What is Korean E7 Visa?
The Korean E7 visa, also known as the Engineer visa, is a special visa for highly skilled professionals who work under contract in Korea. The Korean E7 visa is part of the gold card program and is considered an attractive option for those who have completed their major or vocational studies in Korea and want to continue working long-term in this country.
Types of E7 visas – Conditions, benefits and procedures
E7 visa is a type of work visa in Korea, divided into 4 main groups: E7-1, E7-2, E7-3 and E7-4. Below is the most detailed information about the conditions for applying for a Korean E7 visa, benefits and procedures for applying for a Korean E7 visa.
What is an E7-1 visa?
E7-1 visa: Highly skilled worker visa. The Korean E7-1 visa is a type of visa for highly skilled workers who want to work in specialized fields in Korea.
Conditions for applying for a Korean visa E7-1
Age: Under 45 years old.
Minimum qualification from intermediate vocational school or higher.
At least 3 years of working experience in Korea and must work in the same major as studied.
The sponsoring unit has a business that accepts you to work and guarantees a personal income of 1.9 million won/month or more, with a full personal income tax code.
Prepare all documents that have been translated into Korean and have the stamp of the Embassy.
If you work in the original Korean industry, you only need a degree and 3-4 years of work experience in Korea.
For those who wish to export labor under the Korean visa E7, workers must meet the following conditions:
If you are an unskilled worker without a degree, the mandatory requirement is to have a TOPIK 2 Korean certificate. If you do not have this certificate, you can take a Korean language course and practice for the exam at centers such as Double H to get the certificate.
If you have a degree from intermediate level or higher in fields such as cooking, mechanics, electricity-electronics, information technology, etc., you need to have at least 2 years of professional experience, good English communication skills and knowing Korean will be an advantage.
Benefits of workers working in Korea with an E7-1 visa
The average starting income is from 1,500 – 2,500 USD per month.
Workers will be provided with suitable accommodation and living facilities by the employer.
Workers will be covered by the employer for both round-trip airfare.
After working for 2 years or more and being well evaluated by the employer, workers can bring their wives and children (underage) to live and work in Korea.
Workers can use the E7-1 visa to return home to visit their families while they are performing their work contract.
Documents and procedures for applying for a Korean E7-1 visa
University and college diploma and transcript (notarized English translation and confirmation from the Consulate).
Social insurance payment record or social insurance book (notarized English translation).
Work experience certificate (notarized English translation and confirmation from the Consulate).
6 photos 3.5×4.5 and 4×6, taken with a white background.
Original passport.
Korean E7-2 Visa Sales Industry
Korean E7-2 Visa in Sales Industry is a type of visa issued to workers who want to work in the sales sector in Korea.What is the E7-2 Korean visa?
Conditions for applying for an E7 2 Korean visa
Female, aged 23 – 33, 1.55 m or taller, with a good or attractive appearance.
Graduated from a college or university with a major related to sales.
Never had a Korean visa rejected.
Not suffering from tuberculosis, HIV or other infectious diseases.
No experience in sales required.
Communicate in Korean at a basic level.
Benefits of workers working in Korea with an E7-2 visa
Workers will receive a minimum basic salary of 2,200,000 won/month (about 45,000,000 VND/month).
Entitled to sponsor parents, husband and children to live with them in Korea during their stay.
After a period of working with an E7-2 visa, workers can be converted to other types of visas such as an F2 visa or an F5 visa.
Enjoy other benefits and rights according to Korean law.
Documents and procedures for applying for E7-2 visa
Resume in Vietnamese (notarized English translation).
Health certificate (can be confirmed by the Consulate).
Justice (form No. 2) (notarized English translation and confirmed by the Consulate).
12 4×6 photos, white background, taken with white shirt and black hair.
Birth certificate (notarized English translation).
Identity card (CMND) or Citizen Identification Card (CCCD) (notarized English translation).
Household registration book (notarized English translation).
Original diploma and transcript, vocational certificate (notarized English translation and confirmed by the Consulate). If the diploma is bilingual, no translation is required.
E7-3 Visa Korea Engineering
The E7-3 Visa Korea is a visa for workers in the general industry group, also known as the general labor visa. If you do not have enough professional qualifications and limited experience but still want to work in Korea, you can apply for the E7-3 Korean visa.
