Hello, this is KOWORK, a foreign talent recruitment platform.
For full-time hiring in Korea, the most important visa type is the E-7 visa, which is divided into four categories: E-7-1 (Professional), E-7-2 (Semi-Professional), E-7-3 (General Skilled Worker), and E-7-4 (Skilled Worker Scoring System).
Each visa category has its own occupation codes, and these codes directly affect eligibility requirements and the possibility of visa approval. So it’s essential to understand them clearly.
✅ E-7-1(Professional) (67 occupations)
This visa category is granted to professional talent and includes 15 manager occupations and 52 expert and specialist occupations, totaling 67.
Manager (15 occupations)
Expert and Specialist (52 occupations)
These are likely the most common occupations for hiring. Sales, marketing (advertising and PR), developers, and most major job categories generally fall under the E-7-1 professional occupation codes.
- Marketers and PM roles apply under the Product Planning Expert occupation code (2731).
- Most developer roles apply under the Application Software Developer occupation code (2223).
- Embedded developers apply under the System Software Developer occupation code (2222).
- Researchers in bio, food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and medical devices apply under the Expert in Life Science occupation code (2111).
Overseas sales positions apply under the International Salesperson occupation code (2742).
However, be aware that this is subject to the local labor protection rule, meaning employers may hire 1 foreign worker for every 5 Korean employees.
✅ E-7-2(Semi-professional) (9 occupations)
This category includes 5 office worker occupations and 4 service worker occupations, totaling 9.
Office worker (5 occupations)
Roles such as hotel front desk staff and medical coordinators—which are actively hired on KOWORK—also fall under these occupation codes.
Service worker (4 occupations)
✅ E-7-3(General Skilled Worker) (8 occupations)
This visa category applies to general skilled worker and includes 8 occupations.
✅ E-7-4(Skilled Worker Scoring System) (3 occupations)
This category is designed to address labor shortages in on-site/field positions and includes 3 occupations.
Today, we summarized the essential occupation codes you must know when applying for an E-7 visa so that you can understand them at a glance.
If you’re unsure which occupation code applies to the position you plan to hire for, or if you’d like to know whether hiring and visa issuance are possible, feel free to contact us anytime. ☺️
- E-mail: hyunsik@kowork.kr
- TEL: 02-6951-4108
