Specially Designated Activities Visa (Work Visa for Professionals & Skilled Workers)
특정활동(E-7) — E-7 Work Visa (Specially Designated Activities)
At a glance
Foreign nationals hired by a Korean employer to work in one of the occupations officially designated by the Minister of Justice (about 87 occupations across four skill…
Usually up to 3 years per period of stay granted, tied to the employment contract. Can be renewed as long as employment and eligibility continue.
Yes – E-7 is a work visa. The holder may work only in the specific designated occupation and (generally) for the sponsoring employer approved by immigration.
No fixed nationwide TOPIK level for the parent E-7 (professional tiers).
Fee: Single-entry visa issuance: about KRW 60,000 (or USD 60 equivalent) at an embassy; multiple-entry is higher. In-country change of status to E-7: KRW 130,000 (unverified – confirm on HiKorea). Alien registration: KRW 30,000. Fees change periodically; check the official fee schedule. · Time: Varies.
Where this fits in your journey
Before arrival
Get admitted, prepare documents, apply.
During study
ARC, extensions, permits while in Korea.
After graduation
Job-seeking and work visas.
Settlement
Long-term residence and PR.
Who can apply
- ✓Foreign nationals hired by a Korean employer to work in one of the occupations officially designated by the Minister of Justice (about 87 occupations across four skill tiers).
- ✓Applicants normally need a job offer from a Korean company plus the education and/or work experience the designated occupation requires.
- ✓Typical baselines: a bachelor’s degree related to the job, OR an associate degree plus about 1 year of related experience, OR about 5 years of related work experience.
- ✓High earners paid at least 3x the previous year’s per-capita GNI can qualify without meeting the education/experience rules (the E-7-S advanced-talent track).
- ✓Requirements differ by sub-code (E-7-1 professional, E-7-2 semi-professional, E-7-3 general skilled, E-7-S advanced tech).
Documents you'll need
- Completed visa application form with photo
- passport
- certificate of employment / labor (work) contract from the Korean employer
- the employer’s business registration certificate
- documents proving the applicant meets the occupation’s requirements (degree certificate and academic transcript, and/or career/experience certificates)
- the applicant’s resume/CV
- for some occupations, a government ministry employment recommendation letter (고용추천서)
- documents on the company (financial statements, tax payment records, number of Korean vs. foreign employees). Exact list varies by sub-code and occupation – confirm on HiKorea or the official manual before applying.
How to apply
Overseas embassy visa (사증) via a Certificate of Confirmation of Visa Issuance (사증발급인정서) applied for by the Korean employer, OR domestic change-of-status at an immigration office (e.g. from D-10 job-seeker or D-2 graduate). Two common routes.
- From abroad: the Korean employer usually applies to the local immigration office in Korea for a Certificate of Visa Issuance / Confirmation (사증발급인정서).
Once issued, the applicant takes it to a Korean embassy or consulate to receive the visa.
- In-country change of status: someone already in Korea on another status (for example D-10 job-seeker or D-2 student after graduation) can apply to change to E-7 at an immigration office, booked through HiKorea (hikorea.go.kr).
Because E-7 is employer-sponsored and screened for protection of domestic employment, employer documents are reviewed closely.
Stay & extension
Usually up to 3 years per period of stay granted, tied to the employment contract. Can be renewed as long as employment and eligibility continue.
Extension of stay is applied for at an immigration office (book via HiKorea), generally before the current stay expires. The employment must be ongoing and the wage/eligibility conditions still met.
If the worker changes to a different employer or occupation, a separate change-of-workplace or change-of-status procedure is normally required, not a simple extension.
Working on this visa
Yes – E-7 is a work visa. The holder may work only in the specific designated occupation and (generally) for the sponsoring employer approved by immigration.
Working outside the approved occupation or moving to a new employer without immigration approval is not allowed.
Requirements in detail
No fixed nationwide TOPIK level for the parent E-7 (professional tiers). Korean ability can help in screening and is required or scored for some occupations and for related paths (for example the E-7-4 skilled-worker points system).