Conditions for applying for a Korean visa E7-3
Gender: Priority is given to men because the nature of the job is not suitable for women.
Age: From 20 to 50 years old.
Qualifications: Must have international welding certificates such as 3G, 4G, 5G, issued by international organizations such as AWS, ASME, ISO, EN, KR, ABS, LR, …
Welding skills: Welders from 3G and above must meet welding standards such as FCAW, GMAW, GTAW.
Must be in good health, not suffering from tuberculosis, hepatitis B and other infectious diseases.
Priority is given to candidates who can speak Korean.
Note that when applying for an E7-3 visa, workers need to submit a diploma with the signature and seal of the school to confirm the school they graduated from.
Benefits of workers working in Korea with E7-3 visa
E7-3 visa allows workers to have the right to permanent residence in Korea with a guaranteed salary of 2,000,000 – 2,700,000 won (8 hours/day and 5 days/week).
The employer will sponsor the round-trip airfare for the worker.
The worker will be arranged accommodation, meals and living facilities.
The worker can visit his family even during the period of performing the work contract in Korea.
The worker can sponsor his wife and children to live in Korea.
After working for more than 2 years, the worker has the right to switch to F2 visa. After 3 years from the date of having F2 visa, the worker can switch to F5 visa (a type of visa for permanent residence in Korea).
Documents and procedures for applying for E7-3 Korean visa
Passport (original).
Citizen Identification Card (CCCD) or National Identity Card (CMND).
Permanent residence registration (notarized photocopy).
20 3×4 and 4×6 ID photos.
International welding certificate (type 4G, 6G).
Insurance + experience + degree (if any).
E7-4 Visa for Engineering
E7-4 visa is a type of visa for highly skilled workers with clear professional qualifications, allowing entry to work in Korea. In addition, this type of visa is also known as a specialized visa or engineer visa.
Conditions for applying for a Korean E7-4 visa
The applicant must be male and under 40 years old.
Graduated from secondary, college and university in majors such as mechanics, chemistry, construction, shipbuilding, architecture, automobiles, materials, bridges and roads, etc.
For those with a university degree, at least 1 year of work experience in the corresponding field is required.
For those with a secondary or college degree, at least 5 years of work experience is required.
The worker must ensure that he or she does not have tuberculosis.
Benefits of workers working in Korea with an E7-4 visa
Workers have the right to live and work unlimitedly in Korea under the E7-4 visa.
The company will provide accommodation in the dormitory and meals for the worker.
The worker will receive a basic salary of about 2,000,000 won, equivalent to about 40 million VND.
The second year’s income will be increased according to the regulations of each company.
Employees will be covered by social insurance and have regular health check-ups every 6 months.
Employees have the right to sponsor their parents, wives and children to live together in Korea.
There is an opportunity to switch to an F2 visa (permanent residence) after a period of work and then can switch to an F5 visa (permanent residence) in Korea.
Documents and procedures for applying for a Korean visa E7-4
Original diploma and transcript (notarized English translation and confirmation from the Consulate)
CV according to the company’s form.
Tuberculosis health certificate.
Social insurance.
10 4×6 ID photos, taken with a white background and collared shirt.
Certificate of work experience of at least 1.5 years with a university degree or at least 5 years with a college degree.
