E-7-1 ICT Manager Visa (1350): Requirements

Overview

The E-7-1 visa for ICT Managers (code 1350) is for people who will direct and supervise the staff of an information and communications or computing department and who meet the general education and experience rules and the wage floor. The work also includes reviewing the information needs of owners or technical teams to define the nature of projects and discussing and coordinating computer operation plans and computing equipment purchases, and review weighs the state of the company's operating department, its independence and its number of regular staff and so on, with only head-office operating-department managers qualifying in principle. This job has no special education or experience requirement of its own.

The work is to direct and supervise the department's staff, review the information needs of owners or technical teams, and define the nature of each project. It also covers discussing and coordinating the computer operation plan and computing equipment purchases in order to validate new programs and introduce an operating system.

Listed example jobs are hardware company manager, hardware development department manager, software company manager and software development department manager. Information processing company manager, information operations department manager, telecom operations department manager and telecom sales department manager complete the list of eight examples given for this job.

This job names two recommending bodies, the Minister of Trade and Industry (through KOTRA) and the Minister of SMEs and Startups (through the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency). Yet when a large company hires a manager the letter is waived, and it can be collected only for managers at small and mid-sized companies, not large ones.

At a Glance

Scope of Activity

• Directing and supervising the staff of an information and communications or computing department
• Reviewing the information requirements of owners or technical teams and defining the nature of each project
• Discussing and coordinating the computer operation plan and computing equipment purchases in order to validate new programs and introduce an operating system
• The example jobs include company managers as well as development, operations and sales department managers. If you move elsewhere or add a workplace, you report to the immigration office within 15 days, provided you meet the requirements for the activity there; people dismissed or who left midway through their own fault without the former employer's transfer consent are excluded

Who Qualifies

• Foreigners who will work as a hardware company manager, hardware development department manager, software company manager or software development department manager
• Foreigners who will work as an information processing company manager, information operations department manager, telecom operations department manager or telecom sales department manager
• ICT managers (1350) have no separate education or experience rule, so meeting one of the three general conditions is enough: a master's or higher in a field related to the occupation, a related bachelor's plus 1 or more years in the field, or 5 or more years of work in a related field
• In principle, the target is a person who works as a head-office operating-department manager and earns KRW 31.12 million a year or more. A special route also exists for graduates of Korean universities: a bachelor's or higher (graduates or expected graduates) from an institution that counts as a university under the Higher Education Act (university, industrial university, university of education, junior college; distance universities (broadcast, correspondence, broadcasting-and-correspondence and cyber universities), technical colleges and miscellaneous schools do not count) is accepted whatever the major, once the need for hiring and similar factors are recognized

Required Documents

• The applicant's own file holds a passport copy, one half-size ID photo in color and the employment contract, together with whatever proves eligibility: degree certificates, career certificates, licenses and the like
• Papers issued in another country must always carry a Korean or English translation. For the main key documents, a consular notarization or an apostille certificate must be handed in
• Documents proving the need to hire a foreigner (such as a letter of reasons for invitation and a recommendation letter) are the job of the company bringing in the ICT manager. In specific terms, the letter of reasons covers why this manager must be hired, the usage plan, the expected benefit and the like. Separately, establishment papers of the employer or the like, the national tax payment certificate and the local tax certificate are also the company's to supply. For an ICT manager post, the same papers apply whether it is a development, operations or sales department
• A recommendation letter may be collected only from managers at small and mid-sized companies, not large ones; the issuing bodies are the Minister of Trade and Industry (KOTRA) or the Minister of SMEs and Startups (Korea SMEs and Startups Agency). Managers of large companies are exempt
• The papers are the application form, passport and alien registration card, one standard-size photo, the fee, the employment contract, the employer's establishment papers or the like (business registration, corporate registry and the like), a career certificate, the recommendation letter from the competent ministry or a paper proving the need for the hire, and the national tax payment certificate and local tax certificate. With them, a registered foreigner staying lawfully under D-1, D-2, D-4 to D-10 or E-1 to E-6 (excluding E-6-2 performers at hotel facilities, entertainment venues and the like under the Tourism Promotion Act), or an accompanying spouse in F-3, can apply to change status to E-7. These papers are for someone taking up a post as manager of an information and communications or computing department, and an employment contract with the head of the company has to be signed before applying

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

• Although two recommending bodies are named, the letter may be collected only from managers working at small and mid-sized firms. The test for large versus small and mid-sized firms is the Enforcement Decree of the Framework Act on SMEs.
• Only head-office operating-department managers are accepted in principle. Review looks together at how the operating department stands, how independent it is, how many regular staff work there what the foreign manager is paid, and other factors.
• Salary is read from the annual total in the contract, and the contract has to show the working hours per day and per month.
• Employment recommendation letter means one of the papers proving why a foreign worker must be hired. The occupation's review standard names the Minister of Trade and Industry (KOTRA) and the Minister of SMEs and Startups (Korea SMEs and Startups Agency) as issuers, and the paper may be collected only from managers at small and mid-sized companies, not large ones.
• Job code refers to the number assigned to each occupation under the numbering system of the Korean Standard Classification of Occupations; for ICT managers it is 1350.
• Post-filing report refers to a way of notifying a move or an added workplace after it happens, with no permit sought first. It applies only when the requirements for the new workplace are met, and the notice is due within 15 days from the day the reason arose. A person dismissed or who left midway by his or her own fault without the former employer's transfer consent cannot use this method.
• Work VISAS KOREA (Vision Administrative Office) helps with: checking the department set-up and whether a recommendation letter is needed when a company invites a foreign ICT manager.
• Application for the E-7-1 visa issuance certificate for IT managers
• Change of status application
• Notice of a moved or added workplace (post-filing report)
• Preparing the KOTRA or SME agency employment recommendation letter
• Department size, pay and the need for a letter differ case by case, so ask the local Immigration Office before filing; it reviews the case and decides.
• Related job articles: E-7-1 Culture, Arts, Design and Media Manager visa, E-7-1 Computer Systems Designer and Analyst visa, E-7-1 System Software Developer 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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