Overview
Two forms that an E-7-4 (skilled worker) points-system applicant must handle are the personal statement and the employer recommendation. Each has a prescribed format, and they are completed by different people.
The foreign national completes the personal statement, the owner or representative of the current workplace completes the recommendation, and the applicant submits both with the application. The points structure is covered in our points-system overview, so this article focuses on who completes each form and how it is submitted.
At a Glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Personal statement | Completed by the foreign national (K-point E74 personal statement form) |
| Employer recommendation | Only the representative of the current workplace may recommend; copy of the recommender's ID attached |
| Who submits | The applicant submits the recommendation and the ID copy with the E-7-4 application |
| How to file | Online through HiKorea e-Application in principle; a weekday rotation by birth year applies |
| Ministry / local government recommendation | No separate letter needed; indicate it on the self-assessment points sheet |
Scope of Activity
- Who completes the personal statement and the employer recommendation, what they contain, and how they are submitted
- How employer recommendation differs on paper from ministry or local-government recommendation
- The full points table and eligibility requirements are covered in a separate article
Who Qualifies
- Registered foreign nationals who have stayed 4+ years in the last 10 on E-9, E-10 or H-2 and are preparing to switch to E-7-4
- Workers with one year or more at their current workplace who need an employer recommendation
- Business representatives who plan to issue a recommendation for a foreign employee
Required Documents
- Personal statement (Attachment 8 format, completed by the foreign national)
- Employer recommendation (Attachment 9) with a copy of the recommender's ID (resident registration card or driver's license)
- Self-assessment points sheet (Attachment 7 format, completed by the foreign national)
- Integrated application form (Form No. 34) and a copy of the passport (personal data page)
- Standard employment contract (E-7-4 contract) and identity guarantee (Form No. 129, with the employer as guarantor)
- Current workplace documents: business registration copy, national and local tax payment certificates, four-social-insurance workplace subscriber list
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
- Both forms carry a warning about false statements. The personal statement warns of refusal of the status change, limits on future visa applications and possible criminal penalties; the recommendation warns that improper recommendations made through solicitation or payment can disadvantage the recommender, the company and the foreign national, with possible criminal penalties.
- An employer may recommend only within its permitted E-7-4 headcount (in principle 30% of its Korean employees; 50% for population-decline areas, root industries and agriculture, livestock and fishing). Human-rights violations such as unpaid wages or assault, or illegal employment of foreigners, lead to loss of the right to recommend and a five-year ban.
- The “one year or more” requirement can combine past and current periods at the same company, and periods at the previous workplace can also be added if you prove with objective evidence that you changed workplaces for a reason not attributable to you, such as closure or unpaid wages.
- The attachment numbers (7, 8, 9) in the document list differ from the labels on the forms themselves, and the regional-specialized type (E-7-4R) uses its own personal statement and recommendation forms. Check the form title (K-point E74 ...) and confirm with your Immigration Office, since the receiving office may add or omit documents.
- E-application attachments must be jpg, bmp, png, tif or pdf files of 2 MB or less, and filing hours are 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays.
- 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. Who completes the personal statement?
A. The foreign national does. It asks for the English name, alien registration number, nationality, phone number, highest education and school, marital status, and the name, date of birth and Korea stay status (including past stays) of the spouse and children, ending with a dated signature confirming the contents are true.
Q. Can an HR officer write the employer recommendation instead?
A. Only the representative of the business where the foreign national currently works may recommend. The form itself ends with the recommender's name and signature or seal, and a copy of the recommender's ID (resident registration card or driver's license) is attached.
Q. What does the recommendation contain?
A. The foreign national's English name, registration number, nationality, sex and period at the current workplace, plus the recommender's company name, business registration number, representative, number of Korean employees (insured under employment insurance for 3+ months), number of E-7-4 workers currently employed, and address and phone number.
Q. If I get a ministry or local-government recommendation, can I skip the employer recommendation?
A. No. Employer recommendation is a basic (mandatory) requirement, while ministry and local-government recommendations are optional. Those lists are sent to the Ministry of Justice, so you need no separate letter and simply mark it on the self-assessment sheet.
Q. Where and how do I submit them?
A. Online filing through HiKorea (www.hikorea.go.kr) e-Application is the rule, with a weekday rotation based on the last digit of your birth year. In-person filing is allowed only as an exception, for example for elderly applicants, remote areas or heavy attachments, as decided by the office.
Q. Can I be recommended with under one year at my current workplace?
A. Past and current periods at the same company can be combined. If you changed workplaces for a reason not attributable to you, such as closure or unpaid wages, and can prove it objectively, the previous workplace period can be added as well, as long as the total reaches one year.