Questions by situation
Each answer starts with the conclusion, then who it applies to, the documents and the timing. Jump here from “Choose your situation” above.
What are the 14 trades covered by the Korea E-7-3 general skilled worker visa?
They are animal keeper, aquaculture technician, halal slaughterer, musical instrument maker and tuner, shipbuilding welder, ship electrician, ship painter, aircraft mechanic, aircraft (parts) manufacturing worker, power transmission line worker, automotive parts manufacturing worker, automotive body and paint worker, slaughterer, and construction machinery (parts) manufacturing worker. Even within E-7-3, education and experience, skills tests, the recommending ministry and employer rules differ for every trade, so you pick one trade and prepare to its criteria. Trades outside this list cannot be filed as E-7-3.
What welding certificate and experience do I need for a Korea E-7-3 shipbuilding welder visa?
You need at least 2 years of experience after obtaining an intermediate-or-higher shipbuilding welder certificate, and you must pass the on-site skills test run by an institution designated by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Only intermediate-or-higher FCAW, GMAW or GTAW certificates issued to AWS, ASME, ISO, EN or classification society standards count, and certificates covering only the flat and horizontal positions are excluded. The ministry's employment recommendation is mandatory, filed with the skills test certificate and your welding certificate.
How many E-7-3 foreign welders can a Korean shipyard or block subcontractor hire?
Shipbuilding welders, ship electricians and ship painters can be hired up to 30% of the Korean workforce, and small shipbuilders (small enterprises with at least 1 year in business) may hire at least 5 regardless of Korean headcount plus 1 more per KRW 2 billion of annual sales. A welder employer must be a shipyard, block manufacturer or shipbuilding equipment maker with average annual sales of KRW 1 billion or more over the last year, at least 10 regular workers (waived for small enterprises) and no absconded workers in the last 2 years. Even with absconders, it can be allowed after deducting them for 2 years if it proves sound operations and management capacity.
How do E-7-3 education and experience rules differ for ship electricians and ship painters?
Ship electricians need a related bachelor's plus 1 year of experience in the field, or a related associate degree plus 5 years; passing the shipbuilding electrical skills test waives experience for bachelor's holders and cuts it to 2 years for associate degree holders. Ship painters need an associate degree or higher in a ship-painting-related major such as chemistry or naval architecture (or 3 or more painting-related courses), with 5 years of experience for associate and 1 year for bachelor's holders, or 2 years and none after passing the skills test. Both trades need the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy's recommendation.
Which Korean companies can hire E-7-3 automotive parts workers or auto body and paint workers?
Automotive parts workers can work for businesses with under 300 employees outside the capital region (Seoul, Gyeonggi, Incheon) that are recommended by the local government head, up to 30% of Korean staff, and a workplace change is allowed only to another such business. Auto body and paint workers are allowed at businesses recommended by the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and registered as comprehensive repair shops (종합정비업), up to 20% of Korean staff. Both trades require passing a designated institution's skills test and are approved after a quota allocation by headquarters.
I graduated from a Korean engineering college. Can I switch to E-7-3 without work experience?
Depending on the trade, yes. With an associate degree or higher in science or engineering from a Korean university, a confirmed job at a shipbuilder and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy's recommendation, a change of status to shipbuilding welder, ship electrician or ship painter is allowed, and the same conditions waive the experience rule for aircraft (parts), automotive parts and construction machinery (parts) workers. Auto body and paint workers get the experience waiver with a related associate degree and the Ministry of Land's recommendation, and these graduate-route workers do not have the post-entry KIIP obligation.
Do I have to complete KIIP after entering Korea on E-7-3? What if I don't?
For the three shipbuilding trades, aircraft (parts), automotive parts, auto body and paint, slaughterer and construction machinery (parts) workers, a KIIP pre-assessment score of 21 or more with placement at level 2, or completion of level 1 or higher, is checked within 1 year of entry. Automotive parts, auto body and paint, slaughterer and construction machinery workers can also use TOPIK level 2, and if they miss the requirement their stay is extended only 6 months at a time up to 1 year. Graduate-route workers are exempt.
Does the E-7-3 general skilled worker wage requirement differ by trade?
The baseline is the general skilled worker wage requirement the Minister of Justice announces each year, plus the minimum wage, but many trades have their own rule. The three shipbuilding trades, aquaculture technicians and aircraft (parts) workers need at least 80% of last year's per-capita gross national income (GNI), automotive parts and auto body and paint workers at least 70%, and power transmission line workers are checked against a separate high-risk pay standard. Shipbuilding workers newly brought in from October 2024 get a relaxed wage rule until 3 full years from entry, after which the 80% GNI rule applies.
