[Korea Visa #11] Changing Stay Status from Non-professional Employment (E9) to Skilled Worker (K-Point E74)

Eligibility Requirements for Foreign Applicants

Basic Requirements (Mandatory): All the following requirements must be met (①~④):

1. A foreign worker who has stayed in South Korea under the E9 visa for at least 4 years in the past 10 years and is currently working at a registered employer.

   • Must be legally employed and registered with the foreign worker registration system.

   • Foreign workers who have stayed in non-capital areas (excluding Seoul, Gyeonggi, Incheon) for at least 3 years and received a recommendation from a local government are also eligible.

2. The foreign worker must have a salary of at least 26,000,000 KRW with an employment contract for at least 2 years under the E74 visa.

   • After changing to E74 status, the worker must be employed at the same company for 2 years.

   • The salary for E74 status must be at least 26,000,000 KRW (with exceptions for workers in agriculture, livestock, fisheries, and coastal shipping, where the salary requirement is reduced to 25,000,000 KRW).

3. The foreign worker must be recommended by an employer where they have worked for at least 1 year.

   • The employer must submit the recommendation for workers who have been employed for at least 1 year.

   • The employer can recommend workers up to 20% of the total number of regular employees in the company.

   • Recommendation Restrictions: If there are violations such as wage arrears or illegal hiring, the company will lose the right to recommend employees for 5 years.

4. The applicant must score at least 200 points out of a total of 300 points, including bonuses (with at least 50 points in both average income and Korean language ability).

   • Korean language proficiency: Must meet the criteria of TOPIK level 2 or complete level 2 of the Social Integration Program, or have a social integration program pre-evaluation score of 41 points or higher.

   • If the applicant does not meet the Korean language requirement within 2 years, family invitations will not be allowed, and the stay period will be limited to 6 months.