All about E7 visa Employment Recommendation Letter The E-7 visa encompasses a total of 87 occupations, categorized as follows: - E-7-1 (Specialized Professionals): 67 occupations, including 15 managerial positions. - E-7-2 (Semi-specialized Professionals): 9 occupations. - E-7-3 (General Skilled Workers): 8 occupations. - E-7-4 (Skilled Workers): 3 occupations. Today, we’ll share insights based on practical experience concerning the Employment Recommendation Letter for the E7 visa: 1. Occupations listed as requiring an Employment Recommendation Letter in the guidelines must obtain one from the relevant ministry to apply for the E7 visa. 2. Even for occupations not listed as requiring an Employment Recommendation Letter, the immigration office may still demand one from the relevant ministry. 3. Some occupations, while not mandatory, may be asked for an Employment Recommendation Letter during the review process if anything seems suspicious or if a more stringent review is necessary. Note: An Employment Recommendation Letter from a relevant ministry and an Employment Reason Statement prepared by the employing company are distinct concepts. For occupations requiring an Employment Recommendation Letter, both an Employment Reason Statement (Manpower Utilization Plan) and the Employment Recommendation Letter from the relevant ministry must be submitted for the E7 visa application. The Employment Reason Statement is mandatory for all E7 visa applications, while the addition of an Employment Recommendation Letter depends on the occupation. Occupations Requiring an Employment Recommendation Letter: 1. Managers in product production (Domestic return companies) - Ministry of Industry KOTRA 2. Technicians in plant engineering (Specialized in shipbuilding equipment and manufacturing) - Ministry of Industry Shipbuilding and Marine Plant Division 3. Teachers in various educational institutions abroad, including: - Teachers at Jeju International Schools - Governor of Jeju Special Self-Governing Province - Teachers at International Middle Schools, Foreign Language High Schools, International High Schools, and Autonomous Private High Schools - Superintendent of Education of the respective city/province 4. Financial and insurance experts (With over 5 years of experience without a degree) - Financial Services Commission 5. Developers of travel products - Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Tourism Industry Division 6. Event planners (Specializing in performances) - Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Performing and Traditional Arts Division ※ Companies with annual sales of 5 billion won or more may waive this requirement at the director's discretion 7. Overseas sales representatives (Subject to special employment standards per company) - Ministry of Industry KOTRA / Korea Trade Association - (Foreign investment companies with annual sales of $100,000 or more + employing at least 1 Korean national) and (export companies targeting special language regions with annual sales of $100,000 or more) are permitted to hire 1 foreigner - Export companies targeting special language regions with annual sales of $500,000 or more: allowed to employ foreigners up to 70% of the Korean employment quota ※ The overseas sales representative role follows a standard of 1 E7 foreign national per 5 Korean nationals and is highly sought after by foreign students transitioning from domestic qualifications. It's a common misconception that if there aren't 5 Korean nationals, the application is impossible. However, as outlined in the guidelines, meeting one of the special standards allows for application, even without 5 Korean nationals. Previously, permission was obtained for an Arabic-speaking applicant targeting a company with only 2 Korean nationals, and for a foreign investment corporation with fewer than 5 Korean nationals, both meeting the condition of having annual sales exceeding $100,000. In the case of KOTRA, an Employment Recommendation Letter is issued only if it falls within the 8 advanced technology fields (Transportation and machinery, new materials, environmental energy, digital electronics, biotechnology, technology management, IT, nanotechnology). For the trade association, the company must have had export performance of more than $100,000 the previous year and possess a unique trade business number. The applicant must have graduated from a trade-related department (bachelor's degree or higher) or have at least 1 year of trade-related experience for the Employment Recommendation Letter to be issued. 8. Technology management experts - Ministry of Industry KOTRA 9. Announcers - Korea Communications Commission 10. Hotel reception officers - Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Tourism Industry Division 11. Medical coordinators - Ministry of Health and Welfare Overseas Healthcare Division 12. Tourist interpretation guides - Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Tourism Industry Division 13. Aquaculture technicians - Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries Aquaculture Industry Division 14. Halal butchers - Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Livestock Policy Division 15. Shipbuilding welders - Ministry of Industry Shipbuilding and Marine Plant Division 16. Ship electricians - Ministry of Industry Shipbuilding and Marine Plant Division 17. Aircraft maintenance technicians - Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Aviation Technology Division 18. Managers in accommodation/travel/entertainment and sports - Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Tourism Industry Division ※ Including travel agency managers and tourism leisure business managers --- Employment Recommendation Letter Not Listed but May Be Required: 1. Product planning experts - Ministry of Health and Welfare Overseas Healthcare Division Institutions registered as foreign patient attraction facilities and businesses employing E7 visa holders are consistently required by immigration authorities to furnish an Employment Recommendation Letter from the Ministry of Health and Welfare. These facilities and businesses are limited to hiring foreigners for two specific roles—Product Planning Experts and Medical Coordinators—for interpretation and marketing purposes. Applications for other positions (such as translation, advertising, and promotion) will be rejected outright, or the immigration office may request reapplication specifically as a Product Planning Expert or Medical Coordinator, with the prerequisite Employment Recommendation Letter from the Ministry of Health and Welfare. This stems from the unique nature of the medical tourism industry, which encompasses both travel and healthcare sectors, thus restricting workers in this field from being evaluated solely as Product Planning Experts or Medical Coordinators. Furthermore, not all hospitals are eligible to receive an Employment Recommendation Letter from the Ministry of Health and Welfare; only hospitals registered as foreign patient attraction medical institutions qualify. To register as a foreign patient attraction medical institution, having at least one specialist is mandatory. 