- For 2026, Notice No. 2025-406 sets annual wage thresholds of KRW 31.12 million (E-7-1), KRW 25.89 million (E-7-2 and E-7-3) and KRW 26.00 million (E-7-4).
- The amount announced as of your application date is the standard. Total annual pay is what is judged, and the employment contract must show working hours so the minimum wage can be checked.
- Certain occupations follow their own wage rules, and small businesses, venture companies and non-capital-region mid-sized companies can qualify for a 70%-of-GNI concession for up to three years.
- The government fee for an extension is KRW 60,000 (Enforcement Rules Article 72), reduced by two-tenths for online filing. A workplace change needs either a prior permit or a report within 15 days, depending on occupation.
The E-7 (specific activities) visa is the main work status for skilled foreign professionals in designated occupations. Each time it is extended, immigration officers review whether your pay still meets the wage requirement for the year, whether your employment continues, and whether your employer is in good standing. Older guides often quote "80% of GNI, about KRW 2.8 million a month". That is not what the 2026 notice says, so this guide rebuilds the wage figures from the official text and shows where each statement comes from.
This page covers the extension of an existing E-7 stay and the wage rules attached to it. For the E-7-4 points system, see E-7-4 Points System Detail; for the list of eligible jobs, see E-7 Job Categories.
1. 2026 E-7 Wage Thresholds (Notice 2025-406)
Under the Ministry of Justice Notice No. 2025-406, published on 29 December 2025, the wage requirement standards below apply to E-7 visa issuance certificates and related decisions from 1 February 2026 to 31 December 2026. The notice states that the previous standards apply until 31 January 2026. The manual reproduces the same table as the "2026 wage requirement standard".
| E-7 category | Annual wage threshold (2026) |
|---|---|
| Professionals (E-7-1) | KRW 31,120,000 or more per year |
| Semi-professionals (E-7-2) | KRW 25,890,000 or more per year |
| General skilled workers (E-7-3) | KRW 25,890,000 or more per year |
| Skilled workers, points system (E-7-4) | KRW 26,000,000 or more per year |
A caution about one passage in the manual
In the general rules for a change of status to E-7, the manual says the announced wage standard applies to professionals, while for semi-professionals, general skilled and skilled workers "the minimum wage or above" applies. The 2026 notice and the manual table on page 228 list a fixed amount for all four categories. The two passages are not reconciled in the manual, so if your salary sits close to the line, ask the immigration office in writing or by reservation which standard they will apply to your category.
2. How the Wage Test Is Applied
The manual sets out how officers apply the wage requirement (E-7 section, pages 228 to 229). The main points are:
- Which year's amount: the standard announced by the Minister of Justice for the current year, as of the application date.
- What is measured: the total annual pay (the annual salary), not only base pay. The employment contract must state the monthly total and the daily and monthly working hours, so that a minimum wage violation can be excluded.
- Minimum wage as well: both hourly and monthly pay must meet the minimum wage of the year. If working hours are so short that the total falls below the threshold, the application is restricted. The manual gives the 2026 minimum wage as KRW 2,156,880 per month (KRW 25,882,560 over 12 months) in an FAQ example.
- Proof: the employment contract and the prior-year income certificate issued by the tax office. The manual marks the income certificate as mandatory for both extension of stay and workplace change.
- Below the standard: where pay is under the review standard, issuance is in principle restricted.
- Concessions: where a special-case standard differs from the amount announced for the year, the more favourable amount is applied.
"GNI" in the manual means the prior-year per-capita gross national income announced by the Bank of Korea. Because the 2026 notice states amounts in won, an officer does not need to calculate a GNI percentage for the four categories in the table above.
3. Occupations and Employers With Different Standards
The manual attaches separate wage rules to some occupations. The examples below are taken from the occupation-by-occupation pages of the manual (E-7 section, pages 227 to 229 and the occupation guide that follows).
