E7 visa for inviting (confirmation of visa issuance application) not a change of status in Korea (change of visa in Korea) is applied from D2 (student visa), D10 (job-seeking visa) in 8 or 9 out of 10 cases.
However, depending on the applicant's situation, applications for changing to E7 from D8, D9, F6, etc., are also often made.
Today, we will look into considerations when changing from an F6 visa to an E7 visa in Korea and additional documents required for applying for an E7 visa.
Firstly, the applicant is a Vietnamese woman who married a Korean man and received an F6 visa. She was already working in a plastic surgery clinic (interpreting and attracting foreign patients).
There is confusion here; an F6 marriage visa is a powerful visa allowing employment, business, and entry/exit freely.
That working before the E7 visa is approved only applies when the original status of the applicant allow work (e.g., D2, D10, D9, F3, etc. ※ D10 is possible as an intern after training reporting).
Therefore, there is no problem even if the employing company enrolls the applicant with an F6 visa in the four major insurances and reports taxes. It's merely a status change, as the applicant originally had the freedom to work.
※ If the original workplace becomes the employing company for E7 status change, even if already working, a new employment contract must be drafted for the E7 visa application.
(Taking into account the employment conditions of the E7 visa, setting wages at 80% of GNI, and job duties must also be written according to the E7 visa category the applicant is applying for)
The applicant's job category was a product planning specialist (E-7-1) among the 87 categories of E7 visa.
In cases where a hospital or a company registered for foreign patient attraction hires a foreigner, and the foreigner's job will be translation or marketing, the only choices among the 87 categories are product planning specialist and medical coordinator.
※ Sometimes hospitals apply for translation with a TOPIK level 6, thinking it qualifies, but get denied. Translation is not a valid category.
For applying as a product planning specialist or medical coordinator for an E7 visa, a recommendation letter from the Ministry of Health and Welfare is a mandatory document.
Moreover, to apply for the ministry's recommendation letter, the hospital must be registered as a foreign patient medical institution. To register as a foreign patient attraction institution, the hospital must have at least one specialist (with a specialist certificate).
More detailed information about the product planning specialist, medical coordinator for the E7 visa, eligibility for the Ministry of Health and Welfare employment recommendation, and foreign patient attraction business/organization registration requirements can be found via the link below.
For changing status from F6 to E7 in Korea, the legal divorce process must be completed in Korea.
You cannot apply for an E7 visa while being married to a citizen of the Republic of Korea.
Therefore, documents to verify divorce, among others, are additionally required for the E7 visa application. Let's look into these additional documents.
1. Marriage Relationship Certificate (Specific)
An F6 visa holder is a foreigner. Naturally, they cannot issue a marriage relationship certificate in their name.
Therefore, the marriage relationship certificate of the former spouse (citizen) with details of the divorce must be attached.
However, it might be awkward to suddenly contact them asking for a marriage relationship certificate after a long time since the divorce.
Therefore, it is recommended for F6 visa holders to immediately obtain the specific marriage relationship certificate of the Korean spouse after divorce.
※ After divorce, the foreign spouse can also apply for and receive the specific marriage relationship certificate of the former Korean spouse.
Although documents issued domestically are valid for 3 months when submitted to immigration, the specific marriage relationship certificate of the former Korean spouse is understood by immigration even if more than 3 months have passed.
2. Divorce Decree (Family Court Confirmation, etc.)
Divorce can be through a divorce trial or by agreement.
If it was a divorce trial, the court's divorce decree, and if it was a divorce by agreement, the family court's confirmation should be attached.
※ Note that the F6 visa does not disappear just because of a divorce from a Korean spouse; it's just that the F6 visa cannot be extended.
Therefore, even if divorced, the F6 visa remains valid during the authorized stay period (as stated on the back of the foreign registration card).
Furthermore, if the marriage dissolution was due to reasons not attributable to the foreign spouse (fault of the Korean spouse or death/missing, etc.), extension is still possible. More details can be found via the link below.
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