Foreign employment & nationality
How to Report a Foreign Employee's Resignation — The 15-Day Immigration Report vs. the Employment Center's Report of Employment Change
An employer who has hired a foreigner must report within 15 days when the foreigner leaves the job, is dismissed or dies, when the foreigner's whereabouts become unknown, or when important terms of the employment contract are changed. For workers covered by the Act on the Employment of Foreign Workers, such as E-9 and H-2, filing a report of employment change with the employment center is deemed to be the immigration report. For workers on employment statuses not covered by that Act, such as E-7 (Specific Activities), E-2 (Foreign Language Instructor) and C-4 (Short-term Employment), the employer reports directly to the immigration office. F-4 (Overseas Korean), F-2 (Residence), F-5 (Permanent Residence) and F-6 (Marriage Immigrant) are not among the statuses of stay subject to reporting under Article 23(1) of the Enforcement Decree of the Immigration Act.
Procedure
- Notification Difficulty Low
You submit the statutory report form and required documents. Once the documents are in order the report is accepted; for some reports the authority checks the contents before accepting it.
We will fill out the application documents for E-9 workplace change and E-7 immigration status/workplace change. Depending on your actual residency status and employment institution, we will classify the application route and whether or not a visit is included.
Scope & fee
- Prepare E-9 workplace-change documents
- We will prepare the relevant documents by reviewing the reason for the change in workplace, job search registration, and provided employment data for 1 E-9 worker. It does not include the worker's own job center application, job search activities, or job placement. It does not include in-office submissions.
- Immigration workplace change or addition: prior permit
- We compare the requirements for a change/additional permit for 1 worker's workplace with the provided employment data and prepare the permit application documents. A separate long explanation and employment center procedures are not included. It does not include in-office submissions.
- E-7-4 status change: 1 worker and 1 company
- We will prepare application materials by comparing the E-7-4 conversion requirements for 1 worker and 1 company with scores, income, and employment proof. We distinguish between the actual application route and the scope of identity verification and verification. It does not include in-office submissions.
- Official fee source ↗
- E-7-1 change of immigration status: prepare documents
- We will review the E-7-1 change requirements and proof of job/employment for 1 worker and 1 company and prepare a job description, reason for employment, and application documents. It does not include embassy visas and separate employment center work. Scope of writing: 1 type of job description, 3 pages per type, 1 type of employment reason, 3 pages per type. It does not include in-office submissions.
- Official fee source ↗
- E-7-1 change of immigration status: includes 1 in-person filing in the Seoul metropolitan area
- We will review the E-7-1 change requirements and proof of job/employment for 1 worker and 1 company and prepare a job description, reason for employment, and application documents. It does not include embassy visas and separate employment center work. Scope of writing: 1 type of job description, 3 pages per type, 1 type of employment reason, 3 pages per type. 1 office visit is included.
- Official fee source ↗
1. Determine where to report by status of stay
For E-9 and H-2 workers, submit the Report on Change in Employment, etc. of Foreign Workers to the employment center having jurisdiction over the location of the workplace. If the matter reported is also a ground for the immigration report, the immigration report is deemed to have been made. For other holders of employment statuses, such as E-7, E-2 (Foreign Language Instructor) and C-4 (Short-term Employment), submit the Report on Occurrence of Grounds for Change of Employed or Trainee Foreigners to the immigration office. F-4 (Overseas Korean), F-2, F-5 and F-6 workers are excluded from the statuses of stay subject to the employer's report; if their occupation changes, the foreigner personally files a report of change of employment information within 15 days.
2. Check the grounds for reporting
The grounds for reporting are the employee leaving the job, dismissal or death, unknown whereabouts, and a change in important terms of the employment contract. A change in the employment contract period, a change of the employer or the representative (excluding a change of the representative of a corporation), a change in the name of the workplace, and a change of location due to relocation of the workplace are changes in important terms.
3. Calculate the deadline
Report within 15 days. The period runs from the date the employee left the job or was dismissed, from the date you became aware of the fact in the case of death or unknown whereabouts, and from the date of the change in the case of a contract change. The employment center report is also made within 15 days from the date the cause arose or you became aware of it.
4. Submit the report and keep records
Submit it through HiKorea e-application, Work24 (Goyong24) or in person, and keep the record of receipt. When you next hire a foreigner or undergo an employment permit review, the authorities sometimes check whether earlier reports were made.
Required documents
- Report on Occurrence of Grounds for Change of Employed or Trainee Foreigners (immigration report)
- Report on Change in Employment, etc. of Foreign Workers (employment center report, E-9 and H-2)
- Copy of the employer's ID (immigration report)
- Copy of business registration certificate (for the immigration report, not required if you consent to shared use of administrative information)
- Materials confirming that the employee left the job, or the amended employment contract
Fees
There is no fee for either the employment center report of employment change or the immigration report on occurrence of grounds for change. Our office fee starts from the amount shown above and may vary depending on the number of foreign employees and their statuses of stay, and on whether the report is late and a written opinion on the administrative fine is also prepared; we will give you an exact quote after reviewing your documents.
Legal basis and review date
- Immigration Act, Article 19
- Enforcement Decree of the Immigration Act, Article 24
- Immigration Act, Article 21
- Immigration Act, Article 100
- Act on the Employment of Foreign Workers, Article 17
- Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Employment of Foreign Workers, Article 23
- Enforcement Rule of the Act on the Employment of Foreign Workers, Article 14
- Enforcement Decree of the Immigration Act, Article 23
- Enforcement Decree of the Immigration Act, Article 102 and attached Table 2
- Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act, Article 49-2
- Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act, Form No. 32
- Act on the Employment of Foreign Workers, Article 27
- Act on the Employment of Foreign Workers, Article 32
- Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Employment of Foreign Workers, Article 32 and attached Table
- Enforcement Rule of the Act on the Employment of Foreign Workers, Article 12-3
- Enforcement Rule of the Act on the Employment of Foreign Workers, Forms No. 12 and No. 12-2
Check these first
- Managing hiring, resignation, contract changes, workplace relocation and the expiry date of the period of stay together on one calendar reduces missed reports.
- If a foreigner who resigned can no longer be contacted, report within 15 days from the date you became aware that the whereabouts are unknown.
Frequently asked questions
Must I report when a foreign employee resigns?
For an E-9 worker, must I report to both the employment center and immigration?
Must a company relocation or a change of trade name also be reported?
What should I do if I missed the reporting deadline?
Can another company hire the foreigner right after the resignation?
Can I entrust the foreign employee resignation report documents to an administrative office?
Contact us
Hwang Yunsang Administrative Office in Songdo, Incheon prepares and submits administrative documents and explains the procedure. If your situation is similar, send us a message.
📍 2697, 26F POSCO Tower-Songdo, 165 Convensia-daero, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, Republic of Korea · 📞 010-3374-2687 · 🌐 hwangadmin.com
This guide is general information based on public sources. Requirements, documents and deadlines differ by case and by the competent agency, so please confirm them before you proceed.