How to Apply for the E-7 Visa in Korea
The E-7 visa is Korea's main skilled work visa, covering 94 designated occupations across professional, semi-professional, skilled, and points-based categories. Unlike most countries' work visas, the E-7 requires the Korean employer to apply for a Certificate of Visa Issuance (사증발급인정서) before you can apply for the actual visa. This guide walks you through both sides of the process.
The 94 E-7 occupations
E-7 jobs are divided into four tiers: (1) Professional (전문인력, E-7-1) — 67 occupations in management and professional fields (skill level 3–4), including IT engineers, financial analysts, designers, chefs, and researchers; (2) Semi-professional (준전문인력, E-7-2) — 10 occupations in office and service sectors (skill level 2–3); (3) General skilled (일반기능인력, E-7-3) — 14 occupations in technical and craft fields; (4) Points-based skilled (숙련기능인력, E-7-4) — 3 occupations for long-term E-9/H-2 workers transitioning to skilled status via a points test.
Basic qualification requirements
One of the following must apply: (1) Master's degree or higher in a field related to the target occupation; (2) Bachelor's degree in a related field plus at least 1 year of post-graduation experience in that field; (3) At least 5 years of work experience in the field (no degree required). Experience acquired before your degree generally does not count — only post-graduation experience is recognized. Exception: in advanced tech fields (IT, bio, nano), pre-graduation internship experience may be counted.
Who can skip the education/experience requirements
High-earners bypass all requirements: if your annual salary is GNI × 3 or more (~₩126M+ at 2024 rates), no degree or experience documentation is needed. Additionally, if your salary is GNI × 1.5+ and you have a government ministry recommendation, all requirements are waived for the 67 professional occupations. Top-talent young applicants (age 29 or under) from world top-200 universities can also have experience requirements waived.
Step-by-step process
Your employer applies for the Certificate of Visa Issuance (사증발급인정서)
The Korean employer submits an application to the local immigration office with: company documents (business registration, proof of need to hire a foreigner, tax payment certificate), your qualification documents (degree certificates, experience certificates, CV), and the signed employment contract. For many E-7 occupations a government ministry employment recommendation (고용추천서) is required. This step typically takes 2–4 weeks.
Receive the Certificate of Visa Issuance
Immigration issues the 사증발급인정서 to the employer if approved. The employer sends you a copy. This document is your authorization to apply for the E-7 visa at the Korean consulate in your country.
Apply at the Korean consulate
Submit at the Korean embassy or consulate: the certificate of visa issuance, your passport, passport photo, visa application form, and the fee. Processing is usually 5–10 business days. Some top-talent routes allow an electronic visa applied directly through the Korea Visa Portal (visa.go.kr) without visiting a consulate.
Enter Korea and register
Enter Korea within the visa validity period. Within 90 days of arrival, register at the immigration office to receive your Alien Registration Card (ARC). You must register your address and workplace.
Report workplace changes
If you change employers, you must report the change to immigration. For most E-7 occupations this requires a new 사증발급인정서 from the new employer. Some restricted occupations require prior approval; switching without approval is a visa violation.
Tips from immigration specialists
- The employer drives this visa process, not you. Choose an employer who has hired foreign workers before — they know the paperwork. Smaller companies often underestimate the documentation burden.
- The ministry recommendation (고용추천서) requirement varies by occupation. Professional-tier (E-7-1) positions at universities and public institutions are typically exempt. Always check the specific occupation's requirements.
- Experience certificates must show dates, position title, and be on company letterhead or officially notarized. Immigration officers closely scrutinize work experience claims.
- Your employment contract must show your actual position matching one of the 94 designated occupations. A generic title like 'consultant' is often rejected — use the official Korean occupation code name where possible.
- If you are already in Korea on D-2 (student) or D-10 (job seeker), you can apply for a status change to E-7 without leaving the country, if you meet the requirements.
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Find a SpecialistFrequently asked questions
Does my degree major need to exactly match the E-7 job?
It must be related (연관성), not identical. A computer science graduate applying for a software developer position easily qualifies. A marketing graduate applying for the same position would be questioned. Immigration exercises judgment — if the connection is not obvious, provide a supplemental explanation or get additional qualification evidence.
Can my employer change the job title later?
No. Your E-7 visa is tied to the specific designated occupation. If your role changes significantly, you may need to apply for a new E-7 under the correct occupation, or a different visa category.
Is there a minimum salary for E-7?
For E-7-1 (professional tier), there is no universal minimum, but immigration reviews whether the salary is appropriate for the occupation and not below the minimum wage. For semi-professional (E-7-2) and skilled (E-7-3/E-7-4) tiers, there are stricter salary benchmarks tied to minimum wage or GNI multiples. Very low salaries relative to the occupation are a red flag.
How long can I stay on E-7?
Initial grants are typically 1–2 years, renewable as long as you remain employed. There is no hard cap on total E-7 stay — you can renew indefinitely. After 5+ years of continuous legal residence with E-7 status (among other requirements), you can apply for F-2 or F-5 permanent residency.
Can I bring my family to Korea on E-7?
Yes. Your spouse and minor children can accompany you on F-3 (accompanying family) status, which allows them to live in Korea. If your annual income is GNI × 2 or more, your accompanying family members can also work without needing their own work visa.