Changwon G-NEX International Student Job Fair on November 2: Resume Reviews, a Visa Lecture, and a Fast Track for Graduating Students Switching to Work Visas

A job fair for international students preparing to work in Korea will be held on November 2 (Monday) at Changwon Exhibition Convention Center (CECO). Gyeongsangnam-do is hosting it together with the National Institute for International Education (NIIED) and the Gyeongnam Regional Office of SMEs and Startups on the first day of the 2026 Gyeongnam Global Innovation Festa (G-NEX). The job fair and the NIIED booth run from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the Business Lounge, and the lecture on visas and settling in Korea runs from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. in Conference Room 301.

Your November 2 schedule

The morning lecture comes first. The lecture on “Visas and Settling into Life in Korea” starts at 10:30 a.m. in Conference Room 301 and ends at noon. International students thinking about working in Korea after graduation will come away with questions to ask at the afternoon recruitment consultations.

From 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., the job fair and the NIIED booth open together in the Business Lounge. The NIIED booth offers five services: one-on-one resume reviews and career consulting, resume photo shoots, personal color analysis, interview makeup, and instant photo-booth strips. To get a resume review, bring both a printed copy and an editable file, and it is best to arrive at 1 p.m. when the booth opens.

Which companies will be there

The list of participating companies will be posted on the event's official website once confirmed. According to a Gyeongsangnam-do press release, this year's G-NEX will newly run industry-academia-research networking meetings and one-on-one meetups centered on six of Gyeongnam's key industries, including manufacturing AX (the AI transformation of manufacturing), shipbuilding and offshore, and robotics and future mobility, with 18 universities in the province and their industry-academia partner companies taking part. The job fair is held by Gyeongsangnam-do together with NIIED and the Gyeongnam Regional Office of SMEs and Startups. The first edition last December drew 19 universities and some 100 industry-academia partner companies, and a separate employment hall was run in the exhibition space. Prepare your resume with industry-academia partner companies in Gyeongnam's key industries in mind, and narrow down your target companies once the list is posted.

The full event runs for three days, from November 2 to 4. Among the 10 university student competitions is a speech contest for international students, and AI mock interviews and AI cover-letter analysis experiences are also on offer.

What happens to your visa if you get a job offer

Once talks with a company get going at the job fair, the next step is your residence status. There are two pieces of official information that graduating students should check.

First is the Gyeongnam work-visa change fast track for graduating international students. Since January 29, 2026, Gyeongsangnam-do and the Changwon Immigration Office have run a dedicated counter for graduating international students changing their residence status to a work visa such as Specific Activities (E-7) or Regional Specialized (F-2-R). It opens at Counter 7 in the first-floor civil affairs office of the Changwon Immigration Office from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month, and students who visit together with their university's international student officer are received on the spot without a prior reservation. Gyeongsangnam-do explained that previously, applicants typically had to wait more than two months after making a reservation. Those changing from a job-seeking visa (D-10) to a work status and those subject to residence-permit restrictions are restricted from using the service. To use it, first arrange a schedule with your university's international student office.

Second is the job-seeking visa (D-10) for those whose employment is not confirmed by graduation. According to NIIED's employment information page, the general job-seeking visa (D-10) requires a bachelor's degree or higher (including an associate degree earned in Korea) plus meeting the points-system requirements, which score education, work experience and other factors. However, the points system is waived for those who earned an associate degree or higher at an accredited Korean university within the past three years and hold a valid TOPIK score of level 4 or higher. Passing the stage 4 interim evaluation of the Ministry of Justice's Korea Immigration & Integration Program (KIIP) or being placed at stage 5 in the pre-evaluation also qualifies for the waiver. D-10 stay is limited to one year, and the maximum period for working as an intern at one company on a D-10 is six months.

Knowing these two things makes clear what to ask at the booths: which residence status the company plans to hire you under, whether the start date is before or after graduation, and where the workplace is. The Specific Activities (E-7) visa has its own education, major and wage requirements. Once the hiring terms take shape, confirm the requirements with the immigration office with jurisdiction.

What to do before you go

The event's official website states that entry is possible after pre-registration (admission registration). On the pre-registration screen, choosing International Student as the participant category makes year of study, expected graduation date, desired job role, and whether you want an interview or consultation required fields. Desired work region and employment type, certifications and language skills, key competencies and areas of interest, and desired industry are optional fields. Name, contact number, email, participant category, planned attendance date and participating program are required for everyone, and the site advises entering your name and contact number accurately because they are used for the entry ticket and guidance messages.

Inquiries about the event can be made to the Gyeongsangnam-do call center (055-120). The list of participating companies and the secretariat's contact details will be posted on the official website once confirmed.