If you have worked in Korea for 4 or more years on an E-9, E-10, or H-2 visa, you may be able to move to the E-7-4 skilled worker visa (숙련기능인력). The E-7-4 gives you a stay of up to 2 years per grant, with extensions, and your family can join you. You do not get it automatically. You need an employer recommendation, a higher-paying contract, and a score of at least 200 out of 300 points.
This guide covers who can apply, how the points work, what your employer must do, and what the June 2026 changes mean for you. Information is as of October 17, 2026.
Which official page to trust
The Ministry of Justice (법무부) published the current rules in a press release and attachments on June 1, 2026. The older program page on moj.go.kr is outdated in parts. It still shows an older work-period requirement and an older quota table. If a page disagrees with the June 2026 notice, check the HiKorea stay manual, which is updated more often.
The notice also says its items and scores may change during operation. Check HiKorea (하이코리아) or call the 1345 immigration contact center before you pay for anything or quit a job.
Who can apply: the four requirements
You must meet all four.
- Work history. You need 4 or more years on E-9, E-10, or H-2 within the last 10 years. You must be a registered foreigner and currently working normally at your workplace. If you have stayed 3 or more years in an area outside the Seoul metropolitan area and a metropolitan government recommends you, that also meets the period requirement.
- Employer recommendation. You need a recommendation from a company where you have worked for 1 or more years.
- Contract. Your current workplace must offer a contract of 2 or more years under E-7-4, at ₩26,000,000 per year or more. In farming, livestock, fishing, and coastal shipping, the floor is ₩25,890,000.
- Points. You need 200 or more of 300 points. You must also score at least 50 in average income and at least 50 in Korean.
The sectors covered are manufacturing, root industries (뿌리산업), construction, farming and livestock, shipbuilding, and fishing and coastal shipping.
Who is excluded
You cannot apply if any of these is true:
- You received a criminal fine of ₩1,000,000 or more.
- You have unpaid taxes. You can apply once you pay in full.
- You violated the Immigration Act 4 or more times.
- You have 3 or more months of unlawful stay in your history.
The notice also lists two further exclusions that depend on public interest and public order.
The 300-point table
You need 200 points in total. The notice treats income and Korean as mandatory items. Each needs at least 50 points, and no other points can make up for a shortfall in either one.
Average income of the last 2 years (maximum 120 points)
| Average annual income | Points |
|---|---|
| ₩25,000,000 to ₩30,000,000 | 50 |
| ₩30,000,000 to ₩35,000,000 | 65 |
| ₩35,000,000 to ₩40,000,000 | 80 |
| ₩40,000,000 to ₩45,000,000 | 95 |
| ₩45,000,000 to ₩50,000,000 | 110 |
| ₩50,000,000 or more | 120 |
The notice does not say which band an income exactly on a boundary, such as ₩30,000,000, falls into.
In farming, livestock, fishing, and coastal shipping, scoring starts at ₩24,000,000.
The income points use your last 2 years of income. The ₩26,000,000 floor applies to your future contract. The points table starts at a ₩25,000,000 average, but the HiKorea stay manual dated September 18, 2026 sets the 2-year average income requirement at ₩25,890,000 or more (₩24,000,000 in farming, livestock, fishing, and coastal shipping). An average between ₩25,000,000 and ₩25,890,000 scores 50 points but does not meet that requirement. Under ₩25,000,000 average income (₩24,000,000 in those sectors), you score below the 50-point floor.
Korean ability (maximum 120 points)
| Proof | Points |
|---|---|
| TOPIK Level 2, KIIP stage 2, or KIIP placement test score of 41 to 60 | 50 |
| TOPIK Level 3, KIIP stage 3, or placement test score of 61 to 80 | 80 |
| TOPIK Level 4 or higher, KIIP stage 4 or higher, or placement test score of 81 or higher | 120 |
TOPIK is the Test of Proficiency in Korean (한국어능력시험). KIIP is the Korea Immigration and Integration Program (사회통합프로그램). See our KIIP guide and TOPIK for visa points for how to earn these.
Age (maximum 60 points)
| Age | Points |
|---|---|
| 19 to 26 | 40 |
| 27 to 33 | 60 |
| 34 to 40 | 30 |
| 41 or older | 10 |
Bonus points
| Bonus item | Points |
|---|---|
| Recommendation from a central ministry (중앙부처) | 30 |
| Recommendation from a metropolitan government (광역지자체) | 30 |
| Recommendation from your employer (고용 기업체) | 50 |
| 3 or more years at your current workplace | 20 |
| 3 or more years working in a population-decline area (인구감소지역) or a rural township (읍·면) | 20 |
| Professional certificate or Korean degree | 20 |
| Korean driver's licence | 10 |
If you have both a ministry recommendation and a metropolitan government recommendation, only one counts.
