E-7 Visa (Specific Activity)
The E-7 visa (specific activity) is a visa granted to foreigners with expertise or appropriate technical skills in a certain field when they are employed in Korea. The maximum duration of stay for a single grant is 3 years (usually 1 year), but in special cases, it can be extended up to 5 years.
As with any country, protecting domestic workers is a priority. This is also the case in our country. Therefore, there must be a valid reason for hiring foreign experts or technicians. You must explain why you need to replace high-quality jobs in professional occupations with foreigners instead of hiring Korean nationals. All of this information must be included in the employment reason statement.
What is an E-7 visa?
When an applicant (foreigner) meets the requirements of the hiring company and selects one of the 87 E-7 visa occupations, the visa is issued because the combination of the applicant and the company is suitable for that occupation.
Although the E-7 visa has been simply described, this is the core of the E-7 visa. Let's take a look at some examples to support the content above. These are actual cases that can be commonly seen around us. First, assuming that both have no experience 1. Case that Vietnamese student who graduated from a 2-year domestic vocational college (Hotel and Tourism Department) will be employed as a Vietnamese group inbound manager at a domestic travel agency with five domestic employees. 2. Case that Russian student who completed a 4-year bachelor's degree in psychology in Russia and then obtained a master's degree in Korean culture at a domestic graduate school and completed a doctoral degree in psychology at another domestic graduate school. This student will be employed as a marketing expert at a company with over 1,000 domestic employees. Which of the two has a higher chance of obtaining an E-7 visa? If I had to describe the E-7 visa more briefly, I would say
E-7 visa? = KEYWORDS MATCHING
In case 1, there are no major issues when checked by the responsible government officer. Although the student has an associate degree, their major aligns perfectly with the job, and as a Vietnamese speaker, their employment as a Vietnamese inbound manager at the travel agency is clearly necessary due to their language skills in Vietnamese, which is a specialized language.
Let's look at case 2. Is there anything matching at first glance? There is no matching at all, meaning that the need for employment is not justified. Will the E-7 visa be issued unconditionally just because the application requirements are met?
※ Meeting the application requirements means that you can submit documents and be reviewed for the issuance of an E-7 visa. It is a separate issue from approval, and meeting the application requirements does not guarantee approval.
The point I want to make is here, it doesn't matter whether the applicant has a master's or doctoral degree or whether the company is a small or large enterprise. Of course, this part cannot be said to have no influence at all, but the much more important thing is that the keywords must match.
Of course, the letter of employment reason is also important. In cases where it is difficult to prove the necessity of employment with the submitted documents alone, as in the example above, it is important to write a good letter of employment reason. However, what is much more important is that the keywords should match. That is, the applicant's background (major and career) should match the field in which the hiring company wants to work. This can be easily confirmed with the submitted documents (company introduction and applicant's degree and career certificates).
In my experience, when the responsible government officers review the documents
1. First, they check whether the application meets the requirements, i.e., whether to reject it or accept it for review.
2. They assess the relevance of the applicant's background (major and career) to the field in which the hiring company wants to work. In other words, they check if the keywords match, by reviewing the submitted documents.
3. After that, they look at the letter of employment reason.
Basic eligibility requirements for applying for an E-7 visa (Specific Activities)
1. Review Criteria for the Protection of National Employment
● (Application Principle) For professionals, considering the difficulty in replacing them with nationals and their high contribution to national wealth creation and job creation,
requirement is not applied in principle, except for the wage requirement.
① The national employment protection review criteria are exceptionally applied in the following cases
1) For professionals such as mechanical engineering technicians, draftsmen, travel product developers, overseas salespeople, and translators who are likely to abuse invitations, the national employment protection review criteria are exceptionally applied.
2) Among professionals, occupations for national employment protection, semi-professionals, general skilled workers, and skilled workers should be set to apply the minimum wage requirement, etc., so that there is no risk of infringing on national employment.
② Despite ① 1), 2) above, the following cases do not apply to the protection of national employment according to the general principle regardless of the type of job.
1) It does not apply to those who work part-time by obtaining permission for activities outside of their residence qualifications or adding workplaces.
2) Graduates with professional / semi-professional / general skills who are government-invited scholarship students and have a work/study-linked study (D-2-7) qualification are exempt from applying the national employment ratio and company size, and are widely applied to similar occupations.
● General Review Criteria for the Protection of National Employment
(Size of the employer) Companies that are mainly domestic and have less than 5 national employees are in principle limited to invitations. The number of employees refers to those who have been registered for more than 3 months with the minimum wage in the Employment Insurance Subscriber List of the Ministry of Employment.
