Inviting Technical Trainees (D-3) — Training Overseas Subsidiary Staff in Korea, 8% Headcount Cap and 6-Month Training

Procedure

1. 1. Confirm the company is eligible to invite trainees

   Article 24-2 of the Enforcement Decree designates as technical training companies those that have invested directly abroad, those exporting technology that the Minister of Justice deems to require training, and those exporting plants. The Ministry of Justice directive requires that the overseas joint venture or subsidiary has been established and operating for 3 months, that technology import or partnership contracts are worth at least 100,000 US dollars, and that plants are worth at least 500,000 US dollars on an FOB basis. A company whose direct investment is under 100,000 US dollars needs the Minister of Justice's approval for its first invitation.

2. 2. Check the trainee selection criteria

   Trainees must be production staff of the subsidiary or partner company, aged 18 to 40, with at least 3 months of service at the subsidiary. They need TOPIK level 2 or higher or completion of King Sejong Institute Beginner 2 or higher, unless the company submits a Korean language education pledge to station at least 1 interpreter per 100 trainees at all times and provide at least 5 hours of Korean classes per month. People sentenced to imprisonment without labor or heavier, those who left Korea under a departure order or deportation order, and those who stayed illegally for 6 months or more cannot be recruited.

3. 3. Set the headcount and the training plan

   The number of trainees is limited to 8% of regular Korean employees, excluding temporary staff and technical trainees, up to 200 people, calculated per business registration when there are multiple sites. Training in principle cannot exceed 6 months from entry, and practical training cannot exceed 70% of total training hours. The training plan should describe the theory and practice hours, training processes, accommodation and Korean language education exactly as they will be run.

4. 4. Apply for the visa issuance certificate

   The head of the inviting company files the application for a certificate of visa eligibility with the training plan, letter of guarantee, proof that the company is eligible, and proof of its number of regular Korean employees at the immigration office with jurisdiction over the company's address. The office examines whether the trainees would be used as simple labor, the training and accommodation facilities, whether the Korean company and the subsidiary are in the same industry and operating normally, and factory registration. If approved, a D-3 certificate with a stay of up to 6 months is issued, and the trainee obtains the visa at a Korean diplomatic mission.

5. 5. Post-entry management and extension

   Within 1 month of entry the company provides at least 16 hours of in-house education covering Korean culture and immigration law and keeps a training log, and at alien registration it submits proof of a surety insurance against unpaid training allowances, industrial accident compensation insurance, and a Korean health check-up. If further training is needed, the period can be extended up to 2 years from entry by submitting a statement of reasons for extension signed by the head of the company and a training performance evaluation. If a reportable event such as a trainee leaving occurs, the company reports it to the immigration office within 15 days.

Required documents

• Application for certificate of visa eligibility (Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act, Form No. 21)
• Training plan prepared by the training company
• Proof that the company is eligible for foreign technical training (investment, establishment and operation records of the subsidiary, etc.)
• Proof of the number of regular Korean employees and a copy of the wage or payroll ledger
• Letter of guarantee by the inviter (Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act, Article 77)
• Proof that the trainee meets the technical trainee criteria (employment records at the subsidiary, Korean language proficiency records, etc.)
• Korean language education pledge (when inviting trainees who do not meet the Korean proficiency standard)
• Letter of authorization (when an administrative agent files on your behalf)

Fees

Generally from tens of thousands to several hundred thousand won in the industry. We quote after consultation based on the number of trainees, the volume of subsidiary records and the scope of the training plan. Visa fees at the diplomatic mission are separate.

See fees and official charges for this service →

Legal basis and review date

• Immigration Act, Article 9
• Immigration Act, Article 19
• Immigration Act, Article 19-2
• Immigration Act, Article 79-2
• Enforcement Decree of the Immigration Act, Article 24-2
• Enforcement Decree of the Immigration Act, Article 24-4
• Enforcement Decree of the Immigration Act, Annex 1-2, No. 6
• Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act, Article 17
• Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act, Article 76
• Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act, Annex 5
• Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act, Annex 5-2
• Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act, Form No. 21
• Ministry of Justice Directive on Issuance and Management of Visa Issuance Certificates for Technical Trainees of Overseas-Invested Companies

Checked against the statutes on 2026-10-16

Statutes and public notices change, so each case needs to be checked individually. Statute titles are given in English for reference. The Korean statutes are the authoritative text.

Check these first

• If practical training exceeds 70% of total training hours or trainees are trained in an industry different from the subsidiary's, extensions are refused, and a violation of the practical training ratio bars the company from inviting trainees for 1 year from the date it is found.
• Forcibly keeping trainees' passports or money, making trainees pay their airfare, or failing to pay 150% of base pay for practical training beyond 8 hours a day or at night are grounds for classification as a poorly managing company.

Frequently asked questions