Recently, a heavy industry company in the countryside requested to invite a technician from abroad for a short period (within 90 days) for machinery installation and maintenance, and we are currently processing it through a C4 visa.
Firstly, to briefly explain the C4 visa, its purpose is short-term employment within 90 days. Thus, even though it's for a short term, since it involves profit-making activities such as receiving payment for services, employment contracts, dispatch orders, service contracts, etc., must be attached at the time of application.
This is the biggest difference from the C3 visa (C-3-4 Short-term Business), which is also a short-term visa. In other words, both are short-term visas (within 90 days), but if the purpose is profit-making activities, then it falls under the C4 visa (C-4-5), and if the purpose is not for profit but rather for market research, consultation, contracts, business communication, etc., then it falls under the C3 visa (C-3-4).
Also, because it is a short-term visa within 90 days, visa issuance by an overseas mission is the principle. That means it should be applied for at a South Korean embassy in the local area, not domestically. Therefore, the inviting company must prepare documents (invitation letter, employment contract, etc.) and send them abroad to be combined with the invitee's documents for application locally.
The types of C4 visas (C-4-5) are listed as follows
1. Installation and maintenance of imported machinery, shipbuilding and industrial equipment manufacturing, supervision
2. Short-term language instruction in English camps, etc., for less than 90 days
3. Employment activities for performances, advertisements, fashion modeling, or participation in sports competitions, Go games, singing contests, etc.
4. Lecturing, lecturing, research activities by those eligible for professor (E-1) or specific activities (E-7) visas (university faculty or experts in related fields, etc.)
Similar targets for each item also exist in long-term employment visas that are over 90 days. Therefore, if you think of the higher version visa group (long-term employment visa) that corresponds to each item, check the requirements, and prepare the documents in anticipation of the review, there shouldn't be a problem.
Of course, there are some differences in application methods (application at domestic immigration or overseas mission) and required documents compared to long-term employment visas, but understanding the big picture should help.
Types of long-term employment visas similar to the C4 visa (C-4-5)
C4 Visa (C-4-5) | Higher Version Long-Term Employment Visa |
1. Installation, maintenance, shipbuilding, and industrial facility manufacturing supervision of imported machinery | D-9 Visa (Trade) D-9-2 (Industrial Equipment Machinery Installation Operation Maintenance) D-9-3 (Ship Construction, Facility Manufacturing Supervision) |
2. English camp and other short-term (less than 90 days) conversation instruction | E-2 Visa (Conversation Instruction) Instructor of conversation at lifelong education facilities established under the Lifelong Education Act |
3. Employment activities such as performances, advertisements, fashion modeling, or participation in sports competitions, Go games, singing contests, etc | E-6 Visa (Entertainment) E-6-1 (Arts, Entertainment) E-6-2 (Hotel, Night Entertainment) E-6-3 (Sports) |
4. Lecturing, giving talks, research activities by those eligible for Professor (E-1) or Specific Activities (E-7) visa (University faculty or experts in relevant fields) | E-1 (Professor) E-7-1 (Professional Personnel among 67 designated occupations) |
The types of technicians invited on a short-term employment visa, C4 visa, are similar to those of D-9-2. Therefore, the technician to be invited must be eligible for D-9-2, and service contracts related to the installation and maintenance of imported machinery (purchase contracts, project contracts, etc.) must be attached.
※ And the imported machinery must realistically require installation and maintenance.
I once received an inquiry from someone who imported a small machine for box taping from China and wanted to invite a technician from China for its installation and maintenance, asking if it was possible. While it might be possible to apply if there is a purchase contract, I think it would be realistically difficult to get approval.
The technician being invited must also have a connection to that imported machinery needing installation and maintenance.
For example, if the machinery was imported from Germany, would it seem plausible to invite a Vietnamese technician with no relation to the exporting German company or country for the machine's installation and maintenance?
Of course, if the exporting German company (head office) has a branch in Vietnam and is inviting a Vietnamese employee from that branch as a technician, that would be a different story, but such cases are not common.
Inviting an employee from the exporting company as a technician shows the most genuineness and is the typical case.
(Most of the time, the head office issues a dispatch order, and employees from the head office or affiliated companies come to Korea.)
For more information on the types, targets, and required documents for the C4 visa (C-4-5), please check the link below.