- Scale: 300 base points from three items: average income (max 120), Korean ability (max 120) and age (max 60), plus bonus points and minus deductions.
- Pass mark: 200 points or more with bonus points, and at least 50 points each on income and Korean. A temporary deferral until Dec 31, 2026 lets applicants who lack Korean pass on 150 points.
- Entry conditions: 4 years in E-9, E-10 or H-2 within the last 10 years; annual pay of KRW 26 million or more under a contract of 2 years or more; an employer recommendation; and the score.
- Change of status only: E-7-4 is not issued as a new visa. One grant lasts up to 2 years.
The E-7 visa point system in Korea is the E-7-4 skilled worker scheme: long-serving E-9, E-10 or H-2 workers can change to a skilled status if they meet four entry conditions and reach 200 points on a 300-point base scale. This guide covers how the E-7-4 skilled worker points system (called "K-point E74") is scored, who can enter it, what the employer must do and which documents prove each item. It goes through each rule line by line and points out where the rules are inconsistent. For the general E-7 family and its wage rules, see our E-7 visa guide and E-7 salary and extension guide.
1. What the E-7-4 Points System Is
E-7-4 is the skilled worker (points-based) sub-category of the E-7 specific-activities status. It was created on August 1, 2017 for three occupation groups, and the current points-based scheme was put into operation on September 25, 2023. The three groups are skilled workers in root industries (occupation code S740), skilled workers in agriculture, forestry, livestock and fishery (S610), and skilled workers in general manufacturing and construction (S700).
The scheme is a way for long-serving E-9, E-10 and H-2 workers to move into a skilled status. Three things shape everything else on this page:
- Change of status only: the permit is a change of status for someone already in Korea. It is not available as a new visa issued abroad.
- Up to 2 years per grant: a single grant runs for up to 2 years, within the term of the employment contract.
- Quota-based: a planned number of places is set by track, shown below.
| Track | Planned places |
|---|---|
| Company recommendation, individual track | 12,000 |
| Employment ministry (manufacturing) | 2,000 |
| Industry ministry (root industries) | 1,100 |
| Agriculture ministry (agriculture and livestock) | 900 |
| Industry ministry (shipbuilding) | 600 |
| Oceans and fisheries ministry (fishery and coastal shipping) | 500 |
| Land and transport ministry (construction) | 200 |
| SMEs ministry (manufacturing) | 1,000 |
| Metropolitan and provincial governments (17 regions) | 8,500 |
| Flexible allocation quota | 6,200 |
| Total | 33,000 |
The individual track is for applicants recommended by a company where they have worked 1 year or more and who reach the score line without a ministry or local-government recommendation. The recommendation quotas require, in addition, a recommendation from one of the ministries above or from a metropolitan or provincial government. The flexible quota is held back for fields that need more places later. Places are planned numbers and can be adjusted.
2. Four Entry Conditions Before Scoring
There are four conditions that all have to be met. The score comes fourth, so it is worth checking the first three before you spend time on points.
| Condition | What the rule says |
|---|---|
| 1. Stay history | A currently registered foreign national who stayed 4 years or more in E-9, E-10 or H-2 status within the last 10 years and is working normally at the current workplace. Separate stays can be added up: for example, about 2 years in 2017-2019 plus 2 years after re-entering in 2022 count as 4 years. Exception: a person who has stayed 3 years or more outside Seoul, Gyeonggi and Incheon and is recommended by a metropolitan or provincial government also qualifies. |
| 2. Pay and contract | Annual pay of KRW 26 million or more at the current workplace, under an E-7-4 employment contract of 2 years or more counted from the application date. For agriculture, livestock, fishery and coastal shipping the pay line is relaxed to KRW 25.89 million. The figure is total pay including basic pay and allowances, not ordinary wage. |
| 3. Employer recommendation | Recommendation by the head of a company where you have worked 1 year or more. Time at the same company before and after a break can be added, and time at a previous workplace can be added if you left it for reasons that were not your fault (closure, verbal or physical abuse, unpaid wages) and can prove it with objective documents. |
| 4. Score | 200 points or more out of a 300-point base scale, counting bonus points, with at least 50 points on each of income and Korean. See the next sections. |
For reference on the pay line, the 2026 minimum wage is KRW 2,156,880 a month, or KRW 25,882,560 a year, so KRW 26 million is only slightly above it. The contract must state both the 2-year term and the pay level.
Work outside the capital region can matter twice. It can replace the 4-year stay condition (3 years plus a government recommendation), and if the workplace is in a depopulation area or an eup/myeon area it can also earn a bonus, as explained below.
