E-7-3 Semi-Skilled Worker Visa Korea — 2025-26 Occupation List and Requirements

E-9 (Non-Professional Employment) is the EPS manufacturing/agriculture worker visa — it requires going through the government-managed EPS system (language test, skills test, and employer matching by HRD Korea). It is tied to specific EPS partner countries and limits job changes.

E-7-1/E-7-2 are the professional and specialist E-7 tiers — they require a university degree and significant professional experience, with salary minimums at GNI level.

E-7-3 occupies the middle ground: it covers specific designated semi-skilled occupations, allows direct employer sponsorship without the EPS process, and is open to all nationalities. Most E-7-3 occupations have a lower salary floor (minimum wage level, not GNI) — the shipbuilding trades and power transmission electrician are the exception, carrying their own 80%-of-GNI wage floor (see below). The trade-off: occupational specificity — you must work in one of the designated E-7-3 occupation codes. The full list is maintained by KIS and updated annually.

The following occupation categories are currently eligible for E-7-3 as of early 2026:

Manufacturing & Industry:

• Roots Industry Skilled Worker (뿌리산업체 숙련기능공, S740) — added January 2025. Covers workers in the 6 'root' manufacturing processes: casting (주조), forging (금형), welding (용접), heat treatment (열처리), surface treatment (표면처리), and precision machining (소성가공). Employers must be registered voot industry companies (뿌리기업).
• Auto Parts/Components Worker (자동차 부품제조원, S85411) — pilot program ongoing since 2024.

Maritime & Shipbuilding:

• Shipyard Welder (조선 용접공, ISCO 7430) — added for shipbuilding sector. Specific to vessel/ship construction and repair contexts.
• Ship Electrician (선박 전기원, 76212) — for electrical systems on vessels.
• Ship Painter (선박 도장원) — for vessel painting/coating work.
• Transmission Electrician (송전 전기원, 76231) — for power transmission infrastructure. Pilot period extended to November 2025; confirm current status.

Wage floor for these 4 trades (exception to the general E-7-3 minimum-wage rule): 80% of the prior year's per-capita GNI. As of a May 2026 manual clarification, workers newly introduced from October 2024 onward get a temporary relaxed rate of ₩25,880,000+/year (2026 baseline) for their first 3 years from entry date (e.g. someone who entered October 1, 2024 must move to the full 80%-GNI rate from October 1, 2027), while workers already mid-tenure before October 2024 must keep their existing wage rather than benefiting retroactively.

Food & Agriculture:

• Slaughter/Meat Processing Worker (도축원) — added January 2026. Includes a Halal-specific variant (할랄 도축원) for Halal-certified processing facilities. Employers must hold the relevant food processing license.
• Aquaculture Technician (양식기술자) — expanded January 2026. Eligible products now include abalone (전복), seaweed (해조류), and general aquaculture species. Note: sea cucumber aquaculture (해삼양식) is currently excluded from some pathways — verify the specific product with your employer before applying.

This list is updated by KIS — check the latest E-7 occupation codes at hikorea.go.kr before submitting any application, as additions and removals occur throughout the year.

The roots industry (뿌리산업) program deserves special attention. Introduced formally in January 2025, the S740 Roots Industry Skilled Worker classification was created to address chronic labor shortages in Korea's foundational manufacturing processes — the industries that underpin the entire manufacturing supply chain but struggle to attract domestic workers.

Key features of the S740 program:

• The employer must be a certified 뿌리기업 (roots industry company) registered with the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT)
• National employment protection special rule: Standard E-7 applications require the employer to demonstrate they cannot fill the position domestically. For roots industry, the ratio requirement is relaxed — employers in 뿌리산업 can hire more E-7-3 workers relative to their Korean employee count than standard manufacturing
• 뿌리산업양성학과 (roots industry training courses) at designated technical institutes are a recognised qualification pathway — graduates of these programs have a specific application track
• The minimum hiring threshold for roots industry employers is 2 workers (vs. 1 for general E-7-3 categories), reflecting the program's design around genuine sector demand

E-7-3 generally has a lower salary threshold than professional E-7 categories: the salary must meet or exceed the Korean minimum wage (최저임금) for the contracted hours, with no GNI-based minimum. The exception is the shipbuilding trades (welder, ship electrician, ship painter) and power transmission electrician, which carry their own 80%-of-GNI wage floor (with a temporary relaxed rate for post-October-2024 hires — see above). The contract salary must be stated in the employment contract and verified by immigration. Key employer obligations:

• Employer must be a legally registered Korean business operating in the eligible sector
• Employer must have no outstanding immigration violations or unpaid fines
• The national employment protection review applies — the employer must demonstrate a genuine need that cannot be filled domestically. For most E-7-3 categories, this means demonstrating prior recruitment efforts (job postings, selection records)
• Roots industry (S740) employers have a modified ratio rule — up to 50% foreign worker ratio (vs. the standard 100% cap that allows 1 E-7-3 per Korean employee)
• For slaughter/Halal processing workers, the employer must hold a valid food processing license (식품위생법 영업허가)

The E-7-3 application process follows the standard E-7 employer-sponsored route:

1. Employer prepares documents: Employment contract, business registration, sector license (if applicable), organizational chart, national employment protection evidence (job posting records)
2. Ministry pre-approval (고용추천서): Certain E-7-3 categories require pre-approval from the relevant Ministry before immigration filing. Roots industry and shipbuilding sector applications typically route through MOTIE (산업통상자원부). Confirm the requirement for your specific occupation code.
3. Applicant prepares documents: Passport, relevant skills certificates or qualifications, work experience records, criminal background check (apostilled national-level), health certificate if required
4. File at immigration: Status change application (if already in Korea) or CVI (사증발급인정서) application for applicants coming from abroad
5. Processing time: 2–4 weeks for standard applications; longer if Ministry pre-approval is required

Yes. E-7-3 work time counts toward the residency accumulation needed for both E-7-4 and F-2-7:

• E-7-4 (K-Point pathway): E-7-3 time on its own does not directly qualify for E-7-4 (which is designed for E-9/H-2 workers transitioning up), but E-7-3 workers who also have prior E-9 or H-2 history can use their combined work time toward the 4-year E-7-4 qualifying period.
• F-2-7 (points-based long-term residency): E-7-3 employment contributes to F-2-7 K-Point accumulation, particularly in the income and years-of-residence categories. Korean language (TOPIK), age, and education also add points. Workers who build toward 80+ K-Points become eligible for F-2-7 long-term residency.