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Korean companies looking to hire foreign talent face a specific set of immigration requirements. The (Specific Activities) visa is the primary route for skilled foreign workers, but the employer plays a central role in the application — not just as a sponsor, but sometimes as the primary applicant. This guide is written for Korean HR teams, startup founders, and managers who need to understand the full E-7 sponsorship process, including when Ministry pre-approval (고용추천서) is required and how the GOLD CARD system benefits compliant employers.
검토 기준
James Chae, 행정사 (Korean Licensed Administrative Attorney). License No. 220-06-06463 · 대한행정사회 (Korean Administrative Agents Association). Reviewed against the HiKorea 사증·체류업무 자격별 안내 매뉴얼 and cross-checked with Ministry of Justice issuances.
최종 검토일
2026년 4월 22일
출처 기준
신청 전 주의사항
Requirements can change by nationality, local immigration office, and filing channel. Confirm exact requirements with HiKorea, the responsible Korean consulate, or a licensed immigration specialist before filing.
Not all Korean companies can sponsor E-7 workers. Basic eligibility requirements: ① The company must be a legally registered Korean business (사업자등록증 required) ② The company must have been operating for at least 1 year (some exceptions for startups with qualifying status) ③ The company must not have any immigration law violations on record (unpaid fines, previous illegal workers, etc.) ④ The company must have at least one Korean employee (the ratio of foreign to Korean employees is tracked — a company cannot have only foreign workers without demonstrating it cannot fill the role domestically). The specific worker ratio requirements vary by occupation category and company size. Korean companies with fewer than 20 employees face stricter scrutiny; those with 50+ employees typically have more flexibility.
고용추천서 (employment recommendation letter / Ministry pre-approval) is required for E-7 applications in certain occupation categories to verify that the job meets specific standards and that there is a genuine need that cannot be filled domestically. The relevant Ministry depends on the occupation: Ministry of Employment and Labor (고용노동부) for most professional and management roles, Ministry of Science and ICT (과기부) for IT/technology roles, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (문체부) for cultural/sports roles, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (산업부) for manufacturing engineering and 뿌리산업 roles, Ministry of Health and Welfare (복지부) for healthcare roles. Not all E-7 occupations require 고용추천서 — occupations where the Ministry has pre-designated the employer type (e.g., EPIK for E-2, specific hospitals for healthcare) may have streamlined processes. Verify the requirement for your specific ISCO/KSO occupation code with the Ministry or through HiKorea.
Step 1 — Job posting requirement: Before applying for 고용추천서, the employer must post the job position on the Work24 portal (work24.go.kr) or the Korean Employment Information Service (KEIS) for a minimum period (typically 7 days) to demonstrate that the role was advertised to Korean nationals first. Keep records of the job posting. Step 2 — Prepare the 고용추천서 application package: employment contract (signed), company business registration, company financial statements (recent), job description matching an eligible E-7 occupation code, candidate's degree certificate and work experience documents, company organizational chart showing the role. Step 3 — Submit to the relevant Ministry: submission is via the HiKorea portal (hikorea.go.kr) for most categories, or directly to the Ministry's foreign worker support centre. Step 4 — Ministry review: typically 2–4 weeks. If approved, the 고용추천서 certificate is issued. Step 5 — Immigration application: submit 고용추천서 + all standard E-7 documents to KISC (Korea Immigration Service Center) or the candidate's local Korean Consulate abroad.
Korea's GOLD CARD (우수 외국인 고용 추천 사업장 제도) is a recognition program for employers who have a strong track record of hiring and managing foreign workers in compliance with immigration and labor law. GOLD CARD certified companies receive: ① Expedited 고용추천서 processing (typically 3–5 days vs 2–4 weeks for non-certified companies) ② Priority processing of visa applications ③ Simplified documentation requirements for repeat hires ④ Reduced scrutiny during immigration inspections. Eligibility for GOLD CARD: companies must have employed E-7 foreign workers for at least 2 years without violations, have no outstanding immigration fines, maintain proper employment records, and pass a compliance review. GOLD CARD certification is renewed annually. For companies that hire foreign workers regularly (tech companies, research institutions, universities), pursuing GOLD CARD certification significantly reduces HR overhead per hire.
The employer must provide: ① Employment contract (근로계약서) — bilingual (Korean + English or the worker's language), signed by both parties, specifying position, salary, duties, start date, and duration ② Business registration certificate (사업자등록증) — issued within 3 months ③ Corporate registration certificate (법인등기부등본) — for corporations ④ Company financial statements (매출 증빙) — showing operational capacity ⑤ Organizational chart — showing the applicant's role in the company structure ⑥ Explanation of why the role cannot be filled by a Korean national ⑦ If 고용추천서 was obtained: include the certificate. The employee must provide: ① Passport ② Degree certificate(s) — apostilled and translated ③ Work experience certificates — from prior employers, translated ④ Resume/CV ⑤ Criminal background check — apostilled national-level check from home country ⑥ Passport-size photos. All foreign documents must be apostilled (or consular legalised if from a non-Hague country) and accompanied by Korean or English translation.
Every occupation code has a minimum salary requirement set by the Ministry of Justice (MOJ), updated annually. The minimum is typically set at a multiple of the Korean minimum wage (최저임금) or a fixed figure — whichever is higher. As of 2025, the general minimum for most E-7 occupations is approximately KRW 26–30 million per year (roughly USD 19,000–22,000), but professional and technical occupations often have significantly higher minimums (e.g., IT roles may have a KRW 40–60M minimum, and research/engineering roles even higher). The employment contract salary must clearly meet or exceed the occupation minimum. Immigration officers will verify this — an underpaid offer is a common rejection reason. The full occupation minimum salary table is published on the HiKorea portal.
