Comprehensive Guide on How to Get an E-7 Visa!🌟
Hello. We're Kowork 😃
For foreigners aspiring to work in Korea, or employers who wish to hire foreign employees, many are interested in the E-7, or professional employment visa.
As the E-7 visa has strict issuance requirements, it is crucial to thoroughly prepare your documents and requirements when applying.
So, in this blog post, we will delve into the E-7 visa in detail.
1. How are the E-7 visa occupations classified?
The E-7 visa code is divided into four main sub-codes.
(1) Professional Jobs (E-7-1): Advertising and PR specialists, international salespeople, developers, etc.
(2) Semi-Professional Jobs (E-7-2): Chefs, cooks, medical coordinators, etc.
(3) General Skills Jobs (E-7-3): Welders, painters, etc.
(4) Skilled Trade Jobs (E-7-4): Manufacturing, construction, etc.
2. What is the route for a student to change to an E-7 visa?
(1) For students who secure employment immediately upon graduation:
Student visa (D-2, D-4) ➡️ Employment visa (E-7)
(2) For students who have not secured employment:
Student visa (D-2, D-4) ➡️ Job Seeking Visa (D-10) ➡️ Employment visa (E-7)
3. What are the eligibility criteria for an E-7 visa?
The requirements for an E-7 visa can be divided into general conditions and special conditions.
❗️The most important thing is that the foreigner's major and career experience should match the position they wish to work in!
(1) General Conditions (Only one needs to be met!)
- Possession of a master's degree or higher related to the job to be undertaken
- Possession of a bachelor's degree related to the job to be undertaken + more than one year of experience in the related job
- More than five years of work experience in a field related to the job to be undertaken
→ Documents issued overseas (certificates of employment, degrees, etc.) must be accompanied by Korean or English translations and must be submitted with consular certification or Apostille verification!
(2) Special Conditions (Only one needs to be met!)
- Those who have worked in professional occupations for more than 1 year at one of the world's top 500 companies: Allowed if the need for employment is recognized even if they do not meet the educational background and experience requirements
- Bachelor's degree holders who graduated from world-class universities: Allowed if the need for employment is recognized, even if they do not meet the experience requirements of 1 year or more in their major field
- Holders of a degree from a junior college in Korea: Exemption from the experience requirement of 1 year or more in the case of employment in a job related to the major subject, and permitted if the need for employment is recognized
- Those with a bachelor's degree or higher who graduated from a university in Korea: Allowed if the need for employment is recognized, regardless of major subject (Bachelor's degree or higher, experience requirement of 1 year or more is exempted), work/study study abroad (D-2-7) Qualified graduates are exempted from applying the national employment rate
- Excellent talent in high-income professional positions: If the annual total remuneration received is three times or more than the previous year’s gross national income (GNI) per capita, all of them, regardless of occupation, can be exempted (no employment recommendation from the minister in charge is required)
- Those who have completed training at an excellent private institution: Foreigners who have successfully completed domestic training courses in the relevant major field among those with an overseas professional bachelor’s degree or higher, and who have acquired a domestic certified license and completed the 4th level or higher of the social integration program, are eligible to change their qualifications to the relevant major field.
4. What are the documents needed to apply for an E-7 visa?
There are different documents to be prepared by the foreign individual and the hiring company. Below are the basic documents required from each party, although immigration officials may ask for additional documents 😊
(1) Documents from the foreign individual
- Unified application form, passport, foreigner registration card, diploma, certificate of employment, photo (4cm x 6cm), copy of house contract, employment contract
(2) Company documents
- Business registration certificate, list of insured persons under the four major insurances, list of subscribers to employment insurance, tax certificate, local tax certificate, proof of payment, standard financial statements, company introduction, letter of reason for employment
5. When hiring a foreigner with an E-7 visa, what are the wage requirements in the labor contract?
The wage requirement for an E-7 visa is typically at least 80% of the GNI per capita of the previous year, which is about KRW 2.7 million per month.
📣 However, if there is a small and medium-sized business confirmation or venture company certification, it can be over 70% of GNI, which is about KRW 2.47 million per month!
6. Please tell me about the procedure for issuing an E-7 visa!
⓵ Get a job that matches your major and career experience. (Ex: If you graduate with a business degree, you can get a job in marketing, sales position / If you graduate with a computer science degree, you can get a job as a developer!)
⓶ Sign a labor contract with the company.
⓷ Choose an E7 occupation code that matches the job.
⓸ Prepare visa issuance documents for both the foreigner and the company. (Refer to number 4 above)
⓹ Submit the documents to immigration. (The review usually takes about 1.5 to 2 months)
⓺ E-7 visa issued successfully!
For foreigners who are worried about their visa expiring during the visa review period, it's good to note that even if your visa expires during the review, the expiration date of the visa is extended for the duration of the review period.
E-7 visas have different requirements for each specific visa code, so it's crucial to get professional help when applying for a visa.
If you are having trouble obtaining an E-7 visa, feel free to contact Kowork anytime! ☺️