| Case | Wage rule stated in the manual |
|---|---|
| Aquaculture technician (6301), shipbuilding welder (7430), ship electrician (76212), ship painter (78369), aircraft parts manufacturer (S8417) | At least 80% of the prior-year per-capita GNI. |
| Shipbuilding trades (welder, electrician, painter) newly introduced after October 2024 | Relaxed to KRW 25.89 million or more (2026 figure) until the third year after entry; the 80% GNI rule applies after three full years from the date of entry. |
| Automobile parts manufacturer (S85411), automobile sheet-metal and paint worker (S75104) | At least 70% of the prior-year per-capita GNI. |
| Small businesses, venture companies and non-capital-region mid-sized companies (concession) | For an E-7 worker in an occupation that is subject to the 80% GNI rule, with no or up to three years of E-7 work in a Korean company, a relaxed 70% GNI standard can apply for up to three years, then 80%. The company must be confirmed by the relevant small business, venture or mid-sized company certificate. |
| High-income and advanced-industry track (E-7-S) | E-7-S1 requires income of at least three times the prior-year per-capita GNI; E-7-S2 requires at least one times GNI plus a points requirement and work in an advanced industry. |
4. Who Files, and When
An extension applies to a person who wants to stay longer than the period granted. Under Article 25(1) of the Immigration Act, the extension permit must be obtained before the stay period ends. Under Article 31(1) of the Enforcement Decree, the application form and the documents set by the Ministry's regulation are submitted to the immigration office before the period ends.
- No fixed earliest date found: the Act, the Decree and the manual sections we reviewed do not state how many months before expiry an extension may be filed. Some guides say four months, but we could not confirm it from these sources; check the current HiKorea notice for the filing window.
- Visit reservation: Article 34-2 of the Decree requires an online visit reservation before you file an extension of stay, a workplace change permit or report, or a status change (exceptions apply, for example pregnant women and people with disabilities).
- If refused: the office gives written notice with a departure deadline of no more than 14 days from the date of issue, unless the Minister sets the end of the stay already granted as the deadline (Decree Article 33).
- If the activity has ended: a short extension for departure or domestic travel is possible under Enforcement Rules Article 32, and a period beyond 30 days needs the Minister of Justice's approval.
Staying past the end of the permitted period without an extension permit is an overstay, which carries fines and can lead to removal. See Korea Visa Overstay Penalties & Re-entry Ban for the statutory amounts.
5. Documents for an Extension
The manual (E-7 section, page 225) lists the following for an extension of the period of stay. The immigration office can ask for more where the case requires it.
| Document | Notes from the manual |
|---|---|
| Application form, passport and alien registration card, fee | Application form No. 34 annexed to the Enforcement Rules. |
| Employment contract | Should state total pay and the daily and monthly working hours. |
| Personal income certificate (mandatory) | Either the income amount certificate issued by the tax office or the wage-income withholding record issued by the employer. |
| Copy of business registration or corporate registry certificate | Employer's document. |
| Original personal surety letter (sinwon bojeungseo) | Collected only for listed occupations (for example mechanical engineering technicians, drafters, designers, sales clerks, chefs and cooks, customer service clerks, hotel receptionists, medical coordinators, aquaculture technicians, shipbuilding welders, and points-system skilled workers). |
| Proof of residence | Lease contract, accommodation confirmation, an expiry-notice letter, a utility bill or dormitory receipt. |
| Employer tax records | Employer payment details, national tax payment certificate and local tax payment certificate, used to confirm normal operation and no tax arrears. |
The extension list in the manual does not include a passport photo. Some other applications (for example a change of status) do list one, so bring what your office's current instructions ask for.
6. Government Fees
| Procedure | Government fee |
|---|---|
| Extension of the period of stay | KRW 60,000 |
| Extension of stay filed online | Reduced by two-tenths (KRW 48,000 by calculation) |
| Workplace change or addition permit | KRW 120,000 |
| Workplace change or addition permit filed online | Reduced by two-tenths (KRW 96,000 by calculation) |
| Workplace change or addition report | No fee |
| Extension for departure (Rules Article 32) | No fee |
Fees can be paid by revenue stamp, credit or debit card, or electronic payment at the immigration office (Rules Article 73). Amounts are the statutory fees in force on 26 September 2026 (Rules in force from 15 September 2026) and exclude any fee charged by a private service provider.
