The E-7-4 visa (skilled worker) is a visa introduced to support the continued employment of registered foreigners who are working diligently in Korea with E-9, E-10, or H-2 status.
This system was introduced to address the unreasonable situation in which skilled workers had to return to their home countries and companies had to rehire beginners due to the limited period of stay of the existing E-9 visa. It is a work visa that can be a good choice for both hard-working foreign workers and companies in need of skilled employees.
E-7-4 Application Schedule and Method
For E-7-4 visa issuance, the principle is to apply online through Hi Korea e-application.
Please visit the Hi Korea website and refer to the notice.
E-7-4 issuance conditions
To be issued an E-7-4 visa, both the foreign national and the employing company must meet the requirements.
Please check the conditions below carefully.
1. Requirements for foreign applicants
All of the following requirements must be met:
- A registered foreigner who has stayed for more than 4 years with an E-9, E-10, or H-2 visa in the past 10 years and is currently working at a regular workplace
- At the time of application, you must be registered as a foreigner and legally working at your current workplace.
- This also applies to those who have stayed in a non-metropolitan area (all regions except Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Incheon) for more than 3 years and have received a recommendation from a metropolitan government.
- Must have an E-7-4 employment contract for at least 2 years with an annual salary of at least 26 million won at the current workplace
- If your qualification changes to E-7-4, you must have an employment contract at the time of application that stipulates that you will continue to work at the same place of employment for at least 2 years.
- If the qualification is changed to E-7-4, the employment contract must state that the expected annual salary will be 26 million won or more (however, this is relaxed to 25 million won for those working in agriculture, livestock, fisheries, and domestic shipping).
- Those recommended by a company where they have been working for more than one year
- Employer Recommendation System: Recommendation by the representative of the company where the foreign national has been working for more than one year (required, 50 points added to the score sheet) *If an applicant who has already been issued an E-7-4 changes his/her workplace, a recommendation letter is not required and is considered to be worth 50 points.
- Applicants who have a minimum score of 200 points out of 300 points including bonus points
- Applicants must have an average annual income of at least 25 million won over the past two years and have a Korean language proficiency of TOPIK Level 2 or have completed the 2nd stage of the Social Integration Program or have been assigned to the 3rd stage of the Social Integration Program pre-evaluation (41 points) or higher.
- If proof of income for the past two years is not possible due to re-entry, etc., income for the two years with the highest annual income between 2019 and 2023 can be used as a substitute.
- A relaxed 24 million won rate is applied to those working in agriculture, livestock, or fishing, as well as those engaged in domestic commercial vessels.
However, if you meet other requirements besides Korean, the Korean language requirement will be temporarily suspended (until December 31, 2026) on the condition that you improve your Korean language skills by the time of the first extension (2 years).
2. Employer qualification requirements
- There are restrictions on meeting requirements and the number of people allowed.
- Workplaces applying the existing skilled worker point system that are currently regularly employing at least one E-9, E-10, or H-2 worker
- Number of people allowed
- Currently, only up to 30% of the national workforce at the relevant business is permitted.
- In areas with declining population, the core industry accounts for less than 50% of national employment.
- Foreign nationals with E-7, E-9, E-10, H-2, F-2, F-4, F-5, and F-6 visas other than E-7-4 are excluded from the 30% employment calculation.
- Excluding companies with tax delinquency
3. Criteria for calculating the scorecard for issuing E-7-4 visas to foreigners
| Average income (average annual income for the past two years) | |
| 25 to 30 million won | 50 points |
| 30 to 35 million won | 65 points |
| 35 to 40 million won | 80 points |
| 40 to 45 million won | 95 points |
| 45 to 50 million won | 110 points |
| 50 million won or more | 120 points |
| age | |
| 16 to 26 years old | 40 points |
| 27 to 33 years old | 60 points |
| 34 to 40 years old | 30 points |
| 41 years old or older | 10 points |
| Korean language skills | |
| TOPIK Level 2, KIIP Level 2, Pre-evaluation 41-60 points | 50 points |
| TOPIK Level 3, KIIP Level 3, Pre-evaluation 61-80 points | 80 points |
| TOPIK Level 4, KIIP Level 4, Pre-evaluation 81 points | 120 points |
Point items
| Duplicated points *All items that apply are duplicated | |
| Recommendations from central government and local governments | 30 points |
| Recommended Employer | 50 points |
| More than 3 years of service at current workplace | 20 points |
| Worked in a declining population area or town/village area for more than 3 years | 20 points |
| Certificate or domestic degree | 20 points |
| Domestic driver's license | 10 points |
Deduction items
| Deduction items | |
| A person sentenced to a fine of less than 1 million won | 1st time -5 points, 2nd time -10 points, 3rd time or more -20 points |
| There is a history of having one's residence permit restricted due to nonpayment of taxes. | 1st time -5 points, 2nd time -10 points, 3rd time or more -20 points |
| Administrative sanctions are imposed on those who violate the Immigration Control Act three or fewer times. | 1st time -5 points, 2nd time -10 points, 3rd time or more -20 points |
The E-7-4 visa is not eligible for new issuance and only allows changes in residence status.
- Visa changes for existing E-9, E-10, and H-2 visa workers
- Change of workplace for existing E-7-4 visa holders
Please note that this can only be applied in this case.
Hiring foreign workers is an effective way to address labor shortages in various industries, including manufacturing, construction, and agriculture and livestock. However, the visa system and administrative procedures are complex, making it difficult for companies new to the process.
JobPloy provides customized consulting services to help companies legally hire the most suitable foreign workers, taking into account each company's unique industry, size, employment limits, and visa requirements.
If you are considering hiring foreign workers for the first time or need detailed guidance on visa requirements such as E-9 and E-7, please contact the JobPloy Corporate Support Team at any time.
JobPloy will be with you until the end to ensure stable human resource management and successful recruitment of foreign workers.