Immigration Control
E7 employment visa
What is an E7 employment visa?
The E7 visa is for foreign professionals who wish to engage in activities (85 occupations) specifically designated by the Minister of Justice under contracts with public institutions, private organizations, etc. in the Republic of Korea.
Unlike general simple labor, it is assigned to fields that require specialized knowledge or skills.
Practical Overview and Requirements
1. Qualification requirements for foreigners (employees)
Basic education and experience requirements
• Master's degree or higher: Holder of a master's degree in a field related to the position being introduced.
• Bachelor's degree + 1 year of experience: Bachelor's degree in a field related to the position and at least 1 year of experience in the field.
• 5 years of experience: At least 5 years of work experience in a field related to the position being introduced.
• Note: For those working in cutting-edge technology fields such as IT and bio, internship experience prior to graduation is also recognized.
Special Qualification Requirements (Academic/Experience Exemption and Relaxation)
• Global Excellence: At least one year of experience in a top 500 company or a graduate (or expected graduate) from a QS world university ranked within the top 500.
• Domestic graduates: Applicants who have graduated (or are expected to graduate) from a domestic university and have a bachelor's degree or higher are exempt from major requirements and work experience requirements. (College graduates are exempt from one year of work experience when seeking employment in a field related to their major.)
• High-income earners: If your annual salary is more than three times the previous year's GNI (gross national income), a letter of recommendation is not required.
• Government Recommendation: Excellent talent in advanced science and technology fields recommended by KOTRA, Small and Medium Business Administration, etc.
2. Employer (Company) Qualifications
National Employment Protection and Rate Limits
• Domestic Employment Ratio: In principle, foreign employment is permitted within the scope of domestic workers in Section 20% (e.g., if there are five domestic workers, one foreign worker can be hired).
• Minimum number of people: In principle, invitations are limited for domestic-focused companies with less than 5 domestic employees.
• Special exceptions: High-tech industries may be allowed to hire up to 50% of the total national workforce, and excellent export companies may be allowed to hire up to 70%.
Wage requirements (as of April 1, 2025 - December 31, 2025)
• Professional (E-7-1): 28.67 million won or more
• Semi-professional (E-7-2): 25.15 million won or more
• General skilled workers (E-7-3): 25.15 million won or more
• Skilled Workers (E-7-4): 26 million won or more
Other compliance matters
• Tax delinquency: There must be no delinquent national or local taxes.
• Special provisions for new companies: Small foreign-invested companies or venture companies in the early stages of their business are permitted to hire specialized personnel even if they have not had sales for 5 years, limited to industries such as manufacturing, trade, and R&D.
type
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E-7-1 Professional Personnel
They are classified as professional personnel. This includes managers and professionals, and a total of 67 occupations fall into this category.
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E-7-2 Paraprofessional
Occupation: Includes office and service workers, with a total of 10 occupations.
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E-7-3 General Skilled Personnel
Occupation: Includes skilled workers and related skilled workers, and a total of 9 occupations are applicable.
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E-7-4 Skilled Workers (Points System)
Occupation: This applies to existing E-9 visa occupations, and includes a total of three occupations.
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E-7-91 FTA Independent Expert
This is an independent expert visa under the FTA (Free Trade Agreement).
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E-7-S Negative Method Specialist
Occupation: Targeted at high-income earners or those working or planning to work in high-tech industries.
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E-7-Y (Domestic Growth-Based Foreign Youth Visa)
'Known as the "Domestic Growth Talent" visa, this program helps foreign youth who spent their school years in Korea find employment and settle down immediately without having to go on to university. (Temporary operation from April 1, 2025)
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E-7-M (Specialized Visa for Semi-Professionals and Field Work)
E-7-M is a new classification that is being established and reviewed to complement the scope of the existing E-7-2 (semi-professional personnel) or E-7-3 (general skilled personnel) or to resolve the manpower shortage in a specific industrial group.
E7 visa procedures
When inviting a foreigner living abroad
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1Document preparation and application
Prepare visa documents and apply for a 'Visa Issuance Certificate’ at the immigration office in charge of the company’s address.
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2Sending a certificate
Once approved, a visa issuance confirmation letter will be sent to the foreigner via email.
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3Apply for a local visa
Foreigners obtain a visa by submitting a certificate of recognition to the Korean consulate in their country.
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4Entry and registration
Apply for an alien registration card within 90 days of entering Korea.
Changes in qualifications of foreigners residing in the country
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1Application for change of residence status
Prepare visa documents and apply for a change of residence status and alien registration card at the immigration office with jurisdiction.
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2Receiving registration certificate
Once the permit is granted, you will receive your alien registration card.
Issuance period and documents
• Review period: It takes approximately 3 to 4 weeks from the time documents are received to the decision on approval.
• Additional time: Additional time may be required for apostille (or notarization) of foreign documents such as diplomas or career certificates.
• Required documents: Basic documents required include an employment contract, employment reason statement, company sales certificate, tax payment certificate, and foreign qualification certificate (degree, work experience).
Why You Need a Trustworthy Administrative Attorney
Numerous success stories
The photo on the right is part of the residence permit.
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1. Job Code Matching and Rejection Risk Management
The E7 visa requires precise selection of the occupation code that most closely resembles the actual job description within a limited set of occupational codes. In today's business environment, where job boundaries are blurred, applying the wrong code can lead to significant delays and rejections at the immigration office, making precise judgments by an expert essential.
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2. Writing a persuasive employment statement (utilization plan)
You must logically convince the visa officer of the necessity of hiring the foreign national and the company's future vision. Especially for small businesses or startups with limited sales, the administrative assistant's professional storytelling skills—based on circumstantial evidence rather than mere facts—are crucial for securing a visa.
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3. Maximize the success rate of your first application.
If an E7 visa is rejected once due to an incorrect code, the chances of approval for a reapplication with the same company and as a foreign national are significantly reduced. Therefore, selecting the correct code upon initial application is paramount, and seeking the assistance of an experienced administrative agent is the safest approach.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Can small businesses or startups with few domestic employees hire foreigners?
A: In principle Less than 5 foreign employeesAnd for companies that focus on the domestic market, inviting foreigners is restricted.
However, it may vary depending on the job type, so prior consultation is required.
Q: Are Korean university graduates more likely to be issued visas even without work experience?
Q: What is the minimum annual salary that must be paid to foreigners as of 2025?
Visa delays lead to business losses for companies and time loss for foreigners.
Since one mistake can be fatal, we recommend that you prepare carefully and thoroughly from the beginning with an expert.
December 21, 2025
Seum Administrative Attorney Firm
Written by: Sangyoon Kim, Administrative Scrivener