7. Changing Workplaces: Permit or Report
An E-7 holder may work only at the designated workplace (Immigration Act Article 18(2)). To change or add a workplace within the same status, Article 21(1) requires a permit in advance. The exception is a person with specialist knowledge, technology or skills specified by the Decree, who instead reports within 15 days after the change. Decree Article 26-2 defines this group as holders of E-1 to E-7 who meet conditions notified by the Minister of Justice.
| Who | What you must do | |
|---|---|---|
| Prior permit | E-7 occupations listed in the manual, including mechanical engineering technicians, drafters, designers, sales clerks, chefs and cooks, customer service clerks, hotel receptionists, medical coordinators, aquaculture technicians, shipbuilding trades, aircraft and automobile parts manufacturers, slaughterers, and points-system skilled workers | Obtain permission before changing. Fee KRW 120,000. |
| Report after the change | Other E-7 holders who meet the Ministry's conditions | Report to the immigration office within 15 days after the change. The manual says in-person reporting is the general rule, because a stamp or sticker is added to the passport; a representative may file. No fee. |
| Exclusion from the report route | A person who was dismissed, or left mid-contract, for reasons attributable to themselves and did not obtain the former employer's consent to transfer | Not covered by the report route; a permit application or a new visa issuance certificate is the route. |
Employers also have duties: an employer that dismisses a foreign worker, accepts a resignation or changes an important term of the contract must report to the immigration office within 15 days (Immigration Act Article 19; Decree Article 24).
Consequences of getting it wrong
- Not reporting a workplace change where reporting is allowed: administrative fine of up to KRW 2,000,000 (Article 100(1)(3)).
- Changing or adding a workplace without the required permit: imprisonment of up to one year or a fine of up to KRW 10,000,000 (Article 95, item 6), and a ground for deportation (Article 46(1)(9)). The same offence is committed by an employer who hires a person who lacks the permit.
- Working somewhere other than the designated workplace: Article 18(2), with penalties under Article 95, item 5.
The Minister of Justice may waive an administrative fine after considering age, circumstances, motive and ability to pay (Article 100(5)), but that is a discretionary decision.
8. Points That Can Stop an Extension
The Enforcement Rules (Article 31-2) require the office to check, for an extension, that the passport is valid, that the person is not subject to an entry ban, that the activity fits the status of stay, that the person can be expected to depart within the permitted period, and any other criteria the Minister sets for that status. In practice for E-7, the manual points to the following areas.
| Area | Details | What to prepare |
|---|---|---|
| Wage below the standard | Pay below the review standard is restricted in principle; hours and pay must also meet the minimum wage. | Contract with pay and working hours; prior-year income certificate. |
| Employer tax status | The employer's payment details and tax certificates are submitted to confirm normal operation and no tax arrears. | Ask your employer to obtain current tax certificates. |
| Work outside the designated workplace or occupation | Immigration Act Article 18(2) limits work to the designated workplace; Rules Article 31-2 requires the activity to fit the status of stay. | Keep the contract, job description and registration details consistent. |
| Entry ban or other violations on record | Rules Article 31-2 (through Article 9-2, items 2 and 6): the office checks that no entry ban applies and any other criteria the Minister sets. | Resolve pending immigration matters before filing. |
Note that a change of workplace is treated more strictly than an extension where the new employer already employs E-7 foreigners above 20% of its Korean employees (with higher limits of 50% for recommended advanced-industry companies and 70% for certain export companies). The manual says new invitations, status changes and workplace changes are then in principle refused (pages 222 and 228). Check the new employer's headcount before you move.
9. Practical Checklist and Where We Can Help
- Confirm your category (E-7-1 to E-7-4) and occupation code on your contract and registration record.
- Compare your total annual pay with the Notice 2025-406 amount, and check whether an occupation-specific or concession standard applies.
- Check that the contract states pay and daily and monthly working hours.
- Obtain the prior-year income certificate from the tax office (or the withholding record from your employer) and your employer's tax certificates.
- Make an online visit reservation and file before the current stay period ends. Do not leave it to the last days.
- If you are changing employers, first find out whether your occupation needs a permit or only a report.
VISAS KOREA (Vision Administrative Office) is an administrative agency office. We prepare and file immigration applications, explain the procedure and check documents. We cannot promise any result, since the decision is made by the immigration office. If you would like us to review your salary and documents before you file, you can start with the consultation form.
FAQ
Q. What is the minimum salary for an E-7 extension in 2026?
A. Notice No. 2025-406 sets the annual wage threshold at KRW 31.12 million for E-7-1 (professionals), KRW 25.89 million for E-7-2 and E-7-3, and KRW 26.00 million for E-7-4. It applies from 1 February to 31 December 2026, and the amount announced as of your filing date is used. Some occupations have their own standards, so check your occupation first.