List of 84 occupations granted E7 visa to Korea
According to the regulations of the Korean Government, there are a total of 84 occupations that are given priority for E-7 visa. These occupations are divided into 6 types of jobs, specifically:
Type 1: Manager
| No. | Job (English) | Code | Job (Korean) |
| 1 | Senior Professor of Economic Organization | S110 | 경제이익단제 고워임원기업 고워임원 |
| 2 | Senior Executives | 1120 | 기업 고워임원 |
| 3 | Management support management | 1202 | 경영지원 관리자 |
| 4 | Education Management | 1312 | 교육관리자 |
| 5 | Insurance and CFO | 1320 | 보헙 및 급융관리자 |
| 6 | Management related to culture, art, design, video | 1340 | 문화. 예술. 디지인 및 영상간력 관리지 |
| 7 | Media information management | 1350 | 정부통신관력관리자 |
| 8 | Other professional service management | 1390 | 기타 전문서비스 관리자 |
| 9 | Construction and mining management | 1411 | 건설 및 광업관력리자 |
| 10 | Product production management | 1413 | 제품생산관력 관리자 |
| 11 | Agriculture – forestry – fishery management | 14901 | 농림. 어업 관력관리자 |
| 12 | Sales Manager | 1511 | 영업 및 관매관력 관리자 |
| 13 | Transport Management | 1512 | 운송관력 관리자 |
| 14 | Housing, travel, entertainment, sports management | 1521 | 숙박. 여행. 오락 및 스포츠관리자 |
| 15 | Food Service Management | 1522 | 음식서비스관력관리자 |
Type 2: Professionals and related jobs
| No. | Job (English) | Code | Job (Korean) |
| 1 | Life Science Expert | S110 | 경제이익단제 고워임원기업 고워임원 |
| 2 | Natural science expert | 1120 | 기업 고워임원 |
| 3 | Physicist | 1202 | 경영지원 관리자 |
| 4 | Chemical expert | 1312 | 교육관리자 |
| 5 | Astronomer and Meteorologist | 1320 | 보헙 및 급융관리자 |
| 6 | Social Science Research Specialist | 1340 | 문화. 예술. 디지인 및 영상간력 관리지 |
| 7 | Computer Hardware Technician | 1350 | 정부통신관력관리자 |
| 8 | Telecommunication Engineering | 1390 | 기타 전문서비스 관리자 |
| 9 | Computer systems design and analysis | 1411 | 건설 및 광업관력리자 |
| 10 | System software developer | 1413 | 제품생산관력 관리자 |
| 11 | Application software developer | 14901 | 농림. 어업 관력관리자 |
| 12 | Database Developer | 1511 | 영업 및 관매관력 관리자 |
| 13 | Network System Developer | 1512 | 운송관력 관리자 |
| 14 | Computer Security Expert | 1521 | 숙박. 여행. 오락 및 스포츠관리자 |
| 15 | Web and multimedia designer | 1522 | 음식서비스관력관리자 |
| 16 | Web Developer | 2228 | 웹 개발자 |
| 17 | Architects and Architectural Engineers | 2311 | 건축가 및 건축공학 기술자토목공학 전문 |
| 18 | Construction expert | 2312 | 토목공학 전문 |
| 19 | Landscape Engineer | 2313 | 조경기술자 |
| 20 | Urban and transportation design expert | 2314 | 도시 및 교통성계 전문가 |
| 21 | Chemical engineer | 2321 | 화학공학 기술자 |
| 22 | Metal and materials engineering | 2331 | 급속. 재료공공학 기술자 |
| 23 | Environmental Engineering | 2341 | 환경공헉 기술자 |
| 24 | Electrical Engineering | 2351 | 전기공학 기술자 |
| 25 | Electronic Engineering | 2352 | 전자공학 기술자 |
| 26 | Mechanical Engineering | 2353 | 기계공학 기술자 |
| 27 | Plant Engineering | 23532 | 플랜트공학 기술자 |
| 28 | Automobiles. Motorcycles. Shipbuilding. Railways. Railway bicycles | 2392 | 자동차. 조선. 비형기. 철도섬공 |
| 29 | Gas and energy engineering | 2393 | 가스. 에너지 기술자 |
| 30 | Automotive Engineering | S2353 | 차량공학 전문가 |
| 31 | Card one | 2396 | 캐드원 |
| 32 | Nurse | 2430 | 간호사 |
| 33 | University lecturer | 2512 | 대학강사 |
| 34 | Other Education Experts | 25919 | 기타 교육관력 전문가 |
| 35 | Foreign schools. Foreign educational institutions. Talented international school teachers | 2599 | 외국인학교. 외국교육기관. 국제학교. 영재학교등의교사 |
| 36 | Legal Expert | 261 | 법률관력 전문가 |
| 37 | Government Management Specialist | 2620 | 정부행정 전문가 |
| 38 | Special agency staff | S2620 | 특수기과 행정요원 |
| 39 | Diagnostic and management specialist | 2715 | 경영 및 진단 전문가 |
| 40 | Finance and insurance expert | 272 | 금융 및 보험전문가 |
| 41 | Product Development Specialist | 2731 | 상품기회 전문가 |
| 42 | Tourism product development specialist | 2732 | 여행상품 개발자 |