For pilot E-7-3 trades like slaughterer or aquaculture technician, is approval automatic once documents are complete?
No. For aquaculture technicians (other than sea cucumber), automotive parts, auto body and paint, slaughterer and construction machinery (parts) workers, the visa certificate or change of status is received and reviewed, then headquarters is asked for a quota allocation, and approval follows only once a quota number is issued. Slaughterers must work for a slaughterhouse with no absconders in the last year and hiring 3 or more is capped at 20% of Korean staff, while aquaculture technicians need the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries' recommendation and are capped at 3 per business (2 for pilot species). There is an annual overall limit, so plan the filing date early.
If the shipbuilding subcontractor I work for on E-7-3 closes, can I move to another company?
Yes, but you need a workplace change permit first. For the three shipbuilding trades, aircraft (parts), power transmission, automotive parts, auto body and paint, slaughterer and construction machinery (parts) workers, a change is allowed only when it is not your fault, such as closure, business decline or contract expiry, and the new employer's eligibility and cap are re-reviewed to visa issuance standards. The shipbuilding trades must file the recommendation from the Korea Offshore & Shipbuilding Association (조선해양플랜트협회, with a site inspection report for unavoidable changes).
For an E-7-3 extension, do I need an income certificate and a letter of guarantee?
An individual income certificate (from the tax office, or the employer's withholding ledger) is mandatory, along with the application form, passport, alien registration card, employment contract, business registration or corporate register, proof of residence and the employer's tax certificates. Among E-7-3 trades, the original letter of guarantee is required for aquaculture technicians and shipbuilding welders. For trades with the KIIP rule, completion or placement within 1 year of entry is also checked.
How long is the Korea E-7-3 visa, and can my family come with me?
All 14 trades receive a single-entry visa with a stay cap of 2 years at the visa stage, and the cap per grant for the whole E-7 status is 3 years. The spouse and minor children of E-7 holders are eligible for accompanying (F-3) status, so E-7-3 workers can bring family. However, the professional-worker track of the points-based residence visa (F-2-7) excludes semi-professional, general skilled and skilled workers (E-7-2 to E-7-4).
Key terms
- General Skilled Worker (E-7-3, 일반기능인력)
- The Special Activity (E-7) sub-status for the 14 skilled trades the Minister of Justice selected from skill level 2 of major groups 6, 7 and 8 of the Korean Standard Classification of Occupations.
- Skills test certificate (기량검증 확인서)
- Issued to foreign workers who pass the on-site practical test run by a ministry-designated institution; required in trades such as shipbuilding, automotive and construction machinery.
- Employment recommendation (고용추천서)
- A recommendation from the ministry in charge of the trade (Trade and Industry, Land and Transport, Oceans and Fisheries, Agriculture and others); mandatory for most E-7-3 trades.
- Small shipbuilder special rule (소규모 조선업체 특례)
- Allows small shipbuilders with at least 1 year in business to hire at least 5 shipbuilding E-7-3 workers regardless of Korean headcount, plus 1 per KRW 2 billion of annual sales.
- Quota allocation (쿼터 배정)
- For pilot trades, approval is issued only after headquarters assigns a quota number within the annual total following receipt and review.
- KIIP (사회통합프로그램)
- The Ministry of Justice's Korean language and society programme; several E-7-3 trades check the pre-assessment score or level completion within 1 year of entry.
- Workplace change/addition permit (근무처 변경·추가 허가)
- Prior permission required before changing or adding a workplace in trades with per-employer caps, which covers most E-7-3 trades.
About our office
- Office
- Vision Administrative Office (비전행정사사무소 · VISAS KOREA)
- Principal
- Alex Lee (이원중), licensed administrative agent (행정사)
- Licence
- Administrative agent (행정사) — preparing immigration and residence filings and submitting them on the client’s behalf with written authorization (위임장)
- Scope
- Korean visas (visa issuance certificate, change of status, extension), permanent residency (F-5), foreign-invested company, branch and liaison office setup, immigration violation review and entry-ban response
- Languages
- Korean, English, Chinese, Japanese
- Address
- 3F Sungwoo Bldg, 324 Toegye-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul 04614, Korea
- Hours
- Weekdays 09:30–17:30 (KST)
Who hires us for this
- Shipyards, ship block manufacturers and shipbuilding equipment makers
- Automotive parts manufacturers outside the capital region and comprehensive repair shops
- Slaughterhouses, aquaculture farms, aircraft parts makers and construction machinery parts makers
- International students who graduated from a Korean engineering college with a skilled-trade job offer
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