E-9, E-10 and E-7-4 at a glance
| E-9 official name | Non-professional employment. A visa status for working in designated sectors under the Employment Permit System |
|---|---|
| E-10 official name | Crew employment. A visa status for working as a rating under the Seafarers' Act after signing a seafarer's employment contract with a designated business |
| E-7-4 official name | Points-based skilled worker category of specially designated activities (E-7) |
| How the change conditions work | A programme in which registered foreign nationals who have stayed on E-9, E-10 or H-2 for a set period or more within a recent set period are also assessed on points requirements covering skill level, age, work experience, Korean language ability and other factors |
| What K-Biz Visa covers | We do not file E-9 or E-10 applications. We advise only on changing to Skilled worker (E-7-4) |
Common points of confusion
- Stay history alone is not enough
- Even if you have stayed for the set period or more, you also need to meet the points requirements. Check the points table and the bonus point criteria in the official guidance at the time of application.
- E-9 and E-10 are separate procedures
- Non-professional employment (E-9) is based on the Employment Permit System, and Crew employment (E-10) on a seafarer's employment contract. They are separate visa statuses. Both fall within the stay history categories considered for a change to Skilled worker (E-7-4). The requirements for each status itself, and the procedures each one comes under, differ.
- Periods of employment are considered even after a job change
- A special rule has come into force that recognises previous periods of employment where you had no choice but to change jobs because of the company's circumstances, such as suspension of business, closure or unfair treatment. The reason and supporting evidence are checked case by case.
Before the consultation
For your first enquiry, tell us your stay history and employment history so far. Once we set the scope of the review, we send you a list of the documents for the points assessment.
What to tell us first
- Your current visa status (E-9 or E-10) and whether you hold foreign resident registration
- The periods you worked on E-9, E-10 or H-2 and your workplaces
- The reason for any job change
- Your Korean language background
Documents we ask for later
- Documents proving your stay history
- Employment contract or seafarer's employment contract, and certificate of employment
- Proof of Korean language ability
- Copies of your passport and ID
We ask only for the sensitive documents the review needs, and keep and delete them under our privacy policy.
Frequently asked questions
K-Biz Visa does not file Non-professional employment (E-9) or Crew employment (E-10) applications. Ministry of Justice guidance describes a programme in which registered foreign nationals with a history of stay on E-9, E-10 or H-2 are also assessed on points requirements, and we advise on the change against the Skilled worker (E-7-4) criteria.
Stay history is one of the categories reviewed. Ministry of Justice guidance explains that registered foreign nationals who have stayed on E-9, E-10 or H-2 for a set period or more within a recent set period are also assessed on points requirements covering skill level, age, work experience, Korean language ability and other factors.
Ministry of Justice guidance mentions stay history on E-9, E-10 and H-2 together. In the consultation we check which status you worked on and for how long.
A special rule has come into force that counts previous periods of employment after an unavoidable job change, for reasons such as suspension of business, closure or unfair treatment. The reason and supporting evidence are checked case by case.
K-Biz Visa does not file Non-professional employment (E-9) or Crew employment (E-10) applications. We advise only on changing to Skilled worker (E-7-4).
Related agencies and laws
The procedures and criteria on this page follow the guidance of the agencies and the laws below. How they apply is checked case by case.
Agencies
- Ministry of Justice immigration offices
- Korea Visa Portal
Laws
- Immigration Act
- Enforcement Decree of the Immigration Act
Send an enquiryTell us your stay history on E-9, E-10 or H-2 and your employment history, and we will reply with the points categories to check for a change to Skilled worker (E-7-4) and the documents to prepare.