| 43 | Advertising and PR expert | 2733 | 광고 및 홍보전문가 |
| 44 | Research expert | 2734 | 조사전문가 |
| 45 | Event planning | 2735 | 행사 기획자 |
| 46 | Overseas Sales Staff | 2742 | 행외영업원 |
| 47 | Technical Sales Staff | 2743 | 기술 영업원 |
| 48 | Technical Management Specialist | S2743 | 기술 경영 전문가 |
| 49 | Interpreter, translator | 2812 | 본역. 통역가 |
| 50 | Spokesperson | 28331 | 아나운서 |
| 51 | Design | 285 | 디자이너 |
| 52 | Video related design | S2855 | 영상관력디자이너 |
Type 3: Office worker
| No. | Job (English) | Code | Job (Korean) |
| 1 | Duty Free Shops or City Sales Staff . English Education in Jeju | 31215 | 면세점또는 제주영어교육도시내 판매사무원 |
| 2 | Air Freight Clerk | 31264 | 항공운송 사무원 |
| 3 | Hotel receptionist | 3922 | 호텔 접수 사무원 |
| 4 | Medical Coordinator | S3922 | 의료코디네이터 |
Type 4: Workers, service staff
| No. | Job (English) | Code | Job (Korean) |
| 1 | Transport worker | 431 | 운송서비스 종사자 |
| 2 | Tourist information guide | 43213 | 관광통역 안내원 |
| 3 | Casino Agent | 43291 | 카지노 딜러 |
| 4 | Chef and cooking | 441 | 주방장 및 조리사 |
Type 5: Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries and Skilled Workers
| No. | Job (English) | Code | Job (Korean) |
| 1 | Concentrated farming | 610 | 농축축산어업 숙련기능인 |
| 2 | Pets | 61395 | 동문사육사 |
| 3 | Sea cucumber farming engineer | 63019 | 해삼양식기술자 |
Type 6: Functional staff and related jobs
| STT | Job (English) | Mã | Job (Korean) |
| 1 | Halal slaughterhouse staff | 7103 | 할랄 도축원 |
| 2 | Tool maker and adjuster | 7303 | 악기제조 및 조율사 |
| 3 | Highly skilled industry workers | 740 | 뿌리산업체숙련기능공 |
| 4 | Skilled Craftsman Construction and Production Corporation | 700 | 일반 제조업체 및 건설업체 숙련기능공 |
| 5 | Ship welder | 7430 | 조선용접공 |
| 6 | Aircraft maintenance | 7521 | 항공기장비원 |
Regulations on converting E7 visa
If you still do not know how to apply for a Korean E7 visa, you can learn carefully about the regulations of each type of visa you want to convert to such as E7 sponsorship visa, student visa, work-study visa, engineer visa, etc.
How long is the E7 visa valid for?
After being granted an E7 visa, you need to know how long the E7 visa is valid for to avoid the case of an expired visa that cannot be reissued. According to Korean government regulations, this type of visa is usually valid for about 2 – 2.5 years, depending on the contract signed between the employee and the employer. So what should you do to maintain an E7 visa?
In case you have worked in Korea for 2 years and want to continue your stay, you can consider switching to an F2 visa. An F2 visa is a permanent visa with a validity of up to 5 years. After having an F2 visa, you can continue to complete the application to apply for an F5 visa. An F5 visa is a type of document that allows workers to settle permanently in Korea. It brings many benefits and conveniences, including social welfare policies similar to those of Korean citizens.
Converting from a D2, D10 visa to an E7 visa
General regulations when converting D2, D10 visas to E7
When converting D2 visas to E7 or from D10 visas to E7, there are some general regulations that you need to remember:
Review and evaluate the application: The Immigration Office will review the documents and standards in the application to determine the necessity and suitability of the job. Typical factors considered include the ability to replace Korean citizens, business conditions, employment of citizens and national interests.
Limit the number of E7 visas: A company can only sponsor a maximum of 20% of the number of employees who are Korean citizens. This is to ensure that the recruitment of foreign workers does not unduly affect the employment of domestic citizens.