※ You must submit the Employment Insurance Subscriber List for more than 3 months, so you can apply at least 3 months after opening in principle.
(Type of employer) If the requirements of the employer are set separately considering the characteristics of the industry, the requirements must be met.
(Foreign employment ratio) The occupation for national employment protection is allowed to employ foreigners within 20% of the national employees in principle.
※ In the case of non-professional employment (E-9), sailor employment (E-10), visit employment (H-2), overseas Korean (F-2), permanent resident (F-5), and marriage immigrant (F-6), they are excluded from the number of foreign employees, but the residence (F-2) and other employment possible residence qualifications are included in the number of foreign employees to calculate the ratio.
※ Proof of domestic employment is submitted with employment insurance-related documents (regularly employed for more than 3 months, even if it is a new company, the domestic employment ratio is applied to the industry where the ratio is applied, and it is usually applied after 3 months from the date of business registration).
※ Companies that employ E-7 foreigners subject to the application of the national employment protection review criteria exceeding 20% of the total national employees are in principle not allowed to invite new and replacement personnel, change their residence qualifications, change their workplaces, add, etc.
As stated, the review criteria for the protection of national employment are not applied in principle.
- However, mechanical engineering technicians, draftsmen, travel product developers, and translators among professionals are exceptionally applied, so the standard of one E7 visa per 5 national employments is applied, and other E-7-1 visa occupations can be applied even if there are less than 5 national employments and even if E7 or F2 personnel have already exceeded 20% of total employment.
※ Here, professionals refer to E-7-1 (67 occupations).
- Professionals, semi-professionals, general skilled workers, and skilled workers correspond to E-7-1, E-7-2, E-7-3, E-7-4 respectively, and the number of employment permits for occupations included in the visa groups E-7-2, E-7-3, E-7-4 is determined according to the detailed guidelines for each occupation.
- Cooks, medical coordinators, hotel reception clerks, casino dealers, etc. that we commonly know correspond to E-7-2 (semi-professionals), and shipyard-related welders, painters, etc. correspond to E-7-3.
- To calculate the number of employees, you can check the visa code of the employees you are working with by checking the above guidelines.
2. Wage Requirements
- To prevent the utilization of low-wage foreign labor, the review is conducted by applying different standards according to the level of professionals in connection with the average wage of domestic workers performing the same job.
1) Professionals: 80% or more of the previous year's GNI per capita
※ However, for the 67 occupations of professionals employed in non-profit organizations such as embassies in Korea, public institutions, and schools (excluding universities), if there is a reasonable reason for not meeting the wage requirements, the wage requirements are partially relaxed and applied.
2) Semi-professionals, general skilled workers, skilled workers: Apply more than the minimum wage
3) However, for some occupations, the standards set separately in the occupation are followed.
※ Semi-professionals, general skilled workers with more than 0.8 times the previous year's GNI: Online shopping sales staff, aquaculture technicians, etc.
(Special cases for small and medium-sized enterprises, ventures, and non-metropolitan area medium-sized enterprises)
If you plan to work in a job where the wage requirement of 80% or more of the previous year's GNI applies among foreign employees, and you have no work experience in domestic companies or less than 3 years, apply relaxed wage requirements (80% or more of the previous year's GNI → 70% or more of the previous year's GNI)
※ Occupations applying more than 80% of GNI: 67 occupations of professionals (E-7-1) and general skilled workers (E-7-3) such as shipbuilding welders, ship painters, etc.
What is a special case for small and medium-sized enterprises, ventures, and non-metropolitan area medium-sized enterprises?
① Companies confirmed by the 'Small and Medium Business (Small Business) Confirmation Certificate' under the Small and Medium Business Basic Act
② Venture companies confirmed by the 'Venture Company Confirmation Certificate' under the Venture Business Act
③ Medium-sized enterprises located in non-metropolitan areas confirmed by the 'Medium-sized Enterprise Confirmation Certificate' under the Medium-sized Enterprise Act
Since the guidelines are clearly stated, there is nothing to interpret.
E71 (Professional) must be 80% or more of the previous year's GNI to apply,
E72 (Semi-professional) E73 (General Skilled Worker) E74 (Skilled Worker) can apply if it is more than the current legal minimum wage requirement of 2,010,000 won.
※ The GNI 80% or more wage requirement applies to shipbuilding-related occupations (shipbuilding welders, ship painters, ship electricians, etc.)
< Reference >
- Of course, the wage standard will vary depending on the company's situation, but there is a standard of "reviewing by applying differentially by occupation according to the level of professionals in connection with the average wage of domestic workers performing the same job to prevent the utilization of low-wage foreign labor", so considering the applicant's experience, expertise, etc. It would be safe for visa issuance if the salary corresponding to the professional is measured, right?
