E7 Visa (E-7-S) High-income earners (E-7-S1), those planning to work in high-tech industries (E-7-S2)

Recently, a foreign-invested bio-related company contacted us about hiring a French national with an E7 visa.

Usually, when considering the E7 visa, if you are a graduate of an overseas university and have a bachelor's degree (major and field of study match), you must have at least one year of related experience to be able to apply for the E7 visa.

※ If you are a graduate of an overseas university and have a master's degree or higher related to the position you are applying for, you may apply even without work experience.

The company that contacted me had the same idea and asked me why I couldn't do it given my lack of experience.

The applicant, a French national with a bachelor's degree, had a major that aligned with the field of study, but lacked at least one year of work experience. In the biotechnology field, a cutting-edge business field where the applicant would be working, there was a special provision that recognized "internship experience while still a student before obtaining a degree," rather than the standard "experience after obtaining a degree." However, even this internship experience was less than one year.

I verified the score requirements for the recently established E-7-S (E-7-S2) visa, which aims to attract outstanding overseas talent in advanced business fields, by inputting the applicant's score into the application. Fortunately, I confirmed that even without prior experience, the score requirement of 60 points or more was met. (The chin-up score was exactly 60 points.)

I responded to the company that made the inquiry that since they had enough points, they could apply for an E-7-S2 visa, and upon receiving the request, I invited the applicant (applied for visa issuance approval) with an E7 visa (E-7-S2).

※ Simply because you plan to work in the high-tech industry does not mean you can apply for an E-7-S2 visa.

You can apply for an E-7-S2 visa only if you possess technology or products in a field that exactly matches the advanced technologies and products listed in Article 5, Appendix 1 of the Industrial Development Act, or are directly engaged in that field.

Now, let's take a look at the negative-type professional visas E-7-S1 (high-income earners) and E-7-S2 (expected workers in high-tech industries).

E7 Visa (E-7-S1) High-Income Individuals Eligibility and Requirements

※ Regardless of academic background, career, or field

① Income must be at least three times the previous year's per capita gross national income (GNI).

② Not to be employed in restricted occupations

※ Restricted occupations: Office work and simple labor jobs according to the Korean Standard Occupational Classification, occupations that are against good morals, and other fields where employment of foreigners is restricted for reasons such as national security according to other relevant laws (e.g., CEO of a news agency, etc.)

(National Employment Protection Review Standards) Not applicable

E-7 Visa (E-7-S2) Eligibility and Requirements for Those Expected to Work in Advanced Industries

※ E-7-S residence status may be granted even if it does not fall under the E-7 introduction occupation category.

① Must meet the score requirement of 60 points or higher below.

② Income must be at least 1 times the previous year's per capita gross national income (GNI).

③ Engage in a cutting-edge industry

④ Not to be employed in restricted occupations

※ Criteria for recognition in the advanced industry sector: Limited to those who possess technology or products in fields that exactly match the 3,043 advanced technologies and products according to Article 5 of the Industrial Development Act and the “Scope of Advanced Technologies and Products” (Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy Notice No. 2022-36) or are directly engaged in such fields.

※ If necessary, check if the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy has a 'Advanced Technology/Product Certificate'

(National Employment Protection Review Standards) Not applicable

Scope of advanced technologies and products (industry sectors)

※ Below is a list of applicable industrial fields when viewed from a broad perspective. For the exact scope of advanced technologies and products applicable to each industrial field, please refer to Table 1 of Article 5 of the Industrial Development Act.