3. Base Score: Income, Korean and Age (Max 300)
The base scale has three items. Income and Korean are worth up to 120 points each and age up to 60. Income and Korean each have a 50-point floor; without both, a total above 200 does not help.
Average income of the last 2 years (max 120)
| Average annual income (KRW) | 25M to under 30M | 30M to under 35M | 35M to under 40M | 40M to under 45M | 45M to under 50M | 50M or more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Points | 50 | 65 | 80 | 95 | 110 | 120 |
- How it is measured: the sum of the most recent two years divided by 2, taken from the income certificate issued by the National Tax Service. If the last two years cannot be proven because of a re-entry gap, the two highest-income years of the past five can be used.
- The floor: the score sheet prints its first band as KRW 25 million to under 30 million, while the guideline text sets the minimum average income at KRW 25.89 million (KRW 24 million for agriculture, livestock, fishery and coastal shipping). Read together, the 50-point floor needs at least KRW 25.89 million.
Korean ability (max 120)
| Result accepted | Level 2 / Stage 2 / 41-60 pts | Level 3 / Stage 3 / 61-80 pts | Level 4+ / Stage 4+ / 81+ pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| TOPIK level, KIIP stage completed, or KIIP pre-assessment score | TOPIK 2, KIIP stage 2, pre-assessment 41-60 | TOPIK 3, KIIP stage 3, pre-assessment 61-80 | TOPIK 4 or higher, KIIP stage 4 or higher, pre-assessment 81 or more |
| Points | 50 | 80 | 120 |
The 50-point floor is set at "level 2, KIIP stage 2 completed, or a pre-assessment result that places you in stage 3 (41 points or more)". A pre-assessment result with an oral score below 3 is stage 0 and does not count even if the total is high, and the result expires 2 years after the result date. You can retake the pre-assessment.
Age (max 60)
| Age | 19 to 26 | 27 to 33 | 34 to 40 | 41 or older |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Points | 40 | 60 | 30 | 10 |
No date is fixed for counting age, so confirm the reference date with the immigration office before you rely on a band edge.
4. Bonus Points
Bonus points come from recommendations, long service, work in less populated areas, qualifications and a driver's license. They can be added together, with one exception noted below.
| Bonus item | Points | What is required |
|---|---|---|
| Central ministry recommendation | 30 | Recommended by one of the ministries responsible for the sector (employment, industry, agriculture, oceans and fisheries, land and transport, SMEs). The lists are sent to the Ministry of Justice, so you only mark it on your self-assessment sheet. |
| Metropolitan or provincial government recommendation | 30 | Recommended by one of the 17 metropolitan and provincial governments after at least 1 year at a company located there. If both a ministry and a local government recommend you, only one is counted. |
| Employer recommendation | 50 | Same recommendation as entry condition 3: it is a mandatory condition and also scores. |
| Current workplace, 3 years or more | 20 | Continuous service at the current workplace counted to the application date. Earlier periods at the same company can be added, as can a previous workplace left for reasons that were not your fault. |
| Depopulation area or eup/myeon area, 3 years or more | 20 | Legal, normal work in a depopulation area or an eup/myeon area for 3 years or more within the past 10 years while in E-9, E-10 or H-2 status. Both kinds of area can be combined into one 20-point award, and a place that is both counts once. |
| Certificate or Korean degree | 20 | A Korean craftsman, industrial engineer or engineer certificate related to your current field, or a Korean associate degree or higher. Distance universities, independent-study degrees and credit-bank degrees are recognized. |
| Korean driver's license | 10 | A Korean license issued by the National Police Agency, class 2 ordinary or higher. |
- Only one government recommendation counts: ministry and metropolitan recommendations do not stack.
- Address duty: someone recommended by a metropolitan or provincial government must keep an address in that region for 2 years after the conversion (3 years for the non-metropolitan exception).
- Adding it up: the maximum arithmetic bonus on the score sheet is 50 + 30 + 20 + 20 + 20 + 10 = 150. No separate bonus cap is set.
5. Deductions and Exclusions
Deductions apply only to matters within the 10 years before the application date, and the total deduction is limited to 50 points.
| Deduction item | 1 time | 2 times | 3 times or more | Maximum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Criminal fine (score sheet: under KRW 1 million) | 5 | 10 | 20 | 20 |
| Stay permit restricted because of unpaid tax | 5 | 10 | 15 | 15 |
| Immigration Act violation with an administrative disposition (fines excluded), up to 3 times | 5 | 10 | 15 | 15 |
Separate from deductions, some cases exclude an applicant altogether. The first, third and fourth items count only the last 10 years:
- A criminal fine of KRW 3 million or more.
