How to Change E-9 to E-7 Visa

Change of Status to Foreign National of Special Ability (E-7) for a skilled technician who has been legally engaged in manufacturing and others for 4 years or longer as a Non-professional Employment(E-9) or other visa holder, satisfying the qualifications such as age, educational background, certificates, and wage requirements.

A. Qualifications (All the requirements below must be satisfied.)

① A person with a Non-professional(E-9)․Maritime Crew(E-10)․Work and Visit(H-2) visa who has been engaged in Manufacturing, Construction, Agriculture, Cattle farming and Fishing for 4 years or longer in the past 10 years as a E-9, E-10, or H-2 visa holder.

② A person younger than 35 years old and with an associate degree(2 year college diploma) or higher (A person younger than 40 years old with high school diploma or higher, if engaged in the root industry of Article 2 of the Root Industry Promotion Act) who has Technician’s or higher license related to the fields or whose wage for the last 1 year has been higher than the average amount for the field*
* The license types are the same as 48 items in 15 fields of the F-2 requirements. The average wages for the fields are based on ‘Wages by occupation’ of ‘Survey on working status by employment type’ announced by the Ministry of Employment and Labor.

③ A person who has the at least level 3 command of Korean (at least level 2, if engaged in the root industry of Article 2 of the Root Industry Promotion Act) or completed KIIP(Korea Immigration & Integration Program)
* Your command of Korean is checked by Test of Proficiency in Korean(S-TOPIK) by National Institute for International Education. Your completion of KIIP can be confirmed by a certificate of KIIP from the Head of the Immigration Office.

B. Businesses and the number of employees allowed

Given the domestic employment situation, only Manufacturing · Construction · Agriculture, cattle farming and fishing industries are allowed for the employment and maximum 5 people can be hired per company. (5 for Manufacturing · Construction, 3 for Agriculture, cattle farming and fishing)

* A set number for the employment has to be within 10% of the permitted number of employee for each industry/business under the current employment licence system.
* The maximum number of full-time laborer in agriculture, cattle farming, and fishing industries is calculated base on the number of farming workers registered in the Certificate of Farm Size or the number of workers listed on the Members of Employment Insurance including legitimate immigrant workers)

C. Required Documents

① an application form(Report Form, No.34), passport and Alien Registration Card, one standardized photo, fee

② a certificate of degree (a high school diploma in the case of working in the root industry of Article 2 of the Root Industry Promotion Act)*, a certificate of employment, a technical qualification certificate or any documents showing income in the past year, a report card of TOPIK or a certificate of KIIP, an employment contract and others

③ a document of corporation registration such as a copy of business license (if a company is changed)
* It has to be confirmed by the Apostille convention or the consul of Korean diplomatic missions abroad.

Source: “Sojourn Guide for Foreigners”, p. 148. Please call 1345 (Immigration Hotline) for questions and clarifications.