(Note: If the industry you apply for E7 is in the same industry code as E7-4, the number of visas will also be limited)
Restriction on E7 visa sponsorship for companies without a domestic market: Companies without a domestic market and with less than 5 Korean employees or with the number of E7 employees exceeding 20% of the number of local employees will not be allowed to sponsor additional E7 visas including visa changes, invitations, changes/additions of workplaces.
Conditions for converting D2, D10 visas to E7
To convert from a D2 or D10 visa to a Korean E7 visa, there are some conditions and procedures to follow:
You are legally residing in Korea with a job-seeking visa (D-10) or a student visa (D-2).
The work you do is in the priority fields for conversion to E7 visa such as Professor (E1), foreign language teaching (E2), research (E3), technical instruction (E4), expert (E5), artist/athlete (E6), special activities (E7) and meets the job requirements.
You have a company accepting, signing a work contract and sponsoring the visa.
In addition, for those with a student visa (D2) who are expected to graduate, if they have completed the graduation requirements and want to switch to a job-seeking visa (D10), they can apply to convert to an E7 visa without waiting for graduation. However, if you already have a university degree or higher in Vietnam or any country, you can also apply for a D-10 visa even if you have not graduated.
Required documents
| No. | Document | Note |
| Documents of the visa applicant | ||
| 1 | Visa change application form (attach 3.5 × 4.5 ID photo) | |
| 2 | Foreigner ID card | Original + photocopy |
| 3 | Passport | Original + photocopy |
| 4 | Diploma | |
| 5 | Transcript | |
| 6 | Tuberculosis certificate | |
| 7 | Certificate of residence/residence | |
| Documents from the company that will work and sponsor the visa | ||
| 1 | Certificate of Business Registration | |
| 2 | Labor contract | |
| 3 | Tax payment certificate | |
| 4 | List of employees participating in unemployment insurance | |
| 5 | VAT certificate | |
| 6 | Letter of recommendation | |
How to convert D9 visa to E7
Korean D9 visa is a visa for ordinary workers working in Korea. This is a popular type of work visa and helps you work legally in Korea. Specifically, the conversion process is as follows:
Conditions for converting D9 visa to E7
To successfully convert from D9 visa to E7 visa, workers need to meet the following requirements:
Under 35 years old (except for businesses in the original industry, age not over 40).
High school diploma or higher (except for the original industry, only high school diploma is required).
Income from 2,100,000 won (for agriculture) or 2,300,000 won or higher (for industry).
Korean language proficiency Topik 3 or higher (if working in a business in the original industry, only Topik 2 is required).
No criminal record and no violation of the law during the period of living and working in Korea.
Minimum working experience of 4 years or more.
Required documents
When preparing documents to convert from D9 visa to E7 visa, you need to prepare the following documents:
Passport.
Alien registration card.
3.5 x 4.5 ID photo.
Topik 3 certificate or higher.
Degrees in Vietnam that have been authenticated as genuine at the Korean Embassy.
Degrees or certificates related to technical skills.
Certificate of employment at the company (can ask the company to do it for you).
Labor contract between the company and the employee.
Company guarantee letter.
Company business license.
Application for visa conversion (can get the form from the company).
Introduction letter from the business owner (can ask the business owner to do it for you, the content of the introduction letter is mainly to confirm your ability, suitability for the job requirements, etc.)
List of insurance participants (only applicable to businesses in the industry – agriculture – fishery sector).
Provide information on the average construction site construction cost in the last 1-2 years (only applicable to construction companies).
Work experience certificate: Work experience certificate from the company, there may be a ready-made form.
Salary statement for the last 1-2 years (best to cut out only the highest part for approval)
Tax payment receipt (if any).
Certificate of the company belonging to the original industry (only applicable to companies working in the original industry).
If you are planning to work or settle in Korea, the E7 visa is the best choice that you should not ignore. Hopefully, with the information that QA shares, you can better understand the conditions, procedures and costs that need to be prepared to apply for a visa 7.
For more information about other types of Korean visas, such as: Visa D2-1, D2-2, D4-1, D4-6 or need support with documents to apply for these types of visas, please contact QA for detailed advice.