- Unpaid tax (an applicant can apply after paying in full).
- Four or more Immigration Act violations.
- Overstay of 3 months or more.
- A person judged likely to harm the interests or public safety of the Republic of Korea.
- A person judged likely to harm the economic or social order or good morals.
6. Pass Mark and the Korean-Language Deferral
The conversion score is 200 points or more out of the 300-point base scale, counted with bonus points, provided both the income score and the Korean score reach 50. Because employer recommendation is mandatory and worth 50, the practical requirement is 150 points from the base items, bonus points other than the employer recommendation and deductions combined. That is arithmetic from the score sheet, not a separate rule.
Temporary Korean-language deferral
For applicants who meet every other requirement, the Korean requirement is currently deferred until the first extension (2 years). The deferral ends on December 31, 2026. Under the deferral the income score must still be at least 50 and the total, including bonus points, must be 150 or more.
- What you owe: the Korean level must be supplied by the first extension. Level 2 is the practical target, because it is the 50-point floor.
- If not met within 2 years: family invitation is not possible and only a 6-month stay is granted afterward.
- If not met within those 6 months: further extension is refused and the stay permit is cancelled.
If you are aiming for the KIIP pre-assessment, the 2026 schedule (paper-based, nationwide) has the 7th round with applications on October 13-17, testing on October 31 and results on November 13, and the 8th round with applications on November 3-7, testing on November 21 and results on December 4. CBT test centers are also available in Seoul, Gwangmyeong and Daejeon. Check kiiptest.org before you plan, because the schedule can change.
7. Score Self-Check Calculator
The calculator applies the score sheet above. It does not check the stay-history, pay or recommendation conditions beyond the recommendation box, and it does not replace the immigration officer's review.
E-7-4 Points Calculator
Korean-language deferral, exclusions and the employer recommendation are shown as checkboxes because they decide whether the total even counts. For the Korean-language item, use your best single result.
8. Worked Examples
The three applicants below are invented for illustration. They use only the bands in this guide.
| Item | Applicant A | Applicant B | Applicant C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average income | KRW 33 million: 65 | KRW 27 million: 50 | KRW 41 million: 95 |
| Korean ability | TOPIK 3: 80 | TOPIK 2: 50 | None yet, deferral used: 0 |
| Age | Age 30: 60 | Age 38: 30 | Age 29: 60 |
| Bonus points | Employer recommendation 50 + 3+ years at current workplace 20 = +70 | Employer recommendation 50 + Korean associate degree 20 = +70 | Employer recommendation 50 + 3+ years in a depopulation area 20 = +70 |
| Deductions | 0 | One Immigration Act disposition: -5 | 0 |
| Total | 275: meets 200 | 195: 5 points short (200 before the deduction) | 225: meets the 150-point deferral line (Korean must follow by the first extension) |
Applicant A passes comfortably. Applicant B shows how a single 5-point deduction turns a pass into a miss: the same person would have reached exactly 200 without it. Applicant C has no Korean result, so the total counts only under the deferral, and the Korean requirement will still have to be met by the first extension.
None of these examples say whether the applicant meets the four entry conditions. Stay history, pay, contract term and the employer recommendation are checked separately from the score.
9. The Employer Side: Recommendation and Company Rules
An E-7-4 application depends on the company as much as on the worker. The employer recommendation letter must be signed by the head of the company where you currently work, together with a copy of the signer's ID. Central ministry and metropolitan recommendations are collected by the authorities and sent weekly to the Ministry of Justice.
| Company rule | What the rule says |
|---|---|
| Basic condition | The company currently employs at least one E-9, E-10 or H-2 worker, as an existing skilled-worker points company. |
| General cap | E-7-4 workers may not exceed 30 percent of the company's Korean employees. "Korean employees" means Koreans registered on the four-insurance workplace roster (employment insurance) for at least 3 months, so a new company generally has to wait about 3 months after opening. |
| Special cap | Depopulation areas, root industries and agriculture, livestock and fishery: up to 50 percent, rounded up. A company with E-9 or E-10 workers but no Korean employees can still recommend at least 1 person (2 for those special cases). |
| Construction | Up to 0.4 workers per KRW 100 million of construction-capacity evaluation value (or average annual construction amount), rounded up, using whichever is more favorable. |
| E-7-4 and E-7-4R together | Where both are employed, the regional visa cap normally applies, with the standard E-7-4 cap used where it is more favorable (for example, more than 71 Korean employees at a depopulation-area, root-industry or agriculture and fishery business). |
| Tax | A company with unpaid national tax, local tax or customs duty is excluded. |
| Penalty | Wage arrears, assault or other human-rights violations, or illegal employment of foreigners after implementation means the company loses its recommendation right at once and cannot recommend for 5 years. |
For the cap, E-7-4 and E-7-4R holders count as the employed skilled workers; holders of E-7 (other sub-categories), E-9, E-10, H-2, F-2, F-4, F-5 and F-6 are not counted. Ask the company to confirm its own cap before you plan around a recommendation.