- If you think about it from a common sense perspective, it's simple. If you simply measure the salary much lower than other Koreans who work in the same industry and have similar experience because it is more efficient to use foreigners, or because you can't find a Korean under those conditions, It does not match the E7 visa, which has the purpose of "issuing a visa for professionals".
Also, you need to pay close attention to the recently changed "Special Cases for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, Ventures, and Non-Metropolitan Medium-sized Enterprises". It's burdensome for small and medium-sized enterprises to hire foreign students who have just graduated from college with a wage of 80% or more of the previous year's GNI. In a way, it seems wrong to have to hire at a higher wage than Koreans with similar conditions. In fact, strange situations have arisen where wages were paid and then payback? was received from the company.
Perhaps these problems led to the recent emergence of "Special Cases for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, Ventures, and Non-Metropolitan Medium-sized Enterprises". Therefore, companies that meet these criteria should prepare documents such as small and medium-sized enterprise confirmation certificates and venture company certificates, and apply based on a standard of 70% or more of GNI.
3. Requirements for the applicant (foreigner)
(General requirements) Meet one of the following requirements
1. Possess a master's degree or higher in a field related to the job category
2. Possess a bachelor's degree in a field related to the job category + have at least 1 year of experience in the field
3. Have at least 5 years of work experience in a field related to the job category
※ Only work experience after obtaining a degree is recognized
(Special requirements)
(special requirements )
1. Candidates who have worked in a professional field for more than one year at a Fortune 500 company.
2. Candidates who hold a bachelor's degree from a top university worldwide (within the top 200 in the Times Higher Education ranking or within the top 500 in the QS World University ranking).
3. Candidates who have graduated from a domestic vocational college or will soon graduate from one
- Those who work in a field related to their major are exempt from the one-year work experience requirement.
4. Candidates who have graduated from a domestic university or will soon graduate from one.
- Exemption from requirements of at least one year of experience regardless of major
5. Graduates of the work-study visa (D-2-7) are exempt from the requirement to meet the national employment rate.
6. Specific Japanese software engineers, etc.
7. Excellent professionals recommended by a government agency : hose who received total annual compensation exceeding 1.5 times the per capita gross national income (GNI) of the previous year and were recommended by the head of the relevant central administrative agency are exempt from both the educational and work experience requirements.
8.High-income professionals: Those who earned annual compensation exceeding 3 times the per capita GNI of the previous year, regardless of the field, are exempt from both the educational and work experience requirements.
9. (Those who have completed training at excellent private institutions) Those with an overseas professional degree or higher
10. Standards specific to each occupation, such as chefs, skilled workers in the root industry, and ship welding workers.
Applying from C3 visa to E7 visa?
Changing qualifications from C3 visa or B1, B2 (tourist transit visa-free) to E7 in Korea requires:
1. The applicant must be a citizen of a general country, not a citizen of a country announced by the Ministry of Justice (21 countries with frequent illegal stays),
2. It should not be the case of entering the country with C3-2 (group tourism) or C3-3 (medical tourism) among C3 visas,
3. It is only possible when getting a job in one of the 67 occupations of E-7-1 (professional).
For more detailed information, you can check the link below.
let's take a look at the basic qualifications for each of the 86 occupations.
