Hello, this is KOWORK, the foreign hiring platform.
If you are a foreign youth who grew up attending elementary, middle, and high school in Korea, many questions arise as graduation approaches. Should you go to university? Can you start working right away? Will visa restrictions limit your options? These are real concerns for many. In response to this reality, a new system was introduced starting in 2025 - the E-7-Y visa.
What Is the E-7-Y Visa?
The E-7-Y visa is a work visa designed for foreign youth who grew up in Korea. Unlike traditional employment visas, its biggest feature is that it does not require specific education or work experience. This visa was created to give legal employment and residence status to foreign youth who have already established a life in Korea. If you have lived in Korea for a long time and either attended school here or completed the Social Integration Program, you can find employment even without going to university or having prior work experience.
E-7-Y Visa Application Requirements
To apply, you must meet all of the following conditions:
- Between 18 and 24 years old
- Lived in Korea for at least 7 years before turning 18
- Graduated from a Korean elementary, middle, or high school OR completed Level 5 of the Social Integration Program
Even if you didn’t finish every grade of Korean school, completing Level 5 of the Social Integration Program can substitute for the education requirement.
Career Paths After High School
After graduating from high school, your future options generally fall into four main paths.
1. Start Working Right Away: E-7-Y
If you want to begin working immediately without attending university, the E-7-Y visa allows you to do so. There are no education or field restrictions, and it is not limited to specific job categories. You can sign a formal employment contract with a company. This makes the E-7-Y visa a realistic option for foreign youth who grew up in Korea and want to enter the workforce quickly.
2. Need Time to Prepare for Jobs: D-10
If you’re not ready to start working right after graduation, that’s fine too. If you meet certain conditions, you can switch to the D-10 Job-Seeker Visa and stay in Korea while preparing for employment. During this period, you can write your resume, explore job options, and attend interviews. Once you secure a job offer, you can then transition to the E-7-Y visa. This helps ease the pressure of having to find a job immediately due to visa constraints.
3. Choose Further Studies: D-4 or D-2
If you prefer to continue your education instead of immediately entering the workforce, you can switch to a study visa.
- D-4: language training or vocational programs
- D-2: college, university, or graduate school
In this way, E-7-Y is for employment, D-10 is for job preparation, and D-4/D-2 are for education. The key point is that university is no longer mandatory - you can design your own path based on your situation.
4. Aim for Long-Term Settlement: F-2-R
If you live for four years or more in designated regions (such as those experiencing population decline) under an E-7-Y or D-10 visa and meet residency conditions, you may be eligible to switch to the F-2-R visa (Regional Specialized Talent Visa). The F-2-R visa offers greater freedom in employment and more stable residency conditions—a valuable step for those aiming for long-term settlement in Korea. In this sense, the E-7-Y visa is not just a short-term employment visa, but can serve as a starting point toward long-term residence through regional settlement.
The Meaning of the E-7-Y Visa 🍀
The introduction of the E-7-Y visa can be seen as a case where policy has finally caught up to the reality faced by foreign youth who have grown up in and attended school in Korea. Previously, career choices were often limited by nationality, but now it’s possible to plan your future—whether for education, employment, or long-term settlement—based on your own goals. This represents a meaningful shift toward viewing foreign youth not just as temporary residents, but as members of society living and contributing to Korea.
Stay tuned as KOWORK continues to share information on realistic options for foreigner employment and residency in Korea.