Applications are filed at: ① The Korean Immigration Service (KISC) at the main immigration office in Seoul (강남, 서울출입국외국인청) or regional offices for in-country status changes ② The Korean Consulate or Embassy in the applicant's home country for applications from abroad. Standard processing time: 2–4 weeks for straightforward applications. With 고용추천서: add 2–4 weeks for the Ministry review step before immigration filing. GOLD CARD employer: typically 3–7 business days total. Complex or first-time applications may take 4–8 weeks. Status can be tracked online via HiKorea (hikorea.go.kr) using the application receipt number. Prepare for possible supplementary document requests (보완 요청) — respond promptly as these pause the clock.
Post the job on Work24 before beginning the 고용추천서 process — the domestic job posting is a prerequisite, not a parallel step.
GOLD CARD certification takes time to obtain initially but pays dividends for every subsequent foreign hire — worth pursuing if you hire foreign workers more than once a year.
The employment contract must be signed before filing — a letter of intent alone is not sufficient for the immigration application.
Salary must be stated as a gross annual or monthly KRW figure — dollar or euro denominated contracts create complications and should be converted to KRW in the contract.
Criminal background checks from some countries take 6–12 weeks — advise your candidate to start this process the moment an offer is made, in parallel with other document collection.
For 뿌리산업 (root industries: casting, forging, welding, heat treatment, surface treatment, precision machining), the recommending Ministry is MOTIE (산업부) and the process has some unique document requirements — check the MOTIE foreign worker support guidance.
If an E-7 worker changes their role significantly within the same company (different occupation code), a new E-7 application may be required — confirm with immigration whether the change warrants a status update.
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외국인등록증 (ARC)
외국인등록증(ARC)은 90일 이상 한국에 체류하는 외국인에게 발급되는 공식 신분증입니다. 은행 계좌 개설, 휴대폰 계약, 대부분의 공공 서비스 이용에 필수입니다.
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하이코리아 (HiKorea)
하이코리아 사용법 (www.hikorea.go.kr) — 체류기간 연장, 체류자격 변경, 외국인등록증 갱신을 온라인으로 신청하는 방법. 처리 기간: 영업일 기준 3-10일.
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체류기간 연장
체류기간 연장이란 현재 비자 또는 외국인등록증의 만료일 이후에도 한국을 출국하지 않고 합법적으로 체류를 이어갈 수 있도록 허가를 받는 절차입니다.
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체류자격 변경
체류자격 변경이란 이미 한국에 체류 중인 외국인이 출국하지 않고 현재 비자 종류에서 다른 비자 종류로 전환하는 절차입니다. 예를 들어, 졸업 후 취업한 경우 D-2 유학 비자에서 E-7 특정활동 비자로 변경할 수 있습니다.
Can a startup with no revenue sponsor an E-7 visa?
In some cases, yes. Startups with limited operating history face higher scrutiny, but several pathways exist: ① Startup with government incubator status (창업진흥원 승인 기업, TIPS programme, or similar) — immigration gives these companies more flexibility ② D-8-4 tech startup investors who have pivoted to needing an E-7 employee ③ Companies that can demonstrate funding (Series A+ or documented investment) in lieu of revenue. The key is demonstrating that the company is genuine and has the capacity to pay the stated salary. A startup lawyer or 행정사 familiar with tech company HR is worth consulting before filing the first E-7.
What happens if the E-7 employee resigns or is terminated?
If an E-7 employee leaves the company (voluntarily or involuntarily), both the employer and the employee have notification obligations to immigration. The employer must report the end of employment to the Korea Immigration Service within 15 days. The employee's E-7 visa becomes a provisional status — they have a limited window (often 1–3 months) to find a new E-7-eligible employer and file for a workplace change, or transition to D-10 job seeker status, or depart Korea. The employer does not face penalties for the employee's departure itself, but failure to notify immigration can result in fines. Never attempt to keep an employee's visa tied to your company after the employment relationship ends — this creates liability.
Do we need a Korean employee ratio to sponsor E-7 workers?
Yes. Korean immigration tracks the ratio of foreign workers (in certain categories) to Korean employees. While the rules vary by company size and occupation, a general principle is that companies with fewer Korean employees face more scrutiny when sponsoring multiple E-7 workers. Companies with 5 or fewer Korean full-time employees typically can sponsor 1–2 E-7 workers; 6–20 Korean employees allows more. There is no universal fixed ratio, but immigration uses the ratio as one signal of legitimacy. Maintaining accurate employment insurance records (고용보험 가입 내역) for Korean employees is essential, as these records are used to verify headcount.
Can we pre-screen a candidate's eligibility before making an offer?
Yes — and it is strongly recommended. Before extending a formal offer, verify: ① The candidate's occupation matches one of the 86 occupation codes ② The candidate's education and experience meet the minimum for that code ③ The candidate's nationality does not create any special restrictions for the occupation ④ If 고용추천서 is required for your occupation, confirm your company is eligible to apply for it ⑤ Confirm the salary you plan to offer meets the E-7 occupation minimum for that code. An 행정사 can do a pre-assessment review of the candidate's documents (in 2–5 business days typically) before the formal offer is extended, saving significant time and protecting both parties from an untenable situation.
작성자 James Chae — 엑스퍼트 사피엔스 공동창업자
플랫폼 전문 분야: 출입국 컨설팅 및 비자 서비스 · 검토됨 4월 2026