10. Documents and Evidence
The documents are split into a required list for everyone and an extra list for those who claim particular items.
| Who provides it | Required for every applicant |
|---|---|
| The applicant | Integrated application form (Form No. 34) and passport copy; the points self-assessment sheet; the personal statement; the standard E-7-4 employment contract; the income certificate from the tax office (last 2 years); Korean-language proof; the identity surety letter (Form No. 129), with the employer acting as surety |
| The current workplace | Copy of the business registration (or farm operator registration); tax payment certificates, national and local; the four-insurance workplace subscriber roster (plus construction-value evidence for construction only); the employer recommendation letter with a copy of the signer's ID |
| Item claimed | Extra document |
|---|---|
| Certificate bonus | Copy of the Korean certificate (related to your current field) |
| Degree bonus | Copy of the Korean degree certificate |
| Driver's license bonus | Copy of the Korean license |
| Root-industry company | Root-industry company confirmation |
| Shipbuilding | Prime-contractor or equipment-supplier confirmation |
| Coastal regular shipping | Coastal passenger or cargo transport business license or registration |
- Korean-language proof: only a TOPIK claim needs the score report; a KIIP completion or pre-assessment result can be left out, since the office checks it.
- Income proof: only the income certificate issued by the tax office is accepted in principle.
- Passport validity: if less than 6 months of validity remain, the office can, once only and with a written confirmation, grant the stay period as if the passport had 6 months left, provided the contract is 2 years or more.
- Surety period: the permit can be for 2 years only if the identity surety period is also at least 2 years, even when the contract itself is 2 years.
- Old recommendations: ministry recommendation letters issued before the current rules took effect are not valid and must be reissued.
- File format: for HiKorea uploads, each file must be 2 MB or smaller, in jpg, bmp, png, tif or pdf; the ID photo must be a jpg of 95 KB or smaller.
False documents or false statements can lead to visa-application restrictions and criminal penalties. Claim only the items you can prove.
11. Filing, Fees and What Comes After
How and when to file
Applications are accepted all year, online through HiKorea e-application in principle. In-person filing is allowed only where the office head decides it cannot be avoided, for example for elderly applicants, remote areas or an unusually large set of documents. A five-day rotation assigns the filing day by the last digit of your birth year: 1 or 6 Monday, 2 or 7 Tuesday, 3 or 8 Wednesday, 4 or 9 Thursday, 5 or 0 Friday. HiKorea e-application is open on weekdays from 07:00 to 22:00, and system questions go to 1345.
Government fee
Under Article 72 of the Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act (text in force from September 15, 2026), a change of status costs KRW 100,000, and a stay extension costs KRW 60,000. A reduction applies to online applications. The ordinary change-of-status fee applies to E-7-4, including the electronic-filing reduction, and the review fee is not refunded once the application is accepted. Certificates and translations cost extra.
After you receive E-7-4
- Stay period: up to 2 years per grant, within the contract term. Extension of existing E-7-4 holders follows the revised rules; no separate extension test is set out, so ask the immigration office which documents it wants before your permit expires.
- Korean deferral: if you used it, supply the Korean level by the first extension (see section 6).
- Regional F-2-R: an E-7-4 holder may change to the regional-specialized F-2-R status after 2 years or more since the E-7-4 change, if the person will keep working at the current workplace or the contract has ended or will end within 3 months. Other F-2-R conditions, including a recommendation from the head of the metropolitan or provincial government, still apply.
What Is the E-7-4R Visa and Which Areas Does It Cover?