Carbon/nanofusion	Textiles and clothing	chemical process materials	Renewable energy
Ceramic	Bio	metal materials	electrical energy
production base	semiconductor	LED/optical applications	Base SW computing
display	network	mobile communications	Convergence SW
broadcast	radio satellite	Information appliances	Embedded SW
Smart Service	Information Security	medical devices	Knowledge Service
secondary batteries	production system	robot	Plant Engineering
automobile	Joseon Maritime	Aviation	Clean base
drone	Energy resources	nuclear power

Negative Visa Scorecard for High-Tech Industries (E-7-S2)

1. Required items (Income: Up to 45 points, linked to age)

Income/Age	20~29 years old	~35 years old	~39 years old	40 years old or older
More than 90 million won	45	40	35	30
More than 80 million won Less than 90 million won	40	35	30	25
More than 70 million won Less than 80 million won	35	30	25	20
More than 60 million won Less than 70 million won	30	25	20	15
50 million won or more Less than 60 million won	25	20	15	10
More than 1 times the previous year's GNI Less than 50 million won	20	15	10	0

- When first visa issuance: Salary standard in employment contract

- When extending the period of stay: Proof of income from the previous year

2. Items with potential future contributions

① Age: Up to 20 points (based on full age)

20~29 years old	~35 years old	~35 years old	40 years old or older
20	15	10	5

② Academic background: Up to 30 points

- Recognition of combined scores for multiple degrees (same degree in different fields)

- If you have obtained multiple degrees (e.g., master's, bachelor's), only the items with higher points will be given points.

③ Work experience: Up to 25 points

More than 9 years	More than 7 years less than 9 years	More than 5 years less than 7 years	3 years or more less than 5 years	More than 1 year less than 3 years
25	20	15	10	5

- Only work experience in the advanced industry field is recognized.

- Experience prior to obtaining a degree is also recognized

- Only full-time employment experience is recognized.

④ Korean language proficiency: Up to 20 points

TOPIK Level 5 / Completion of KIIP Level 5	TOPIK Level 4 / Completion of KIIP Level 4	TOPIK Level 3 / Completion of KIIP Level 3	TOPIK Level 2 / Completion of KIIP Level 2
20	15	10	5

- Only the highest score among the TOPIK and Social Integration Program scores will be recognized.

⑤ Domestic study abroad experience: Up to 20 points

PhD	Master	Bachelor's degree	Associate Degree
20	15	10	5

- If you have earned multiple degrees, only the highest score will be recognized.

- Degrees earned through distance learning are not recognized

3. Points: Up to 40 points

Graduates from excellent universities	KOTRA Employment Recommendation	Recruitment for small and medium-sized enterprises and venture companies	Research results
10	10	10	10

- Excellent universities: Top 200 universities selected by Times Higher Education, Top 500 universities selected by QS (including domestic universities)

- KOTRA Employment Recommendation: Those who have received employment recommendation from KOTRA

- Recruitment for small and medium-sized enterprises and venture companies: People who plan to work for small and medium-sized enterprises under the Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Basic Act or venture companies under the Venture Business Act.

※ Companies that can be verified with a small business verification certificate or venture business verification certificate

- Research achievements: Those who have published at least one paper in SCI, SCIE, SSCI, or A&HCI within the past five years (only first or corresponding authors are recognized)

Special provisions for acquiring Resident (F-2) and Permanent Resident (F-5) status

1. Special provisions for obtaining a change in qualification for point-based residence (F-2-7)

▶ Target

- Those who have stayed in Korea for more than one year with a negative professional visa (E-7-S) and are currently engaged in normal employment activities.

▶ Requirements

① Meet the E-7-S2 point system requirements (60 points or more) (E-7-S1 only verifies income)

② Completion or assignment of level 3 or higher of the social integration program

※ Exemption from application of F-2-7 score system requirements

※ However, requirements other than the point system requirements (conduct, no history of employment in restricted fields, etc.) do not apply.

2. Special provisions for changes to point-based permanent residency (F-5-16) qualifications

▶ Target

- Those who have changed their qualification from a negative professional (E-7-S) to a point-based resident (F-2-7) and have stayed in Korea for more than 3 years and are currently employed.

▶ Requirements

① Those who change their status from E-7-S1 to F-2-7 (point-based residence) must meet the income requirement (GNI 3 times or more).

② Those who have changed their status from E-7-S2 to point-based residence (F-2-7) must meet the E-7-S2 point-based requirements (60 points or more).

※ For those who changed their status from E-7-S2 to F-2-7, relaxed livelihood requirements apply (previous year's GNI per capita: 2 times or more → 1 times or more)