when you must move through no fault of your own, for example because your language institute closes, or when you have a Korean language score of level 3 or higher and a legitimate reason is accepted (Ministry of Justice guidance manual).
When you enter a university (D-2)
When you change from language training to Student (D-2), your grades and attendance in your previous course are checked. In other words, your attendance and any penalties during language training carry over to your stay after you enter university.
What happens to your stay, depending on the outcome of your case
Whatever your status of stay, the outcome of a criminal case leads to a review of your stay. Below is a summary based mainly on the standards set by law. The actual decision is made by the immigration office, which looks at what happened in your case together with your life in Korea.
- Case not referred to prosecutors, or suspended indictment
- These are not criminal penalties, so they do not count as 'imprisonment without labor or a heavier sentence', which is a ground for deportation. However, under the Act on the Lapse of Criminal Sentences (형의 실효 등에 관한 법률), a suspended indictment (기소유예, where prosecutors decide not to charge you) and some decisions not to refer a case to prosecutors (불송치) stay in investigation history records for a certain period, and these can be checked when needed for a foreigner's naturalization or stay permit (Article 6(1)(6) and Article 8-2). How long they stay depends on the legal penalty for the offense. Reviews that look at your conduct, such as for Residence (F-2) and Permanent Residency (F-5), also check this kind of case history.
- Fine (including a summary order)
- A fine does not count as 'imprisonment without labor or a heavier sentence', which is a ground for deportation. However, it counts against you in reviews for extending your stay, changing your status of stay, permanent residency and naturalization, and if the violation is serious your stay permit can be cancelled (Immigration Act Article 89(1)(5)). The Ministry of Justice review standards have many items that look at the amount of the fine and how much time has passed since you paid it. Under the Criminal Procedure Act (형사소송법), if you received a summary order (약식명령, an order that sets a fine without a trial), you can request a formal trial within 7 days of receiving it (Article 453).
- Suspended sentence of imprisonment
- A suspended sentence (집행유예) is still a sentence of imprisonment with or without labor, so the ground for deportation ('a person sentenced to imprisonment without labor or a heavier sentence and released', Immigration Act Article 46(1)(13)) can become an issue. The review standards for Residence (F-2), Permanent Residency (F-5), Overseas Korean (F-4) and other statuses treat even a suspended sentence as a disqualifying reason for a set period from the date the judgment becomes final.
- Prison sentence
- You can become subject to deportation when you are released after serving your sentence, and the prison warden must notify the immigration office about a foreigner whose release has been decided (Immigration Act Article 84(2)). Deportation proceedings can also go ahead while you are still serving your sentence (Article 85). If you leave Korea under a deportation order, you can be banned from entering Korea for 5 years after that (Article 11(1)(6)).
- Immigration Act violations (overstaying, working without permission, etc.)
- After an investigation by the immigration office, you may receive a notice to pay an immigration fine (범칙금, money paid in place of a criminal fine) or be reported for prosecution (Immigration Act Articles 102 and 105), and this can then lead to a departure order or deportation. A record of immigration fines also counts as a record of breaking the law in later reviews of your stay.
- Departure orders and deportation orders
- A departure order tells you to leave Korea on your own by a set deadline, and the deadline is set within 30 days from the date the order is issued (Immigration Act Article 68; Enforcement Rules Article 65). For a deportation order, you can file an objection with the Minister of Justice within 7 days of receiving the order (Article 60). Filing an administrative appeal or an administrative lawsuit does not stop the order from taking effect, so you also need to apply for a stay of execution.
Frequently asked questions
Can language students work part-time?
If 6 months have passed since you received language training status and you meet requirements such as attendance, you can get part-time work permission and work. Working without permission can lead to punishment and being made to leave Korea, so be sure to get permission first.
What happens if my attendance is low?
Your school tracks your attendance and reports it to the immigration office, and it is checked with an attendance certificate when you extend your stay. If your average attendance is below 90%, part-time work permission is restricted, and if it looks like you are not training normally, extending your stay may become difficult.
Can I move to another language school?
As a rule, you must leave Korea, get a visa for the new school and come back. There are exceptions if the move is not your fault, such as the institute closing, or if you have Korean language level 3 or higher and a legitimate reason is accepted.
If I am caught working without permission, do I have to leave right away?
Under the Ministry of Justice handling standards, if it is your first time and the violation is minor, you pay an immigration fine and are allowed to stay. If you worked in construction, the standard is a departure order, and being caught a second time leads to deportation, so write down what happened before the investigation.
Get advice right away if
- You were caught working without permission and the immigration office asked you to come in
- You are about to be questioned by the police, or you received a summary order (a fine without a trial)
- Your extension of stay was refused because of low attendance or stopping your training
Related guides
Legal basis
- Immigration Act Articles 19-4, 20, 46 and 94
- Enforcement Decree of the Immigration Act Article 24-8, Appended Table 1-2
- Ministry of Justice guidance manual on stay permits by visa type (Sept. 2026): Student (D-2), General Training (D-4)
This guide is based on the Immigration Act (출입국관리법) and its Enforcement Decree and Enforcement Rules in force as of October 2026, and on the Ministry of Justice guidance manual on stay permits by visa type (법무부 체류민원 자격별 안내 매뉴얼, Sept. 2026). Ministry of Justice review standards can change at any time.
This guide is for reference only. The immigration office decides whether you can stay by looking at what happened in your case together with your life in Korea, so the same decision can lead to different results depending on your situation.