E-7-1 Education Manager Visa (1312)

Overview

E-7-1 Education Manager (code 1312) is the status for a foreign national who will plan, direct and coordinate the work of an educational institution such as a kindergarten or an elementary, middle or high school. The person needs a bachelor's degree or higher, must meet the teacher and other qualification and career requirements set by the relevant laws, and must be hired through the proper procedure.

The occupation is described as a person who plans, directs and coordinates the work of educational institutions such as kindergartens and elementary, middle and high schools (including foreign schools, foreign educational institutions and international schools). The listed example jobs are principals and vice principals of elementary, middle and high schools, and heads and deputy heads of kindergartens (including foreign schools, foreign educational institutions and international schools).

This occupation differs from the other manager occupations in one important way. It does not use the general standards such as a master's degree in a related field, or a bachelor's degree plus experience. It has its own requirement instead. Teachers at foreign schools, foreign educational institutions, international schools, gifted schools and the like are not covered here; they fall under a separate occupation (code 2699).

Visa issuance and stay management follow the general standard. The review criteria shared by all manager occupations also apply, so the examiner looks at the institution's operating departments, how independent they are, how many regular staff they have how much the foreign manager will be paid and other points.

At a Glance

Scope of Activity

• Planning the work of educational institutions such as kindergartens and elementary, middle and high schools
• Planning, directing and coordinating the work of the educational institution
• Working as a principal or vice principal of an elementary, middle or high school, or as head or deputy head of a kindergarten, is the typical example.
• The same management work at a foreign school, a foreign educational institution or an international school is also covered.
• Teachers at foreign schools, foreign educational institutions, international schools, gifted schools and the like are not under this occupation; they are handled under the teacher occupation (2699).
• Someone who moves to a different school, or takes on an extra workplace alongside the current one, must report to the immigration office within 15 days counting from that day. What the reporter needs is the qualification requirements for activities at the new or added workplace. Having them does not help a person who was dismissed or left midway due to their own fault and lacks the original employer's transfer consent; such persons are excluded.

Who Qualifies

• Foreign nationals about to be hired into a post that plans, directs and coordinates the work of an educational institution, such as principal, vice principal, kindergarten head or deputy head
• People who hold a bachelor's degree or higher and also meet the teacher and other qualification and career requirements set by the relevant laws
• Foreign schools, foreign educational institutions and international schools that want to bring in a manager from overseas
• Foreign nationals already staying legally in Korea who have been formally hired into an educational management post and are preparing a change of status
• School founders and operators who want to check the hiring procedure and paperwork for a foreign manager

Required Documents

• On the applicant side, the basics are a passport copy, one half-size color ID photo and the employment contract. For this occupation the degree certificate, proof of the teaching and other qualifications, career certificates, licenses and the like carry the weight.
• A paper issued abroad, of whatever kind, needs a Korean or English translation attached; the key ones among them also need consular notarization or an apostille certificate.
• The school or kindergarten prepares the establishment documents of the employing organization or the like, papers proving the need to hire a foreigner (a statement of reasons for invitation, a recommendation of employment and the like), a certificate of national tax payment in full, and a local tax payment certificate.
• A recommendation of employment is waived when a university or a public institution hires, and when a large company hires a manager. No recommending agency is designated for this occupation.
• Being hired through the proper procedure is part of this occupation's requirements. Which materials should show it is not specified.

Application Process

1. Check eligibility — confirm your current status, career, degree and contract type match the requirements.
2. Prepare documents — foreign public documents need a translator's certification plus an apostille (or consular confirmation for non-member states).
3. Book a visit — reserve a slot at your Immigration Office via HiKorea (www.hikorea.go.kr), or file online where e-Application is available.
4. File and pay — submit the Integrated Application Form (Form No. 34) and pay the screening fee.
5. Review — respond to any request for supplementary documents within the deadline.
6. Result — on approval, the period of stay and status are granted; reissue your ARC if required.

Key Points

• The degree and career standard here differs from the usual three-way general standard. For an occupation with its own education or career requirement set in view of the job, that requirement must be met. Education and career can be waived for a top talent recommended by a ministry (professional occupations only, with total annual pay of at least 1.5 times last year's per-capita GNI) and for a high-income professional (at least 3 times GNI, whatever the occupation); whether other exceptions, such as the one for graduates of Korean universities, can be used for this occupation should be checked with the immigration office.
• The wage line is the figure announced each year for professional workers, which is at least KRW 31.12 million a year. No separate wage rule is written for this occupation, and for managers the pay level is also weighed during review.
• Where the employer is a small or medium-sized firm, a venture firm or a mid-sized firm outside the capital region, a lower wage line may apply, with three conditions. First, the person is expected to work in an occupation to which a wage requirement of 80% or more of last year's per-capita GNI applies. Second, the person has no E-7 work history in Korea or 3 years or less. Third, the 70% or more line lasts at most 3 years, and 80% or more applies after 3 full years. The firm is confirmed by a small and medium-sized enterprise (small business owner), venture business or mid-sized enterprise certificate, and if the exception amount and the announced amount differ, the more favorable one is used.
• When changing from another status, short-term stay statuses, technical training (D-3), seasonal worker (E-8), non-professional employment (E-9), crew employment (E-10) and other (G-1) are restricted from changing. From job seeker (D-10) and similar statuses, the person signs a contract with the head of the hiring institution and must meet the occupation's requirements.
• Education manager (1312) means a person who plans, directs and coordinates the work of an educational institution such as a kindergarten or an elementary, middle or high school. Foreign schools, foreign educational institutions and international schools are included.
• Recommendation of employment refers to a document showing that employing the foreign worker is necessary; each occupation's review standard decides who gets one, which ministry issues it and so on. No ministry is named for education managers.
• A statement of reasons for invitation means a document that explains concretely why a school must bring in a foreign manager, how the person will work and what benefit is expected and so on.
• The work that VISAS KOREA (Vision Administrative Office) helps with is as follows. When a foreign school, international school or kindergarten brings in a principal-level manager, the degree, the teaching qualification and the career proof are checked against this occupation's requirements before filing.
• Preparing the E-7-1 Specific Activities visa issuance filing
• Change of status application
• Extension of stay application
• Workplace change or addition notification (permission)
• These are the occupation's published criteria in plain words. Whether your own filing can go forward is judged by the competent immigration office on the facts of each case.
• Related job articles: E-7-1 Business Support Manager visa, E-7-1 Culture, Arts, Design and Media Manager visa, E-7-1 Professional Services Manager visa. The full job list is in All E-7 job categories.
• 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

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