E-9 (Non-Professional Employment) Korea Visa Guide | 2026

1. What E-9 Is

E-9 is the visa of the Employment Permit System (고용허가제), run under the Act on the Employment of Foreign Workers. The system permits an EMPLOYER to hire foreign workers and permits the worker to be employed on condition of working for that employer, for a maximum total period set by the scheme. It operates through government-to-government agreements with a fixed list of sending countries, and it is aimed at small and medium enterprises below employee-count and capital thresholds. People going into professional occupations that require particular qualifications or experience are excluded.

2. Eligibility Checklist

• A national of one of the countries with which Korea has concluded an EPS agreement — the scheme does not accept applicants from outside that list.
• Meets the domestic employment requirements set by the Act on the Employment of Foreign Workers.
• NOT entering a professional occupation requiring specific qualifications or experience — those belong to the E-1 to E-7 statuses instead.
• The hiring employer falls within the permitted sectors AND, for manufacturing, within the small-business thresholds for employee count or capital.
• Required identity, health and training documents satisfy current standards.
• No unresolved immigration violations affecting eligibility.

3. Criteria Summary

• E-9 is not a points-based status.
• Review is channel-eligibility and compliance-condition based.
• Operational limits and sector handling can change via annual updates.
• Always verify current E-9 sector/workplace rules before filing.

4. Salary and Contract Rules

• E-9 is contract-bound with sector-specific labor compliance requirements.
• Compensation must align with lawful labor standards and filed contract terms.
• Contract mismatch with actual duties/location is a high-risk compliance issue.
• Long-term planning often considers E-7-4 transition pathways where eligible.

5. Employer and Workplace Change Rules

• E-9 is tied to the employer who holds the employment permit — the worker is admitted on condition of being employed by that employer.
• PERMITTED SECTORS are fixed by the scheme and narrower than 'unskilled work' suggests: manufacturing (within small-business thresholds, including the 뿌리산업 root industries), all construction work, agriculture and livestock, fishing (coastal and offshore, aquaculture, salt harvesting), forestry, mining, and a specific list of service industries.
• Several sectors are restricted BY REGION as well as by industry. Hotels, holiday condominiums and hostels are open only to businesses located in Seoul, Busan, Gangwon, Jeonbuk, Gyeongbuk and Jeju — and within them, only for building cleaner and kitchen assistant roles.
• Korean restaurants are open only in the designated pilot regions for foreign labour in the restaurant industry, subject to conditions on the number of Korean insured employees and a minimum number of years the business has been trading — and again only for kitchen assistant roles.
• Forestry and mining are limited to corporate operators meeting statutory criteria, and in both cases only to elementary occupations under the standard occupational classification.
• Workplace change is limited and requires specific qualifying reasons and procedures; unauthorised changes or off-scope activity can cause penalties or loss of status.
• Sector lists, thresholds, the maximum employment period and the roster of sending countries are all revised periodically — verify the current scheme rules rather than a cached list.

6. Required Documents

• Application set (form, passport, photo, fee proof).
• EPS/channel-related placement and contract documents.
• Health/identity records required under current guidance.
• Employer and sector compliance documents where requested.
• Additional office-specific records requested during review.

7. Fees and Processing

• E-9 issuance/extension fees follow official schedules in manuals.
• Processing depends on channel procedures, office load, and verification needs.
• Workplace-change or re-entry-related cases frequently require supplemental proof.
• File early to avoid expiry-window risk in controlled timelines.

8. Common Rejection Reasons

• Channel/sector eligibility conditions not met.
• Employer/contract evidence is incomplete or inconsistent.
• Requested activity exceeds E-9 permitted scope.
• Workplace-change/re-entry conditions are not sufficiently proven.
• Prior immigration non-compliance issues remain unresolved.

9. FAQ