Q. Is the E-7 salary requirement still "80% of GNI"?
A. Not as a general rule. The 2026 notice states fixed annual amounts by category. A percentage of the prior-year per-capita GNI (80% or 70%) still appears in the manual for certain occupations, such as aquaculture technicians, some shipbuilding trades and aircraft parts manufacturers, and in a 70% concession for small businesses, venture companies and non-capital-region mid-sized companies.
Q. Does a bonus or allowance count towards the threshold?
A. The manual says the wage test looks at total annual pay stated as the annual salary, not at ordinary wage alone. For E-7-4 its FAQ states that basic pay, allowances and similar payments all count towards the KRW 26 million figure. The manual does not list which individual allowance types are accepted for other categories, so confirm with the immigration office if part of your pay is irregular.
Q. How early can I file, and what happens if I miss the deadline?
A. The Act requires the extension permit to be obtained before the stay period ends (Article 25(1)), and the Decree requires the application to be filed before the period ends (Article 31(1)). We could not confirm an official earliest filing date in the sources we checked, so check HiKorea before you plan. Staying past the deadline without a permit is a violation punishable under Article 94, item 17.
Q. Do I have to report when I change employers?
A. Depending on your occupation, either a prior permit or a report within 15 days after the change is required (Immigration Act Article 21(1); Decree Article 26-2). The manual lists the occupations that need a prior permit. Failing to report can lead to an administrative fine of up to KRW 2 million (Article 100(1)(3)), and changing workplaces without a required permit is a criminal offence under Article 95, item 6.
Q. How much is the government fee for an extension?
A. The fee for an extension of the period of stay is KRW 60,000 under Article 72, item 6 of the Enforcement Rules. Online applications receive a reduction of two-tenths of the fee (Article 74(2), item 2), which gives KRW 48,000 by calculation. The fee for a workplace change permit is KRW 120,000, and the manual states that a workplace change report has no fee.
Q. Which documents are needed?
A. The manual lists the application form, passport and alien registration card, employment contract, a personal income certificate (mandatory), a copy of the business registration or corporate registry, proof of residence, and the employer's tax payment records. A personal surety letter is required only for certain occupations. Your immigration office may ask for more depending on the case.
Q. How long does an E-7 extension take to process?
A. We found no rule fixing a processing period for an E-7 extension in the residence-matters manual (1 September 2026 edition, E-7 extension section) or in the immigration Act and Decree. The review time depends on the circumstances of the immigration office and on whether supplementary documents are requested, so ask the office when you file. Filing does not extend your stay automatically, and the application must be made before the current period of stay ends (Immigration Act Art. 25(1), Enforcement Decree Art. 31(1)).
Q. How do I report my occupation and annual income when filing an extension?
A. The common section of the residence-matters manual requires foreigners in a status that allows employment to report their occupation and annual income whenever they apply for a stay permit such as an extension, and again when the occupation changes. The occupation is reported on the Foreigner Occupation Report form, and the annual income is entered in the ‘annual income’ field of the integrated application form. The same page says the income certificate can be skipped through data linkage with the National Tax Service, while the E-7 extension document list marks a personal income certificate as required. Because both statements appear, confirm with the immigration office how it will verify your income before you file.
Q. What if my passport was reissued, or my name or nationality details changed, while I am preparing the extension?
A. The manual’s alien registration change report covers name, sex, date of birth and nationality, and the passport number, issue date and validity. A change must be reported within 15 days of the change date, using the application form (Annex No. 34), the passport, the Alien Registration Card and documents proving the change; the manual lists no fee. Because the extension documents include the passport and the Alien Registration Card, check before filing that your registered details and your passport details match.
Q. Can I leave Korea after filing an extension?
A. The manual’s notes say a foreigner applying for any stay permit must be staying in Korea when applying, and that leaving the country after filing may lead to denial. They also say an immigration-service agency cannot file on behalf of a foreigner who is out of the country. If you plan to travel after filing, check with the competent Immigration Office before you file.
Q. What should I watch for in issue dates and foreign-issued documents when collecting extension documents?
A. According to the manual’s notes, documents issued in Korea are valid for 3 months from the issue date unless another validity period is set. Documents already submitted and kept in your alien registration record can be omitted, and documents issued abroad must carry an Apostille from the home government or consular confirmation from a Korean mission in that country. Documents that can be checked through shared administrative information, such as the business registration certificate, are not submitted unless the data subject does not consent. The head of the office may add or remove documents for examination, so confirm the final list when you file.
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