1. Professional Workers (E-7-1) - 67 occupations
◆ Managers: 15 occupations 1) Senior executives of economic interest groups (S110)
2) Senior executives of companies (1120) 3) Management Support Manager(1212 old 1202) 4) Education managers(1312) 5) Insurance and finance managers(1320) 6) Culture, arts, design, and video-related managers(1340) 7) Information and communication-related managers(1350) 8) Other professional service managers(1390) 9) Construction and mining-related managers(1411) 10) Product manufacturing-related managers(1413) 11) Agriculture, forestry, and fisheries-related managers(14901) 12) Sales and marketing-related managers(1511) 13) Transportation-related managers(1512) 14) Accommodation, travel, entertainment, and sports-related managers(1521) 15) Food service-related managers(1522)
◆ Experts and Related Workers: 52 professions 1) Life Science Experts(2111) 2) Natural Science Experts (2112) 3) Social Science Researchers (2122) 4) Computer Hardware Technicians (2211) 5) Communication Engineering Technicians (2212) 6) Computer System Design and Analysts (2221) 7) System Software Developers (2222) 8) Application Software Developers (2223) 9) Web Developers (2224 old 228) 10) Data Experts (2231 old 2224) 11) Network System Developers (2232 old 2225) 12) Information Security Experts (2233 old 2226) 13) Architects (2311) 14) Architectural Engineers (2312-newly established) 15) Civil Engineering Experts (2313 old 2312) 16) Landscape Technicians (2314 old 2313) 17) Urban and Transportation Experts (2315 old 2314) 18) Chemical Engineering Technicians (2321) 19) Metal and Material Engineering Technicians (2331) 20) Electrical Engineering Technicians (2341 old 2351) 21) Electronics Engineering Technicians (2342 old 2352) 22) Mechanical Engineering Technicians (2351 old 2353) 23) Plant Engineering Technicians (23512 old 23532) 24) Robotics Experts (2352) 25) Automotive, Shipbuilding, Aviation, and Railway Vehicle Experts (S2353) 26) Industrial Safety and Hazard Experts (2364) 27) Environmental Engineering Technicians (2371 old 2341) 28) Gas and Energy Technicians (2372 old 9233) 29) Textile Engineering Technicians (2392) 30) draughtsman(2395 舊2396) 31) Nurses (2430) 32) University Lecturers (2512) 33) Technical Instructors at Overseas Technical Specialist Schools (2543) 34) Education-related Experts (2591 old 25919) 35) Teachers at Foreign Schools, Foreign Education Institutions, International Schools, Gifted Schools, etc. (2599) 36) Legal Experts (261) 37) Government and Public Administration Experts (2620) 38) Special Agency Administrative Officers (S2620) 39) Management and Diagnostic Experts (2715) 40) Finance and Insurance Experts (272) 41) Product Planners (2731) 42) Travel Product Developers (2732) 43) Advertising and Public Relations Experts (2733) 44) Survey Experts (2734) 45) Event Planners (2735) 46) Overseas Sales Representatives (2742) 47) Technical Sales Representatives (2743) 48) Technical Management Experts (S2743) 49) Translators and Interpreters (2814) 50) Announcers (28331) 51) Designers (285) 52) Video-related Designers (S2855)
2. Semi-skilled Workers (E-7-2): 9 professions
◆ Office Workers: 5 professions 1) Sales Office Worker in Duty-Free Shops or Jeju English Education City (31215) 2) Air Transportation Clerks (31264) 3) Hotel Receptionists (3922) 4) Medical Coordinators (S3922) 5) Customer Service Representatives (3991)
◆ Service Workers: 4 professions 1) Transport Service Workers (431) 2) Tourist Interpreters and Guides (43213) 3) Casino Dealers (43291) 4) Chefs and Cooks (441)
3. General Skilled Workers (E-7-3): 7 professions 1) Animal caretakers (61395) 2) Fish farming technicians (6301) 3) Halal slaughterhouse workers (7103) 4) Instrument makers and tuners (7303) 5) Ship welders (7430) 6) Aircraft mechanics (7521) 7) Ship painters (78369)
4. Skilled Labor Point System (E-7-4) 1) Skilled laborers in root industries (S740) 2) Skilled laborers in agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and livestock (S610) 3) Skilled laborers in general manufacturing and construction (S700)
Required Documents for E-7 Visa Application
① Passport, Alien Registration Card, Application Form ② One standard-sized photo ③ Original and copy of employment contract - including hourly wage, daily working hours, contract period (minimum of 3 months), and job duties ④ Proof of establishment for organizations - such as business registration certificate and corporate registration certificate ⑤ (For affiliated companies) Proof of payment of taxes (tax payment certificate) or financial statements, tax payment certificate (to confirm normal business operations and tax payment status) ⑥ Documents that can prove the necessity of employment - Letter of employment recommendation for job types that require it - Employment reason statement for job types that do not require a letter of employment recommendation ⑦ Proof of eligibility for Employment Insurance and employment information for businesses (for those who are subject to it) - Graduates of the Work-Study Program (D-2-7) are exempt from submitting regardless of job type - Even if not subject to submission, it may be required to submit for invitation companies and employment status.
⑧ Certificate of personal identification
Submission target: Job types with restrictions on changing or adding workplaces
Mechanical engineer (2351), draughtsman(2395), Among overseas Sales Representatives(2742) overseas online product salespeople , Designers(285), Skilled laborers in root industries(S740)
⑨ Proof of residence (documents that prove real estate registration details (registration and ownership certificate) or rental agreements, etc.)
⑩ Tuberculosis test result (for those who are subject to it. Issued within 3 months by a public health center or a Ministry of Justice-designated hospital)
⑪ Declaration of annual income and occupation for foreigners and proof of income (for those who are subject to it)
⑫ Documents that prove qualifications for foreign workers: diploma, work experience certificate, and qualification certificate, etc.
⑬ Additional documents for each introduced job type.