Once your Korean company is established, you may want to bring foreign employees to work in Korea. The primary route is the E-7 Specially Designated Activities Visa — a points-based, employer-sponsored visa that covers a wide range of professional roles. This guide covers the current requirements as of April 2026.
What is the E-7 Visa?
The E-7 is a work visa for foreign nationals in specific professional and technical roles that are designated as needed by the Korean economy. Unlike some countries' work visa systems, the E-7 covers a broad range of roles including technology, finance, management, marketing, design, research, and many others. It is employer-sponsored, meaning your Korean company must apply on behalf of the employee.
Employer Eligibility Requirements
Not every Korean company can sponsor E-7 visas. The sponsoring company must meet minimum requirements, which as of 2026 include:
- Fully registered Korean company with valid business registration
- Minimum of 5 Korean national employees (for most categories — exceptions apply for certain specialist roles)
- The number of E-7 employees cannot exceed 20% of total Korean employee headcount for most categories
- The company must not have outstanding tax liabilities or labor law violations
Startup exception: Companies registered under KOTRA's Foreign Investment Promotion Act with confirmed foreign investment status may qualify for E-7 sponsorship even before reaching the 5 Korean employee threshold. Ask us about this if you are a new foreign-invested company.
Employee Qualification Requirements
The E-7 operates on a points-based evaluation system. The candidate must score sufficiently across:
- Education: Bachelor's degree minimum for most roles; Master's or PhD scores higher
- Work experience: Relevant professional experience in the field
- Korean language ability: TOPIK score adds points (not mandatory for most roles but helps)
- Salary: Must meet the minimum salary threshold for the role category (set by the Ministry of Justice annually)
- Age: Additional points for candidates under 35
As of 2026, the minimum annual salary for E-7 employees in most categories is approximately KRW 28 million (Korea's GNI per capita benchmark), though many categories require higher minimums.
The Application Process
- Employer files a sponsorship application with the local immigration office, including company documents, the employment contract, and a job description explaining why the role requires a foreign specialist.
- Immigration reviews and issues a Certificate of Confirmation of Visa Issuance (CCVI) — typically within 2–4 weeks.
- Employee applies for the E-7 visa at a Korean embassy or consulate in their home country using the CCVI.
- Employee enters Korea and registers with immigration within 90 days to obtain an Alien Registration Card.
Duration and Renewal
E-7 visas are initially issued for 1–3 years depending on the role and the employee's qualifications. They are renewable as long as employment continues and the company maintains its eligibility. Employees who accumulate sufficient points and meet residency requirements may eventually qualify for the F-2 (long-term resident) or F-5 (permanent resident) visa.
E-7 applications are document-intensive and the eligibility rules change regularly. Our visa team stays current on Ministry of Justice guidance and handles the full application process. Talk to us about your staffing plans.