2. Managers in agriculture/forestry/fisheries - Agricultural enterprise managers: Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Management Personnel Division - Fishery enterprise managers: Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries Aquaculture Industry Division These roles, despite being categorized under E-7-1 manager occupations, are often utilized for purposes beyond management, such as employing foreign workers for menial tasks on fish or pig farms. This tendency is attributed to various issues like career falsification and the involvement of intermediary companies. For instance, hiring foreign laborers for basic tasks on fish or pig farms is common. The turnover rate among foreign laborers entering the agriculture/fisheries/livestock sector is notably high. Similar positions exist within E-7-3, such as animal breeders and aquaculture technicians. Therefore, to qualify for these positions for an E7 visa, applicants must meet additional requirements beyond the basic ones. For instance, having a master's degree or higher in a related field or a bachelor's degree with related experience would necessitate more than just one year of experience; it must exceed three years. --- The Employment Recommendation Letter, while not mandatory, is often requested during the review process for certain positions. - Managerial Occupations These roles involve directing and coordinating the work of a company, institution, or department, typically at the director level or higher. Salaries are a crucial aspect of the review criteria, with no exact standard but rather a criterion aimed at preventing the exploitation of low-wage foreign labor. Therefore, salaries should be commensurate with the level of professional personnel, linked to the average wage of a domestic individual in a similar role with comparable experience. Typically, salaries for E-7-1 professional occupations should exceed 80% of the Gross National Income (GNI). It is advisable to opt for a managerial position when the salary is at least 1 times the GNI (equivalent to at least 42.47 million won). Selecting a managerial position solely due to difficulty finding a domestic candidate, for efficiency in hiring a foreigner, or if the salary is unreasonably low, may raise suspicions during the review process. In such cases, the immigration office may request an Employment Recommendation Letter from the relevant ministry and evidence of domestic recruitment efforts. Field investigations may also be initiated, potentially prolonging the review process indefinitely. Field investigations are conducted based on received requests, and applicants are advised to patiently wait, especially if applying for positions with high concentrations of applications, such as E7 mechanical engineering technicians from countries like Vietnam. - 28 available Occupations for the KOTRA Employment Recommendation Letter Although less common than for managerial positions, KOTRA's Employment Recommendation Letter may be requested in situations arousing suspicion or requiring a stricter review. Even if not requested, it is recommended to obtain a KOTRA Employment Recommendation Letter if the occupation falls within the 8 advanced technology fields and is eligible. This can facilitate the issuance of a multiple visa and, if certain requirements are met, may lead to a stay period of up to 5 years and eligibility for permanent residency after 3 years of continued employment in Korea. Below are the qualification requirements and target occupations for the KOTRA Employment Recommendation Letter. --- Qualification Requirements for KOTRA Employment Recommendation Letter (Aligned with Basic Requirements for E7 Visa Application) ▶ Advanced Technology Talent - Holders of a master's degree or higher in the relevant field (no experience required) - Holders of an overseas bachelor's degree in the relevant field + at least 1 year of experience - At least 5 years of experience in the relevant field - Holders of a domestic bachelor's degree or higher (no experience required) ▶ Income Requirement - (Base salary) Income should be at least 80% of the previous year's GNI per capita ※ However, a relaxed wage requirement of at least 70% is applied to foreigners employed by small, venture, and non-capital region medium-sized companies with no domestic company work experience or less than 3 years of experience. (Companies must provide documents proving their status) ▶ Application Technology Field: 8 Advanced Technology Fields - Transportation and machinery, new materials, environmental energy, digital electronics, biotechnology, technology management, IT, nanotechnology --- 28 Eligible Occupations for KOTRA Employment Recommendation Letter 1. Managers (3 occupations) - Product production-related managers (Mandatory Employment Recommendation Letter) - IT sales and sales-related managers - Information and communication-related managers 2. Experts and related workers (25 occupations) - Investigation experts - Product planning experts (Mandatory Employment Recommendation Letter) - Technology management experts (Mandatory Employment Recommendation Letter) - Management and diagnostic experts - Technical sales representatives - Plant engineering technicians - Experts in automobile, shipbuilding, aircraft, and railway vehicle engineering - Environmental engineering technicians - System software developers - Application software developers - Web developers - Data experts - Network system developers - Telecommunication engineering technicians - Computer system designers and analysts - Computer hardware technicians - Information security experts - Electronic engineering technicians - Electrical engineering technicians - Textile engineering technicians - Metal and materials engineering technicians - Gas and energy technicians - Overseas salesperson (Mandatory Employment Recommendation Letter under specific standards) - Life science experts: limited to biology - Chemical engineering technicians ※ Employment Recommendation Letters are not issued for general tasks such as manufacturing, production, and repair of products incorporating advanced technology. (Involvement in research, development, etc., of technology is required) Good luck with your job hunting! :) Source: All Visa Korea