E-7-4R is the regional-specialized version of the skilled worker status. It is for registered foreign nationals who have stayed 2 years or more in E-9, E-10 or H-2 status within the last 10 years, are working normally at their current workplace and are recommended by the head of a metropolitan or provincial government. The recommended area is a population-decline area or a population-decline-concern area of a local government that applied for a regional visa quota. You must commit to live and work there for 3 years or more. This page does not carry a list of areas, so confirm whether a particular city or county is covered with the metropolitan or provincial government or the immigration office.
| Item | What the rule says for E-7-4R |
|---|---|
| Who can apply | A registered foreign national who has stayed 2 years or more in E-9, E-10 or H-2 status in the last 10 years and works normally at the current workplace. A person who held E-7-4R or the family status F-3-3R within the last 5 years is excluded. |
| Exclusions | Exclusions cover a criminal fine of KRW 3 million or more, unpaid tax (an applicant can apply after paying in full), four or more Immigration Act violations, overstay of 3 months or more, and persons judged likely to harm the interests or public safety of the Republic of Korea or the economic or social order. The fine, Immigration Act and overstay items count only the last 10 years. |
| Recommendation | A recommendation letter from the head of the metropolitan or provincial government that covers the recommended area, issued before you file. It is valid for 3 months and for one application only. The employer recommendation is also required. |
| Where you live and work | The workplace must be located in the recommended area, and you must live in that area after the change of status. After 2 years, you may move to another population-decline or population-decline-concern area within the same metropolitan or provincial government. |
| Pay and contract | Contract pay of KRW 26 million or more a year including allowances (KRW 25 million for agriculture, livestock, fishery and coastal shipping), meeting the minimum wage, under a contract valid for 2 years or more from the application date. |
| Score | 200 points or more out of 300, with at least 50 points each on average income and Korean ability. The income bands (KRW 25 million to under 30 million scores 50, up to KRW 50 million or more scores 120), the Korean bands (50, 80, 120) and the age bands (40, 60, 30, 10) are printed in the same form as for E-7-4. Age is counted from the birth date on the passport or alien registration card using the international age method. |
| Korean-language deferral | The temporary deferral until December 31, 2026 is also printed for E-7-4R: the Korean level can be supplied by the first extension (2 years), and if it is still missing after 2 years, family invitation is not possible and only a 6-month stay is granted. |
| Switching from E-7-4 | An E-7-4 holder whose current workplace is in a population-decline or population-decline-concern area and who will keep working there can obtain a recommendation from the metropolitan or provincial head and convert to E-7-4R at the extension. Only the detailed code changes, so it is not a change-of-status permit. |
| Job-seekers | If the planned workplace is in a population-decline area, a person job-seeking in E-9, E-10 or H-2, or a D-10 holder whose previous status was E-7-4 or E-7-4R, is treated as meeting the applicant requirement. |
| Employer headcount | Depending on the number of Korean employees: 1 to 5 employees allows 3 E-7-4R workers; 6 to 50 allows 50 percent of Korean employees; 51 to 100 allows 50 percent up to 35; 101 to 150 allows 40; 151 or more allows 50. Korean employees are those insured for employment insurance for at least 3 months at or above the minimum wage. |
| After E-7-4R | After 3 years or more in E-7-4R and living in a population-decline area, an E-7-4R holder can apply to change to the regional-specialized F-2-R status. A spouse and minor children can be invited in the family status F-3-3R. |
E-7-4 and E-7-4R rules have been revised, including a larger employment allowance for agriculture, livestock and fishery, a service-period rule for workers who changed jobs through no fault of their own and a relaxed fine standard, so check the current rules before you file.
For the standard E-7-4 track, see the E-7-4 skilled worker visa guide. For the next step after E-7-4R, see the F-2-R regional visa guide. For the wider E-7 family, see the E-7 visa requirements guide. Final eligibility is decided by the immigration office.
12. Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is the E-7 visa point system in Korea?
Q. What is the E-7-4R visa, and how is it different from E-7-4?
Q. What is the pass mark for E-7-4?
Q. Can I apply if I have no Korean-language result yet?
Q. Which Korean-language results count, and do I need TOPIK?
Q. Which income figure is scored?
Q. How many workers can one company recommend?
Q. Can I apply for E-7-4 from outside Korea?
Q. How long is the E-7-4 stay period, and what is the government fee?
Q. What is the E-7-4 visa, and who can apply?
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13. Related Guides and Next Steps
Vision Administrative Office (VISAS KOREA) offers consultations to review your score sheet, the employer's recommendation position and your documents. We are an administrative scrivener office, and this page gives procedural information rather than legal advice or a promise of approval. Request a consultation or call +82-2-363-2251 (Mon-Fri 09:30-17:30 KST).