E-7 Visa Korea: Skilled Professional Work Visa (2026)
Korea's skilled-professional work visa for foreign nationals in 86 designated occupation codes. The most common path for foreign-graduate hires, technical specialists, and corporate transferees in Korea.
Reviewed by the Seoulstart Visa Desk
Who this visa is for
Foreign professionals hired by Korean employers in one of the 86 E-7 occupation codes (E-7-1 through E-7-4) — software engineers, researchers, financial professionals, designers, technical staff, and related roles.
E-7 visa key facts
- →E-7 covers 86 occupation codes across four sub-categories: E-7-1 (professional, 67 codes), E-7-2 (semi-professional, 9 codes), E-7-3 (skilled, 6 codes), E-7-4 (specially designated, 4 codes)
- →The E-7-1 minimum salary is approximately 31,120,000 KRW per year (2,593,000 KRW per month) for February 2026 onward
- →Maximum initial stay is 3 years, with renewal in 2-year increments
- →D-2 graduates with a confirmed E-7 job offer can apply for direct conversion. Without an offer, they apply for D-10 (job-seeker) within 6 months of graduation
- →Korean university graduates with TOPIK Level 4+ are exempt from the D-10 points test and the financial proof requirement
Read the full guide
D-2 to E-7: The Visa Conversion Roadmap Foreign Graduates Actually Need (2026)
From D-2 student visa to E-7 work visa: the two-track decision tree, D-10 rules after the 2025 reform, salary thresholds, employer documents, and what to do if E-7 sponsorship fails.
Continue to the full E-7 guideOther Korean visa codes
For the full reference on Korean visa categories, see all Seoulstart visa guides.