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Important information has been announced for companies considering foreign hiring and foreign workers themselves. On December 29, 2025, the Ministry of Justice announced the salary requirement standards for the 2026 E-7 (specific activity) visa. These standards will apply from February 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026.
The E-7 visa allows foreign nationals to be employed in specific professional fields and is broadly divided into four categories, each with a minimum wage requirement for visa issuance. Previously, before April 2025, wage requirements were applied based on Gross National Income (GNI) and company size. Since April 2025, the same wage requirement has been applied to all companies (see related blog post).
This means that foreign workers must earn at least a certain level of salary in order to meet residence conditions, and these minimum salary requirements have now been changed.
Updated Salary Requirements
1. Professional Personnel (E-7-1): Office roles such as marketers, developers, overseas sales staff, and HR personnel.
2. Semi-Professional Personnel (E-7-2): Roles like medical coordinators, hotel receptionists, and long-term care assistants.
3. General Skilled Personnel (E-7-3): Jobs such as ship welders and ship painters.
4. Skilled Technical Personnel (E-7-4): Skilled workers in core industries.
With this update, the minimum salary requirement (annual salary) for Professional Personnel (E-7-1) has increased by 2,450,000 KRW compared to the previous standard, and the wage requirement for Semi-Professional (E-7-2) and General Skilled Personnel (E-7-3) has increased by 740,000 KRW.
How The New E-7 Visa Salary Standard Affects Foreign Job Seekers
- Ensures fair & consistent hiring across companies
- Helps in stronger salary negotiation basis
- Lowers the risk of visa rejection due to pay mismatch
Because of rising minimum wages and changes in the cost of living, the 2026 requirements are slightly higher than the previous year. Companies considering hiring foreign workers should take these updated standards into account when planning their workforce, and foreign job seekers should pay close attention to these changes to ensure their residence conditions remain valid.
If you have any questions regarding foreign hiring or visas, please feel free to contact us.
