20
VISAPosted by Andrés 🇨🇱 Chile · 1 month ago
Is it normal that HiKorea has zero appointments available?
been refreshing for 4 days. every slot in Seoul is gone the moment it opens, and the next available date is past my deadline.
is there a trick to this? do people just show up without an appointment or is that a waste of a day
is there a trick to this? do people just show up without an appointment or is that a waste of a day
10 comments
OFFICIAL ANSWER
TaehyunALLO TEAM
Operations & Local Support · Seoul
This is the single most common frustration we hear, and no, you are not doing it wrong. Seoul immigration is genuinely oversubscribed.
What actually works:
1. New slots are released around midnight Korea time, and again in small batches through the day when people cancel. Refreshing at 09:00 is the worst time — everyone does that.
2. Do not fixate on Seoul Immigration in Mokdong. Sejongno, Ansan, Suwon and Incheon offices serve people who live in their district, but many students find Seoul Southern Branch (Gwanak) has slots when the main office does not. Check every office your address qualifies for.
3. Walk-ins are accepted for a limited daily quota at most offices, but you need to be in line before 08:00 and you should expect to lose the day. It works. It is just expensive in time.
4. Your school's international office can often issue a confirmation letter that buys you a grace period if your appointment falls after your deadline. Immigration accepts this far more readily than students expect — ask before you panic.
Important: missing the 90-day ARC registration deadline is a fine, not a deportation. If your appointment is genuinely unavailable before day 90, book the first available one and keep the screenshot showing no earlier slot existed. Officers have discretion and they use it.
Our Seoul team books these for our students and knows which offices are moving fastest that month — it changes constantly.
What actually works:
1. New slots are released around midnight Korea time, and again in small batches through the day when people cancel. Refreshing at 09:00 is the worst time — everyone does that.
2. Do not fixate on Seoul Immigration in Mokdong. Sejongno, Ansan, Suwon and Incheon offices serve people who live in their district, but many students find Seoul Southern Branch (Gwanak) has slots when the main office does not. Check every office your address qualifies for.
3. Walk-ins are accepted for a limited daily quota at most offices, but you need to be in line before 08:00 and you should expect to lose the day. It works. It is just expensive in time.
4. Your school's international office can often issue a confirmation letter that buys you a grace period if your appointment falls after your deadline. Immigration accepts this far more readily than students expect — ask before you panic.
Important: missing the 90-day ARC registration deadline is a fine, not a deportation. If your appointment is genuinely unavailable before day 90, book the first available one and keep the screenshot showing no earlier slot existed. Officers have discretion and they use it.
Our Seoul team books these for our students and knows which offices are moving fastest that month — it changes constantly.
Was this helpful?Updated 1 month ago
10 comments
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You can still post anonymously after signing in.midnight refresh is the answer. got a slot at 00:04 after two weeks of trying at normal hours
22
setting an alarm. this is ridiculous but i'll take it
8
also try around 16:00, that's when cancellations seem to land
6
did the walk-in at Gwanak. arrived 07:20, was number 14, out by 11. worth it vs waiting 6 weeks
15
february. i have never been so cold in my life. bring a thermos
9
how cold was it standing outside
4
my school's office just did it for me?? i didn't know that was a thing. ask them first before losing your mind
7
korean here, we also can't get appointments for anything. it's not a foreigner thing, the whole system is like this
6
weirdly comforting
5
the hikorea website itself is from 2009 and i think that's half the problem
3
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