Working Holiday & Farm Stay Visas in South Korea

Working Holiday, South Korea- Must be American or Canadian Citizen (info below)

Working Holiday, Japan- Must be Canadian Citizen (Americans are not yet eligible. Boo!)

Farm Stay, Japan- Must be American or Canadian Citizen

$1,195 Job Placement Fee w/ 1 month shared housing + MUCH MORE

WORKING HOLIDAY DETAILS IN DAEGU, SOUTH KOREA

Arrival dates for 2025:

May 30, July 4, August 1, August 29, October 3, October 31, November 28

The landing package includes the following services:

• 28 nights accommodation in shared room in apartment in Daegu (twin or 6-share)

• Zoom preparation session around 2-4 weeks prior to the arrival date

• Meet&Greet at Incheon Airport (Seoul). Arrival is always on the Friday before the first Monday of each month. Accompaniment to the train to Daegu (train ticket not included; assistance with train ticket). Pick up from Daegu railway station and escort to accommodation.

• Access to online knowledge base including information about living and working in South Korea

• Assistance with all legally required and recommended formalities such as application for the ARC (Alien Registration Card), resident registration, tax number, registration for the public health system, pension fund, pre-paid SIM card, bank account.

• Once a week social activity or outing

• Job Counseling Session about working in Korea (about 2 hours).

• Translation of the CV from English to Korean as well as formatting/content optimization for the requirements of the Korean job market

• Personal support with finding a job

• Support for 1 year from arrival in all matters related to living and working in Korea (at Daegu office and online via Kakaotalk)

INCLUDED ACCOMMODATIONS (4 weeks)

We provide exclusive accommodation for our Working Holiday participants in a very central location in Daegu, just steps away from shops, restaurants, and bars, and within a 15-minute walk to the language school. Four weeks (28 nights) of accommodation are included in the arrival package. This is a great place to make a lot of new friends and get grounded in South Korea.

The accommodation consists of a house with multiple apartments, each shared by our participants as either 6- share or twin rooms. Every apartment has its own en- suite shower with toilet and a kitchenette equipped with a fridge. Additionally, each resident has access to a private locker for valuables, and each apartment has its own washing machine.

On the ground floor, there is a shared communal area featuring a living room with a large table, a kitchen, a toilet, and a luggage storage room. Free WiFi is available in the shared areas, and a drinking water filter machine provides hot and cold water.

WHAT JOBS CAN BE ARRANGED?

Common job opportunities for participants in our Working Holiday support program in Daegu include:

• English teaching assistant (No Korean language required)

• Childcare and nanny roles in English (No Korean language required)

• Jobs in cafés, bars, and restaurants (basic Korean required)

• Accommodations (e.g., hostels, farms)

• Modeling

Additionally, large companies in Daegu, such as Samsung and Coupang, hire staff with little or no knowledge of Korean for simple tasks like packing products for shipment, loading and unloading goods, or labeling products. For these positions, participants are typically paid the national minimum wage, which is 9,860 KRW per hour (~$7 USD).

The Working Holiday Visa allows US participants to work up to 25 hours per week and no limit for Canadians. However, employment should be seen as a secondary aspect of the working holiday experience, not the primary focus.

Certain jobs that require professional licenses in Korea, such as being the lead teacher for foreign language instruction or working as a restaurant chef, are not permitted under the Working Holiday Visa.

We also encourage participants to invest time in learning the Korean language, as it greatly expands the range of available job and friendship opportunities.

HOSPITALITY JOBS

While we cannot provide the name of the employer or exact job position before participants travel to South Korea, we can guarantee that everyone in this program will secure a hospitality role shortly after the initial 4 weeks (or later, if the participant prefers). Should a participant not secure employment on the first interview, we will arrange additional interviews as needed. Participants are expected to be flexible and should not decline roles without valid reasons.

Hospitality jobs are normally at restaurants, fast food, cafés, pubs, hotels, guesthouses in Seoul, Busan and Daegu. The jobs are arranged during the 4 weeks of orientation (that takes place in Daegu). Program participants can then start their hospitality job soon after those 4 weeks (or later, if they prefer). Tasks include serving, kitchen assistance, dish washing, luggage handling, room service, table setting, cleaning, pizza or burger preparation, and other similar roles.

These are part-time jobs for US Americans (25 hours/week) and can be part-time of full-time (40 hours/week) for Canadians, offering the legal minimum wage (9860 won per hour) or slightly above.

LANGUAGE LESSONS

Participants are encouraged to book intensive language lessons (5 times per week). During the 4 weeks of the orientation program, we arrange job interviews for the hospitality positions. Participants typically have to attend those job interviews in person, taking a train (at their own expense - trains in South Korea are relatively low-cost). Those with higher Korean proficiency may secure roles involving some customer interaction, while those with lower proficiency may be placed in roles that don’t require much verbal communication.

Language classes are an additional cost, provided by the largest language school in Daegu, The Box, which is located within walking distance of downtown accommodations in a modern building. Participants can choose the intensity of their classes, with options for 2 or 5 sessions per week, each lasting 90 minutes. Language lessons are available at various levels, from beginner to upper-intermediate. Participants who already have some knowledge of Korean and wish to start at a level higher than beginner must complete a placement test on the first day.

In addition to formal language classes, the school offers daily language exchange sessions in the morning and evening, each lasting 2 hours, at no additional cost. During these sessions, participants can teach Koreans English in exchange for practicing their Korean conversation skills.

KEY POINTS ABOUT THE VISA

• You are between the ages of 18 and 30 years (inclusive) at the time of application

• You have sufficient funds to support yourself for the initial period of your holiday (KRW 3,000,000 minimum, ~ $2200 USD)

• You have a return ticket or proof of sufficient funds to purchase one

• You have not previously entered Korea on a Working Holiday Visa

• You do not have a criminal record

ABOUT DAEGU

With a population of 2.5 million, Daegu is South Korea’s third-largest city, located between Seoul and Busan. The travel time by train to Seoul is 1 hour and 45 minutes, and to Busan, about 50 minutes. Home to 6 major universities and 17 other colleges, Daegu is Korea’s top student city, attracting many international students.

The downtown area, with its bars, clubs, shops, and markets, along with the Buk- Gu district, is vibrant with youthful, student life. Thanks to the large student population, the cost of living is significantly lower than in Seoul.

Daegu is also an industrial hub, known for its electronics, high-tech, fashion, and textile industries. These sectors provide job opportunities for Working Holiday participants in light factory work and logistics.

The city's art scene has blossomed in the Bongsan- dong district, contributing to Daegu’s creative and lively atmosphere. Throughout the year, Daegu hosts numerous events and festivals, including the Daegu Fashion Fair, Asian Bodypainting Festival, Chicken and Beer Festival, Daegu International Music Festival, Colorful Daegu Festival in May, and the Daegu International Jazz Festival.

In the outskirts of Daegu, there are historically significant villages and towns, Buddhist temples, and mountains like Palgongsan that are popular tourist spots. Both Seoul and Busan are easily accessible by train (slow trains to Seoul take 4 hours and cost around 16 EUR, while fast trains take 1 hour 45 minutes and cost 25-32 EUR ($30-40 USD); slow trains to Busan take 1 hour 30 minutes for around 5.60 EUR ($6.25 USD), while fast trains take 45 minutes and cost 9-12 EUR ($10-14 USD).

Daegu International Airport offers affordable flights to Jeju, Tokyo, China, and Southeast Asia. The city experiences a humid, subtropical climate, with hot, rainy summers and cool, dry winters.

With our program in Daegu, you'll receive an introduction to Korean culture and society, along with assistance in finding a job.