Korea's E-7-M (K-CORE) Visa: The Manufacturing Track from Junior College to Residence

Korea's Ministry of Justice launched the E-7-M visa (육성형 전문기술인력 비자), marketed as K-CORE (Korea College-to-Regional Employment), in January 2026. It is designed for foreign students who enroll at one of 16 designated junior colleges (전문대학), complete a manufacturing-track program, pass a high Korean language bar, and take up manufacturing employment. Complete those steps, and a structured path to long-term residency opens.

E-7-M creates a dedicated bridge from designated junior college study to manufacturing work and, later, residence eligibility. It fills the gap between the E-9 non-professional visa, which has no residence track of its own, and the E-7-1 professional visa, which requires a 4-year degree.

How E-7-M compares to E-9 and E-7-1

Before deciding whether E-7-M is the right path, see where it sits relative to the two closest alternatives.

E-7-M sits between these two. It asks more of candidates than E-9 (higher language requirement, a specific college credential), and less than E-7-1 (no 4-year degree), while offering a more direct F-2 route than either.

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Eligibility: what you need to qualify

Graduating from a designated department

You must graduate from the designated 육성형 전문기술학과 department at one of the 16 pilot colleges. Graduating from a different department at the same school does not qualify. Graduating from a non-designated college does not qualify. The list of 16 schools is in the next section.

Each designated department accepts up to 50 students per year, giving a nationwide ceiling of roughly 800 new E-7-M candidates annually.

The Korean language requirement

This is the highest bar in the program. Before the E-7-M visa is issued, you must demonstrate Korean at one of two levels:

• TOPIK Level 5 (한국어능력시험). This is the second-highest tier on the 1-to-6 scale. It is a serious academic standard. See our TOPIK guide and TOPIK levels explained for what Level 5 actually demands.
• KIIP Stage 4 (사회통합프로그램 4단계). Korea Immigration Integration Program. Completing Stage 4 satisfies the E-7-M language requirement in place of TOPIK 5.

A benefit during the study phase: D-2 students admitted to a designated program need only TOPIK Level 3 to qualify for the financial proof waiver at entry. The TOPIK 5 bar applies when converting to E-7-M after graduation.

Salary and contract requirements

Your employment contract must show:

• Annual starting salary of at least ₩26,000,000 (as of 2026, per korea.kr). Verify the current floor at the 1345 helpline before signing, as it may be adjusted.
• A contract of at least 1 year in a field matching your major.

The job must be in a qualifying manufacturing field. The pilot announcement does not list a specific restricted nationality for employers, but the employer must be operating in an eligible sector.

Which fields are covered and which are excluded

The E-7-M program targets manufacturing and industrial sectors aligned with Korea's regional workforce shortages. Covered fields correspond to each designated college's department: automotive engineering, electrical engineering, precision machinery, smart CAD/CAM, textile and fashion manufacturing, renewable energy, smart agriculture, and related areas.

The following fields are explicitly excluded from E-7-M eligibility, even if a company operates in a broader industrial group:

• Humanities and social sciences
• Arts and physical education (예체능)
• Hospitality and tourism (services)
• Healthcare
• Shipbuilding (a separate dedicated program exists for this sector)

If your prospective job crosses into an excluded field, E-7-M does not apply regardless of your college's designation.

The 16 designated junior colleges

These are the only colleges whose graduates can apply for E-7-M under the pilot announced February 5, 2026.

Gyeonggi region (6 colleges)

Busan region (3 colleges)

Other regions (7 colleges)

If you are considering enrollment for E-7-M, confirm directly with the college's admissions office that the designated department is still accepting international students under the pilot and what the current TOPIK 3 entry requirements look like.

Benefits while you study: D-2 student perks

Students enrolled in a designated program on a D-2 student visa receive two advantages the general D-2 population does not:

Financial proof waiver at admission. D-2 applicants to designated departments who hold TOPIK Level 3 do not need to show the standard financial proof of funds. This lowers the entry barrier for students who have strong Korean but limited savings.