Applicants should check the specific occupation’s rules.
Minimum annual salary by sub-type (MOJ Notice No. 2025-406 (법무부 공고 제2025-406호), in force 2026-02-01 to 2026-12-31): E-7-1 professional >= KRW 31,120,000; E-7-2 semi-professional >= KRW 25,890,000; E-7-3 general skilled >= KRW 25,890,000; E-7-4 skilled worker >= KRW 26,000,000. Shipbuilding welders/painters/electricians >= KRW 29,190,000 (80% of prior-year per-capita GNI).
Revised annually.
No single national ceiling; controlled by per-occupation/per-employer caps (직종별 총량제 and company foreign-to-Korean employee ratio/quota limits that protect domestic employment).
Many designated E-7 occupations require a competent-ministry employment recommendation letter (고용추천서) from the relevant government ministry before the visa/change of status is approved.
Relaxed major/experience for graduates of Korean universities (especially STEM (이공계)): for certain designated occupations the related-career requirement is reduced or waived when the applicant holds a Korean associate degree or higher (a ministry employment recommendation (고용추천서) may still be required).
Sub-types
E-7-1Professional personnel (~67 designated occupations)E-7-2Semi-professional (~9)E-7-3General skilled (~8)E-7-Sadvanced-talent negative-list track (income >= 3x prior-year per-capita GNI or advanced-tech fields). Note: E-7-4 (숙련기능인력, points-based) and E-7-M (K-CORE) are separate sub-codes covered in their own rows.E-7-4Has its own full guideRead the E-7-4 guide →
E-7-MHas its own full guideRead the E-7-M guide →Spouse and minor children may accompany on F-3 (dependent family) visa.
Mobile ARC (외국인등록증) available since 2025-01-10 to registered foreign residents aged 14+ with a smartphone in their own name (IC-chip card required); same legal effect as the physical card; one device per person. Applies to registered E-7 holders.
2025–2026 policy updates
- Unified wage standard replaced the old GNI-percentage tiers (effective 2025-04-01): the Ministry of Justice moved from the previous rule (about 80% of per-capita GNI for regular employers, 70% for SMEs/ventures) to fixed minimum annual wage amounts that apply to all sponsoring companies. 2025 amounts (Ministry of Justice (法務部) notice No. 2025-106, in force 2025-04-01 to 2025-12-31): E-7-1 about KRW 28.67 million; E-7-2 and E-7-3 about KRW 25.15 million per year. 2026 amounts (Ministry of Justice notice No. 2025-406, in force 2026-02-01 to 2026-12-31): E-7-1 about KRW 31.12 million (up about KRW 2.45 million); E-7-2 and E-7-3 about KRW 25.89 million (up about KRW 0.74 million).
- Per-capita GNI reference used by immigration: 2025 = KRW 49,955,000 (applied 2025-04-01 to 2026-03-31); 2026 = KRW 52,416,000 (applied 2026-04-01 to 2027-03-31).
- E-7-S advanced-talent ‘negative list’ track (in force since 2023-01-01): applicants earning at least 3x the previous year’s per-capita GNI, or in designated advanced-technology fields, can get E-7 without meeting the standard education/experience/occupation-list requirements.
- Relaxed requirements for graduates of Korean universities (especially STEM (이공계)) continue – for certain designated occupations the related-career requirement is reduced or waived when the applicant holds a Korean associate degree or higher and (where required) has a ministry employment recommendation.
Common mistakes
- Applying for an occupation that is not on the designated E-7 list; the applicant’s degree major not matching the job; missing the ministry employment recommendation letter where it is required; the offered salary being below the current year’s minimum wage standard (which changed in 2025 and again for 2026); the employer failing the ratio/quota rules that protect domestic employment; and starting work before the visa or change of status is actually approved.
- Relying on outdated GNI-percentage wage figures instead of the current fixed amounts.
Where this leads
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