Deductions
| Deduction | Maximum |
|---|---|
| Criminal fine under ₩1,000,000 | minus 20 (minus 5, 10, or 20 for 1, 2, or 3 or more fines) |
| Stay-permit restriction because of unpaid tax | minus 15 (minus 5, 10, or 15) |
| Administrative action for up to 3 immigration-law violations, including fines | minus 15 (minus 5, 10, or 15) |
A hypothetical example
This is an example, not a real case. A 30-year-old worker has a 2-year average income of ₩32,000,000, TOPIK Level 3, an employer recommendation, and 3 years at the same workplace.
- Age 30: 60 points
- Income: 65 points
- Korean (TOPIK Level 3): 80 points
- Employer recommendation: 50 points
- 3 years at the workplace: 20 points
The total is 275 points. The worker clears the 200-point line and both 50-point floors.
Now change one thing. If the same worker had no Korean proof, the total would be 195 points and the Korean floor would fail. Extra points cannot fix that, except through the deferral below.
The temporary Korean deferral (through December 31, 2026)
The notice allows a temporary deferral of the Korean requirement through December 31, 2026. If you meet the requirements other than Korean, with a total of 150 points or more, you can defer improving your Korean until your first extension (2 years).
This is a deferral, not a waiver. You must still supplement your Korean ability by the first extension.
The notice does not say whether the 150 points include Korean points. Ask immigration before you rely on this. The deadline is December 31, 2026. Check HiKorea or 1345 for the current status. The Ministry of Justice said it will announce a plan to activate the E-7-4 system in the second half of 2026.
What your employer must do
Your employer has three main jobs: recommend you, offer the 2-year contract at the salary floor, and stay within the headcount limit. Some sectors add their own employer conditions. In farming, for example, the employer must be a registered farm business and must insure you against workplace accidents.
Recommendation and contract
The recommendation must come from the company where you work. The route for a recommendation can depend on your sector, so ask your employer which channel applies to your workplace.
Headcount limits
Before June 2026, farming, livestock, and fishing employers could hire E-7-4 workers only up to 30% of their Korean employees. Employers in population-decline areas and root industries already had a 50% limit. The June 2026 changes work like this:
- General limit: 30% of Korean employees.
- Special limit: 50%. This applies to population-decline areas and root industries. Since June 2026, it also applies to farming, livestock, and fishing.
- Very small sites: A site with 4 or fewer Korean employees can hire 2 E-7-4 workers under the special rule, and 1 under the general rule.
If you changed jobs because of a problem
The June 2026 notice added a tenure-calculation special rule. If you had to leave a job for reasons outside your control, time at your previous workplace is added to your tenure. The notice names workplace closure or suspension, assault, and unpaid wages as examples.
The notice gives this example: 9 months at the old workplace plus 4 months at the new one counts as 1 year and 1 month. The rule applies to E-7-4 and to the regional variant E-7-4R.
Ask immigration which requirements the rule covers in your case. If your move involved unpaid wages or an assault, read our E-9 worker rights guide first.
What you get
- Stay: up to 2 years per grant, with extensions.
- Family: the Ministry of Justice says family can accompany you. Family members receive the dedicated F-3-74 code (see our F-3 dependent visa guide).
- Next step: E-7-4 is a step toward long-term residence. See the F-2 visa guide for the requirements.
The 2026 quota is 33,000, down from 35,000 in 2025. The Ministry of Justice sets the quota each year after asking the relevant ministries and regional governments.
How to apply
- Check your history. Count your years on E-9, E-10, or H-2. Confirm no exclusion applies.
- Add up your points. Use the tables above. Check your two 50-point floors first.
- Ask your employer. You need a recommendation, a 2-year contract at the salary floor, and room under the headcount limit.
- Prove your Korean. Bring a TOPIK result, a KIIP stage, or a KIIP placement test score.
- File on HiKorea. The Ministry of Justice describes online filing through HiKorea as the main route. The document list depends on your current visa and your sector. Follow the checklist in the HiKorea form and the list from the office that recommends you.
- Pay the fee. The status-change permit fee is ₩100,000.
The application schedule and rounds can change. Check HiKorea or call 1345 for the current round before you prepare.
If you are still on an E-9 and looking for a new workplace, you can browse openings on Seoulstart Jobs. A change of workplace has its own rules, so read the EPS guide first.
Regional variant: E-7-4R
A regional variant of the visa, the regional skilled worker visa (지역특화 숙련기능인력, E-7-4R), exists. It received the same June 2026 changes. Its eligibility differs from E-7-4. Ask your local government for its current notice.
Where to get help
- 1345: the Immigration Contact Center. Call it before you pay a broker.
- HiKorea: the online portal for filing and status checks.
- Our related guides: the E-9 visa guide, the EPS guide, the E-7 visa guide for professional E-7 categories, and the E-7 occupation codes guide. To renew a status you already hold, see the visa extension guide.