Overview
E-7 (Specific Activities) is reviewed together with the occupation, the employer and the pay, so the reason for a denial often lies with the employer rather than the foreign national. The Ministry of Justice manuals (September 2026 edition) set these out as the inviter's eligibility requirements, the national-employment protection criteria and the wage requirement.
This article covers only the denial and restriction grounds that appear in the manuals, and the points you can check or supplement with documents. The final decision rests with the competent Immigration Office, so supplementing a file does not fix the outcome in advance.
At a Glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Employer eligibility | An employer with unpaid national or local taxes, or one that fails the occupation-specific employer requirements, headcount limits or minimum-wage requirement, does not meet the inviter eligibility requirements. |
| National-employment ratio | Domestic-market-oriented firms with fewer than 5 national employees face restricted invitations in principle. Firms employing E-7 foreigners above 20% of their national employees are in principle refused new or replacement invitations, status changes and workplace changes or additions. |
| Wage requirement (2026) | E-7-1 at KRW 31.12 million a year or more; E-7-2 and E-7-3 at KRW 25.89 million or more; E-7-4 at KRW 26 million or more. Pay below the standard is restricted in principle. |
| Employment recommendation | Where the occupation-specific criteria make it mandatory, it must be attached when the application is filed. |
| Proof of qualifications | One of the following is needed: a master's degree or higher related to the occupation, a bachelor's degree plus at least 1 year of experience, or at least 5 years of related experience, shown with supporting documents. |
| Extension and workplace change | An extension requires a personal income certificate. Someone dismissed or who left for reasons attributable to themselves, without the former employer's consent to transfer, falls outside the after-the-fact report system. |
Scope of Activity
- Restriction and denial grounds the manuals set at the stages of visa issuance confirmation, status change, extension and workplace change for E-7
- How to check employer-side grounds (tax arrears, national-employment ratio, pay) separately from applicant-side grounds (proof of qualifications)
- The excluded categories under the E-7-4 points system (detailed point calculation is not covered)
Who Qualifies
- Employer staff whose E-7 visa issuance confirmation was refused, or who worry that it might be
- Foreign nationals preparing a change of status to E-7 or an E-7 extension
- Foreign nationals who want to change E-7 workplaces after dismissal or resignation
- Employers whose foreign headcount is growing and who are concerned about the national-employment ratio
Required Documents
- Employment contract — stating daily and monthly working hours against total monthly pay (annual salary), to avoid minimum-wage violations
- Personal income certificate (issued by the tax office) or withholding record of earned income (issued by the employer) — mandatory for an extension
- Copy of the business registration certificate or corporate registry extract, and documents on the establishment of the employer
- Tax clearance certificate (national tax) and local tax payment certificate — to confirm there are no tax arrears
- Documents proving qualifications (degree, career certificate, licence) — foreign-issued documents need a Korean or English translation, and key documents need consular notarization or an apostille
- Employment recommendation — attached only where the occupation-specific criteria make it mandatory
- Employment-insurance records proving national employees — nationals continuously employed as regular staff for at least 3 months
- For a workplace change, the former employer's consent to transfer, or a certificate of closure or suspension of business, public proof of unpaid wages, etc.
Application Process
- Check eligibility — confirm your current status, career, degree and contract type match the requirements.
- Prepare documents — foreign public documents need a translator's certification plus an apostille (or consular confirmation for non-member states).
- Book a visit — reserve a slot at your Immigration Office via HiKorea (www.hikorea.go.kr), or file online where e-Application is available.
- File and pay — submit the Integrated Application Form (Form No. 34) and pay the screening fee.
- Review — respond to any request for supplementary documents within the deadline.
- Result — on approval, the period of stay and status are granted; reissue your ARC if required.
Key Points
- The national-employment ratio is hard to prove right after opening a business. Headcount means people listed in the employment-insurance subscriber roster for at least 3 months, so in principle an application is possible only at least 3 months after opening.
- Some occupations have their own requirements. For a university lecturer (2612), for example, even with a contract of 1 year or more, a visa issuance confirmation is in principle refused without a master's degree or higher directly related to the subject; a bachelor's degree holder may exceptionally be accepted if expertise is shown through professional certificates or career records.
- The special rule for SMEs, venture companies and non-capital-region mid-sized firms lowers the wage requirement from 80% to 70% of the previous year's per-capita GNI for up to 3 years, but 80% applies after 3 years. If the special figure and the announced figure differ, the more favourable one applies.
- Leaving Korea after filing for a stay permit may lead to a denial. The manual also warns that false statements in the E-7-4 personal statement can lead to denial of the status change and restrictions on future visa applications.
- This article summarizes the manuals and does not guarantee approval. The wage figures are announced every year, so confirm the figures in force on the filing date, and your individual case, with the competent Immigration Office.
- Documents issued in Korea must normally be dated within 3 months unless another validity period applies.
- Documents already on file in your alien registration record need not be resubmitted.
- Health certificates, drug test results and pre-employment medical reports must be submitted sealed by the issuing hospital (do not open).
- You must be in Korea when applying; leaving the country after filing may result in refusal.
- Screening fees are non-refundable once the application is accepted.
- The head of the Immigration Office may add or waive documents where necessary for review.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. In what cases is an E-7 visa denied?
A. The manuals do not list denial grounds in one place but set them in stage-by-stage criteria. Restriction grounds include the inviter's tax arrears, failing the employer requirements, headcount limits or minimum-wage requirement, exceeding the national-employment ratio, pay below the wage requirement, and omitting a mandatory employment recommendation. Check your own case with the competent Immigration Office.
Q. What happens if the salary falls short of the standard?
A. Pay below the review standard restricts the invitation or employment in principle. Review is based on total pay (annual salary), but hourly and monthly pay must also meet the minimum wage, and a total that falls short because of few working hours is also restricted. Stating working hours in the contract is the point to fix.
Q. Is it a disadvantage if my company has many foreign employees?
A. For occupations under national-employment protection, foreign employment is in principle allowed within 20% of national employees. A firm employing E-7 foreigners above that is in principle refused new or replacement invitations, status changes and workplace changes or additions. E-7-4 and certain other statuses are excluded when counting foreign employees.
Q. What if the company has unpaid taxes?
A. Unpaid national or local taxes of the employer are a ground for failing the inviter eligibility requirements. Extensions and status changes also require a tax clearance certificate, a local tax certificate and the employer's payment record, so check for arrears before filing.
Q. After dismissal, can I just report a move to a new employer?
A. No. If you were dismissed or left midway for reasons attributable to you and did not get the former employer's consent to transfer, you fall outside the after-the-fact report system and must apply for permission to change workplace or for a visa issuance confirmation. The former employer's consent can be replaced by proof or a statement of reasons where there is closure, suspension of business or unpaid wages.
Q. Are there people who cannot apply at all under the E-7-4 points system?
A. The manual's excluded categories include a fine of KRW 3 million or more, tax arrears (you may apply once paid), 4 or more violations of the Immigration Act, and 3 months or more of unlawful stay. The fine, Immigration Act violation and unlawful-stay items apply only to the last 10 years, so confirm exactly with the Immigration Office.