Part-time work raised to 35 hours per week. Standard D-2 part-time limits depend on TOPIK level (typically 25 to 30 hours per week for TOPIK 3 students). K-CORE students can work up to 35 hours per week, up from 30 hours before the February 2026 K-CORE announcement. This lets students build earnings and Korean workplace experience during the program.

How to apply: the step-by-step process

The E-7-M application is employer-led. You cannot apply on your own. Here is the sequence after graduation.

1. Secure a job offer. Find a manufacturing employer willing to hire you in a field matching your department. The ₩26,000,000 annual salary floor must appear in the contract.

2. Prepare the visa filing with the employer. The public notice requires a qualifying contract with a company related to your major. Confirm with the employer and the 1345 immigration helpline which Certificate of Visa Issuance (사증발급인정서) steps apply to your situation.

3. Immigration reviews the application. The Korea Immigration Service checks your graduation documents, Korean language certification, and employment contract. Ask the 1345 helpline for current E-7-M processing estimates.

4. Visa is issued. Once the 사증발급인정서 is approved, you can receive the E-7-M visa. If you are inside Korea on D-2 at the time, the status change happens at your local immigration office. If you are abroad, you apply at the Korean embassy or consulate in your home country.

5. Register or update your Alien Registration Card (외국인등록증). After your status changes, update your ARC at the immigration office within the required window.

Documents you will need

E-7-M implementation details can change during the pilot. Use the standard E-7 baseline as a starting point, then confirm the full list for your specific situation via the 1345 immigration helpline (available in multiple languages) or at hi.go.kr.

Standard E-7 baseline documents typically include:

• Completed visa application form
• Passport (valid for at least 6 months beyond the intended stay)
• Alien Registration Card (if currently in Korea)
• Diploma or graduation certificate from the designated 전문대학 department
• Korean language certificate (TOPIK Level 5 result or KIIP Stage 4 completion certificate)
• Employment contract showing ₩26,000,000+ annual salary and minimum 1-year duration
• 사증발급인정서 issued by the employer
• Employer's business registration certificate and related company documents

The employer's HR team or an immigration consultant can confirm the current full checklist. Do not assume this list is complete without verification.

The path to F-2 long-term residency

After a set period on E-7-M, holders can apply for the F-2 long-term resident visa (거주 비자). For a full breakdown of what F-2 requires and what it unlocks, see our F-2 visa guide.

The E-7-M pilot sets two timelines for F-2 eligibility:

• 5 years on E-7-M under standard conditions.
• 3 years on E-7-M if your workplace is located in a designated population-declining region (인구감소지역). The government designates these regions based on official population data. Confirm whether your employer's location qualifies before treating this as your target.

The pilot timeline: what happens at the 2027 evaluation

The E-7-M pilot runs from January 2026 through December 2027. Before the pilot ends, the Ministry of Justice says it will evaluate performance and decide whether to extend the period or regularize the program.

No outcome is guaranteed. If you are considering enrolling in a designated program specifically for E-7-M, factor in that the visa framework may change before you graduate. The pilot was designed alongside the broader 2030 Immigration Policy Future Strategy (2030 이민정책 미래전략), which includes K-CORE as one manufacturing-workforce pathway.

Help and verification

For verified guidance:

• 1345 (Immigration Contact Center): weekdays 9 AM to 10 PM, with multilingual service in 20 languages (services after 6 PM are limited to Korean, English, and Chinese). Verify current hours at hi.go.kr before calling.
• HiKorea: the online portal for immigration appointments and status checks. Check regularly for E-7-M-specific updates.
• Your designated college's international student office: they should have current guidance on the program as it develops.

@misc{seoulstart-e-7-m-visa-guide,
  author = {{Seoulstart Editorial Team}},
  title = {{Korea's E-7-M (K-CORE) Visa: The Manufacturing Track from Junior College to Residence (2026)}},
  year = {2026},
  publisher = {Seoulstart},
  url = {https://seoulstart.com/guides/e-7-m-visa-guide},
  note = {Last updated June 5, 2026}
}